How to Prolong the Life of your Garage Door

1. Keep your garage door in tiptop shape. We don’t usually think much about our garage door, but the fact is, it plays a large part in your home’s curb appeal and value. Deciding to install a whole new garage door is a major purchase, so it’s a big decision. On the other hand, it’s often better to simply keep the garage door you now have, and responsibly maintain it, so it will remain in good condition for many years. In all likelihood, you’ll keep it functioning and looking as outstanding as you can, for as long as you can.

These days, garage doors are of better quality than decades ago. They’re manufactured according to strict safety standards. A prime-quality garage door provides an effective barrier for optimized reduction of heat transfer into your garage. The door sections of excellent-quality garage doors are painstakingly tested and come with superior warranties.

With regular wear and tear, how long should you expect your garage door to last? It depends. First, the manufacturer lists an official estimate in your operator’s manual. Also, if your garage door’s materials are of exceptional quality, your garage door will probably last far longer than average.

Particularly if your garage doubles as an office, shop, or game room, all the more reason to keep your garage well-maintained ~ which means starting with a garage door that’s durable and resilient. The truth is, your garage door is the biggest operating appliance of your household, so it’s important that you keep it in working condition.

2. Establish a routine maintenance schedule. Follow a schedule for proper upkeep of your garage door, which is what’s recommended by expert garage door technicians. For optimum safety, inspect the components of your garage door system once each month. Replace worn-out parts and tighten loose bolts. If you hear any strange noises when the garage door opens or closes, don’t procrastinate, investigate! If you observe any problems with springs, wires, pulleys, or cables, then professional attention is required. Moreover, you should schedule a yearly inspection with a trustworthy local garage door repair company.

It’s surely worth the time and effort to maintain your garage door properly, and you’ll save money overall, also. You won’t spend a lot on repairs, and you won’t have to replace it for a good number of years.

3. Lubricate. Garage door springs normally last for about ten years. The typical reasons garage door repair is required are broken springs and cables. To do all you can to prevent the need for repairs, be sure to lubricate the springs, rollers, and hinges.

Without lubrication, your garage door springs are going to rust, and eventually the coils will bind. A light coating is all you’ll need. Don’t use anything too heavy, or it will attract grime and dirt.

Most garage door professional technicians will tell you to lubricate the springs each year, before winter arrives; some even say to lubricate every three months. In any case, it’s best to choose a top-name brand.

You can also do your part to effectively extend the life of your garage door opener. Most garage door openers last about twenty years. Take a close look at the opener's main gear periodically: Open the case, and lubricate the main gear using white lithium grease.

4. Keep it balanced. Check your garage door’s balance twice each year:

• Disconnect the garage door opener from the garage door, to operate it by hand: Pull on the rope that’s hanging from the opener to disconnect the door, so you can lift it up manually.
• The owner's manual contains instructions on how to reattach the garage door opener to the garage door.
• Your garage door should balance at about three or four feet above the floor. If there's any resistance, if the door is too heavy, or if it won’t stay up all the way, the spring requires adjusting. Call a garage door repair technician.

5. Keep it working.

• Operate your garage door for one full cycle (shut and open), to make sure it’s working smoothly.
• Assess the automatic reversing garage door opener feature: As the door goes down, grab it to give it a bit of resistance, to see if it reverses. If it doesn't, then a professional technician has to adjust the opener's sensitivity.
• If your garage door isn’t reversing, or if you discover any additional issues, hire a garage door professional to inspect, replace, adjust, or repair whatever is needed.

6. Keep it safe. Examine the garage door's safety features regularly: to Test out the safety sensors by waving in front of the electronic eyes. The garage door should now go back up each time the beam is broken.

7. Keep it clean. The garage door will last much longer when you wash it thoroughly, front and back, at least annually, with a sponge and clean water with mild dish soap. Rinse well. Don’t forget the garage door opener sensor eyes: Use a clean, dry cloth. Keep the area around the sensors free of dirt and cobwebs.

• Do you have a steel garage door? Wash it every other year. Apply car wax for added cold-weather protection.
• Do you have a wooden garage door? If you notice any signs of peeling or chipping, you’ll maintain great curb appeal with a fresh coat of paint.

8. Be careful! DON’T TRY to adjust the spring tension yourself, unless you’re an engineer! Only an eminently qualified garage door repair technician can suitably carry out the servicing required. A garage door spring packs a wallop, so if it isn’t repaired, adjusted, or replaced correctly, the springs can cause serious injury, and even death. Along with the garage door springs, the drums, the bottom brackets (to which the cables are attached), and the cables, are all under a great deal of pressure.