Proper Garage Door Maintenance Includes Checking The Balance Of The Door

In many instances, certain events or circumstances will trigger homeowners to schedule or perform a particular maintenance activity. The change to daylight savings time might prompt the need to inspect the central air conditioning system while the arrival of cooler temperatures in the fall could signify that the furnace is due for its annual cleaning.

Unfortunately, when the subject is garage door maintenance, that trigger often occurs in a reactive fashion – that is, something goes wrong with the garage door before any thoughts of maintenance are entertained. This becomes one of those ‘lesson learned’ scenarios once the homeowner receives an invoice for their garage door repair service.

But many of these repair costs might be avoided by performing an annual garage door inspection. This investment of time and any associated maintenance efforts can help ensure that the garage door operates as expected as well as prolong the life of the door and its mechanisms.

Annual, or perhaps semi-annual, inspections should include the following:

• Checking all fasteners and hinges and re-securing where needed
• Brushing dust and dirt from cables and springs
• Surveying tracks for damage/dents and repair if/as required
• Spraying lubricant on rollers and checking for damage or sloping
• Spraying lubricant on the chain or screw of a garage door opener
• Checking the balance of the door

For even the most dedicated do-it-yourself homeowner, it is the last of the above-noted steps that are often overlooked or perhaps done in a less-than-adequate manner. Yet this is a critically important aspect in preserving the effectiveness of the cables, springs, and automatic garage door opener and minimizing unnecessary bills over time.

To check and assess the balance of a garage door, one may opt to follow this process:

• If relevant, disconnect door (in the down position) from the automatic opener
• Raise and lower the door manually a few times in a steady/smooth motion
  • Does the door move freely or is there some friction, banging, or ‘sticking’?
  • Is the motion relatively quiet or do the hinges/rollers squeak or squeal?
• If there is some jerky motion and/or squeaks/squeals, maintenance is needed
• With the door down, lift it until the bottom of the door reaches knee level
  • Is the second roller from the top resting in the curved portion of the track?
  • Is the garage door holding steady at the knee-high level?
• If the answers to the above are ‘no’, spring or cable repair may be required

Should a self-inspection identify a potential issue with the balance of the door, it would be prudent to have the matter rectified as quickly as possible through the services of a professional garage door repair provider such as Markham Garage Doors.

Your Garage Door Should Be Kept In Good Repair, Especially During The Winter

Inspections and maintenance should be performed regularly to ensure that a garage door is well-balanced and functions properly at all times throughout the year. From the perspective of safety and security, a garage door kept in a state of good repair can and will be particularly important during the winter season.

Winter weather produces a number of issues and challenges to the residents of Toronto and the GTA with respect to home and property maintenance – included by association, of course, is the condition of the garage door. Making certain that the garage door is well-maintained, including the proper balancing of its weight, offers several benefits to homeowners and their families. These benefits might include:

• Prevention of heat loss – potentially lowering energy use/costs
• Deterring mice/other small mammals from entering the garage
• Protecting garage contents from being subjected to the elements
• Providing better security for parked vehicles, other stored property
• Offering a safe and dry environment when departing/returning home
• Reducing the potential for further door damage (from ice, high winds)
• Permitting an egress option from the home in the event of an emergency
• Allowing automatic openers to work properly and within their capacity

In addition to being denied any/all of the above-noted benefits, family members may be faced with the inconvenience of not having access to their vehicles, snow blowers, or other commonly-used items when a garage door does not operate properly or does not function at all. Therefore, notwithstanding the time of year, but perhaps more important and urgent during the winter months, repair needs should be addressed swiftly through the use of experienced garage door professionals like the technicians from Markham Garage Doors.

Does your garage door open on a slant or angle? Does your garage door fall heavily the ground unless you prop it open or guide it down gently? In such cases, you may be in need of maintenance or repair service. Call the professionals at Markham Garage Doors today at (905) 472-9178 or (416) 570-3667 and let our technicians identify and rectify the problem quickly and skillfully.