Proactive Steps to Avoid Costly Garage Repairs

You may have recently installed a new door for your garage; or, maybe you’ve been trying to do maintenance on a garage door that’s showing the first signs of trouble. Whether your garage door is brand new or on its last leg, there’s one thing that’s for sure: garage door repairs can be costly—and you want to avoid them.

Depending on the condition of your garage door, it may be impossible to avoid garage door repairs entirely. However, by being proactive and taking small, consistent steps, you can save money on garage door maintenance costs in the long run. Review our maintenance tips below to find out how.

Know Your Garage Door

In order to address problems early, you’ll want to understand the basics behind your garage door. We’ve created this handy infographic outlining the anatomy of a garage door. When you understand the basics behind how something works, it’s easier to catch and diagnose a problem early on.

Address Problems Early

By addressing small problems early on, you can avoid the bigger, more costly repairs down the line. Right when you identify a potential issue, such as issues with your garage door opening, squeaking, or scraping, reach out to a professional. Service technicians like those at Larry Myers Garage Doors offer same day service and repairs, and can quickly address the smaller problems that may lead to bigger, more costly issues later on.

Keep Your Garage Door Lubricated

Hinges and rollers should be lubricated on a semi-annual basis, preventing rust, squeaks, and other more major issues. You’ll also want to be sure your door tracks and door seal surfaces are adequately lubricated:

• Door tracks should be lubricated with a small amount of silicone spray at least once a year. We recommend chain and cable fluid, which can be purchased at stores such as a nearby Home Depot or Lowe’s.
• Door seals often stick to the ground during the colder, dryer months, so try applying a small amount of paraffin wax.

Test in Manual

Once a month, test your garage door in manual mode. Turn off your automatic door opener and then pull down your garage door manually. The door should move freely and be easy to lift; if it’s difficult, this may signal a problem. If it hangs lower on one side, you may need to contact a professional to have it rebalanced.

Preventative Maintenance Tips

We hope that you found these tips to be helpful! Need help running through these steps? Or, have you identified a potential problem with your garage door? Reach out to us, your local garage door experts in the Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA areas.