Tuning Up Your Garage Door: Important Tips To Remember

You can do lots of things to make your garage more convenient and effective at keeping your home safe and comfortable.

If you have some time and money to spare you can declutter it, light it up, add more storage spaces for your belongings – the list goes on.

On top of these, perhaps the best thing you can do is make sure that the garage door is always in good working order.

Your garage door goes down and up a thousand times every year to keep your home safe and secure. Needless to say, it is very susceptible to wear and tear. As such, you should never neglect it.

Fortunately, tuning it up is easy and you can even do it on your own. Just follow these basic steps.

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First things first: prepare the tools you need to tune up your garage door

As with all DIY projects, don’t start tuning up your garage door if you don’t have all the necessary equipment. You will require pliers, a hammer, screw gun, wrench set, tape measure, spray-on lithium grease, weather seal, a lubricant or cleaner like WD-40, and a piece of wood.

You may also need an old toothbrush for cleaning, replacement rollers, and galvanized roofing nails for the weather seal replacement.

Examine the hardware

The components of your garage door’s hardware can become loose over time so be sure to check them regularly. Start with roller brackets and bolts and make sure that they’re tight.

Then, inspect the rollers. They tend to crack over time, so damage can be visible even if they’re made of nylon or steel. When you examine the lift cable, be extra mindful of the area that’s nearest to the bottom roller bracket - because it’s exposed to moisture, it is most prone to damage.

Check the seals, springs and chains/screws in your garage door

Lubrication is key to keeping the screws or chains in good working order. It keeps them smooth and quiet, and in most cases, improves their longevity. Other components such as the roller tracks and springs won’t corrode if they are properly lubricated.

Be sure to replace the weather seal immediately if it’s already worn-out. After removing it using a flat pry bar, install a replacement and make sure that the wide angle of the flange faces the garage door.

Lastly, make sure the garage door is safe

Start by unplugging the garage door’s automatic opener and pull its release handle to remove it. This way it won’t activate as you assess the door. Then, lower the door until it’s about 3 feet from the floor.

You can determine its tension this way; it’s too tense if it goes up and not tense enough if it goes down. Hire a professional to adjust the spring tension, as it can be extremely difficult and hazardous.

You can also place a wood block between the garage door and opener and try to close it. When the door does not go up after two seconds after it comes in contact with the piece of wood, the auto reverse feature might require servicing.

These tune-up steps are simple, but they will certainly go a long way in keeping your home secure and convenient. For more advanced tasks, do not hesitate to hire a qualified expert to service your garage door and provide automatic garage door repairs when necessary.

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