6 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Garage Doors
After a few years, you notice key parts start to wear down, hear weird noises and have trouble opening the door. You sit there in the cold winter, wondering why the door won’t open as the snow accumulates around you.
As annoying as that might be, it can be prevented with some knowledge about how garage doors work and what you can do to keep them going strong. Garage doors shouldn’t start to break down after a few years, but they will if you don’t keep them well-maintained. Here are six tips from the garage door pros at In N Out Services to help homeowners keep their garages operating smoothly.
Maintenance Is Key
Maintenance is important for most of the products we own. Keeping cars, phones, and laptops running for years requires timely maintenance and care. That extends to your garage doors as well. You should be in contact with your local or a trusted garage door service provider and have a garage door maintenance schedule set up. Even if you don’t follow a program, be aware of when the parts may need a tune-up and how you can best keep them working at 100%.
Clean the Tracks
Tracks are responsible for keeping the entire garage door system moving. Over time, dirt and debris can build up, making it harder for the door to travel. Active homeowners can also sometimes leave parts in the path of the tracks, damaging the rollers and throwing the entire door system out of whack. Make sure the tracks are clean to provide long-lasting care and stability for your garage.
Lubricate Moving Parts
Proper lubrication keeps the most important parts of your garage door moving uninhibited and can help prevent corrosion and rust. Call your local garage door company, or lubricate the parts yourself with the appropriate products. Focus on providing lubrication to tension springs and other metal moving parts of the door.
Don’t Overwork It
Homeowners sometimes fall into the habit of opening or closing the door for unnecessary reasons, running through multiple daily cycles. Most garage door parts run on cycles, and you can get as much as 15 years out of most parts by limiting how many times you open or close them. On the other hand, homeowners who constantly run through their cycles can put so much wear and tear on the garage that parts start to give way at around seven years or sooner.
Don’t Postpone Repairs
If you need repairs, the only thing postponing repairs does is take more money out of your pocket. If garage door springs give way earlier than you expect, or your garage door opener needs service, it’s understandable to feel frustration. That said, the last thing a homeowner should do is waste time while still using their garage. Compromised parts put added pressure on the other components, meaning you’ll likely have to fix more than just a broken spring or faulty opener.
Don’t Forget About Insulation and Weather Stripping
Weather stripping and insulation do more than keep you comfortable while working on the car. These parts also keep garage doors stable, protecting against extreme weather conditions and making it harder for temperatures to degrade garage parts. Clean off weather stripping to prevent erosion, and tighten a loose section of the stripping. If you notice insulation or stripping that needs repairs, don’t hesitate. Reach out to a local garage door company and ask about residential door repair services.
Keep Your Door in Mint Condition With In N Out Services!
When getting maintenance, the last thing you want to do is skimp on the company you call. At In N Out Services, we employ some of Arizona’s finest technicians, trained in all there is to know about garage doors. We’ve seen everything from broken springs to doors that last much longer than their stated lifespan. We know what it takes to keep your doors in mint condition, so contact us today to learn more about maintaining, replacing, or repairing the important parts of your garage door.