Residential garage doors can see significant wear and tear over their lifetimes. With the constant going in and out to run errands, grab what you need to mow the lawn, or move things in and out of storage, your garage door can experience more usage than you realize. Keeping your garage door running at its best requires regular maintenance, but some homeowners may not know where to start or when to call Verge Entrance Solutions for assistance.
Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to help preserve your garage door’s long-term health and give yourself some renewed peace of mind. Here are some essential residential garage door maintenance tips and tricks to keep your system running for the long haul.
Why You Need to Prioritize Residential Garage Door Maintenance
When your garage door gets overlooked, you open the door (literally) to a neverending stack of problems: noisy operation, rusted parts, broken cables, and even compromised safety features, to name a few. Regular maintenance helps reduce friction, prevents corrosion, and protects your investment, preserving your peace of mind and home improvement budget.
Essential Residential Garage Door Maintenance Tips
You’ve come to the right place if you don’t know where to start with your garage door maintenance needs. Whether you’re dealing with wood, fiberglass, or a full steel setup, these pointers are designed to fight wear and tear from dirt, heat, water, vibration, and extreme weather. Let this be your go-to maintenance checklist to keep your door running for longer.
Make Regular Visual Inspections
Take a few minutes once a month to step back and carefully look over your garage door. Scan for rust on metal parts, cracked paint on wood panels, or signs of moisture near glass windows. Look at the floor for debris buildup and check for dirt around brackets, hinges, and bearings. If something looks off, it probably is. Once you have a clearer idea of what needs to be done, you can figure out if it’s a quick DIY fix or need to bring in the experts.
Clear the Tracks
Dust, sand, and lawn clippings don’t belong in your garage door tracks. If you notice that your garage door tracks look a little dirtier than usual, it’s time to use a brush or a soft cloth to remove built-up debris. Gunk in the tracks creates drag, increasing roller wear and inviting unnecessary strain. A simple sweep can save you from a screechy surprise.
Tighten Hardware When Needed
Vibration does a number on the screws and bolts that hold your garage door together. Grab your socket wrench and give brackets, hinges, and roller mounts a once-over. Loose parts do more than cause unwanted noise pollution when using your garage door opener. They can quickly spiral into a more serious safety issue that brings your home to a halt. Keep things snug, and you’ll keep everything moving clean.
Check the Cables & Springs
No need to mess with high-tension parts like the torsion spring, but keep an eye on cable fraying and spring rust. Garage door cables and springs carry a ton of potential energy and require extensive experience and training to handle them properly. If you spot fraying or hear sharp “ping” noises, it’s time to skip the DIY and call in the garage door repair professionals.
Monitor the Weather Striping
Weatherstripping along the bottom of your garage door keeps out water, snow, and pests that can do a number on whatever you’re storing in your garage. However, it cracks, peels, or gets damaged by weather and wears down over time. Inspect it every few months and replace it if it’s no longer flexible or sealed tight.
Test Safety Features
Place a piece of wood or a full roll of paper towels on the floor under the door. If the safety reverse doesn’t kick in, that’s a red flag. Test the auto-reverse, sensor eyes, and keypad. If the system doesn’t respond properly, your door may not be safe or up to code.
When Should You Skip the DIY & Call in the Pros?
If you’re dealing with broken springs, severe water damage, or components under high tension, stop right there and put the how-to guide down. These aren’t parts of your garage door that you fix with a screwdriver and a can of lubricant. Calling a qualified technician from Verge Entrance Solutions to save you time, money, and, frankly, a trip to the ER. Don’t let pride override safety. Some jobs just belong in professional hands.
Schedule Your Next Residential Garage Door Maintenance Appointment Today
You’ve got enough home improvement projects to think about, ranging from plumbing, bathroom updates, energy bills, and maybe even pressure washing the driveway. Your garage door shouldn’t be another source of endless stress bringing you down. When you’ve done the basic upkeep but hear that groan of metal on metal or feel like your door’s about to give up the ghost, Verge Entrance Solutions is ready to back you up.
We’re your hometown crew along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and are serious about good service. We’ve worked on every material imaginable and know what extreme weather can do to a garage door. Whether it’s silicone lubricant, a backup remote control issue, a cracked window panel, or the sudden shriek of a dry hinge, we’ve got the tools and the team to make things right. Don’t wait for your system to throw a tantrum. Give us a call today to schedule your residential garage door maintenance appointment.