How to Maintain Your Garage Door

We always take steps to make sure the things we purchase and use everyday are taken care of so they will last us for some time. It is amazing though that most people will neglect the largest moving part of their home. Having a garage to park our cars in from the climate and storing lawnmowers is going to be a pain if you cannot get the garage door to open. Calling a professional to come out and service your door can be expensive. Learning how to maintain your garage door will not only save you money on needless service calls, but also extend the life of your door.

Begin by purchasing couple of cans of WD-40 or other oil based lubricant. With your door in the closed position, spray the inside track lightly paying close attention to the curve part of the track. Look at the rollers of your door. Spray lightly where the stem meets the roller while attempting to move it with your hand. Also spray the moving part of your garage door hinges. Inspect your rollers and hinges for damage as well. You can usually pick up comparable replacement parts at Lowe's or Home Depot. If a bottom hinge or roller needs replacing consult a professional door service because that is where the tension to lift your door is concentrated and it would be dangerous for you to attempt replace this yourself.

After lubricating the track, rollers, and hinges carefully look at all your hinges and fasteners. Make sure all nuts and bolts are tightened down. Look at where your horizontal track connects to the vertical track. Many times the bolts will become loose and cause problems for your smooth door operation. Notice too the lag bolts that connect the track to the wall. Make sure they are tight and that there are no missing points. Replace them as necessary.

With your door still down, look at the spring that you have. Is yours on a shaft over the header of your door or do you have a stretch spring on either side? If you have the exposed spring on a shaft, gently spray a coat of lubricant across the length of the spring only. Be very careful, spray a small amount of lubricant where the shaft is going through a bearing. Do not spray cables or anything that the cable comes in contact with. If you have a door opener, this would be a good time to add a light coat of spray to the chain.

If you happen to have a garage door that has the springs on the side, raise the garage door to the full open position. Carefully inspect all the parts of the spring assembly. There should be a safety cable running through the spring from the back of the track to the front wall. This cable prevents the spring from flying all over the place should the spring break. If you do not have this contact a service professional to have them add that safety feature. If everything looks good with the spring assembly apply a light coat of spray.

Knowing how to maintain your garage door is really not that difficult. You really don't realize how often you use the garage door until it fails to open one day. Good routine maintenance will save you money and frustration over the life of your garage door. If in doubt about any moving part, always contact a reputable service provider.