It’s too bad that most people ignore their overhead garage doors. Garage doors are a daily facet of life and if they’re ever in need of a repair, it’s fair to say that lives can be turned upside down. There’s so much preventative maintenance you can do to keep your door running beautifully and smoothly. Your door will last longer and you’ll face fewer breakdowns and garage door emergencies where you have to dish out for expensive, last-minute repairs. Here are a few DIY overhead garage doors repairs you can do yourself.
Tighten The Hardware
One of the easier garage door repairs you can do by yourself should only take you fifteen minutes, probably even less. All you’ll need is a wrench to get your overhead door repaired and up-to-date in no time. You should go over any nuts and bolts with a lug wrench several times a year. Basically, any garage door part that can be tightened is fair game. Garages go up and down 3 to 4 times a day, so components are bound to loosen up. Tighten them down and you’ll have a smoothly functioning and quieter garage door.
Oil All Moving Parts
After you’ve tightened down the various parts of your garage door, it’s also good to oil all moving parts with a garage door lubricant. Don’t use WD-40, which can cause the parts of your garage door to rust prematurely, which can force you to prematurely replace or repair key parts. Instead, oil your door with a lubricant designed to prevent rust. Your local hardware store will sell lubricant specifically made for garage doors, though you can also use any automotive dielectric grease or paste you have lying around. Use a paint brush so you can get in all the nooks and crannies more thoroughly. Lubricant your overhead garage door will help your door run more smoothly and quietly, meaning your neighbors will no longer give you the side eye. More importantly, annual lubrication can also prevent your garage door from jumping off track, which is one of the most common and easily preventable repairs.
Check The Balance
It’s a good idea to make sure your door is well balanced. Disconnect the opener from the door. Raise the door halfway up and look to see if it leans one way or another. If the door is unbalanced, call a garage door professional who repairs overhead fixtures. An unbalanced garage door can be hard on your components and on your wallet if you try to repair it yourself. When it comes to garage door repairs that directly relate to the weight of the door, it’s best to let insured servicepeople handle the situation.
Inspect Your Garage Door Springs
Just like unbalanced overhead doors, we don’t recommend repairing your garage door springs yourself — they are extremely dangerous. Because these springs are under an incredible amount of tension, this garage door repair should only be reserved for a professional garage door repair company. But we do recommend that you inspect your garage door springs every few months. Look for signs for rust and brittleness. Do the garage door springs have any slack? If you notice any cause of concern, contact a garage door repair professional for a more thorough inspection of your garage door springs.