| Garage doors seem pretty simple at first glance; | | | | and pivot points at least once a year. Springs are |
| after all, they only have two functions, to open and | | | | more sensitive to wear and rubbing, so they should |
| to close. However, these large functional openings still | | | | be lubricated each season. |
| need regular maintenance because they are in such | | | | 3. Weather stripping. Weather stripping is put in place |
| heavy use. | | | | in order to combat the effects of extreme weather |
| The average garage door in a primary residence | | | | conditions. Accordingly, it follows that it can suffer |
| opens and closes between ten and twenty times | | | | some wear and abuse from the climate, resulting in |
| each day. Consider that action repeated daily over | | | | jamming or tearing. Check the stripping and replace |
| the course of years, and the wear and tear adds up | | | | as necessary. |
| rather quickly. | | | | 4. Avoid salt. In colder climates, many homeowners |
| Doing some basic maintenance that you can actually | | | | use salt to melt the snow and ice that accumulate on |
| do yourself can help reduce the wear and tear while | | | | the driveway. While this is helpful to avoid slipping and |
| helping extend their life as long as possible: | | | | falling, the salt is highly corrosive and can damage the |
| | | | garage door and opening mechanism. For this reason, |
| 1. Clean. Each season, use a soft cloth or brush and a | | | | keep salt away from the garage opening if you use it |
| gentle soap to remove the corrosive elements from | | | | during the winter, and rinse any that accumulates. |
| the garage door itself as well as the lift system. For | | | | 5. Loose parts. Check seasonally for loose or worn |
| wooden doors, there may be specific guidelines for | | | | hinges, springs, and hardware as spotting any |
| washing that come from the manufacturer, so if you | | | | problems early allows you to fix them before they |
| have wooden doors it is important to review these | | | | become bigger and more costly. Secure any loose |
| before doing any maintenance yourself. | | | | parts and replace those that have broken or worn |
| 2. Lubricate. As the garage door is composed of | | | | out. |
| moving parts, it is important to keep those parts | | | | Following these simple steps will keep your garage |
| lubricated just as this is important in all mechanical | | | | door functioning properly for as long as possible. |
| systems with moving parts. Use lightweight oil such | | | | Make garage maintenance a part of your regular |
| as WD40 and coat all moving parts, rollers, hinges, | | | | spring cleaning - your garage will appreciate it! |