Don't Forget About Your Garage Door When It Comes To Home Maintenance

Posted on: 17 August 2020

Most homeowners follow a pattern or regular schedule when it comes to performing maintenance tasks around the house. Maybe you'll switch out your air filter on the HVAC system once per season or get your plumbing or roof inspected once or twice per year. While that's good, there's one area of the home that can often be overlooked, even though you likely use it multiple times every single day. Garage doors need regular maintenance and care too, just like any other part of the home. Here are some tips to help ensure that your garage door remains in good shape for the foreseeable future.

Give It a Wash

Your garage door's exterior can be a bit more vulnerable to the elements than perhaps the rest of your house's exterior. If you let dirt linger or don't wipe away any salt that might get on it during the winter when you are de-icing your driveway, you could end up with lasting cosmetic damage. For best results, give your garage door's exterior a bath with some soap and water once every couple of months or more frequently if you notice a problem developing.

Be Mindful of the Weather Stripping

The bottom of every garage door should have a weatherstrip on it in order to provide a secure seal. This weatherstrip will help keep the air from outside the house from getting in, as well as helping you to keep the air inside the house from escaping. If your garage door doesn't have a solid weatherstrip installed, this will hurt your house's insulation. Poor insulation could lead to higher energy bills because your HVAC system will stay on longer. This is especially true if any part of your HVAC system is installed in or near the garage, as it could be more sensitive to changes in temperature.

Lubrication is Key

Your garage door of course has moving parts, and moving mechanical parts need lubrication to continue operating smoothly. Cut power to your door and make sure every chain or pulley is cleaned and then lubricated in order to reduce wear and tear going forward. You may want to remove any debris from the door tracks before you begin adding lubrication as you don't want the lubrication to attract additional debris.

Your garage door deserves regular maintenance and care just like any other part of your home. If you discover a problem that needs professional help, contact a local company that offers garage door services for more information.

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