Summer heat can take a toll on your garage door’s components in multiple ways, making effective maintenance practices key for avoiding breakdowns and ensuring a smooth operation. Here are seven essential summer garage door maintenance tips to keep your garage door and garage door opener in top condition.
1. Clean and Lubricate Moving Parts
Clean garage door components, including hinges, rollers, tracks, door sections, and seals, to remove dust and debris. Use compressed air or a damp cloth for general cleaning. For tougher grime and grease, apply a mixture of baking soda or dish soap with water, or use a degreaser. Make sure to lubricate the door’s moving part right after cleaning.
2. Wash Your Garage Door
Regularly cleaning your garage door is a great way to keep it looking at its best. It helps remove dirt, grime, and other contaminants while also preventing chalking caused by sun exposure.
Use a garden hose and a sponge with soapy water for cleaning. Avoid abrasive or harsh cleaners, as they can damage the door’s paint or finish. Be cautious when using high-pressure washers, as they may peel the paint off the surface.
3. Inspect the Door Seals and Weather Stripping
Ensuring that your garage door is properly sealed helps prevent dust from accumulating on moving parts such as hinges and bearings. Dust buildup can cause abrasion and increase friction, leading to accelerated wear. Additionally, well-maintained seals help keep insects and vermin out of your garage and home.
To inspect your garage door weather stripping and seals, close the door and check for any light coming through the bottom, top, or sides. Ideally, little to no light should be visible. You can also test the bottom seal by pouring water just outside the door and checking for any leaks inside.
The seals are made of vinyl and can dry out due to exposure to both hot and cold weather. Replace worn seals as needed.
4. Ensure Proper Ventilation
Garages can become hot and stuffy during warm weather. The elevated summer temperatures may cause your electric garage door opener to overheat and potentially damage other belongings stored inside.
Installing garage door vents and roof ventilators can improve ventilation and airflow. Alternatively, you can leave the garage door partially open, though doing so may come with some disadvantages.
5. Test Your Garage Door Safety Features
Inspecting and testing your garage door safety features is a good practice, not just during the summer. To test your garage door sensors, obstruct them while the door is closing. The door should reverse and reopen. Clean and align the sensors to ensure they continue functioning as intended.
You can also test your electric garage door built-in entrapment protection by placing a paper towel roll directly below the door while it’s open, without obstructing the sensors. When you close the door using the electric opener, the door should hit the paper towel roll and reverse.
Consult a licensed garage door repair company in your area if your safety features do not work properly.
6. Insulate Your Garage Door
Insulation and insulated garage doors help reduce heat transfer through your doors from the outside. It can not only lower the temperature inside but also minimize noise transmission from outside, which can be particularly helpful if you live near the beach or in areas with heavy traffic.
If your garage door is not insulated, there are specific insulation kits available that you can purchase and add to your existing door. As a rule of thumb, insulation material with a higher R-value will provide better insulation. Keep in mind that insulating your garage door will add weight, which may require you to adjust the spring tension or, in some cases, replace the springs with a different size to better counterbalance the added weight.
7. Determine If Your Garage Door Needs Repairs
During maintenance, inspect your garage door for signs of breakage, damage, excessive wear, or other abnormalities.
- Check the mounting brackets and tracks.
- Inspect moving parts such as rollers, springs, pulleys, bearings, and hinges.
- Examine the door cables to ensure they are not rusty or frayed.
- Check alignment and test the door balance.
- Check the door sections for cracks or buckling.
- Inspect and tighten any loose bolts, screws, and nuts.
If you’re unsure how to perform more complex repairs beyond basic maintenance, contact a garage door repair company in your area.
Schedule Repairs with a Local Garage Door Professional
Always ensure that you contact a legitimate, licensed door contractor to protect yourself from fraudulent or malicious entities. If you’re seeking service in Orange County or anywhere in California, you can verify a garage door repair company’s license by searching for their business name on the California State License Board (CSLB) website. Learn more about the process here.
Champion Garage Door Repair is a licensed contractor and certified dealer with over 15 years of experience serving Orange County and the South Los Angeles area. Contact us today to schedule your repair or consult with one of our professionals.
