Jump To:
- Inspect Your Garage Door
- Service the Chain or Belt
- Service the Seals and Springs
- Inspect and Replace the Rollers
- Cleaning the Garage Door
- Perform Safety Tests
Your garage door is an essential part of your home. It opens and closes to give you safe access to your house. It protects the items inside from the elements. Your garage door even serves as a line of defense against intruders. For these reasons and more, you’ll want to make sure you’re practicing proper garage door maintenance.
If you’re wondering how to maintain your garage door in Oregon, Valley Overhead Door is here to help. Follow these tips to keep your garage door in great shape for years to come.
Inspect Your Garage Door
When your garage door is working as it should, it’s easy to not give it much thought. However, your garage door sees a lot of use, and if you don’t check on it periodically, major problems could develop. Inspect your garage door at least once or twice a year to find possible issues before they turn into major inconveniences.
Be sure to pay particular attention to these components as you check your garage door:
- Appearance: How does your garage door look? Does it need a fresh coat of paint, or do you see any cracks or dents? Keeping your door looking nice helps to maintain the exterior aesthetic of your home.
- Seals: Are all the seals tight? Loose seals can affect how well your door works, as well as whether it can keep the cold or warm air out of your garage.
- Operation: Does everything operate smoothly and quietly? If your garage door jerks when it moves or is slower and noisier than it once was, then the rollers or tracks may need to be cleaned. You may also need to have a professional come to inspect your door if cleaning doesn’t work.
Service the Chain or Belt
Your garage door opener uses a chain or belt to open and close your garage door, and over time, this component can loosen, creating slack. This results in slapping or groaning sounds when you engage the opener.
To fix this issue, the chain or belt will need to be tightened. However, overtightening can result in breakage or damage, so it’s best to have a professional complete the repair.
Service the Seals and Springs
The seals and springs of your garage door play important roles. Seals make sure outdoor elements stay outside. They also keep small pests from sneaking through any cracks into your home. Springs are crucial to the balance of your garage door, aiding the opener in the process.
To fix or replace your weather seal, open the garage door to a comfortable height so that you can inspect the bottom where the weather seal is. If it has cracks or is falling apart, then it is time for a replacement. Measure the length and find a new garage door weather seal at your local garage door repair shop or hardware store. It should easily fit the bottom of your garage door.
To service your springs, you need to locate them first overhead in the pulley system. Spray them generously with penetrating oil to help them when they expand and contract. Call a professional if you think your springs need replacement or adjustment. They’re under high tension, and adjusting them incorrectly can result in serious injury.
Inspect and Replace the Rollers
Rollers are influential to the smooth opening and closing of your garage door. When rollers are in good shape, your garage door slides easily and silently. If you have chipped or broken rollers, your opener could struggle to open and close your garage door, and you might feel resistance when manually operating it. Broken rollers affect the sound of your garage door as well. They can cause a grinding sound and make the overall operation of the garage door louder.
You may be able to replace some rollers yourself by removing the roller bracket and replacing them with new ones from your local hardware or garage specialty store. But, some rollers connect to the cable system, so you should leave replacing those to a professional. Rollers connected to cables can be unsafe to try to disconnect yourself.
Cleaning the Garage Door
As a homeowner in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, you might have a carriage, glass or metal garage door to withstand the rain and moisture. It’s important to keep your garage door clean to make sure grime and debris are not building up in your hinges or between panels. You also want to limit rust and other forms of damage as much as you can.
Sand and repaint any areas of rust that you find to keep it from spreading. Gently wipe your garage door with a soft cloth and clean it with a mild, all-purpose cleaner. Rinse with a hose using light-to-moderate pressure.
If you have a wooden garage door, keep an eye out for warped or cracked panels and have them replaced as needed. To keep your wooden garage door resistant to water, sand and repaint or restain your wooden garage door every few years. When cleaning, use a soft cloth to remove debris. Try to avoid using water to rinse your wooden garage door.
Perform Safety Tests
Garage door openers are designed with safety features in place. If these features aren’t working, it can create a potentially dangerous situation. Performing safety tests to ensure everything is working right is one of the best precautions you can take to keep yourself and your family safe. Here are a couple of these features to check regularly.
Automatic Reverse Feature
Check your opener’s automatic reverse features by placing a piece of wood or another hard object in the door’s closing path. Then close your garage door. When the door reaches the object, it should automatically reverse.
Photo Eye Sensors
Make sure your garage door’s photo eye sensors are correctly aligned. You should see a light on the device showing that it is in line with the other sensor. Then, grab a broom or other long household item. Close the garage door and move the object through the sensors’ line of sight. The door should start reversing.
If either or both of these features are not functioning, you may want to call a professional to get them back in working order. In some instances, you may need to install a new garage door opener.
Contact Valley Overhead Door to Schedule Garage Door Maintenance
Valley Overhead Door knows how to maintain garage doors in Oregon. Located in Albany, OR, we’ve been serving our local residents as well as those in Corvallis and Salem for more than 20 years. We provide friendly, professional service, so you can be happy with your garage door for years to come.
As the area’s only Clopay® dealer, we care about quality in everything we do. Contact us today to learn more. Schedule a service appointment or request an estimate for a new garage door or repairs. We look forward to helping you maintain and enjoy your garage door!
