Garage doors are funny. We use them every day – most days, anyway – and we tend to think nothing of them. This is understandable. It’s just something we kind of, well accept. However, a garage door is comprised of a variety of mechanisms and parts. This is true for most things in life, but a garage door is slightly different because if not properly secured and managed, it can be incredibly dangerous.
If you aren’t careful, you could find your car getting damaged as you drive through the door one day, or you might get injured while walking through it. These injuries can be excruciating and, in some cases, fatal. That is why it’s imperative to make sure every component of your garage door is in top shape, and that there is nothing that needs to be replaced or fixed.
Over the span of a garage door’s lifetime, it is inevitable that certain components will become weaker. This is an inevitability, as the parts naturally weaken due to rust and general age. However, this being the case, many of the crucial components may eventually fail or become damaged in some sense.
Most garage doors in this day and age have sensors that can detect objects that may be obstructing the garage door or blocking it. This is a safety precaution, and these sensors are advantageous. They are called electric eyes, and by using them, you can prevent a lot of the potential dangers that come with a garage door.
Depending on the age of your garage door, you really should be paying attention and seeing if everything works well and if everything functions the way it’s supposed to. Inspecting your garage door on a regular basis is very important, and by doing so, you can save yourself a lot of time and money.
If you do encounter an irregularity or something that just doesn’t feel right with your garage door, call a professional. I know. I know. It’s tempting to just “do it yourself,” but garage doors are very complex pieces of equipment and, without the proper care and understanding, it’s very easy for them to either become even more damaged or to injure you.
There is a security benefit to regular inspections, too. By performing these checkups and making sure that each component is working the way it should, you prevent theft of any valuables you may have in your garage. You see, each one of those components work together to ensure that the garage door works the way it’s supposed to and that the security is top-notch and fully functional.
Regular wear and tear on your garage door can unavoidably lead to the need to repair and to replace the individual components of your garage door. If you have an older garage door, it might be time to call an inspector who specializes in this field, so that they can inspect it for any potential damage to the internal and exterior elements. This allows you to prevent further damage and injuries and accidents which could lead to a loss of time and money. Not to mention the fact that having a stronger garage door that has been kept up to date and safe leads to an increase in the market value of your home.
In the end, regular maintenance of your garage door consists of a variety of simple things that will ensure that your garage door is the safest and most secure that it can be.
- Regular tightening of the nuts and bolts
- Lubrication of the cables, pulleys, and rollers
- Regular adjustment of springs
- Regular adjustment of the door opener
- Tightening of the chain on a regular basis
- Making sure to set the limit switches regularly
- Lubricating the drive mechanism
Doing these things on a regular basis and making sure to see a garage door specialist for regular inspection is crucial to the safety and security of your garage door and the garage as a whole. Remember, these pieces of equipment can last a long time, but only if you take the necessary steps to make sure that it does last.
Safety is very important. Garage doors can, if not well taken care of, be very dangerous to operate. Make sure to regularly check to see if your garage door opens and closes properly. If things don’t seem to work they way they should, give us a call at (707) 644-5537 and we’ll schedule a service appointment.