With the cold winter well behind us, and summer quickly approaching, the time couldn’t be more perfect to start on some garage door maintenance.

Read more: Preparing Your Garage Door for the Summer

The icy conditions of the winter period can be tough on garage doors-something to do with the very cold temperature. As a result, some repairs and touch-ups may be necessary for your garage doors. The inside may also need some cleaning and general maintenance.

Even if the door opener looks fine from cursory inspection, thorough checking of the parts may reveal damages. Cleaning and repairing these issues can save you from spending more down the line.

Below are some tips to help keep your garage and garage door in impeccable shape throughout the summer months.

1. Clean the Door

Garages aren’t generally expected to be very clean. It’s where your cars, toolboxes, supplies, and sometimes, things that aren’t used frequently. As a result, dust is collected on some of these objects and grease from the car too. These make it difficult to find a very clean garage.

On the outside too, the part of the door exposed to the elements will be filthy as well.

The garage and the garage door should be well cleaned at least every month. To prevent dust build-up on the door, you can add a thin layer of car wax to both sides.

If your garage door is made of wood, rotting will almost always be an issue. Adding a fresh coat of paint and applying a water sealant to both sides of your door will prevent the rot from setting in. If the rot is already deeply-rooted though, there may be no other alternative than to replace the door entirely.

Steel doors aren’t entirely damage-proof too. If your door is made of steel, Endeavour to check frequently for signs of rusting. If found then the rusting area can be sanded down and painted over with a zinc primer.

• Lubrication

Ensure all moving parts (hinges, tracks, and rollers) are well lubricated, as well as the garage door opener’s track. This is important to keep your garage door operating correctly and will help prevent any damage.

Lubricating oils such as WD-40 should be avoided if possible. Try to use the lubricant oil that is specifically used for garage doors. Laying on a thick coat of oil will lead to the accumulation of dust and dirt, which in turn wear out the parts. For exterior weather-stripping, the usage of a lubricant that contains silicon is advised.

• Check for Wear and Tear

First, examine the cables to the garage door; do they seem frayed, look worn? If they do, you will want to replace them immediately. Endeavour to contact a garage door company around you, as it may be dangerous to replace the cables yourself if you don’t have a very good idea of what you’re doing.    

You should also make sure the hinges, rods, ball-bearings and supports are in good working condition as well. It is advisable to fix any damage as soon as it is discovered, so as not to spend more on repairs later on.

• Examine the Bolts

Check the bolts at the back of the track and make sure none of them are loose. Not only is this a maintenance concern, but it’s important for safety as well. The last thing you need is for the garage door to fall and damage your car or injure someone.

Loose bolts can be fastened personally; there is no need to call a garage door company for this. If, of course, you don’t know how to go about it, call a local garage door company.

• Examine the Springs

Extra care should be taken to keep garage door springs rust-free, as springs can break and sometimes it doesn’t matter how well they are taken care of, they break nonetheless. Keeping them rust-free helps a lot in prolonging their life though

A broken spring is dangerous because it can launch itself across the garage due to its high tension. No need to worry about any maintenance with this; once you have a broken spring, call in a professional garage door expert to get it fixed for you.

The tension in the springs can be tested by pulling the emergency release on the door while the door is closed. After the release is pulled, lift the door to waist level. If the door closes, the spring needs more tension; if it flies open, it has too much tension. The aim of this test is to have the door remain open at waist height.

• Insulation and Weather-Stripping

Weather-stripping (bottom section and at the perimeter) and insulation should be cleaned and damaged parts replaced. Insulation and weather-stripping help keep the garage dry and also prevents hot or cold air from damaging anything in your garage.

In conclusion, garage cleaning and maintenance is-most of the time-straightforward and uncomplicated. This leads to complacency in some people and gross negligence in others. Please try to be as careful as possible as some parts of garage cleaning and maintenance may be harmful.

What one needs to keep in mind at the end of all these is that, a clean garage and garage door is better, safer and more appealing than an unkempt one.

Solution Garage Doors
3602 Poirier
Montreal, Quebec
H4R 2J5
(T) 1-855-676-7837
(FAX): 1-888-788-4613
www.garagesolution.ca