A Yearly Garage Door Maintenance Checklist For All Homeowners
As a homeowner, it is important that you take some time at least once each year to clean and maintain its garage door. If you have never maintained your garage door, then follow this simple procedure:
Step 1: Wash and Visually Inspect the Inside and Outside of the Garage Door
Start your yearly garage door maintenance by washing off the inside and outside of the door. As you are washing it, inspect the garage door for any damage or missing paint that needs to be repaired. Don't forget to check the rubber weather stripping along the bottom of the door. If it is worn out, then you can purchase a new one at your local home improvement store to replace it.
Step 2: Clean the Garage Door Opener and If Necessary Replace Its Light Bulbs or Remote Batteries
While you do not need to perform much maintenance on your garage door's opener, you should take the time each year to wipe it down with a clean rag and replace any burned out light bulbs in the opener. After wiping down the opener, replace the batteries in your remote controls to ensure that they will work when you need them to.
Step 3: Verify that the Garage Door's Auto-Reverse Function is Working Correctly
Your garage door opener's auto-reverse function is how it protects children and pets from being trapped under the door as it closes. It is vital that you check this function at least once each year. To verify that the auto-reverse is working, place a brick or chair under your open garage door and push the button to close the door. The door should approach the foreign object and reverse itself before hitting it. If the door does not stop, then the auto-reverse is not working correctly and your garage door opener needs to be professionally serviced.
Step 4: Check the Garage Door's Counterbalance
Finally, it is important that your home's garage door is moving up and down easily for your garage door opener. The control of the door's motion is its counterbalance. You can check the function of the counterbalance by pulling the red emergency release cable on the garage door opener. Once the door is free to move around, open up the door about half-way and then let go of the door. If the door stops, then the counterbalance is adjusted correctly. If the door will not stay open on its own, then the counterbalance needs to be professionally adjusted by a residential garage door repair professional. A door with a malfunctioning counterbalance makes the garage door opener work harder and will cause it to have a shorter useful life.
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