Before the weather starts to turn colder and winter bears down upon us, there are three maintenance checks every homeowner should perform on their garage doors.
Misalignment, cracking, or worn parts only get worse in winter’s rough conditions. Many emergency repair jobs happen when the temperature dips. To avoid having to repair your garage door in the dead of winter, make sure it is in good condition now. Save yourself from the frustration and cold!
1. Test the Balance of Your Door
Step 1. Close your garage door. Disconnect your door from the opener by pulling on the red release cord.
Step 2. Manually lift the garage door. Stop it at waist height, and keep it steady.
Step 3. Release the door. It should stay at waist height. If door goes down on its own, you need to have it adjusted. If it goes back up, the springs are too tight. Both of these scenarios put undue wear on the garage door opener. If the springs are too tight, the door has to work against the spring pulling it up. If the door needs re-adjustment, it has to work against gravity pulling the door down.
Step 4. If your door moves, contact us right away—a professional needs to adjust it for balance right away. A professional has to adjust the garage door and springs for balance.
2. Visual Examination of Parts
Door Service Diagram1. Start by making sure the tracks aren’t bent or rusting.
2. Make sure the rollers on the track aren’t worn out or rusty.
3. Examine the cables for rust, fraying, or areas that seem worn.
4. Close your garage door and inspect the seal around the door. You shouldn’t see any light coming through any of the four sides (left, right, top, bottom).
5. Check the hinges on your door for rust or cracks.
If any of the door’s parts are worn or rusty, give us a call for preventative repairs.
3. Check Bottom Seal
Between the bottom of the door and the floor, your garage door has a seal (astragal). An astragal is either a solid black flap or tube-shaped. Its shape and material enable the astragal to form a tight seal and soft close. In the fall, small animals like mice, rats, chipmunks, and squirrels can chew through the seal to get into the warm garage or to find food.
Take a moment to check your bottom seal throughout the fall to make sure no animals are trying to come in for the winter. If you determine that your door can’t close or seal effectively, try replacing your seal first.
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