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Not only is the garage door one of the most visible elements of your valuable home, it is also the largest moving part. Therefore, it pays to keep it looking good and working properly. Otherwise, you’ll get yourself into a lot of inconveniences later on. The maintenance should be included in your weekend to-do list at least a couple of times a year. Your garage doors get a lot more use than you may realize, because in an average household a garage door typically is opened and closed 10-20 times per day. Over a year that is a lot of work on the garage door springs and all its other components. Left unmaintained, garage doors will eventually fail causing not only inconvenience, but possibly even damage or harm to your vehicles, your home and even to your family members and yourself.

Painting is the first and most important defense against moisture and sun damage to your door. It does not only make it attractive, it provides protection as well. Most wooden types will require to be painted every couple of years. Once rotted, wood will be hard to repair and it won’t look good. It may even reach the point where door has to be replaced. Ensuring all cracks are filled and protected with paint is a good investment in the life of your garage door. The same care should also be put in garage doors made of high-quality steel, aluminum or fiberglass – keep them well-protected from the elements.

Perform routine maintenance steps once a month. The most common problem that homeowners encounter is difficulty in opening the garage door. Applying lubricant and making minor adjustments usually resolves this issue. It is recommended to use penetrating oil to all the rollers and hinges at least once a year. It is also good to put a light coating of grease on the track, as this seems to free up the opening and closing, and it also minimizes track noise. Do check all your bolts for tightness and re-tighten as required. If your garage door seems unusually heavy, your springs probably require adjustment. Make sure your opener has a reversing feature. If a reversing feature is not present, it should be replaced. Also test the force setting of your garage door opener by holding the bottom of the door as it closes. If the door does not reverse readily, the force may be excessive and need adjusting. Test the reversing feature after any adjustment.

Aligning the rollers with the track is a fairly simple job that can be performed with just basic tools, wrench, hammer and block of wood. Sagging doors or panels can be repaired by adding supports or even replacing just the damaged panel. Electric garage door openers are quite common and are fairly easy for homeowner installation. Ensure the door is properly adjusted so that it closes completely and the auto safety switch is working. Also pay special attention to the photoeyes located at the bottom of your garage door. If they are bumped or blocked, it will not function correctly. The invisible beam created by the photoeyes is intended for your safety. However, photoeye alignment is not covered under warranty.

Lastly, and probably the easiest way, is to keep it clear of snow, leaves or dirt. They might get stuck in the corners and openings which might affect how they operate. Avoid placing things near the garage door, as it can be pushed into the garage door’s way without you noticing as it might damage the door.

Larry Harris is a Garage Door Installation professional with 5 years experience in the Garage Industry. Larry has repaired and installed all types of garage doors. For more information on different services they provide visit http://www.usgaragedoors.com