Winter usually consists of harsh conditions such as strong winds, extreme cold, and precipitation. Exposure to all this will undoubtedly affect your garage door. So, when springtime is around the corner, you need to start putting measures to repair all the wear and tear that the garage door might have experienced.
Spring is the ideal time to do all this as the climate is a lot milder, with warmer temperatures and longer days.
Here are tips on how to prepare your garage door ready for springtime.
Clean it up
The garage door consists of many moving parts that, over time, start to accumulate grime, dirt, and dust. This leads to a fall in its efficiency as it can no longer run as smoothly as before. Fortunately, this is something you can repair by scheduling routine garage door maintenance during springtime. To properly clean it, you should instead use a compressed air duster to tidy your garage door tracks. With this bit of cleaning, you’ll be able to get your garage door working as expected in no time.
The exterior parts of your garage door can be cleaned with soap and water to get rid of any pile-up that might have accumulated in winter. But as you do this, make sure the clean water doesn’t come into contact with the moving parts as this might cause rust or destroy the garage door.
Apply Lubrication
Winter’s harsh weather will affect the garage door’s moving parts, such as the tracks, rollers, and hinges. Therefore, you need to use garage door lubrication to ensure the moving parts are at all times well lubricated.
With that said, you shouldn’t apply excess oil as this only leads to faster dust and dirt buildup, thereby necessitating regular cleanup. Also, you must only use recommended oils for use on overhead garage doors, such as white lithium grease or silicone spray.
Inspect And Replace The Seals
Inspecting to see whether there are any gaps between the door and the floor and the door’s rubber seals is also necessary when preparing for springtime. You should confirm that no light passes through the seals since this means debris, cold air, and water can also find a way into your garage.
Wipe Down The Weatherstripping
You want the protective seal around your garage door to remain intact at all times to prevent dehydration that then leads to cracking. Using a multi-purpose cleaner to remove the weather stripping on the garage door enables you to achieve precisely this. After this, apply a silicone-based lubricant. You need to regularly use this lubricant, ideally after every two or three months.
Inspect The Safety Features
The garage door comes with a couple of safety features that need to be fully functional at all times for it to work correctly. And there’s no better time to check these safety features than in spring, as doing maintenance during this season is a lot easier.
Safety features to inspect include the emergency release and the auto-reversing mechanism integrated to offer you additional safety.
Inspect The Springs
Regardless of how much care you put into taking care of the springs, they’ll potentially, eventually, break after time. However, you can prevent this from happening any sooner by ensuring the springs are at all times rust-free. This is crucial as rust increases the chances of the spring breaking due to the high tension.
If the springs are broken, make sure to have them professionally replaced. While you might be tempted to go the DIY route with this repair, it isn’t advisable.
Fasten The Bolts
Over time, the garage door hardware starts loosening, which leads to it opening unevenly, rattling, or a complete malfunction. You must never ignore doing this to guarantee your safety, as any loose bolts might result in the garage door falling on you or your vehicle.
To avoid this, get a sock wrench to tighten all the bolts and nuts on your garage door.
Final Thoughts
Cleaning the garage door is vital as this extends its life while simultaneously boosting its appearance and improving its functionality. Be sure to consult with a professional where necessary.