Neighborhood Garage Door Repair of New Haven,CT understands that your garage door will not last forever. Performing regular maintenance on your garage door and its parts are important because will help extend the lifespan of your door for as long as possible.
Life Expectancy of Garage Door Parts
Many garage door parts, such as the torsion springs, are usually only expected to last approximately ten thousand cycles. While that may sound like a lot of cycles, it’s really not as many as one would think.
Every time you open and then close your garage door, that equals one cycle. Think about how many times in a week you and your family usually open and then close your garage door. For the average family, it’s probably multiple times a day. When you really start to think about it, ten thousand cycles suddenly doesn’t seem like much.
Lubricate Regularly
Springs, rollers, and hinges require an adequate amount of lubrication to keep them operating smoothly, and free of rust. Generally a little bit of WD-40 is all you need to get the job done. All you have to do is spray a light layer of these important moving parts every three months or so. WD-40 or a similar product is preferable because anything thicker is likely to attract dirt.
Inspect for Loose or Damaged Parts
It’s best to take time once a month to inspect the basic components of your garage door’s system. As you perform your inspection, look for any loose fittings, and tighten any that you find as you find them. Looking for work or frayed cables is important as well.
If you find any cables that need to be replaced, call a professional to help you get the job done, as attempting this task on your own could pose a safety threat.
Open and close your garage door, listening carefully to see if you hear any sounds that are unusual. Making sure your overhead door is opening and closing properly is important as well. If you are unsure of anything you observe, call a professional technician to help inspect the door for you. Having a second pair of eyes looking for anything unusual can be very helpful.
Clean Your Garage Door Sensors
Keeping the sensors in your overhead door system cleaned is a good idea. Once a month, use a clean, dry cloth to properly clean them. This will help them continue to operate smoothly, and will help keep you and your family safe from harm.
The garage door sensors can be found on the bottom of both sides of your overhead door. If necessary, adjust the alignment, which should be pointing at the middle of the door opening. If they are pointing in the proper direction, they will be parallel to the door while in the closed position.
Balance the Springs
Testing the balance of your garage door springs should take place on a monthly basis. You can do this by pulling on the red-handled emergency release cord while the door is in a closed position. This will disengage the garage door opener, allowing you to lift the door open manually.
Partially lift the door from the ground and then let go. If the door drifts towards the ground, or does not easily open, then you may have worn springs that need to be repaired or replaced. Typically your door should remain in place if the springs are still working properly. In the event of worn or broken springs, hire a professional to quickly inspect them for you.
If you do not perform regular maintenance on your garage door, it can dramatically shorten the overall lifespan of your garage door. Here at Neighborhood Garage Door Repair of New Haven, we want to make sure our customers know how to keep their garage door maintained properly. If you ever need assistance with the upkeep and maintenance of your overhead door, one of our technicians would be more than happy to help.
