How to inspect your garage door like a pro
The garage door is the best investment you can make. It will increase the property value and it will make your life much easier. But, the garage door is a complicated system with a lot of components and moving parts. You need to inspect each one in order to make sure the components are working perfectly and as they should. Here we will mention and explain all the steps you need to take. In return, you will learn how to inspect your garage door safely and without any risk involved.
Open and control garage door safely
Millions of people injure their fingers each year simply by placing them between the panels of the garage door. This is unsafe and should be eliminated as soon as possible. Ideally, you will use pinch-resistant joints and have a handle on the door itself. When you have to manually open or close the garage door you will use that handle. Never place your fingers between the panels or the moving parts of the garage door. Once the opening or closing process is started, you won’t be able to pull your fingers soon enough so you will end up in ER.
Checking and replacing springs on the garage door
Almost all garage doors have springs that are used each time you open or close the door. They are the most important and the most commonly used elements of the door. Eventually, they will fail and they have to be replaced. You can see a crack which is an obvious symptom of failure. If this is the case, hire a professional and replace both springs. Yes, your garage door has two springs and both of them have to be replaced. Replacing just one spring won’t be effective and soon you will get a non-operational garage door.
Springs can deteriorate over time and they will lose their property to maintain stress and provide the force when the garage door is used. Because they are always under tension, replacing them by yourself isn’t a wise decision.
Lubricate the noisy springs first
In some situations, springs will make all kinds of sounds when used. This doesn’t mean that the springs are damaged and they must be replaced. It usually means that there is no lubrication on them and the metal is rubbing against another component. Before you decide to replace the springs, use oil or any lubricant and lubricate the springs. If the problem is solved, you will fix the issue and your springs will last for another decade.
If this doesn’t solve the issue, it means that the material of the springs is damaged and it should be replaced any time soon. Now you will have to hire a professional to do this and you don’t have to rush. Just keep in mind that this fix is mandatory.
Add safety cable to the springs
As we have mentioned earlier, springs in garage doors are under a lot of pressure and they can crack at some point. When this happens if you are close by you can end up injured. To prevent that you need to install a safety cable. It is precisely as the name suggests. The cable will be tied around the end of a spring and another part will be linked to the divider or the roof. Keep in mind that you have to install safety cable on both sides of the spring and on both springs.
If a spring breaks, the safety cable will hold the broken part and it won’t be able to move from the garage door. As such, the risk of an injury is completely eliminated. The best part is the fact you can make your own safety cable or purchase one for $5.
Replace the tracks and use a new model, suitable for the new garage door
Most of you will want to save some money and use the old track of your garage door. You can install the new system using the old tracks. This is fine, if the width, height, and other parameters are compatible. But, older tracks are not safe and they should be replaced alongside the rest of the garage door.
By replacing the tracks you will ensure that the new system works perfectly as long as needed. There won’t be any issues and the tracks will be safe even after many years. This isn’t as expensive as it sounds and it is a worthy investment.
Hire a professional if you don’t have any experience
Yes, you can install a garage door on your garage but this isn’t as easy as it sounds. While a professional will need 3 hours you will need at least twice as much. Additionally, you will need advanced tools and experience. If you don’t have any of these two it is a better idea to hire a professional and get the garage door installed by them.
What if the garage door struck all the time?
This issue occurs randomly and you never know when it may begin. You can also encounter this problem while installing the new system. Keep your eye on the springs once again. If they don’t work properly, the garage door will open and close harder, which can damage other components. In addition, this will damage the other components and you will have to invest in an expensive repair.
Usually, the springs are affected by age and use so they cannot work properly. What this means is that you won’t get the help from the springs when opening or closing the garage door. That’s why the garage door will be harder to close and open.
Check for alignment. A garage door has special lines in which they move. If one side closes faster than the other, it means that the alignment is affected. This has to be solved as soon as possible and you can do it by yourself.
Inspect the system once per year
You can inspect the system by yourself or you can hire a professional. In both cases you will need to make sure that all moving parts are lubricated, the garage door is aligned and there are no issues present. This is an affordable way you can use to prolong the lifespan of the entire system and to make sure there won’t be any issues present in the future.
Tamper resistant technology is a must
We have a high opinion regarding the tamper-resistant brackets. A garage door has sections at the base which are connected with the brackets. Those brackets have springs which are under pressure. In order to make them impossible for beginners to tackle, some manufacturers use tamper-resistant brackets.
These brackets are excellent to install on your garage door and they can make a massive difference. If your system doesn’t have them you will need to read the user manual and adjust them. If you don’t like doing this, hire a professional who will adjust the system precisely.
Don’t forget to save the user manual
Each garage door is different and come with different systems, features, and settings. All of them are explained in the user manual. You need to keep the user manual in your house at all times due to the fact eventually you will need help from it. In addition, you can download the online manual and use it when needed.
The final word
The garage door is a complicated system that has to be regularly maintained and services. By doing this it will work perfectly for many years to come and you will enjoy a safe and sound garage door. On the other hand, you won’t have to invest in expensive repairs or to replace the garage door. Read more about repair and maintenance here.
