GARAGE DOOR REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, by Mirjana Veskovic

A garage door, or pair of doors, can account for up to 40 percent of the street-side appearance of a home, so a garage door can really affect the curb appeal and the value of your home. Moreover, a garage door that is well cared for and properly maintained is safer and will last longer.

The appearance of the largest moving object in the home is important, but no substitute for safety. An annual checkup and maintenance of your garage door will help eliminate unwanted noise and keep it operating smoothly for years to come.

Tuning up a garage door

One of the best resources for garage door maintenance is the installation and care guide for the door and the automatic opener. If you don't have either, contact the manufacturer or a dealer in your area for maintenance and operation tips.

The garage door springs, cables, rollers, and other door hardware should be inspected on a regular basis. Look for signs of wear, and frayed or broken parts. It is a good idea to call a garage specialist to inspect and maintain your garage door, although an experienced handyman can usually do a good job.

Some maintenance tips

A lot of dirt and debris can get lodged in the metal track of your garage door, which can cause problems. A thick paintbrush can be used to sweep it clean. The grease or other lubricant also collect a lot of dirt. It should be cleaned, and a light coating of lubricating oil applied to the track.

Rust spots should be cleaned and coated with a protective layer of paint. If the track is out of alignment, minor adjustments should be made by loosening mounting bolts and moving the track until it is alligned. In fact, the track should be inspected each season and adjusted as needed.

Movement of the door can loosen screws

Every nut, bolt and screw on the tracks should be checked, as well as the automatic opener and the door itself to make sure everything is tightened securely. All the hinge pins should be oiled and all nuts and bolts retightened.

The rollers should be cleaned and greased. Make sure a thick grease is used that can accommodate temperature changes well. Rollers that don't operate smoothly should be replaced – keep in mind that metal rollers last longer than plastic ones.

Any damaged wood or metal pieces should be replaced, and all exposed parts painted. Make sure weather stripping is in good condition and keep water from collecting at the base of the door. Replace any missing parts immediately. Furthermore, make sure you have a working smoke detector in your garage.

When to call an expert?

A qualified garage door service technician should handle more complicated tasks. The top of the garage door where the spring mechanism resides, the springs and related hardware are under high tension and can cause severe injury when handled improperly.

Every nut, bolt and screw on the tracks should be checked, as well as the automatic opener and the door itself to make sure everything is tightened securely.

Periodically test the balance of the door. Start with the door closed. Disconnect the automatic opener release mechanism so that the door can be operated by hand. It should stay open around 3 feet to 4 feet above the floor. If it doesn't, it is out of balance and should be adjusted by a professional.

Don't forget about the automatic garage door opener

Test your automatic garage-door opener, and make sure the safety features, like auto-reverse, are set and working properly. A good test for the auto-reverse is a roll of paper towels or block of wood placed on the garage threshold before activating the opener. If the door fails to immediately stop and reverse when it strikes the wood, disconnect the garage door opener and use the door manually until the system can be repaired or replaced by an expert. If your existing automatic opener doesn't have a reversing feature, it should be replaced.

Automatic garage doors must also be equipped with a monitored non-contact safety reversing device or safety edge that stops and reverses a closing garage door. An example of this is an electronic beam sensor that is installed at either side of the door opening, which, when broken, causes the door to stop and reverse itself. This system must always operate properly.

Today's garage door openers have a variety of safety mechanisms, and any adjustment must be done by an expert. Never override or disable any safety feature.