A smooth-operating garage door guarantees convenience and security. It’s one of those home elements we take for granted until it stops working. While garage doors may seem complex, most everyday issues can be fixed without hiring a professional.
Knowing the basic components of how to maintain a garage door will also extend the life of your door and prevent bigger problems by ensuring it operates easily and efficiently. Whether your door is making strange noises, not opening correctly, or refusing to budge, these tips should help get it back on track.
1. Realigning Your Garage Door Sensors
One of the most prevalent problems people have with their garage doors is misaligned sensors. As explained by the experts at Garage Door repair Calgary, sensors are a safety feature put in place to prevent the door from closing on an object or person. If your sensors are not aligned, then the door might refuse to close, leaving it open to the elements or some sort of unwanted intruders.
To adjust this, you will find two sensors at the bottom of each of the garage door tracks. These sensors need to face one another perfectly for them to work. If you find one or both tilt a bit or out of place, just simply readjust them back so they’re level. Once they are properly aligned, the door should operate correctly once more.
2. Tightening Loose Hardware
Garage doors rise and fall countless numbers of times in a week, and after some time, the nuts and bolts start to loosen. If your garage door is a bit noisier than it ought to be, or it seems not as strong as before, it may just take some minutes to investigate the hardware to find out the problem.
Check bolts, screws, and brackets on the door and on the track using a wrench; if any are loose, then tightening them should be done, but again, not too tight because this could further damage the situation. A small move that goes a long way in offering stability and efficiency of the door.
3. Lubricating the Moving Parts
Lubrication of the moving parts of the garage door is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to maintain it. Apply lubricant to the rollers, hinges, springs, and tracks. Proper lubrication cuts not only noise but also makes operation smoother and, as a result, minimizes wear and tear on the components.
Use a good silicone-based lubricant that is exclusively for garage doors. Heavy greases will attract dust and debris that may affect the clogging of the system. It is essential to lubricate all the moving parts but ensure you don’t overdo this.
4. Fixing a Stuck Garage Door
The most common reason a garage door doesn’t fully open or close is that something is obstructing it in the track. First, check the tracks for leaves, dust, or small objects that might be blocking the passage. Clear out any obstacles in them and check to see that they are not bent or warped.
If misaligned or dented, use a level to ensure they are straight and slightly adjust them accordingly. Most of the time, the malfunction can be easily cured by tapping the tracks back into their rightful position using a rubber mallet.
5. Replacing Worn Out Rollers
Garage door rollers play a very important role in the smooth operation of a door. In fact, they can wear out after some time and may cause the door to produce a lot of noise during its movement and may even show jerking. If you feel that your door is no longer sliding fluently, then it’s time to look at your rollers.
6. Testing the Garage Door Balance
A balanced garage door opens easily and is easier to operate, while an out-of-balance door can add stress to the opener and the rest of the system. In order to test the balance, the technician will disconnect the automatic opener and manually raise the door halfway.
If it holds its position, then it is properly balanced. If it continues going up or falls down, the door is not balanced and may require adjustment of the springs.
In Closing
Being capable of troubleshooting and fixing the common garage door problems yourself saves you time, money, and hassle. The simple kind of maintenance tasks such as aligning sensors, lubricating all the moving parts, and tightening hardware go a long way in maintaining your garage door.
Most breakdowns can be avoided only by regularly checking your garage door, and knowing how to perform these do-it-yourself fixes means safe and long-lasting operation.
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