How to Maintain A Garage Door This Fall

Understanding how to maintain a garage door is important to the lifespan of your garage door. If you ignore it for too long, you will likely encounter one of several common garage door issues.

In this article, you’ll learn how to maintain a garage door this fall.

How to Maintain A Garage Door This Fall

Now that Fall is on the way, you should think about maintaining your garage door. You want to ensure that it stays in top working condition before the colder weather really sets in. After all, no one wants to be out in the rain or snow trying to fix a broken door. 

With some maintenance though, you’ll drastically reduce the chance of this happening. Use this guide to help you maintain your door this fall and keep it working properly for you, every time you open it. 

Here’s how to maintain a garage door …

Inspect Your Door

Firstly, you want to inspect your door. You’re looking for anything that indicates there’s a problem, or that something is wearing out. Consider how the door has been working over the last few months. Is it louder than usual? Does it open smoothly, or does it become jerky? Does everything seem to be in even alignment?

If you see anything that needs to be repaired, consider if it’s something that you can do yourself. Many jobs, like cleaning photo eyes or fixing dents, can be done yourself with the right tools. However, broken springs and other maintenance should be done by a professional, for safety. 

Also, remember to unplug your automatic garage door opener if you’ll be doing work on the door. This will stop it opening or closing as you work, keeping you safe. 

Do Safety Tests

As you inspect your garage door, do some safety tests to ensure that everything is in working order. If you see any problems, talk to a professional to get help making the door safe to use again. 

Auto-reverse feature: Place a piece of wood in the path of your garage door, and activate the door to close. The door should stop short of the blockage, and reopen. If it doesn’t, you may need to adjust the limit switch on the door. 

Door photo eyes: Locate the photo eyes of your garage door, which should be either side of it, near the bottom. Activate the door to close, and then wave an object between them. If they’re working correctly, the door should auto-reverse. If it doesn’t, you may need to clean the photo eyes or realign them to get this feature working. 

Garage door balance: Unplug your garage door from the automatic opener, so it will open manually. Then, lift the door halfway up and release it. The door should stay in place until you move it again. If it slips down, the door isn’t balanced. You’ll need to call a professional to fix the problem. 

Maintain The Garage Door Opener Drive Belt

The garage door opener should open your door smoothly, so open your door to test it. Do you hear groaning or snapping sounds? That’s a sign that there’s too much slack in it. To fix this, unplug the opener and then locate the adjustment bolt on the chain drive or belt. There should be nuts either side to help you adjust it. 

Use a wrench to turn the first nut counter-clockwise, and then the second nut should be turned clockwise. This should make the belt pick up the slack. When tightening, ensure you don’t tighten too much as this could lead the belt to break. 

Before testing the door again, lubricate the chain belt with a lithium grease spray, to help stave off corrosion. Then, plug the opener back in and try the door again to see if the sound has stopped. 

Check And Replace Seals

The weatherstripping at the bottom of the garage door keeps out everything from rainwater to pests, so it’s important that it’s in good condition. If the seal looks brittle or broken, you’ll need to replace it. You can easily pick up a new seal at any hardware store. 

Open the garage door to about chest height and secure it using a clamp to keep it in place. Pry off the old weather stripping using a screwdriver, and clean the door groove to remove any debris. Insert the new weather stripping at one end, and then slide it along the bottom the door. Trim the ends off. And fold the ends back on themselves into the door groove to secure them. 

Clean The Garage Door Surface

Cleaning the garage door not only improves curb appeal, but it helps with keeping it in good condition. The way you clean your garage door will depend on the material it’s made of. If it’s a wooden door, wipe it down with a soft, dry cloth. Inspect it for any staining, a sign of insect damage. Also, consider if the door needs to be repainted. If you will repaint, patch any small holes with wood filler, then sand and paint the surface. 

If the door is a synthetic material, such as vinyl, you can wash it down with a soft cloth and the appropriate cleaner. Rinse it off using a hose, then dry it off with a microfiber cloth. 

On the inside of the door, wipe away any cobwebs and wipe the door down with a soft dry cloth. If needed, use a lightly moistened cloth to clean off stained areas. 

Replace The Battery

You’ll need to test your back up battery in your garage door opener, to see if it still has power. You’ll need it if the power goes out and you need to get your car out of the garage. Unplug the opener, and then press the button on inside of the garage. If the door opens, the battery should be fine., If not, it needs to be replaced. 

Obtain a new battery for your garage door opener, and then open the battery cover on it. Remove the spent battery and replace it with a new one, then close it up and try the door again to ensure the battery works. 

With these tests, you’ll be able to ensure your garage door is ready for fall. Simple maintenance stops most breakdowns from happening, so check over your door now and ensure it’s in good repair. 

Professional Maintenance

Whether you’re not comfortable working with the various components of your garage door, we recommend you request an estimate from a professional in your area.

A professional garage door service provider will have the experience needed to identify potential issues and resolve them before they develop into expensive problems.

Make us Your Garage Door Guys today if you’re in the Los Angeles or Ventura area. We provide expert garage door maintenance and repair through these areas, including Simi Valley to Northridge and beyond.

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