5 Garage Door Maintenance Tips for your BC Home
Almost no other part of your home experiences as much wear and tear as your garage door. Regular maintenance ensures reliable and quiet operation and keeps your family and belongings safe and secure. A broken garage door can leave your home vulnerable to intruders and nature’s elements. To avoid unnecessary costly repairs and to keep your garage door running smoothly, follow these five simple maintenance tips:
1. Tighten nuts and bolts. The average homeowner opens and closes their garage door several times a day. Constant movement and vibration can loosen the hardware and compromise your door’s structural integrity. With the help of a socket wrench, tighten all roller brackets and bolts that hold the different segments of your garage door together. If your garage door rattles when in motion, chances are the hardware needs fine-tuning. 2. Lubricate moving parts. It’s recommended to grease the various moving parts of your garage door every year to ensure seamless operation. Lubricate the opener chain and screw drive, as well as the overhead springs, with white lithium grease or any other suitable product recommended by the manufacturer. Make sure to also regularly oil the rollers, hinges and tracks to keep your garage door rolling trouble-free. 3. Clear tracks of debris. If your garage door keeps getting stuck, there may be a buildup of debris in the tracks. Every month, clear your tracks of any twigs and leaves and remove dirt and grime with a damp cloth. For optimal performance, dampen the cloth with a little bit of oil to keep your tracks well-greased. 4. Replace weatherstripping. Get into the habit of checking the weather seal at the bottom of your garage door for any signs of wear. If it looks brittle or cracked, replace it right away! Weatherstripping ensures the elements are kept out of your home. Consequently, if your seal is in poor condition, water from rain or snow can infiltrate and cause damage to your floors and your foundation. 5. Test safety features. Regularly test your garage door’s auto-reverse to make sure it’s working correctly. Place an item like a brick or a piece of wood in the door’s path and hit the remote. As a safety measure, the door should instantly reverse as it comes into contact with the object. If it doesn’t, call in the garage door technicians without delay! You wouldn’t want to be held accountable in the case of an accident. If your garage door is older (20+ years), it may lack this safety feature. Consider replacing your old door with a more reliable, energy-efficient model. Not every problem is an easy fix! If your garage door continues to bug even after you’ve taken all of the necessary preventive measures, contact the expert technicians at Hunter Overhead Doors serving Nanaimo and Parksville in beautiful British Columbia. We supply garage door parts and offer repair services to provide the security and peace of mind you deserve! Is your garage door a little too timeworn for your liking? Up your home’s curb appeal with a beautiful new custom door! Hunter Overhead Doors has been providing homeowners in Nanaimo, Parksville and surrounding BC areas with durable and affordable garage doors for 25 years. If you’re looking to have a garage door installed, repaired or inspected for wear, our technicians are just a phone call away!