Did you know that summer’s heat and humidity can affect your garage door system? While your garage door can last 15 years under good conditions, performing regular maintenance on it can lengthen its life and prevent damages and repairs. After all, it is the largest door in your home. Like Benjamin Franklin once said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Let’s talk about what you can do to prepare your garage for summertime. We’re Aladdin Doors®.
Wash It. You regularly wash your car so why not wash your garage door? This should be done at least twice a year. Your garage door opens and closes hundreds if not thousands of times every year and over time, it gets filthy. Instead of using a power washer, we recommend a garden hose and some mild detergent with a rag or sponge to wipe down both sides. Avoid a stiff brush and chemical detergents because they can damage the surface of the door. Weather stripping needs a bath, too. Although you may not notice it, it’s an important part of your garage door that keeps critters and the elements out. Use an all-purpose cleaner here.
Clean the Inside. Now that you’ve got your garage door sparkling, let’s go inside and get rid of some clutter that you’ve collected over the years. Invite friends, family, (and Fido) to help; it goes faster. Bring everything out of the garage and assess what you absolutely must have and what you can toss. Donate, sell, or throw away anything unnecessary and figure out what should go where. For safety reasons, don’t store paint, propane, paper foods (magnet for bugs), pet food (so critters can’t dine in) or an old refrigerator (a big energy drain in garages that are not air conditioned). Keep items off the garage floor whenever possible to free up more room for your cars and keep walkways clear. If you buy shelving units or cabinets, make sure they have legs so you can clean beneath them. Use the garage ceiling for hanging long, flat items you don’t use a lot, like ladders and seasonal sporting equipment.
Tighten Up. Attention homeowners: check your hardware! Vibrations from repetitive opening and closing could loosen hardware when the temperature changes. Check the brackets that attach the door to the ceiling and wall. Tighten lose bolts and hardware where necessary.
Check for Wear and Tear. While you’re doing “the tighten up”, check your cables. Are they fraying, look worn out or ready to break? Are your springs rusted or appear to be loose? Do they have the right tension? Look at other parts like hinges, rollers, chains, and anything else you see that shows wear and tear. Also, check your door panels and sections for cracks. Make sure the door is properly aligned, not crooked and not struggling to open and close. There’s a lot to check! P.S. – Let Aladdin Doors® do the job, so you don’t have to.
Lubrication. It’s important to lubricate hinges and rollers to keep parts running smoothly. You can use WD40 to get the job done. If your springs look rusty, a small amount of lube works well. Avoid using a lubricant if you have a belt drive opener. To take the guess work out of which parts to lubricate, set up a service call and we’ll take care of everything.
Replace Batteries. Just as you change your smoke detectors when the seasons change, replace your remote control battery especially if it’s been a while. This is true for your outside keypad, too. Once you install new batteries, you may need to reprogram the remote and/or keypad especially if you have an older opener. Please refer to your instruction manual. If you can’t find your manual, call us. We’ll schedule a service call that will include a complimentary tune-up on your garage door system. Nice.
