Move that Door Right Along—Smoothly on the Track, That Is!
The automatic garage door: it’s a thing of beauty, isn’t it? Well, if not aesthetically, then certainly practically. What we’re really talking about is how beautiful it is to have a door that opens with the push of a button. Who wants to climb in and out the car every time to open and close the door? Not us and, we’re pretty sure not you either.
But if your door and its opener fails, that means you’ll be you getting out of the car in the rain to open it. Nobody should have to endure that fate or—even worse—the fate of having a messy garage exposed to the neighbors because it’s taking you too long to close the door manually. Fortunately, there’s a few easy maintenance tips you can perform to make sure your door keeps working smoothly.
Keep A Lookout
Many garage door problems can be identified before they really become a big deal simply by taking the time to do a visual inspection of the door every other month or so. You’ll want to keep an eye out for things like broken springs, frayed wires and rust spots. Make sure the track isn’t bent or skewed out of shape, either.
Keep It Well-Oiled
Your garage door should be a well-oiled machine. We’re being literal here. A properly lubricated garage door won’t get stuck while it’s moving, and it’ll keep the wear and tear on all the parts of the door to a minimum. You’ll want to use a proper lubricant for the door. A spray lubricant such as WD-40 is your best bet. Lubricate the tracks, hinges and rollers of the door two times a year.
The Eyes Have It
For safety purposes, all garage doors manufactured since the early 1990s have to include a photo eye and reversal system to keep people from getting trapped under a closing door. If your door doesn’t have one of these, stop and contact us so that you can get one installed. If your door has one, you’ll want to periodically test it to make sure it’s working properly. To test the door, get a long object such as a broom and push the close button on the door. Wave the object in front of the eye. Should the door keep moving, wait till the door is closed and then clean the photo eye with a soft cloth. If that doesn’t fix it, you may need a new eye.
Even if you’re diligent about maintaining your garage door, you’ll still need a professional to repair and replace it when it breaks. Contact the Overhead Door Company of Portland to get your door in top working order.
