Most homeowners don’t think a lot about their garage door unless the need arises for garage doors repair. And that’s understandable on some level. But a garage door is more than just that thing that goes up and down when you hit the remote. First, it’s the largest moving part of the house. And second, it likely weighs several hundred pounds. As such, if something goes wrong with the door it can have potentially devastating consequences. The job of the Calgary homeowner then is to look beyond the remote and ask themselves “What do I have to do to ensure those devastating consequences don’t occur?” Below we’ll provide some key safety and maintenance tips.
8 Tips to Ward Off Accidents and Garage Doors Repair
A poorly maintained garage door is an accident waiting to happen. The best way to stave off catastrophic accidents and keep the repair man at bay at the same time is to follow these tips:
- Keep your eyes and ears open – The first step in avoiding big problems is to recognize them when they’re still small and have them dealt with. This will not only safeguard you and your loved ones, it will also minimize the amount of money you pay for garage doors repair work. So keep your eyes and ears open when operating the door. Does it sound normal? Is it making any scraping or screeching noises? Is it vibrating while it opens? Is it closing all the way? If you see anything out of the ordinary call C Town Doors in Calgary for help.
- Check the hardware – The rest of these safety and maintenance tips require you spending some time with the door. You can do this on the week, or perhaps one Saturday a month. That said the first thing to do is to look at the various hinges, bolts and brackets. Tighten any screws and, if you find any loose bolts, tighten them down as well. This will only take a few minutes and will stave off lots of potential problems.
- Check the balance – You don’t have to be a technician to do this. But if you don’t have time we’ll be happy to send someone out to perform this and any other tests. To check the balance disconnect the motor by pulling the red release cord above the door, inside the garage. Once the motor is disengaged lift the door about waist high, stop it there and let go of it. If it’s properly balanced it will stay where it is. If it’s not it will either rise or fall after you let go. If you find it’s unbalanced give us a call.
- Inspect the weatherstripping – While you have the door open to check the balance look at the bottom of it. Is the weatherstripping still intact? If it’s not it could cause the door to sit unevenly when it closes. Plus frigid air will blow in under the door during the cold weather months and turn your cold garage into an ice box. If the weatherstripping is old and worn it’s relatively easy to remove and replace it. If you’d like us to do if for you just give us a call.
- Check the garage door safety sensor – In the days prior to the auto reverse system dozens of people, including children, were killed every year when doors would accidentally close on them. The auto reverse – also called the garage door safety sensor – sends a beam of light across the width of the door when it’s in motion. If anything breaks that beam the door should stop and return automatically to the open position. Likewise, if the door touches anything on the way down it should also stop and then reverse. To test the beam simply wait until the door begins to close and then break the beam with a broom. The door should stop and go back to open. To test the contact feature place a chair under the door. When the door touches the chair it should stop and return to the open position. If your garage door safety sensor doesn’t work, give C Town Doors a call ASAP.
- Inspect the rollers – The door rides up and down in the tracks. But it’s held in the tracks by the rollers. If the rollers are broken or so dirty they can’t roll it’s going to cause a cascade of problems throughout the entire door mechanism. The safest way to check the rollers is to disconnect the motor and have someone lift and lower the door slowly while you stand to the side and observe the rollers. Look and listen for any that might be dragging in the track. Look at the way the door is moving too. Is it being held back on one side? Or is the motion nice and smooth? Check the tracks too while you’re at it. Are the clean and clear? If you have roller or track problems call the pros at C Town Doors.
- Inspect the springs – While the garage door opener gets all the press it’s the springs that actually lift the door. So it’s important that they’re always properly lubricated. But working on torsion or extension springs is not something homeowners should ever do. They harbor vast amounts of pent up energy and are extremely dangerous. Do a visual only inspection from a safe distance. What you’re looking for is whether they are properly lubricated or if they’re rusting, dry and corroded. If they need lubrication call C Town Doors. We’ll send someone out.
- Arrange for regular maintenance – The simplest and best way to ensure your door is always in optimal working order and to stave off expensive garage doors repair is to have the pros from C Town Doors in Calgary perform regular maintenance on your door. It’s the affordable, common sense way to ensure the convenience of the garage door doesn’t turn into a potential hazard for you and your loved ones.
Call us today on 403-668-6686 for free estimate on your garage door