Garage Door Helpful Tips

Garage doors, as with other mechanical and electric equipment around the home, need regular upkeep in order to stay in peak condition.

Here are a few key components that deserve regular maintenance checks:

The most important and critical components on any garage door are the torsion springs, which allow the door to open and close easily and smoothly. However, springs that are either worn or wrongly installed can present a safety hazard. To maintain your garage door in top form, you need to have the spring system checked annually and lubricated as deemed necessary by an expert installer.  Unfortunately, the majority of homeowners are unaware that garage door torsion springs, together with several other component parts of the door, need this type of annual servicing and safety check.

If you are experiencing any trouble opening or closing your garage door, you should always pay close attention to the torsion springs, which are the most obvious perpetrators. If the springs are old, they are probably worn out to a certain degree. The torsion springs used on garage doors are tightly wound and kept under very high tension. Due to this tautness, even the most highest quality steel springs will eventually break. It is because of this risk of sudden breakage that all garage door opener torsion springs have to be contained, in order to prevent serious injury or property damage. That containment is either in the form of cables or in the case of roller shutter doors, an external steel tube.

Even if the springs are contained, or if the door has been installed for a few years, you should have them inspected and replaced if needed. If you have the type of garage door, which has two independent springs, and only one is broken, it makes sense to replace both simultaneously.

You may own a garage door that causes the springs to squeak noisily or make a chattering noise when the door is raised or lowered. This does not necessarily mean that the springs or the door are on their last legs and need replacing. A quick inspection by a garage door maintenance expert can usually solve the problem.

Another sign that your garage door needs servicing is if there are frayed and broken strips of cable hanging loose. Irrespective of the quality of your garage door opener, this is a sign that the cables are about to give way. A sudden break in the garage door cables could cause serious injury. These chafed cables need to be inspected and in all likelihood replaced by a professional service engineer who is familiar with the problems connected with springs and cables breaking.

Garage doors by themselves are very heavy and because of that weight, the torsion springs need to be maintained under extreme tension. You should therefore not try any mechanical alterations yourself due to the risks involved in doing so. It would be wise to have a professional garage door installer inspect these important components of your home every year to avert potential injury and problems caused by faulty springs.