ARE YOU HAVING GARAGE DOOR OPENER TROUBLE? DON’T WORRY. HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO!

HOW TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR GARAGE DOOR

Homeownership is the ultimate goal of many Americans, as well as everyone around the world. Buying a home is usually the single largest purchase the average person will make in their lifetime. Being a homeowner is a great way to increase your net worth, and can help cement a positive financial outlook for your future. However, your work doesn’t stop once you’ve signed the purchase agreement. In fact, that is where the work begins. Not only will you have to make payments on your home, but you will need to do your part to maintain the property, and in some cases, you will need to make upgrades to aspects of your property to keep them in line with aesthetic changes or modern technological advances. Instead of waiting for issues with your home to get to the point of no return, it is often better to address what may seem like “small” issues. That way, you can fix any issues for a lower cost.

Homeowners often budget for their “regular” home costs (mortgage, property tax, insurance), but they fail to earmark funds for property maintenance. Experts have found that setting aside 1-3% of your home value, per year, as “maintenance costs” is generally a good idea. So, if your home costs $300,000, you should be budgeting $3,000 – $9,000 per year for maintenance costs. That is quite a large sum. Some years you may find you don’t use this money, while other years you may exceed this amount. While homeowners tend to focus on the large items that may require repair (roof, hot water tank, plumbing, electric), there are other aspects of your home that can cause quite the inconvenience if they are not working correctly. One such item is your garage door. The garage door opener is the “everyday workhorse” of your home. You use the opener multiple times per day, and it brings added convenience into your life. Most people really don’t give a second thought to their opener until something goes wrong. This may lead to costly repair or replacement services. If you apply the right maintenance strategies, you can get extended use out of your garage door and opener, and you can avoid costly repairs. If you’d like more details on strategies you can employ to extend the life of your garage door, keep reading for some easy tips.

Keep your ears open (Listen!)

This one may seem very straightforward and basic, and that’s because it is. You don’t have to be an expert to identify a strange sound. You use your garage door daily, so you know how it usually sounds. A weird noise can point to a potentially larger issue. Think about it. Your garage door works using a mechanical mechanism. If your car were to start making noises while you were driving, you would take it to be looked at. The same applies to your garage door. If you hear a grinding noise when you operate your door, this may point to an issue with your garage door motor. If you hear a clanking noise when the door opens, this may point to an issue with your garage door springs. Garage door spring issues can be very serious, and need to be looked at immediately.

Do a visual inspection

This is another one that you do not need to be an expert to complete. Every so often (perhaps once or twice per year), do a visual inspection of your garage door system. Here are some steps you can follow. First, stand inside your garage with the door closed. Check around the seams. Are there visible gaps? Is light coming in? If you find these issues your door may not be properly aligned. Now you will want to take a door at all the garage door components (springs, wheels, tracks etc). Are your springs tight, or do they look loose and lacking in tension? Is there rust on the wheels, or do the wheels look worn out? Are the tracks dirty and filled with debris? These are things you will want to be on the lookout for. Especially with your garage door springs, as signs of aging can lead to potential bigger issues. If you do notice issues, it may be time to call a qualified garage door technician to get the issues repaired.

Clean and lubricate garage door tracks, rollers and hinges

This step is a little more hands on. The tracks of your garage door can become filled with debris (leaves and grass, dust, cobwebs). Just like you wouldn’t leave debris to build up in the corners of your home, the same goes for your garage door tracks. Simply grab a broom, and brush the debris out of the tracks (no fancy tools needed). When lubricating your tracks, rollers and hinges, do not use water or other chemical products. These type of products may cause build up and may do additional harm. Instead, you will want to get a good spray silicon lubricant. Your garage door manufacturer should have a list of products they recommend. You can utilize this maintenance tip seasonally for maximum effectiveness.

Check the balance of your garage door

This is probably the most “technical” tip on this list. You will need to disconnect your automatic opener. You will now manually open the door. The door should open easily. Once open, the door should remain open and not slip down the tracks. Next, you will close the door. The door should start to close with the application of a little pressure. Once it starts closing, it should not slam down. This will show that your door is balanced, and that the springs are doing their job correctly. This is a quick way to assess that your garage door is properly balanced.

These tips should help to extend the operating life of your garage door. If you run into any issues, it is best to call a qualified technician. If you are in Commerce City, CO, then place a call to the experts at Garage Door Repair Commerce City.

