Summertime Garage Door Maintenance

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There are many appliances and home equipment that works overtime during the summertime. The garage door is one of them. During this time of the year, the kids are out of school and are probably going in and out of the garage to get their bikes or to easily access the home from the outside. Here are a few basic maintenance tasks for the summertime.

Visual Examination

Visually examine all of the garage door parts for common wear and tear. Be aware of hinges that are loose or bent, wheels that are broken, bent shafts, worn bearing on rollers, and misaligned and bent garage door tracks.  Look for missing and loose bolts also; they should be tightened or replaced. Inspect the cables to insure that they are operating properly. Keep in mind that is doesn’t matter how long you’ve had your overhead garage door, it should still operate smoothly. That’s what they were designed to do. If not, the torsion coil springs could be unbalanced.

Wash and Lubricate Parts

Garage door components should be cleaned and lubricated regularly in order to reduce noise. Using a soft, clean rag, remove all dirt, grit, and grease that builds-up from the tracks. All of the moving pieces such as track, rollers, and hinges should be lubricated with three in one oil. Reframe from using a heavy weight oil or grease. Only steel rollers can be lubricated. Nylon ones and plastic bearings and locks should not be.

Rust Removal

Once you have thoroughly cleaned the garage door component you will be able to visibly see those that are rusting and flaking paint. This means that they are being affected and damaged by moisture. To fix this, sand down the rust, and apply a primer that contains zinc. If it is flaking paint, repaint with a high quality latex paint.