Your garage door is one of the most expensive investments in your home, and it is essential to maintain and service it to prevent early damage. Garage doors professionals advise that you service your garage door at least twice a year. But aside from the annual servicing, it is also advisable to perform routine checks and minor maintenance activities on your garage door to prolong its lifespan.
State Line Door and Lift shares some garage door maintenance tips for residents of Kansas City, Missouri, to protect and maintain their garage doors.
Essential Parts of Your Garage Door
The garage door has many components, and all of these components are crucial. Some of the vital features of your garage door that you should be familiar with include:
1. Garage Door Opener
The opener is one of the most essential parts of your garage door. From its name, you can tell that it allows your garage door to open and close easily. There are three types of garage door openers which are: electric, hydraulic and pneumatic.
Electric openers are the most common type of garage door opener. They use electricity to control the chain and the tube shaft to open the door. Hydraulic openers use pressurized oils, while pneumatic openers use air pressure to open your garage doors.
2. Garage Door Springs
Garage door springs help to counterbalance the door's weight, allowing it to open and close easily. The springs are designed for the exact weight of your door. For example, if your garage door weighs 100 pounds, the spring will also weigh 100 pounds.
The springs are a very delicate part of the garage door; if they cut, they could lead to damage or death. Only garage door professionals should repair or remove a garage door spring.
3. Garage Door Rollers
They are functional wheels with balls and bearings that allow your door to run smoothly along the track. They carry the full weight of your garage door, allowing it to open and close easily.
Most Kansas City homeowners usually ignore their garage door rollers until it's worn out. Others make the mistake of trying to replace the rollers by themselves. They end up buying low-quality rollers that wear off quickly.
The right thing is to check your rollers regularly and contact your garage door experts if you notice rust.
Garage Door Maintenance Tips
1. Conduct Routine Check
Check your garage door regularly and note any unusual developments. When checking, pay attention to important parts of the garage door, such as the spring, rollers, pulleys, and tracks.
2. Clear the Tracks
Ensure that your garage door tracks are clear and free of debris. Also, ensure the track fits well to the wall. Contact your garage door expert if there are any irregularities in the track.
3. Apply Lubricant
Lubricate the moving parts of your garage door to keep them moving, reduce stress and prevent rust. At least twice a year, apply a high-quality lubricant to the rollers and other moving parts of the door.
4. Test the Door Balance
Your garage door needs to be well-balanced to allow the door to open easily and reduce stress. To test the door balance, open your garage door manually and leave it halfway. If the door doesn’t stay on its own, it is not correctly balanced, and you might need to contact your garage door repair company.
5. Test the Auto-Reverse Feature
All automatic garage doors have an auto-reverse feature that forces them to stop and reverse when it senses an object while it's closing. Test the auto-reverse feature of your garage door regularly and ensure it works well to prevent accidents. To test the auto-reverse, place a brick or any other time under your garage door and try to close it. If it doesn’t reverse, the auto-reverse isn’t functioning.
6. Check and Repair the Weatherstripping
Attaching weatherstripping along your garage door helps to prevent dust, water, and dirt from entering the garage. Check your weatherstripping at least twice a year to ensure it is in good condition. Reattach your weatherstripping if it’s loose, and replace it if it's badly torn.
7. Clean and Paint your door regularly
Keeping your door clean will help to maintain it and increase its lifespan. At least once a year, wash your garage door. Check steel doors for rust and sand them if you notice any. Remove peeling paints and repaint them. Wide wooden doors with a clean cloth and remove cobwebs.
Common Garage Door Problems and What They Mean
1. Noisy Garage Door
If your garage door makes a noisy sound when you try to open or close it, it indicates a problem. It could be that the rollers are worn out, loose, or need lubricant. The torsion spring or a loose nut could also be a problem.
2. Garage Door Opening or Closing slowly
Sometimes, your garage door might open or close at a slower pace than usual. This could be a result of dry weather. Consistent dry weather can dry out your door rollers or dirty the tracks. If your garage door opens slowly, lubricate the rollers and clear the tracks regularly.
3. Garage Door Doesn’t Respond to Control
If your garage door isn’t responding to the open or close control, first, you want to check the remote control batteries. If the batteries are in good condition, check the door opener. To see if all the lights are on. If you can’t determine the cause, it is safe to contact your repair expert.
Professional Garage Door Repair in Kansas City, Missouri
State Line Garage Door, and Lift is the leading garage door company in Missouri. They provide the best garage door repair and installation services in Kansas City areas, including Independence, Grain Valley, Blue Springs, and Lee's Summit.
Created out of their passion for serving, State line Garage Door and Lift provides long-lasting solutions to all garage door problems while maintaining excellent customer service.
To make inquiries about their services, contact State Line Garage Door and Lift at 816-616-8352 or visit their website.
