Tips for Extending the Life of Your Garage Door

Inside of Garage Garage Doors get a lot of use every day. A residential garage door usually has a minimum lifespan of 10,000 open-and-close cycles. The length depends on how often the garage door is used and how it is maintained over the years. 

An annual tune-up to get the most out of your garage door is recommended, but there are some simple ways to care for your garage door on your own.

Lubricating your garage door rollers every year with garage door lubricant will increase the life of the rollers and cut down on the noise. If you are hearing squeaking sounds there is friction involved and this is not good for the gears in the opener.

Garage door springs are the most important and most dangerous part of your garage door. It provides a counter balance so the door will go up and down smoothly. Making sure your springs have the right tension is important but this is one thing not recommend to do as a home owner.  Its based on weight of the door a spring size so its best to leave that one to a professional.  However if your springs are making some noise you can spray them with lubricant.  

Worn or frayed cables can easily break. "Visually inspect the cables that attach the spring system to the bottom brackets on both sides of the door. If they are damaged or frayed immediately contact a professional to replace them before they snap.

If your garage door isn't going up or down check your sensors and make sure they're clean of any dust or debris.  Also check there alignment. If they get bent you have to get them back aligned before your garage door will start working.

Washing and in some cases waxing your garage door will give your garage door new life.

Keep your opener manual.  You never know when you will have to get up there and reset the open and close position of your door. Every model of door and opener has unique instructions to your model.  

Following these tips, you can prolong your garage door life and hopefully prevent unnecessary issues and subsequent repair costs while also guaranteeing to make the most out of your garage door’s functionality year after year.