Ever woken up because of a really loud garage door? It’s annoying.
Homeowners typically have their cars and many other household items inspected and maintained on a regular basis. Why not the garage door? It can be easy to forget that your garage door is the largest moving object in most homes and has many expensive moving parts that need proper maintenance.
Most people open and close their garage door hundreds of times every single month, which leads to the natural wear and tear associated with heavy use.
While it can be easy to forget about your door, life would be extremely inconvenient without it. That’s why annual garage door maintenance services are beneficial to any homeowner with a garage.
It is really important to consistently look after your garage door and opener in order to allow for smooth and quiet opening and closing. In fact, if you neglect the maintenance of your garage door and the opener, you actually put the warranty at stake. 
How Often Should I Check the State of My Garage Door?
This will vary depending on the environment it is in, and the frequency it is used. Steel-Line suggests that you check the operation every three to six months.
To get the general idea of what state your garage door is in, just simply open and close it. Both the opening and closing should take the same amount of effort, and the process should be both smooth and fluent.
If you have an automatic garage door though, make sure you turn on manual mode, so you don’t break the electronics. If you notice something is out of order, and you don’t take the correct maintenance and service opportunities, your warranty may become void.
Why Annual Garage Door Maintenance Is A Must
Annual garage door tune-ups can save you a lot of trouble in the long run. A few of the factors you need to consider when it comes to whether you want annual garage door maintenance are:
Safety
Garage door injuries are common. The doors are extremely heavy no matter what size you have, and several components, if broken, can make the door come crashing down on you, your family or your pets. This hard blow can damage several expensive components within the door as well as any of your nearby equipment or the surrounding property. The door’s spring has a lot of tension and pressure keeping it in place. If it snaps, it can also injure anybody nearby.
Finances
When you factor in all the different ways you can lose money from a broken garage door, finding a solid annual maintenance company becomes well worth the investment. If one part of your garage door is damaged or broken, it can put extra strain on the other parts, causing them to wear out faster. It’s also possible for your car to be in the garage with the door stuck down on days you need to get to work on time, which can ultimately lead to even more money lost.
Convenience
This is one of the most important entrances in your home. The use of your car to get from place to place depends on the functionality of your garage door. Being stuck outside in the heat of summer or cold of winter because your door won’t go up is a situation you definitely want to avoid.
Broken and damaged doors also tend to be loud, which can disturb neighbours and sleeping family members. You need to get where you’re going fast, so don’t sacrifice the convenience of a properly maintained garage door.
Keeping every part of your garage door running smoothly for as many years as possible will save you money in repair costs, but it does so much more. You can avoid injuries, hassles and costly property damage by doing your own visual inspections of the door once a month and calling in professionals to handle the more in-depth annual inspections.
Don’t Let the Good Quality, Become Bad Quality
If you have a Colourbond or coloured steel door, you’ll find that it has been pre-painted with a silicone-modified polyester formulation. This is currently in the top sector of paint films that you could possibly buy today. But, you can never be too careful when it comes to the maintenance of your garage door. Despite having the top quality coverings, mechanics and openers, you must always take the time to check for corrosion and blemishes.
Regardless of the type of door you have, a smart thing to do would be to wipe down the surface of your door with a clean wet cloth, at least once a month; but if you live directly near a beach, we’d suggest you do this more frequently. If you’re on the driveway cleaning the car or watering the plants, just clean the garage door whilst you’re at it; that’ll save you excess time. One thing you should not do is clean the automatic door opener; you will lose your warranty and have a high chance of being electrocuted.
General Maintenance Checklist
Your garage door gets a lot of use, so it’s important to keep it in good working order. Here are some basic tips for maintaining a garage door properly.
As part of a regular maintenance program, test all moving parts of the garage door to ensure none are broken or bent. Regularly lubricate springs, hinges, rollers, rails and axles with a 30 W or other light household oil and check axles for tightness. Do not lubricate tracks. Every now and then, wash the inside and outside of the door with a soft cloth and diluted household detergent to protect the finish. Just like a car, you can also apply a layer of wax to protect against dirt and moisture.Check the sensitivity of the garage door opener and if necessary, adjust it, using your owner’s manual as a guide.
