Most houses in the US are 37 years or older, according to a study by the NAHB.
This means that a lot of components of a home are ready for replacement, or long overdue. Roofs can last between 10 to 25 years, the same as garage doors. Garage doors, however, are replaced less often on average.
How can you get the most out of your garage door? Continued maintenance is important for getting the best lifespan out of your garage door.
Keep reading to find out how!
1. Make Sure Everything Is Moving Smoothly
Lubricating the components of the door keeps the whole process moving smoothly, and cheaply. Lubrication is the first line of defense for keeping most of your moving parts wear-free.
Don’t use lubrication on nylon rollers or tracks, as they’re not designed to slide, but rather to roll. Instead, use lubrication spray on the door opener’s chain or drive screw.
If you don’t, garage door maintenance will be harder down the line, or you may need these services from a professional instead.
2. Make Sure the Door Is Balanced
Making sure the tracks are free of debris is only part of the issue of things moving stiffly. Sometimes doors become unbalanced and need readjustment. Cables stretch and may need replacing.
Likewise, garage door torsion springs may end up getting weaker on one side than another. Balancing a door can be tough work, but keeps everything from wearing faster than expected.
The springs are the usual culprit for unbalanced doors, and generally need professional adjustment due to safety concerns and special tools needed for this.
3. Keep a Tight Ship — And Hardware
Garage door repair is often staved off by making sure all the hardware and connections are snug. you don’t want overtightened or loose hardware. The average overhead door can open more than a thousand times a year.
All that movement tends to shift hardware, as well as temperature changes.
4. Regularly Test the Auto-Reverse Features
A garage door is very useful and convenient, but convenience should always give way to safety. The auto-reverse feature is mandatory since 1993. Before 1990, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that every year, garages accounted for 30 million injuries and 22,000 deaths.
Sadly, that included 45 children between the ages of 2 and 14.
This is perhaps one of the most important safety checks you can’t do without. Regularly monitoring the state of your auto-reverse feature on your garage door is a must.
5. Regular Inspection for Damage
Garage door springs are designed for long life, but metal fatigues over time. The typical garage door spring is rated for 10,000 open and close cycles. We’ve already mentioned you typically get more than 1000 in a year.
For more on how springs keep your door up and save your back, it’s useful to know how they work.
If you see a damaged spring, or it looks completely separated, don’t touch it! Let a trained professional come out to inspect and replace it.
Garage Door Maintenance Tips
Garage door maintenance is more complicated than people realize at first, but it’s good to be prepared. Not only that, you can save time and money by some free regular inspections.
Want to know more about home repair and DIY? Active My Home has you covered with articles for every place in your home.