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Garage doors are often the workhorses in a home. The typical garage door opens and closes thousands of times every year. All that use can reduce the life of a garage door without regular maintenance. To keep your garage door in top shape, give it a tune-up twice a year as the seasons change. Read on for some tips.
You might be able to carry out garage door maintenance yourself
If you’re keen on saving time and money, then perhaps you want to add garage door maintenance to your list of things to do.
Here’s what we recommend you do:
1. Check everything works
You’ll want to check that everything works on your garage door as expected.
Perhaps you use your garage door every day and will know when something’s not right, or perhaps you only use it a couple of times a month.
Have a look at the opener, door, handle, and lock to make sure that it all works.
Remember to check your automatic garage door opener too if you have one.
2. Check for damage
Perhaps your garage door has been battered by a storm, or has very obvious damage to it due to a car driving into your garage door.
There may be less obvious signs of damage, such as fraying cables, rusting springs or it’s just slow or noisy when opening and closing your door.
3. Check it’s weather proof
You’ll want to check that your garage door is weatherproof.
Rain, snow, storms and sun can damage garage doors, and let in wind and water.
You don’t want the first sign of a leaking garage door to be everything in your garage is wet.
4. Check the screws
Ensure that all the screws and other fittings are tight and secure, and replace any that are missing.
Whilst you might have suitable screws already, you’ll want to check that they are up to the job.
5. Check the frame
Check the garage door frame.
If it’s damaged or rotting, then your garage door may not be as secure or work as it should do.
6. Clean the tracks
Cleaning the tracks regularly will remove the dust and other debris that might cause problems.
You can brush the worst out, and then use a cloth to make sure you’ve got them really clean.
7. Lubricate
Once clean you’ll want to lubricate the rollers, tracks and pulleys.
You can get garage door lubricant as a spray which will make it easier to get to those hard to reach places.
8. How often?
This depends on where you live, what’s in your garage, how often you use your garage, and what you use it for.
You may need to check once a month, or just a couple of times a year.
9. Safety first
Safety must come first.
Obviously you may not have the tools, parts, skills, experience, time or inclination to even think about repairing your garage door, so you might not be able to attempt even the seemingly easy maintenance tasks.
Garage doors are not toys, and are under a lot of tension, and have many moving parts.
We wouldn’t recommend that you fix any major problems yourself.
10. Know your limits
You might not be physically capable of making these checks, or feel comfortable working by yourself carrying out these garage door maintenance tasks.
Perhaps it’s raining or dark, or your children want you to play with them, or you don’t really have the time to spend on your garage door.
If in doubt, leave garage door maintenance to the professionals.
Conclusion
Whether you’re able to carry out these garage door maintenance tasks or not, you might still need some help, advice or guidance, and we’re only too happy to help.
Even if you can’t fix it yourself, you might have still saved time and money by diagnosing the exact problem, and what replacement parts are required, before contacting us.
Find out what to do if your garage door isn’t working properly.
If you’re just starting to use your garage more because the weather has improved, and you’ve noticed your garage door isn’t working properly, then here are just some of the common reasons.
1. Remote control needs new batteries
If you haven’t replaced the batteries recently, then this is where to start. Remember to use branded batteries, as recommended by the manufacturer.
2. Photo eye is out of alignment
If your garage door closes then opens again, or just won’t open, then it could be that the photo eye sensor is dirty or out of alignment, which is preventing the door from closing properly.
3. Track is out of alignment
If you can see that there are gaps or bends in the rails, then the track is probably out of alignment, which means your garage door won’t open or close properly.
4. Garage door is opening or closing randomly
If your garage door is opening or closing randomly, then the chances are there is something resting on the transmitter.
Has it fallen onto the floor of your car, or driveway, or is it in your pocket being pressed by your phone or wallet?
Potentially, a neighbor could be on same frequency; and by opening and closing their door, they’re operating your door too.
5. Garage door opens part way then reverses
If your garage door opens part way then stops, it could be that that it’s hitting or resting on something.
There is a safety mechanism to prevent the door from crushing people, so check to ensure that debris, tools, toys or anything else is not preventing the door from shutting.
6. Garage door won’t open
If your garage door simply won’t open, then it might be due to the torsion springs. These do all the heavy lifting, and will eventually wear out or break.
7. Garage door opens then closes
If your garage door opens and immediately closes, it could be due to the limit settings on the opener.
You’ll need to refer to the manual to see what the settings should be, and adjust as necessary.
8. Opener runs but doesn’t move the garage door
If the opener works but doesn’t move the garage door, then you’ll need to check to ensure that the disconnect switch isn’t unhooked.
You may need to refer to the manual to see how to do this, and how to attach it again.
9. Runs for a few seconds then stops
If your garage door runs for a few seconds then stops, you’ll want to check for obstacles , or that springs aren’t damaged.
10. Closes very quickly
If your garage door closes very quickly, then you might have a broken spring or cable. This will need replacing by a professional if you don’t want to do it yourself.
Conclusion
Now you know some of the common reasons why your garage door isn’t working properly, and that most of the problems are easy to fix.
If you’re not confident you can fix your garage door yourself, why not leave it to the experts?
AA Garage Door covers Minneapolis, St Paul, and the whole of the Twin Cities region, and offers a same day service.
Why not call 651-702-1420 now to tell us how we can help you get your garage door working again.
If it doesn’t open or close properly, it’s time to get your garage door serviced
If you’ve noticed that your garage doesn’t open or close as easily as before, then it’s time to get your garage door serviced.
Here’s what to look out for the next time you open or close your garage door.
1. Squeaks
If you garage door squeaks then it could need lubricating or adjusting, which will be a job for the professionals.
2. Scraping sounds
If you garage door makes scraping sounds when opening or closing, then it could be due to a damaged end bearing plate, or misaligned reinforcing strut.
Whilst you might be able to temporarily resolve this issue yourself, these parts may need replacing.
3. Doesn’t open or close properly
If your garage door doesn’t open or close properly, then it could be due to a broken torsion spring, which will need replacing.
It might also be due to worn extension spring cable pulleys.
4. Garage door is up on one side
If your garage door is open on one side, then it could be due to a broken torsion spring cable or torsion spring, which will need replacing.
5. Garage door won’t stay open
If your garage door won’t stay open, then the springs may need adjusting or replacing.
6. Garage door starts to close but then reverses
If your garage door starts to open but then reverses, then the problem is likely to be broken torsion spring cable, extension spring cable or worn extension spring pulleys.
It might also be that the sensors are dirty or misaligned, causing the door to open again.
7. Garage door is jammed
If your garage door is jammed, then the torsion cable may need to be replaced. Alternatively, the track may be bent and simply needs straightening.
8. Door opener is straining
If your garage door opener is straining, then is could be due to a broken torsion spring, which will need to be replaced.
9. Remote control works opens the door but won’t close it
If your garage door remote control will open but not close your door, then this could be due to a misaligned or dirty sensor. This will need to be aligned, cleaned or replaced as necessary.
10. Door opens slowly
If your garage door opens slowly, then it’s likely that the torsion spring is broken, and will need replacing.
Conclusion
As can be seen, many common problems are resolved when you get your garage door serviced, and the torsion springs, cables and pulleys are often to blame.
If you’re not confident you can fix your garage door yourself, why not leave it to the experts?
AA Garage Door covers Minneapolis, St Paul, and the whole of the Twin Cities region, and offers a same day service. Why not call 651-702-1420 now to tell us how we can help you get your garage door working again.