Preventative Maintenance

Everything that’s mechanical needs to be maintained. You have your car oil changed at regular intervals to prolong the life on the engine. Your garage door system also has a lot of moving parts that need maintenance as well. Here are some garage door maintenance tips that can assist you in extending the life of your garage door system and ensure it remains operational year round.

It’s important to know that approximately 30,000 people are injured by garage doors each year. If you have identified a problem, please do not attempt to repair any part of your garage door system yourself. Call the professionals at All Area Overhead Doors to ensure your garage door maintenance is done properly and safely.

You can use these three key points to create a preventative garage door maintenance checklist. We recommend checking the items below once a year at minimum.

• Look & Listen often

One of the easiest and most effective ways to ensure your garage door works as it should is to listen for grinding noises and looking for any stuttering motions when your door opens and closes. Your door should open smoothly throughout the operation cycle. If your garage door makes a lot of noise and exhibits stuttering motions, there is something wrong or could be an indication that it is about to break.

• Inspect your cables

Look at your cables for any signs of fraying or rust. Do not run your bare hand along the cable as this could result in injury. If fraying has occurred or rust is present, its only a matter of time before the cable will break and potentially damage your door or other components of your garage door system. Replacing your cables is a low cost way to ensure that your vehicle does not become trapped in your garage if one of them fails. We suggest inspecting your cables every six months.

• Keep your tracks clean

Your garage door tracks are subjected to the elements and inevitably become dirty. When this dirt and grime is allowed to pile up in the tracks, it can cause your door to jam up on one side or break a roller. Wiping the dirt out of the tracks and following up with a lubricant is another positive step in ensuring your garage door operates smoothly. You can find silicone based lubricants specifically for garage door tracks at stores such as Home Depot. This is an effective, extremely low cost garage door maintenance tip that can produce results immediately.

• Free from obstruction

Many people store holiday decorations, lawn equipment and various other items in their garage. Something as simple as a leaf rake kept in a corner near the garage door can cause catastrophic damage to your door system if it falls into the track during operation. Keeping items away from the tracks and corners of your garage is a sure fire way to prevent a potential costly accident.

We hope you implement this effective garage door maintenance checklist and get the maximum operational life out of your system as possible!