Tuesday, 23 December 2014

Garage Door Maintenance Tips Every Homeowner Should Know

Your garage door is a functional part of your home but it should also be an attractive part of your home. If you have a front-load garage, it is especially important to ensure that your garage doors are in great shape because they will generally be the first thing that people see when they arrive to your home. You need to ensure you are making smart choices when it comes to choosing your garage door and maintaining your garage door so you can make a good impression.  Even for side load garages, anyone who parks in your driveway is going to see your garage doors, and you will also need to see them every day when you pull your car in and out.

Fortunately, taking care of your garage doors does not have to be complicated. You can have beautiful, functional garage doors with just a little bit of effort when it comes to door maintenance.

Garage door maintenance can keep your garage doors looking attractive, and can keep your doors functional. Garage door maintenance can also be a safety issue as you want to ensure that the doors work properly and no one gets caught and injured in the doors.

Following some basic garage door maintenance tips is a great idea. For example, some tips to consider include the following:

Do monthly visual inspections inside and outside of the house. Be sure to check in the garage door springs and on the cables to find out if they are fraying or wearing. Check on the mounting hardware and make sure that the hardware is not loose. You should also watch for signs of damage or wear to hinges, pulleys and rollers.
Do a door balance test. For garage doors that have an automatic door opening system, you hold consider doing a periodic balance test. You can temporarily disconnect the automatic opener and manually lift the garage door. See if it is able to lift up smoothly and with a minimum level of resistance. You should also see if it remains fully opened after you have lifted it. If the door does not stay up fully after you have manually lifted it or if it does not go up smoothly, then this means that the door is out of balance and you should consider getting a professional to come and service it.
Check to ensure that the reversing mechanism works. The reversing mechanism stops the door from continuing to close and sends it back up if something is in the way. This ensures no one is trapped or crushed by the door. To do the test, put a large section of wood on the floor in the path of the door. Try to close the door and make sure the door reverses when it hits the wood.

By doing these basic maintenance tests, you can ensure that your door is working well. You should also check the aesthetics of the door and make sure that the paint is not chipped or the wood does not need to be re-stained.