 

Article source here: HOW TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR GARAGE DOOR

Maintaining Your Garage Door Track and Rollers

You might not ever realize just how important it is to have your garage door serviced annually unless you’ve experienced an incident. You don’t have to experience an incident before recognizing the need to have your door serviced annually. In some cases, it might be necessary to have your garage door serviced more often due to the amount of use that it may receive. If you live in a household with more than one driver, it is obvious that the garage is being used frequently. Great attention should be given to the condition of your garage door if you want to maintain the condition of your garage door. It doesn’t matter if your door is automatic or manual, you’ll need to make sure the rollers and tracks are in good condition in order for them to continue working properly. With continued use of the garage, it eventually begins to wear on the tracks. This means they need to be lubricated frequently and the tracks need to be aligned. If this isn’t performed regularly, it will cause the door to begin dragging. Once this occurs, it will be more difficult for you to open and close your garage door. You can prevent this from occurring simply by having your tracks and rollers serviced annually.

In between your annual checkup, you can inspect the tracks and rollers yourself. Simply remove your car from inside the garage since it could make it challenging to get to the rollers and tracks of your garage. Inspect them with the garage door closed. You’ll need to examine all of the rollers and if any appear worn, they will need to be replaced in order for your door to continue functioning smoothly. You can use a toothbrush to dislodge debris and grease buildup by brushing around unsealed bearings of the rollers. Once you’ve cleaned them, spray them with a silicone spray oil. You don’t need to lubricate the bearings if the rollers are nylon and have sealed bearings. It will be most helpful to simply spray the lubricant around the rollers. If this is something that seems too detailed for you, you can always rely on one of our service technicians at Garage Door Repair Commerce City to handle the job for you. They know exactly where and how to handle the job of inspecting and lubricating your rollers. They also know and understand the safety precautions that need to be taken in order to remain safe while cleaning the rollers and tracks of your garage door.

Another job that you might allow us to handle for you is the inspection of your nuts and bolts that stabilize the doors roller hinges and its track mounting brackets. We’ll need to secure any loose parts that we identify and replace any worn or rusted nuts and bolts.

You’ll need to have the tracks cleaned also. You can use a toothbrush like you used to clean the rollers. The toothbrush is also used for the same purpose; clean and dislodge any debris and grease buildup. A delicate cleaner should then be applied to the tracks and wiped clean to remove any remaining debris. The proper alignment of horizontal tracks should also be considered. A level should be placed along the top of the tracks to in order to make sure they are properly aligned. The track should have a slight slant that extends from the door entry to the back of the garage. The tracks should also hang at the same distance from your garage ceiling. When adjustments are needed, the bolts will be loosened and the track will be taped back into its position. Once this has been completed, the bolts will be tightened once again. Your vertical tracks will also need to be inspected and adjusted is they are out of alignment. Again, this is a job that can be handled by a professional service technician. In fact, if you want to ensure that the job is done right it is likely in your best interest and that of your family, to allow a qualified garage door service technician to handle the maintenance of your tracks and rollers.

We are aware of the desire to save a buck or two but the end result is often less than ideal. In our experience, we often find that when people attempt to handle this on their own, the often overlook something and therefore they end up spending far more money than they initially intended on spending. There are lots of moving parts and components that accompany your garage door. In order to know where they all fit in and how they all operate, you’ll need to know where they are and when they are in need of some attention. Rather than continuing to use your garage, without ever giving consideration to the condition of your door, do yourself a favor and have regular routine maintenance performed on your garage door. With routine maintenance, you’re rollers and tracks will be evaluated and properly maintained. This helps minimize your exposure to any incidents from occurring.

We do not expect most people to know much about the functionality of their garage door but it does at least help to know what type of parts are used to hold the door in place and how these parts enable you to continue to safely go on using your garage, day after day. This is important because you are at least able to make visual inspections of specific parts of your garage. Whenever these parts, such as your rollers and tracks, appear to be misaligned or worn; you can notify us to make the necessary repairs. The sooner you address the problem, the less expensive the problem will be. The longer you go on using the garage in despair, the more costly the job to repair the tracks and rollers will become. Save yourself time and frustration by having the rollers and tracks repaired as quickly as possible.

 

Article source here: Maintaining Your Garage Door Track and Rollers