Professional garage door maintenance services should be provided on an annual basis. But this should not be the only time you check the door. On top of that, there are plenty of factors which determine the frequency of routine servicing. So don’t take anything for granted. And don’t get carried away by what other people say or do. Look at your own overhead door.
The point with garage doors is…
…that they are not all the same. And since not all garage doors are the same, their service needs vary too. What makes them different?
- The materials
- Their age
- Their overall condition
- The quality of the garage door parts
- The opener
You get the idea! As you most likely know, wood garage doors need
maintenance often since this material is susceptible to damage. And so maintenance is not limited to checking and taking care of parts only. It’s vital to take care of the panel too.
Another example. How old are your garage door springs? Don’t forget that most of them are made to serve for about 10,000 opening & closing cycles. And so if you already have them for 5-6 years, their wear will affect the garage door’s performance pretty soon. Simply put, at that point you need to maintain the door often.
And then it’s the question of how often have you been maintaining the garage door so far? If it’s been years since the last garage door service, you need to catch up since parts will most likely be worn.
Which are the extra factors which affect the condition of garage doors?
- The weather conditions
- The climate (humid, sunny etc.)
- How often you use the door daily
- Do you replace the parts when they are worn or not?
- Do you fix problems fast even if they don’t keep you from using the door?
It’s fair to say that people, who replace parts when they are worn and repair 
garage doors when they fail to perform at their best, can feel more relaxed than people who hardly bother with such things. As for the weather & climate, remember that heavy snowfall, rainfall, humidity and too much sun are not good for the door and its parts either.
So, it’s not a coincidence that garage door companies recommend services before and after the winter. It’s important to prepare these systems to go through the harsh months of the winter and then take care of problems the winter has left behind.
What should be the frequency of garage door maintenance?
As you can see, it’s hard to limit the answer to just one. On the other hand, even new or frequently serviced garage doors should be checked at least once annually. After all, the purpose of regular garage door maintenance service is to prevent problems. And so it’s best to service even new doors annually to keep them running. It goes without saying that older or worn doors need inspection, lubrication, repairs, and adjustment once a year at the minimum. But it’s not only that…
Monthly visual garage door inspections…
…will help you decide how often to call in the pros
It’s always best to leave maintenance services to the pros – not only to avoid the hassle but to be sure the job is done correctly. But one thing you can do is visual garage door inspection every month. This will be a safe task if you keep it visual and don’t try to tamper with parts or fix things. You only need to take a closer look at your parts.
- See if the hinges, rollers or springs are rusty.
- Check the tracks to see if they are worn or dented.
- Make sure the rollers sit in the tracks and are free of damage.
- Ensure the cables are not frayed or loose.
- Open and close the door a couple of times and pay attention to strange noises.
- Also, check that the door moves all the way up and down.
- Make sure the door moves and closes evenly – and there is no gap underneath.
- Test the garage door balance.
If your garage door fails to pass one or more of these tests, it’s time to call in a garage door repair technician.
