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Buckhead Garage Door Repair | Buckhead Garage Door | Buckhead Garage Door in Georgia
Call us (404) 500-0144
You probably use your garage door in Buckhead, GA, several times during the course of your day, and as such, it accumulates a great deal of wear and tear over its lifetime. Preventative maintenance allows you to extend the life of your garage door and keep it performing optimally. In addition, you may be able to spot any signs of trouble with your garage door while it’s still minor. It’s always best to visually inspect your door every few months for any signs of wear and tear or damage. Then, at least annually, perform the checks that are listed in this article.
Garage door maintenance doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult. Everything we’ve compiled here is simple and easy enough for almost any homeowner to do. While you may consider brushing off these steps because you have a busy schedule, it’s not recommended. These steps only take 10 minutes here or there to complete, but will go a long way toward preventing costly repairs and even possible damage.
Your first step in regards to maintaining your garage door is to take a good look at how your garage door performs. Watch it carefully as you lift and lower the door a few times. Does the door open and close smoothly? Or just it shakes or stutter? Does it make a lot of noise or is it relatively quiet? Does it get stuck anywhere on the track? These issues can be a sign of a garage door opener problem, bent tracks, or even faulty springs. It’s best to contact a local garage door repair professional for advice if you notice poor performance from your door. Describe in detail what you’ve observed in regards to your door’s operation.
Your door’s balance is an important aspect of performance, as an unbalanced door can not only warp the tracks, but also cause stress on the opener mechanism and possible damage to the door itself. To test the door’s balance, disconnect it from the garage door opener, and then raise the door by hand a few inches off the ground and let go. If the door doesn’t move, then your door is balance. If the door drops a little, then it will need to be rebalanced. It’s imperative that you have your door rebalanced as soon as possible to prevent further issues. Even if it’s just slightly off-balance, the issue with usually only get worse over time. Contact a professional to assist you with this simple process.
As one of the smallest parts of your garage door mechanism, your garage door’s hardware is integral to keeping the door functioning properly. When your door is in use, the repetitive motion and vibration of your door may cause the hardware to slowly loosen, eventually affecting performance and even posing a hazard. Inspect all screws, bolts, and brackets to ensure they’re tight enough. Tighten anything that appears to need it. Replace any rusty or stripped hardware.
Every automatic garage door is equipped with a sensor that causes it to reverse back up the track if it senses that something is in its path. This is an important safety feature since your garage door is so heavy, it could damage your vehicle or injure someone if it came down on them. It’s crucial that your auto-reverse feature be functioning correctly at all times, or else your garage door could pose a serious safety risk to not only your car, but you or your family. Our experts recommend that you test this safety feature every few months, at least, to ensure that it’s operating properly.
To test the auto-reserve feature, acquire a large block or similar object, and place it under the path of the door when it’s open. Now, shut the door. The door should reverse the second it hits the block. If it takes more than a few seconds, then the auto-reverse needs immediate attention as it’s a sign that the system is not calibrated correctly. This is one problem that should not be waited on, due to the risk it presents if it’s allowed to get worse.
Inspect the garage door tracks from time to time, especially if you notice any problems with your door sticking. Dirt, dust, and debris can gather on the track and impede the path of your door, compacting over time. This forms a block that makes it difficult for your garage door to slide evenly along the tracks the way it’s supposed to, which can cause your door to bend or go off the tracks.
If your garage door operates with a chain-drive opener, you’ll know when your chain is in need of lubrication. It will become significantly noisier and may even impact the door’s performance. You can purchase spray-on white lithium grease at most local hardware centers for an inexpensive price. Spray the lubricant liberally, directly onto the chain itself, until it’s well-coated.
Finally, it’s important to ensure that your door’s weather stripping is in good shape, to keep out the harmful effects of the elements. Inspect the weather stripping on the bottom of your door and the sides, if it has it. If it appears damaged or significantly worn, with gaps or holes, contact a professional to have it inspected to determine whether some or all of the stripping should be replaced.