Garage Doors Repair NJ – Preventive Maintenance Tips

garage door repairs NJ

A few of the garage doors repair NJ residents ask for are preventable. It is a fact that most of us tend to neglect parts of our house until they malfunction. Many of us are poor at preventive maintenance. However, few people realize that the preventive maintenance required to prevent most garage doors repair NJ that residents call for are so simple anyone can do them. A little attention and a bit of elbow grease is all it really takes. The following are a few steps you can take to reduce the need for garage door repairs:

Observe

Whenever you open or close the door, check to ensure it moves smoothly and relatively silently. Scraping noises, jerky or uneven movement may signal the need for cleaning tracks and lubricating moving parts. If defective springs, cables or pulleys need replacing an NJ garage door technician should be called.

Check out the garage door exterior surfaces for chipped paint, dings, scratches and dents. Wooden doors may have started to warp, split or rot. Prompt repair will prevent the problems worsening. Often it will simply involve paint or stain retouch; more than that is a job for garage door technicians.

Clean the door tracks.

Many problems with opening or closing of garage doors can be traced to dirt and debris on the tracks. Cleaning of the door tracks can prevent greater damage which may lead to many urgent calls for garage door repairmen. In fact many members of the Window and Door Manufacturer’s Association recommend cleaning garage door tracks at regular intervals.

Make sure the garage door springs are adjusted properly.

Improper spring adjustment will cause the door to be unbalanced causing undue strain on your opener’s motor. With the opener disconnected (pulling a red release handle usually does this), open the door halfway up. If it does not stay put, the counterweight springs are not balanced and you should call a garage door repair technician.

 Check for loose parts and insufficient lubrication

Repeated opening and closing of garage doors will loosen some brackets, nuts and bolts over time. It is easy enough to tighten loose parts with a socket wrench. Lubricate the opener’s chain or screw using white lithium grease. The overhead springs can be oiled using a spray type lubricant. Lubrication is recommended at least once a year.

 Check for damaged parts.

Time and exposure will cause the weather strips on the bottom of the garage door to go brittle and crack. Timely repairs (which you can easily do yourself) will save your garage from exposure to the elements. Many types of weather stripping are usually sold at most hardware stores. Buy the same type as those installed in your door, remove the damaged stripping, cut to size and insert the new one on the groove.

Check for chipped or damaged rollers. So long as rollers are not directly attached to the cable system, you can easily replace by removing and reinstalling their brackets. If you see any damaged cables, call an experienced garage door repairman.

Having said all that, it is important for the homeowner to only do preventive maintenance and very minor repairs on their garage doors; anything else should only be entrusted to qualified technicians.