- Lubricate springs, rollers, bearings, pulleys
- Check spring balance
- Level door, Inspect all hardware
- Inspect rollers for wear on bearings
- Check cables for fraying
- Check track, adjust track alignment
- Check hinges for cracks, tighten all fasteners
If your garage door is working fine now hopefully it will stay that way but inevitably anything with working parts needs some regular maintenance. To keep your garage door running smoothly for many years to come follow some basic tips below. These same tips can also correct problems that may be just starting to appear and prevent further damage to keep your door working safely for a good long time.
- Examine the rollers and tracks on the garage door. If you can’t remember the last time you lubricated the rollers, pulleys and bearings, do so now. Lubricate these with 3-In-One Garage Door lube or another good oil. It is not recommended to use WD40 as it will remove any previous lubricant and will not lead to smooth operation. The bearings on rollers can also wear out; replace any rollers that don’t operate smoothly. We can replace plastic rollers with nylon rollers for a somewhat smoother operation.
- Check the track and rollers. Of the myriad issues that can affect your garage doors performance and integrity, a misaligned track can be the most problematic. Misaligned garage door tracks happen when the metal track that your door runs on and the rollers are not aligned properly. At a glance, it may not seem like a huge problem, but if the issue is not corrected and is allowed to continue, each time you open and close your garage door the misalignment will become worse and do further damage. Because a garage door is heavy, it compounds these issues. In the worst-case scenario, a portion of the garage door may actually fall off the tracks and the door may fall altogether. For this catastrophic reason, you should look out for these signs of a misaligned garage door track and have them fixed as soon as possible.
- Gaps Between the Rollers and Rail:
It is worthwhile to run your garage door once every so often so you can see how the rollers are sitting in the track as it runs. If you notice spots where the rollers are raised from the track and not sitting as they should be, you will want to investigate what is causing the misalignment. - A Rubbing Noise Can Be Heard:
Garage doors are naturally a bit loud when they open and close, especially older models. However, if you notice a difference in sound such as a rubbing or grinding noise, especially in one spot, that is a good sign the track is misaligned. Make note of the spot and contact a professional. Any new noises a garage door is making are never a sign of well operating door. - Door Closing Slowly in Spots:
Similar to hearing a rubbing noise, if you notice your garage door slows down in certain spots this can also be a sign of misalignment. With this issue you should also make a note to have the areas checked out. - Bent Rail:
It doesn’t always happen, but sometimes you can actually look at a rail and spot a misalignment, especially if it has been going to for some time. With misalignment of garage doors, it means the door is not functioning as it was designed to. This means that the weight of the door actually has the ability to bend the rail. This only happens when misalignment has gone unnoticed for a long time. Ideally you want to spot it before it gets to this point.
If you garage door is displaying any of these signs, in some cases you may be able to fix the garage door misalignment yourself. However, for more serious cases, it is worth contacting a professional to make sure the issue is fixed before it gets any worse. If you spot misalignment you should contact a professional before it becomes more expensive to repair or becomes a danger. Please call Mark at Moores Door Garage Door Service if you need a garage door tune-up.
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