Keeping your garage door in good condition over the years is a great way to protect your investment and keep your home looking great. Regular care and maintenance are crucial to extending your door’s lifespan. Here are four straightforward steps to keep your garage door in good condition for as long as possible.
Clean It Up
Cleaning your garage door panels and moving parts is critical if you want your door to last. Not only does regular cleaning help your garage door look good, but it also helps prevent malfunctions and broken parts.
Weather, dirt, and debris will routinely impact your garage door since it faces the outdoors. Over time, dirt and grime can corrode the door panels. Corroded panels can unbalance the door and pose a safety and security risk.
You can typically clean your garage door panels with gentle detergent diluted in water—but check the manual first to be sure! Whatever you use, rinse and dry it off when you’re done for optimal results and door longevity.
In addition to the door panels, you also need to clean the moving parts of your door. These include:
- Hinges
- Rollers
- Cables
- Drums
- Tracks
Dirt, dead leaves, and other debris can impede the movement of your door. Since all the parts work together, an issue with one can potentially cause issues with others. Regular cleaning helps prevent problems and keeps your door working correctly.
Lubricate Moving Parts
Cleaning the moving parts of your garage door is a great first step, but you can’t leave it there! You should also regularly lubricate those parts so they move smoothly each time you open and close your garage door. This helps reduce wear and tear over time.
Before starting, check the garage door manual to see what lubricant to use and how often to apply. Once you have that information, set a calendar reminder and make it part of your home maintenance routine.
Assess Door Balance
Your garage door can become unbalanced if part of the mechanism gets damaged or compromised. Some common problems include:
- Worn-out torsion springs
- Damaged cables
- Bent tracks
- Misaligned rollers
If unchecked, an unbalanced door will usually worsen and cause more damage. Eventually, you’ll face door replacement rather than repair.
To keep your garage door working for as long as possible, check the balance at least once a year by opening it manually so it’s halfway open. If the balance is correct, the door will remain in place. If it’s not, it will fall back down. If that happens, it’s time to call your local garage door experts for assistance.
Monitor Usage
You should use your garage door whenever you need to—that’s what it’s there for. That said, the more you use it, the quicker it will wear out. Being mindful of how often you use your garage door is a long-term way to extend its lifespan.
This could mean revamping your routine for leaving the house so you don’t open and close the door repeatedly by coming back for forgotten items. Or, maybe it means coordinating with family members on shopping lists or pickup schedules so you reduce the number of trips you make on a weekly basis.
Small adjustments like these can have a big impact over time. Limiting how often you use your garage door is especially important if your door is older.
If you live in Heathsville or the surrounding area, call Easy Open Garage Doors, LLC, for all your garage door repair and maintenance needs. We’re here to help keep your doors in tip-top condition so that they serve you and your family as long as possible. From annual maintenance to emergency assistance, Easy Open Garage Doors, LLC, has you covered. We provide outstanding customer care and expert garage door service for all types of residential and commercial overhead doors. Easy Open Garage Doors, LLC—Because Life Is Hard Enough!
