As a homeowner, you can perform some garage door maintenance tasks yourself. In addition to keeping your garage door working longer, performing regular maintenance will also keep you and your loved ones safe from garage door mishaps. If you’re not comfortable with performing garage door tests and maintenance routines, it’s best to have them performed by a trained technician.
Garage Door Maintenance in Chicago
The following maintenance tasks should be performed to avoid having to call a garage door repair technician prematurely:
- Visual inspections should be performed on a monthly basis. Inspect all the garage door parts: springs, cables, all mounting hardware, and etc., all with the garage door closed. You should be looking for any signs of wear on any of the parts. Look for signs of fraying on the cable and for signs that the hinges are coming loose. Open and close the door as well, listening for abnormalities—creaking, groaning, screeching—all of these signs could be the symptom of a bigger problem.
- A test to detect improper garage door balance should be performed on a monthly basis. To perform this test, close the door and disconnect the automatic opener if your door has an automatic system. Next, lift the garage door manually. If the door lifts smoothly and with little to no resistance, the balance is fine. If it’s hard to lift or doesn’t stay open after you life it, it could be out of balance.
- A test to determine the reverse mechanism of the door should be performed on a monthly basis. This is only needed if your garage door has an automatic opening system. Place a piece of lumber in the middle of the garage door while it’s open. Place it in the spot where the garage door would touch the floor. Close the door by pushing the close button on the garage door opener and when it touches the wood, the door should automatically go in reverse. If your garage door doesn’t automatically reverse, consider calling a trained technician to repair it.
- A test to determine that the photo eye is working properly should be performed on a monthly basis. This test only needs to be performed if your garage door has an automatic opening system. Close the door with the automatic opener or switch and then take a broomstick and wave it before one of the door’s photo eyes (the place where the detection happens). This should make the door reverse. If it doesn’t reverse and open, pull the broomstick away and close it. Clean the photo eyes with a dry cloth, such as microfiber cloth, when the door is closed. The photo eyes might also need to be adjusted by hand if they’re not lined up properly; gently adjust them to be on track again, and then open the door and repeat the test. The door should reverse and reopen.
- The door should be lubricated semi-annually. Simply apply a bit of lubricant spray to the hinges, rollers and track of the garage door.
If your garage door isn’t performing as it should, AR-BE Garage Doors can help. We service and install garage doors in the Chicago area. Give us a call at (800) 339-3256 to schedule an appointment.