Owning a home in Alberta requires regular maintenance and upgrades, inside and out. But garage door maintenance is easy to overlook – until heat and heavy use catch up with your door, leaving you facing costly repairs or a full replacement.
Summer garage door maintenance helps your garage door run smoothly, especially during the hot summer months when you’re consistently using your door as a storage unit or a main entryway.
Summer Heat and The Effects On Your Door
Alberta summers can cause unexpected wear and tear on your garage door, resulting in expanded components, warped doors, and cracked seals – among other changes.
While the summer months are short, it doesn’t take long to see and hear the effects of the heat on your door. Heavy use can wear out your door’s hinges, rollers, springs, weather seals, sensors, and openers.
Without the required maintenance for your garage door, you could incur pricier expenses in the future. Avoid these extra costs by following basic maintenance tips below and call a professional door technician when you need it.
Door Maintenance 101
It’s not just your garage door opener that has lots of wear; multiple components can break down and cause safety and security issues. Here are some tips to get you back on track and checking off your to-do list.
Basic maintenance of your garage door may include:
Visual inspections: Look at cables, weatherstripping, seals, and sensors, which may show you that it’s time for a replacement part. Be careful not to touch hinges, rollers, and other door components for safety reasons.
Listening for noises: Opening and closing your garage door, of course, will make the normal creaks and clanging noises, but it’s important to listen for new noises that may indicate something is broken or needs tightening.
Check weatherstripping: Put your investigator hat on for this task. Close all the lights inside the garage and look at the bottom of your door for any light peeking in. If there is light showing or there is a cold draft, the weatherstripping may be on its last legs and needs checking by a professional.
Loose hardware: If your door hinges are loose, this could be from an uneven garage door. The best way to spot this issue is to open the garage door and see if the hinges are misaligned or loose and need adjustment. Do not touch the bottom brackets and cables, which are under extreme tension and could result in injury to yourself or others. Rollers, brackets, operator brackets, and supports are also components that can loosen over time.
Keep tracks clean: Cleaning debris and keeping the door tracks lubricated will help your garage door last longer and require fewer repairs over time by reducing friction and creating a protective barrier; this makes the door quieter and safer to use. Lubricating and cleaning frequency depends on how often you use your door. Extra squeaking and grinding are just two of many indicators that it’s time to clean and lubricate.
Extend Your Door’s Life | Be Maintenance Ready This Summer
Garage door maintenance is critical for extending your door’s life and keeping you and your family safe all year round. Summer heat and usage can take a toll on your garage door but scheduling maintenance at least twice a year helps prevent bigger problems in the future.
Are you looking to schedule a garage tune-up this summer? Call us directly or request a quote here, and one of our garage door technicians will be in touch.
