After spending so much time and money on your vehicles, you generally want to take all of the necessary steps to ensure that they stay safe and secure from weather, environmental damages, and burglary. Your home also needs to be kept safe from intruders and arsonists, or any other malicious people out there with bad intentions. A strong and secure garage door is essential for this purpose alone. When you are at home, you can rest assured knowing that a well-constructed and maintained garage door will keep your vehicles and family safe from harm. Listed below are a few tips on safety checks and maintenance tune-ups that are recommended for your garage door.
Ensure Smooth Opening & Closing Operation
To ensure a more smooth operation of opening and closing, start by disconnecting the automatic opener of the door. Try to open and close your garage door manually. Ideally, it should move without much manual force. If you find that there is any resistance with the movement of the door, then there might be some defective parts or internal components present. Or perhaps they are lacking sufficient lubrication, in turn causing balance problems. Before the issues become too overwhelming or complicated, you should get them checked or fixed by a professional.
Check for Possible Obstructions
Does your garage door seem to get partially obstructed after reaching a certain point on the tracks? It could be an obstacle or internal barrier component that has come loose. Check for a blockage or any other type of object that may be placed in its path that’s causing it to stop from rolling all the way up. Carefully check and examine the hinges, brackets, and springs as well. Look for any loose screws or rusty tracks, and aim to get them tightened or replaced as soon as possible. In case of difficult repairs, you should always hire a professional to handle such work.
Test the Sensors for Properly Functionality
In garage doors equipped with safety sensors, an infrared beam of light crosses the bottom of the garage door opening, close to where it meets the floor of the garage. They are designed to automatically reverse the door if the beam is interrupted by a person or an object when the door is in the process of closing. To check the responsiveness of the sensory beam, use a piece of wood or a snow shovel by waving it in the path of the beam. If the door does not respond by going back up, then you should contact a professional for troubleshooting, or any other necessary repairs.
Listen for Any Unusual Noises
Listen carefully for any noises that seem unusual. An excessively creaky door is often a sign of internal technical issues. Check for wobbly or damaged rollers in your door. You should ideally get them lubricated roughly every 6 months to avoid issues. You should also find out whether any mounting bolts, screws or nuts have become loose, as well. In case of any loose components, they should be tightened right away.
If you would like more information about garage door safety checks and maintenance tune-ups, or to speak with one of our garage door specialists, please feel free to contact us today at: (888) 377-3667.