If your garage door is made of wood, it will require more maintenance, with an occasional coat of paint inside and out and caulking applied to cracks or gaps. Do not paint tracks or locks.
Regularly check the weather seal strip along the bottom of the door and replace if it appears cracked or broken.
Check for rust on all metal parts and apply a suitable preparation to any spots you find.
There are several components to a garage door to take care of, on a consistent basis (we recommend every three to six months). You can use this checklist as part of your maintinence routine:
Guide Tracks
Rolling doors: Using a cloth and methylated spirits or turps; polish and clean the internal guide tracks. The more you polish, the easier and less resistant the tracks are for the Nylofelt to run through.
Sectional Doors: These should be cleaned just like any other rolling door. The internal tracks however are not required to be polished.
Steel Hinges
Lubricate with all-purpose machine oil, but also lubricate the wheel axle bearings. This will make them very smooth, and run without kinks and bumps.
Plastic Hinges
Silicon spray is the best option to loosen these up. Generally speaking though, you don’t really need to lubricate these.
Springs
Just wipe over with an oily rag, no need to spray directly, just excess oil off a rag is enough.
Locks
Locks don’t need special maintenance, but a common problem is a key struggling inside or becoming stiff. Something as simple as RP7 or WD40 will do the trick.
Opener Chain
You can use any chain lube to lubricate.
Lifting Cables
There may be some fraying from the friction. If you notice these signs at all, get in contact with a garage door technician as soon as possible. The importance of these is high, so don’t adjust the tension on these yourself, they should be dealt with by a professional.
Fasteners
Make sure that all components are locked in place tightly (screws, nuts, bolts, etc.). If any are damaged, consider a replacement.
Spring Tension
Springs naturally will stretch and loosen and wear over time; however, if it gets to the point where your garage door is seizing up, or becoming totally inoperative, then get in contact with a garage door technician as soon as possible.
BE AWARE, TAKE NOTE.
Your garage door is usually the largest moving piece of equipment installed and attached to the home or building. As such, its weight can approach or exceed 150kg. ADJUSTING SPRING TENSION is a DANGEROUS PROCEDURE and may cause physical injury if improperly performed, and should be performed ONLY by qualified door service personnel.
- Under no circumstance should you ever adjust or configure your own maintenance on the spring unit; always seek assistance from a professional.
- Do not stand underneath or near a moving garage door, whether it be during its upward or downward travel.
- Utilise the door handle when opening and closing the door manually.
- The pull rope MUST be removed if the door is now or later becomes automatically operated.
- Do not place your fingers, or any body part between door panels or moving parts of the garage door at any time whilst it is in operation. This can and will cause serious injury.
It is very important to always consider the importance of your garage door and garage door openers maintenance. If these are not looked after, it can void your opener warranty, and over time become an expensive operation to be dealt with. If you do your part and consider all of the above, you will be making great moves to extend the longevity of your garage door.
Start Your Garage Door Maintenance Today
Among all of these things, it is our recommendation that you receive service on your garage door once every 12 months.
Annual garage door maintenance, from a reputable company, can ensure increased longevity, continued proper function, and safety for those who use it. Just like getting maintenance on your car, annual garage door maintenance is a must.
While we encourage you to check your garage door once a month for damage and broken parts, you shouldn’t complete any repairs or in-depth maintenance without the right training. At Steel-Line Garage Doors, we’ve been servicing Australia since 1979. We can come to your home on your schedule to perform your annual garage door maintenance services to the highest possible standards.
As an authorised dealer for Marantec and Merlin, we also offer a huge variety of products if you need a new garage door.
We employ experienced garage door technicians and product consultants — that way, we know you’re getting trustworthy repairs and customer service. If your door is damaged beyond repair, don’t worry — we provide free estimates for new installations so you can get what you want within a reasonable budget.
Call us on 1300 767 900 if you need garage door replacements, repairs or a yearly maintenance service, and we’ll get your garage door operating at its best for another year.