Garage doors are mechanical devices and need maintenance. If not, they fail to open or fail to close or just come tumbling down. What are you to do, or tell the repairman when you call?
How Do I Know if I Need a New Garage Door Opener or Service
• Look at & listen to garage door. First look and listen to your door when operating. Is it smooth or does it jerk? Grinding, scraping or metal on metal screeching probably is not so good. Quiet smooth operation is what you want. Symmetry. Do both sides look the same or on side is sagging putting the door panels at an angle? Not the ideal way your doors should be working.
• Check garage door screws are tight. Hinges and rollers need to be checked for tightness and cinched down if need be. No loose screws.
• Test garage door balance. Pull the emergence release handle that connects to the opener. Manually open the door. If it doesn’t open just above the halfway mark and stay open the springs are improperly balanced. You need a pro to adjust the springs, they are very dangerous to work on.
• Examine garage door rollers. Your door opens and closes perhaps as many times as a 1000 times per year. Parts are going to wear out. The primary support for your door is the rollers. Check ‘em out. Replace those that need it.
• Replace weather stripping around garage door. Weather-stripping keeps weather out and controlled environment in. Leaves, twigs, bugs and very hot or cold air can stay on the outside. Seriously though, weather stripping is essential for a properly sealed garage door. It will need changing occasionally.
• Lubricate moving parts. All mechanical moving parts require lubrication. And lube doesn’t stay forever, probably should be an annual ritual for worry free operation. They have garage door lube in spray cans and takes just a few minutes to apply. Rollers, screw drives and chains need attention.
• Inspect garage door springs. You have high-tension cables that support the door. These cables are connected to the springs that help counter-balance the weight of the door. These are under enough force to maim or kill, they must be kept in good operating condition. No fraying or kinks. Have them replaced by a professional if necessary.
• Check garage door auto-reverse system. This protects against the door pinning someone, primarily a child. Two parts. One touchy-feely mechanical part that should reverse the doors if something is in the path of closing door. Test by placing a block in the path of the door, like a cement block. The door should reverse and open on contact. Electronics includes photo cells that prevent operation if something is in the way of the path of the door. Photocells protect against obstacles but require resetting on occasion.
• Clean the garage door tracks. The tracks should be kept clear of junk. Leaves, twigs and bird nests.
• Inspect garage door panels. The door is a primary component of the system. The articulated panels need inspection. Warping, damage and paint. Steel doors must be checked for any rust. Your door can make up to about a third of your exterior wall’s square footage, they are usually in the front of the house and need to be maintained to help the overall ‘curb appeal’ of the house.
Garage Door Repairs, Replacement & More in Aliante, Anthem, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Enterprise, Green Valley Ranch, Henderson, Inspirada, Mountain’s Edge, North LV, Paradise, Providence, Rhodes Ranch, Seven Hills, Silverado Ranch, Spring Valley, Summerlin, Sunrise Manor, The Lakes, Tuscany Village & Las Vegas Nevada
These are the things you can do. But don’t mess with the springs and tension mechanisms and it usually takes a technician to adjust your door’s tracks. Mr Garage Door Repair Service offers professional garage door services. Contact us to schedule an inspection, tune up, repair, replacement or other service today!