Garage Door Maintenance

I love my garage - It's my place to get away from it all. Some people have their yoga room, for me, it’s my garage. Whenever I’m able to arrange some free time off the job site and spend some time at home, you can usually find me working – or relaxing, in my happy place.

A friend of mine was trying to increase the tension on the garage door by herself with no one around. The garage door, while she was working on it, came crashing down on her face. It was a terrible accident and she had serious injuries.

Learning how to maintain your garage door is important to keep your doors operating efficiently. It’s also a safety issue. Unfortunately, I’ve heard of a couple of instances of serious accidents from garage doors falling on people and children.

Knowing how to inspect it, lubricate it, and watch out for red flags is important. The pros at Canadian Door Doctor recommend once a year quick check, including balance and safety feature checks, and applying lube.

NOTE: The garage door is typically the largest moving item in a house. It also serves as the most common point of entry, think of how many times a day you walk under the garage door, and think of how important it is that the door is properly installed and running safely. I believe it is underrated in terms of importance!

I asked the experts at Canadian Door Doctor to answer some of your common garage door questions and provide some garage door maintenance tips:

1. IS IT SAFE TO REPAIR A GARAGE DOOR YOURSELF (DIY)?

There are some repairs that can be done yourself, but some can be extremely dangerous if you don’t have the expertise. I always recommend bringing in a pro. They have years of experience and will do the job right the first time. What you could do on your own is an inspection of your garage door to see if anything is loose or out of balance.

2. HOW CAN I FIX A NOISY GARAGE DOOR?

Wondering why you hear a noise with each garage door opening and closing? The most common fix is to apply some lubricant. However, the wrong lube (for example grease) will make the noise worse. If you get the proper lubricant, lubricate the tracks where the rollers run.

Disconnect the opener before you do this.

3. WHY WON’T MY GARAGE DOOR CLOSE?

I hear this all the time. The most common reason for a door not closing is an obstruction at the bottom of your door, ie the “photo eyes” are misaligned. The number 1 reason for this is people commonly store things such as hockey sticks near the front of the garage, and their eyes get knocked out of alignment.

4. WHY IS THERE WATER AT THE BOTTOM OF MY GARAGE DOOR?

If you are noticing water pooling up at the bottom of your garage door, it may be because of the bottom seal. Take a look at the bottom of your garage door. You want to see a weather seal that’s slightly longer than the garage door and tucked in.

Other common reasons for water in that area include:

• Driveway sloping the wrong way

• Garage doors facing west typically get more rain

Keep Your Garage Safe

Your garage can be home for a lot of the valuables that don’t fit in your home. While you’ve probably already taken steps to protect your home from intruders – have you given that same thought to your garage?

For attached garages – treat the service door that allows access to your garage as you would any other exterior door. Have a good, strong deadbolt and strike plate – and keep the door locked at all times.

NOTE: DON’T DIY WHEN IT COMES TO GARAGE DOOR INSTALLATION

The counterbalance system is tricky- it consists of the spring(s), shaft, cables, cable drums, and working torsion springs.