Preventive Maintenance for Your Garage Door

Overhead garage doors go up and down thousands of times during their life cycle. Just like an automobile, the continued usage for long periods of time creates a considerable amount of wear and tear. Doing some preventive maintenance on your door before a malfunction occurs can be very cost effective. It will help you get the full lifespan out of your garage door, opener, and other components also.

Oil Your Rollers

Rollers move up and down yourgarage door trackdaily, weekly, monthly, and annually. Similar to the tires of an automobile, they start to wear out after a while. Applying oil will keep them rolling smoothly, through dust and grit. This should be done every couple of months or as the weather changes. Doing so will extend their life and lead to less repair cost. However, garage door rollers don’t last forever. They should be replaced every 5-10 years.

Check and Clean Photo-eye Regularly

The photoelectric sensor or photo-eye is a safety feature that detects when a person or object is in the path of a closing door. If it picks up anything in its way, it automatically reverses the door back upward. Just like most people, there’s probably tons of traffic going in and out of your garage. It is easy for someone to bump, brush against, or even knock the sensor completely off the door. Make sure it’s in its place. Also take a soft tissue and wipe away the dust that settles on it due to having the door open.

Lubricate Components

At least every 1-2 years your operator rail should be lubricated. Not all garage door openers need such lubrication treatment. This applies to the screw-drive motor specifically. The hinges on your door should be done as well to keep them from breaking. Garage door repair Spanaway recommend using a product such as 100% silicone spray. Lightly apply these parts once a year to maintain a quieter operating door.