For most homeowners, the garage is the most used entry into the house — experts estimate the garage door is used over 1,000 times per year. Being an important access point into the home, it’s essential to keep the garage door in proper working order to avoid burglaries or breakages that could leave you stranded inside or outside of the house. Not only are these occurrences inconvenient, but they also lead to costly emergency repairs. To avoid these expensive and time-consuming problems, it’s best to keep your garage door properly maintained.
Avoiding Garage Door Repairs
The best defense against garage door repairs is for homeowners to perform regular garage door checks. Between regular maintenance checks by a garage door professional, homeowners should note their garage door performance and note any strange sounds or unusual behavior. Regular maintenance for homeowners should include:
- Listen for Noises: Garage doors are typically noisy when operating properly, but listen for sounds that are unusual, like rattling, grinding or shaking. These sounds indicate your garage door needs maintenance or repair.
- Perform Visual Inspections: Every month, you should check the components and hardware of your garage door, including the rollers, cables, springs and pulleys for signs of damage, rust and premature wear. For any loose parts, tighten them with a wrench. Also, make sure all moving parts are properly lubricated to avoid rust buildup or damage.
- Test Door Balance: When your door is off-balance, it can damage the opener and parts to your garage. Typically, the door will make a grinding noise or appear uneven when opening or closing. To check the balance, disconnect the door from the opener with the release handle and then lift the door manually about halfway up the tracks. If properly balanced, the door will stay in place. If unbalanced, the door will either slam shut or snap up.
- Check Reverse: This device ensures people or items under the door are not crushed if the door is closing. To test this mechanism, place a piece of wood or another object under the door and then close the garage. If the item makes contact with the door, the mechanism is most likely damaged and should be inspected by a professional.
- Test Photo Eye Sensors: These are safety measures that cast a beam across the threshold. If something breaks that connection, the door should automatically reverse. To test this, close the garage door and stick a broom handle in the path to ensure the door raises as expected.
Preventative Garage Door Maintenance
To always ensure your garage door is performing reliably and efficiently, homeowners should have a garage door professional check the system at least once every year. During an annual visit, a technician will visit your home and check that all parts and hardware are in good working condition, tight and properly lubricated or greased. They’ll also remove debris buildup from the photo eye sensors and tracks, check the opener and perform a safety inspection. As needed, they’ll make recommendations for repairs or upgrades.
For Reliable Garage Repair and Maintenance, Call AE Door & Window
When you need reliable, affordable and friendly garage door preventative maintenance or repair, call the professionals at AE Door & Window. We have over 35 years of garage door installation and service experience throughout the Cincinnati area and northern Kentucky. For our customers, we offer high-quality Chamberlain garage door openers and stylish Clopay® Garage Doors. We pride ourselves on providing dependable customer services and offer fair and free project estimates and emergency 24-hour services. To learn more about our garage door services, complete our online contact form or call our Cincinnati location today at 513-742-1984.