Three Simple Maintenance Tasks To Use On Your New Garage Door
When you arrange for a contractor to visit your home and install a new garage door, the job can quickly elevate the curb appeal of your home and improve the ease with which you enter and exit the garage. Although your newly installed garage door should last you a long time, it's important to understand the simple maintenance steps that you can take to keep the door operating properly and looking its best in the years ahead. While you should always call your garage door contractor if you notice a serious problem with the door, here are three simple jobs that you can perform when the need arises.
Ensure That The Hinge Hardware Is Tight
It's valuable to get acquainted with the hinges located throughout the inside of the door that hold the various door panels together. Over time, it's possible for these hinges to loosen through vibration caused when the door opens and closes. Excess vibration can lead to issues with the door, so it's important to ensure that the bolts securing the hinges to the door panels are always tight. Use a wrench to check the head of each bolt periodically; whenever you encounter one that it loose, tighten it so that it's consistent with the others.
Keep The Roller Wheels Lubricated
Over time, the roller wheels that ride along their tracks on each side of the door can get stiff. When this occurs, the door won't ride on its tracks smoothly and can be difficult to operate -- especially when you're opening and closing it by hand. You can eliminate the risk of this problem by lubricating the roller wheels with a household spray lubricant. Focus the spray on the centers of the rollers rather than the tread areas of the rollers. It's ideal to use the precision straw that is typically taped to the lubricant can to get your spray as precise as possible.
Check The Health Of The Optical Sensors
If you have a powered garage door, it's important to periodically check the optical sensors to make sure that they're working properly. The sensors "tell" the door when it needs to reverse course because of an obstacle in its path, so it's important that they work properly. When the door is closing, slide something in the middle of the two sensors, such as an old, folded towel. It should trigger the sensors to make the door change direction. If not, it's time to call your garage door contractor (such as one from Mark May's Garage Door Store) to have the sensors fixed.