Rated Maintaining a Safe and Working Garage Door
Despite how common a garage door is, it can still be rather dangerous. In most homes, the garage door is the largest piece of machinery, and it needs to be treated as such. Garage doors can seriously injure an individual when going up and down, and can malfunction in very hazardous ways. In order to make sure that your garage door is in safe and working order, there are some things that you should always do — and some things that you should never attempt.
Do: Maintenance and Tasks to Make Your Garage Door Safer
- DO: Clean and grease it regularly. A dirty garage door can trap dust and debris, which will lead to corrosion and blockages. When a garage door can’t move freely, it can fall off of its track. Likewise, the garage door should have its wheels and ball bearings greased so that it can move easily; this will both improve performance and reduce wear on the motor.
- DO: Test and clean the sensors. The sensors at the bottom of your garage door are designed to stop the garage door from closing on an individual or an object. Test it by placing something soft under your garage door and then trying to close it. The garage door should stop in time and should go back up. You may need to clean the sensors if there are any issues. If cleaning doesn’t help, you need a repair service — immediately.
- DO: Inspect the weatherstripping. The weatherstripping at the bottom (and potentially sides) of your garage door may degrade over time and need to be replaced. Inspect it thoroughly for signs of warping or discoloration, both of which could mean that a replacement is in order.
Don’ts: What Not to Do With Your Garage Door
- DON’T: Try to turn it on when it’s malfunctioning. One of the first things a homeowner is tempted to do when their garage door malfunctions is to try it again. For instance, a garage door may be slightly mis-aligned, and the homeowner may think to re-align it by pulling it back up. This is never safe. A malfunctioning garage door should lead to an immediate call to a professional repair service; otherwise it could fall off track and either damage itself or injure someone.
- DON’T: Try to pull the garage door down manually. When your garage door stops functioning — such as during a power outage, or because the motor burned out — you should onlyuse the emergency handle to either raise or lower the garage door. If the door is caught on something rather than simply being out of power, you shouldn’t move it at all. Either way, you should not try to pull the garage door down manually without the emergency pull.
Remember: garage doors are incredibly heavy, and they can be dangerous when they malfunction. If you’re concerned that your garage door may not be safe, you should call your garage door repair service as soon as possible. Action Garage Door can give you a consultation regarding the safety of your garage door, in addition to any tips that you might need to keep your garage door both safe and well-maintained.
