Ever woken up because of a really loud garage door? It’s annoying.
It is really important to consistently look after your garage door and opener in order to allow for a smooth and quietly open and close. In fact, if you neglect the maintenance of your garage door and the opener, you actually put the warranty at stake. 
How often should I check the state of my garage door?
This will vary depending on the environment it is in, and the frequency it is used. Steel-Line suggests that you check the operation every three to six months. To get the general idea of what state your garage door is in, just simply open and close it. Both the opening and closing should take the same amount of effort, and the process should be both smooth and fluent. If you have an automatic garage door though, make sure you turn on manual mode, so you don’t break the electronics. If you notice something is out of order, and you don’t take the correct maintenance and service opportunities, your warranty may become void.
Don’t let the good quality, become bad quality
If you have a Colourbond or coloured steel door, you’ll find that it has been pre-painted with a silicone-modified polyester formulation. This is currently in the top sector of paint films that you could possibly buy today. But, you can never be too careful when it comes to the maintenance of your garage door. Despite having the top quality coverings, mechanics and openers, you must always take the time to check for corrosion and blemishes.
Regardless of the type of door you have, a smart thing to do would be to wipe down the surface of your door with a clean wet cloth, at least once a month; but if you live directly near a beach, we’d suggest you do this more frequently. If you’re on the driveway cleaning the car or watering the plants, just clean the garage door whilst you’re at it; that’ll save you excess time. One thing you should not do is clean the automatic door opener; you will lose your warranty and have a high chance of being electrocuted.
General maintenance checklist
There are several components to a garage door to take care of, on a consistent basis (we recommend every three to six months). Here’s a list of them.
- Guide tracks
Rolling doors: Using a cloth and methylated spirits or turps; polish and clean the internal guide tracks. The more you polish, the easier and less resistant the tracks are for the Nylofelt to run through.
Sectional Doors: These should be cleaned just like any other rolling door. The internal tracks however are not required to be polished.
- Steel hinges
Lubricate with all-purpose machine oil, but also lubricate the wheel axle bearings. This will make them very smooth, and run without kinks and bumps.
- Plastic hinges
Silicon spray is the best option to loosen these up. Generally speaking though, you don’t really need to lubricate these.
- Springs
Just wipe over with an oily rag, no need to spray directly, just excess oil off a rag is enough.
- Locks
Locks don’t need special maintenance, but a common problem is a key struggling inside or becoming stiff. Something as simple as RP7 or WD40 will do the trick.
- Opener chain
You can use any chain lube to lubricate.
- Lifting cables
There may be some fraying from the friction. If you notice these signs at all, get in contact with a garage door technician as soon as possible. The importance of these is high, so don’t adjust the tension on these yourself, they should be dealt with by a professional.
- Fasteners
Make sure that all components are locked in place tightly (screws, nuts, bolts, etc.). If any are damaged, consider a replacement.
- Spring tension
Springs naturally will stretch and loosen and wear over time; however, if it gets to the point where your garage door is seizing up, or becoming totally inoperative, then get in contact with a garage door technician as soon as possible.
Among all of these things, it is our recommendation that you receive service on your garage door once every 12 months.
BE AWARE, TAKE NOTE.
- Under no circumstance should you ever adjust or configure your own maintenance on the spring unit; always seek assistance from a professional.
- Do not stand underneath or near a moving garage door, whether it be during its upward or downward travel.
- Utilize the door handle when opening and closing the door manually.
- The pull rope MUST be removed if the door is now or later becomes automatically operated.
- Do not place your fingers, or any body part between door panels or moving parts of the garage door at any time whilst it is in operation. This can and will cause serious injury.
It is very important to always consider the importance of your garage door and garage door openers maintenance. If these are not looked after, it can void your opener warranty, and over time become an expensive operation to be dealt with. If you do your part and consider all of the above, you will be making great moves to extend the longevity of your garage door.
