Without proper garage door maintenance, you may face expensive repairs or even replacement of your door or opener. Garage doors are the largest moving part of the home, and potentially operate multiple times each day. Although parts are built to last, even under light use, periodic care and maintenance is required. If you regularly maintain your garage door, keep up the good work and you will be rewarded with a long-lasting, reliable door. If you aren't performing garage door maintenance tasks or having your overhead door serviced, here are some tips to get you started
DIY Maintenance Although some parts of your garage door need professional service, you can take care of some maintenance items yourself. Every three to six months, visually inspect all components from the inside and out, looking for rust, loose hardware, cable wear, and bent or broken parts. As you raise and lower the door, observe the operation for any hitches or jerks. Spray WD-40 on all tracks, rollers, hinges, springs and latches. Wipe them down with a cloth, then apply a light duty household oil to lubricate. Clean the inside and outside of the door with a household detergent. Car wax applied to a metal garage door helps maintain the finish and keep the door clean (check manufacturer's recommendations first). If your door is wood, apply fresh paint or sealer each year. Finally, check the weather-stripping around the door and replace any that has cracked or broken. Professional Maintenance Although a handy homeowner can do some garage door maintenance, a professional service company must perform some tasks. If your door is torsion spring operated, periodic professional maintenance is critical to keep the spring free from rust and operating correctly. Failure to keep up the spring can result in breakage and possibly damage or injury as a result. Chain-driven doors also need a professional's touch, to properly lubricate the opening mechanism. Automatic Door Opener Maintenance Garage door openers require routine, professional maintenance every year; however, you must also do a few basic tests yourself each month. Optic sensors and the door's reversing mechanism prevent accidents, and checking them for proper operation takes only a moment. Use a long-handled tool (broom, rake) and wave it between the sensors as the door lowers. If the sensor is working properly, the door will reverse and re-open. To test the reversing mechanism, lay a piece of wood on the ground where the door will hit and close the door. If the reverse is working properly, it will reverse and re-open upon hitting the wood. Listen for any unusual grinding or scraping sounds during operation. Finally, test all remote controls and key pads for proper function. A professional Garage Door Repair North Hills company has the tools and experience to test all the critical aspects of your door, including balance and force. A pro can give your garage door a tune-up and fix any damaged or worn components at the same time. Experts recommend having professional service at least once each year, just prior to the extreme seasons of weather. If possible, have your overhead door serviced professionally in both spring and fall. With just a little attention to garage door maintenance, you can rest assured that your door will provide reliable and safe operation all year-long. Article Source
0 Comments
Home ownership comes with one convenient thing; the garage. The garage is actually extra space which if used wisely can add a lot of value to the home. Garages are used to protect the cars and for many people; they are even used as offices. Let us look at a few uses of a garage.
One of the uses of a garage is the old-fashioned protection for your vehicles. When vehicles are inside the garage, they are protected from vandalism, weather elements and even theft. This become even more so the more expensive a vehicle is. Another way you can use your garage is for storage. Sometimes the garage is large enough to allow one or two cars and then leave some space. This space can be used to store other clutter around the house such as the lawn mower, construction tools, cleaning material and even boxes containing heavy material that cannot be left in the house. A garage can also be used for business purposes. There are people who choose not to park their cars inside the garage altogether and instead utilize that space to set up an office and work from home. This has especially become the rule with the advent of many home-based businesses. Regardless of what the garage is being used for, we all agree that is needs to be protected and secure. The best way to do this is to ensure that there is a proper garage door that works as it should. One way of finding out whether your door is working well is to open it, pull it up and then release it. A good door should stay up. If it comes tumbling down in a loud crash, then it needs repairs. Today's garage doors have evolve dramatically. In the past, garage doors used to be manually opened and closed. This meant that once one arrived home, they had to exit their vehicle, walk to the door and open it with a regular key and then pry it open (as heavy as it is). This was especially inconveniencing if it was raining or snowing, or very hot. Nowadays, it is not hard to see remote-controlled garage doors which are opened by a simple push of a button. One need not leave the vehicle. The door opens of itself and the car simply rolls in. The door is then set to automatically close when the car eases inside. Some have a laser mechanism that ensures that the door does not close if there is something underneath the door. This mechanism can come especially handy if there is a child under the door as children are accustomed to doing. Because garage doors are subject to constant opening and closing, they sometimes become damaged and need repairs. Do not attempt to repair a garage door yourself if you are not sure of what you are doing. Many garage doors have a repair guide that came with it and if you do not have it you can simply check the 800 number on the garage door and call for maintenance. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1667256 Great looking houses need not be new houses. The older ones can be dressed to challenge the new ones. There are various aspects associated with the home improvement. It can just be a face lift and redecorating or some sections that can be remodeled as per the requirement of the family. The project can be handled personally or it can be handed over to experts. There are many do it yourself kits available if one is not comfortable in hiring a professional or has to control the budget. When the project is handed over to experts they have a few sittings with the clients to understand what the client desires as a final result. House is the sanctuary and it has to spell comfort and it should be welcoming. There are many factors which have to be considered before embarking on a program like home improvement. One should weight to find out if it is better to hire a expert or to do it personally. It is better to list out all the jobs which have to be done to get the desired result. The cost factor involved to get professional help should not be the only criteria to avoid expert involvement. One has to consider the final outcome. There are many available who turn the dream of a customer into reality. A professional usually involves the client at every stage of the project so that the project goes in the exact direction as per the desire of the customer. They are backed by a strong team which has experts related to all the aspects of home building. They have in-house designers who can remodel or build a whole custom house. As a home improvement project one has to decide the exact requirement and then approach the best people to execute the dream. Choosing a professional for the job has to be done with care. It is better to have a look at the prior work done by them before making the final decision. One should also checkout if the expert actually has a degree in support of his claim. It is important to choose a licensed professional. Check out the reputation of the company from the department of fair trade to see if there are any complaints lodged against them. The home improvement professional should have very good reputation. The client has the freedom to ask for a list of references and it is important to spare some time and call the people to take their opinion about the home improvement professional. They take care of the whole interior and the external to give the house an enriched look. The facelift adds value to the house. Sometimes a expert may suggest something better which was missed in the first instance. Expert help is always better in the long run as they are better informed about the latest trends and material which can be beneficial in the long run. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5469375 |