A roller garage door will give many years of useful life, provided you buy a quality model. To keep it in good working order and extend its life, however, you need to look after it. Adopting an effective maintenance routine will preserve the door’s warranty and avoid the need for repairs.
Regular Cleaning
Over time, a garage door will accumulate dirt and debris, particularly along the bottom where it is splashed up by heavy rain. Dirt and grime can inhibit the door’s performance, particularly when on sensors, and encourage corrosion due to the moisture they retain. Problems can be avoided by regular cleaning.
Before starting, ensure the power to the door is off and it is in a fully closed position. Avoid washing in bright sunlight or freezing temperatures, and use warm, soapy water and a soft cloth at least once a month, more often near the coast where there is salt in the air. Clean the door surface and the tracks, rinsing and drying properly afterwards.
Inspect and Tighten Hardware
Once a month, undertake a visual inspection of the door. Look out for breakages and corrosion, paying particular attention to:
- any obstructions that may prevent the free movement of the door
- the functionality of the remote controller, replacing batteries if necessary
- all hardware, such as nuts, bolts, cables and springs, tightening when necessary and replacing worn or damaged parts
- the alignment of the door within the tracks
- damaged or worn weatherstripping, which may need to be replaced.
Lubricate Moving Parts
Lubrication of all moving parts is usually required annually. This is based on an average of two openings and closings each day, so more frequent use will require shorter intervals between lubrications.
The aim is to reduce friction by lubricating all moving parts — rollers, bearings, chain drive and hinges. Avoid thin silicone sprays such as WD-40, but instead use lithium grease or a silicone-based lubricant. Do not, however, lubricate non-moving parts such as tracks since this can cause slippage of the door.
Check Door Balance
A properly balanced door will raise and lower smoothly, while an unbalanced one will suffer excessive strain that can cause wear and damage to components. To check the balance:
- Disengage the door from the opener.
- Lift the door to the halfway point and let go.
If the door stays in position, it is balanced. If it moves up or down, however, it is unbalanced, which will put strain on the opener, damage the rollers, springs and cables, and be a safety hazard. You need to check the balance regularly, tighten screws and bolts to return to proper alignment and seek professional help for anything more serious.
Inspect Weather Seals
A weather seal is positioned along the bottom of the door. It prevents water from leaking under the door and causing damage, and also improves energy efficiency. If the weather seal does not fit tightly against the garage floor when the door is closed, or there are holes in it that will let water through, it needs to be replaced.
Test Safety Features
Your garage door has a number of features that are intended to keep people and property safe, so it is vital that they work correctly. They are:
- an automatic reverse function that will stop and reverse the door’s downward movement if it detects an obstruction; detection is often by a sensor that must be clean to work properly
- an anti-fall backup system that prevents the door from falling when there is a malfunction, such as a motor failure or a broken cable
- a safety edge sensor that detects obstructions using a pressure-sensitive strip along the bottom of the door and stops downward movement when this occurs
- fixed guide tracks that prevent the door from derailing when moving.
All these features will help to prevent accidents and so need to be checked regularly, and any problems rectified.
Professional Servicing
Although you can inspect, clean, and undertake very minor adjustments yourself, repairs should generally be carried out by experienced professionals. Roller garage doors are heavy and can be dangerous if not handled correctly. They are also complex and so are not easily fixed.
To ensure that your roller door continues to work efficiently, regular maintenance is essential. We can keep your garage door in perfect condition with a scheduled maintenance programme that will provide regular inspections, lubrication and adjustments to make sure everything is as it should be. We will identify any issues that are likely to get worse in future and carry out necessary repairs that will avoid greater expense at a later date.
Our experienced technicians will pick up faults that may not be obvious to you and rectify them promptly. So, for complete assurance that your garage door is safe to use and is in perfect working order, contact us to arrange a service or to fix any problem you might have.