It’s tempting to think that you can simply leave your garage door to do its job, month after month, season after season. To some degree, that should be perfectly fine – but to get the best out of your doors, you are going to need to take a lot of care in making sure that you preserve their look and functionality. Otherwise, you are likely going to end up with a very expensive, odd-looking garage door that simply doesn’t work for you in practice.
Garage door maintenance, however, doesn’t have to be difficult. It’s surprising how hassle-free it is in the long run, too. But how often should you check and maintain your garage doors? Are there any things you should keep in mind to avoid them breaking down or deteriorating in the long run? Let’s take a quick look at a few great tips on maintaining your garage door throughout the year.
Consider Lubrication
Modern garage doors are going to need more than the odd wipe down every now and again. To keep them working at peak condition, you are going to need to make sure that they are lubricated and oiled. Otherwise, their rails, tracks and rollers – as well as springs – are going to end up grinding to a halt. Surely it’s worth avoiding this scenario at all costs?
Therefore, a key element of garage door track maintenance is to lubricate the mechanisms at least four times a year, spaced out once every three months. It’s important to make sure you do this regularly as it could otherwise lead to your doors jamming, sticking, or failing to do their job altogether. You can try either a silicone spray or white lithium grease.
Another great way to maintain your tracks is, of course, to clear them out regularly. Even though you may not see them, they can still clog up with all kinds of dirt and debris.
Check Your Mechanisms
As well as making sure your tracks are clean, clear and well-oiled, you should make sure that your lifting and moving mechanisms are in good working order. Good roll up garage door maintenance, on the whole, revolves around simply checking the springs. However, you should never touch anything like garage door springs unaided.
This is because they can cause injury if you are not well-versed or trained in such systems! If you notice that springs and mechanisms are wearing down or are broken altogether, it is a good idea to get in touch with a garage door specialist who can repair matters for you as soon as physically possible.
What About Electric Garage Door Maintenance?
Electric garage doors need just as much TLC as any others. The best thing you can do immediately when maintaining electric doors is to test them. Do you use the auto function on your doors a lot? Then one of the main features or faculties you should be testing or trying out is the reverse function. Auto-reverse is something which normally kicks into gear when your doors sense something in their way. You should therefore be ready to test to auto-reverse function by trying out the sensors, carefully, with a piece of card or board.
Checking the scanners and photocell systems you have in place will ensure that your electric garage doors continue to do the job they were built for all year round.
Cleaning Your Doors and Improving Their Look
Of course, one of the first things you will likely think about when it comes to garage door maintenance is making sure they still look great. A good staple of garage door annual maintenance is to keep them painted, not only to uphold their look and aesthetic, but to ensure that they can weather the seasons to come. Therefore, you may need to clean your garage doors more than once a year, depending on the type of material they are built from, and how likely it is that they will receive damage in the months to come.
Fibreglass-based doors are generally very easy to clean and maintain as they will often only need a quick clean down with an all-purpose or everyday spray. Metal doors, such as those made of steel, are likely going to need deep care and attention when it comes to rusting and erosion. You should always be ready to sand down and paint over rust, potentially looking into special treatments which will prevent it from coming back again.
Wooden doors are different matters altogether. Whether you are looking for up and over garage door maintenance or maintenance for garage door openers, if your system is built in wood, you’re going to need to apply a special level of care and vigilance. Wooden garage doors are at risk of damp and warping, and what’s more, they can degrade, splinter and chip.
You should be ready to refinish and sand down your doors at least once every three years. In the meantime, make sure that you regularly wash them down with soap and water. Be sure not to use any chemicals or treatments likely to cause damage in the long run.
Reach Out For Help
Reaching out for help is always important. That’s because there is only ever so much you can do when it comes to garage door maintenance DIY! It should be easy enough for you to clean down your garage door and to make sure it is working as it should. However, if you do have any major concerns or queries, don’t forget that your local garage door experts can always be with you to lend a hand.
Here at Affordable Windows, we do more than just design and install windows for homes. One of our specialisms, for example, lies in setting up fantastic-looking, practical and functional garage doors for all kinds of homes and property needs.
Are you unsure how to make the most of a garage door? Set up a new garage door system with Affordable Windows, and we will only be too happy to support you in the months and years to come.
