For good or bad, the most prominent curb-view feature of a home is the garage door. On many homes, the garage door is the entire front of the house and indirectly serves as the entry point to the home. However, the garage door is often taken for granted until it fails. Routine garage door maintenance is the key to success.
4 tips to keep your garage door in tip-top shape:
Lubricate the Hardware
Inspect, tighten, and lubricate all the hinges and rollers on your garage door every six months. If you are missing hardware or you can’t tighten the bolts, CALL A PROFESSIONAL to evaluate and repair as needed.
Safety Features
Check the reverse and photo-eye safety features monthly. The door should reverse if a 2×4 block of wood is laid flat under when closing. Break the plane of the photo sensor with a ball or a well placed broom. The door should reverse with this test too. If the garage door fails to reverse with either one of these test–CALL A PROFESSIONAL to fix.
Go Manual
Check the manual release and the balance of the door every six months. To do this, start with the door closed, disconnect the manual release (I.e. the handle and cord handing off the garage door). You should be able to open the door easily and feel balanced around the center of the door. If the door is hard to lift or is sticky on one side or the other, CALL A PROFESSIONAL to fix. Do not start this test with the door open as it could crash down and damage the door or cause injury.
Check the Springs
Check the springs for damage. If you see any damage to the springs or the door doesn’t manually lift or stay up, CALL A PROFESSIONAL to fix. Never attempt to adjust or fix springs yourself. They hold an incredible amount of energy and could easily cause injury.
Home Recon NW Inspection Services serves the South Puget Sound. Contact us to schedule a home inspection.
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