Garage Door Spring Replacement And General Maintenance

 

Your garage door may seem unimportant at times, but if you take a look at what’s inside of your garage, you’ll notice it’s some of your most prized possessions. The door to your garages is a mechanical wonder, with very little effort even a child can unlock and open the door, safely and easily. If it wasn’t for the springs, cables, and track assisting the child, it would be nearly impossible. For that reason, it’s important to take good care of the door, and all of its mechanisms, let’s take a look how.

 

Regular Lubrication And Inspection Is Worth The Time

 

If you look at the tracks hanging from the ceiling, and notice the small coaster wheels that ride in them, you shouldn’t see any rust. And, when the door opens there shouldn’t be any squeaking or hesitations from the wheels either. If you do see a problem, take note of which ones, then lubricate it, and all of the others as well. Test them to see that they spin freely with no problems at all. Plus, you should always keep the track clean, lightly oiled, and make sure that they’re fastened firmly, all their connections, brackets, and joints.

When lubricating the tracks and rollers, it’s also time to do the same to every hinge on the door. They are subject to more moisture and can corrode or rust. If you see some rust, take a wire brush and clean it off before spraying lightly with a light oil such as WD-40, don’t over do it though. Also lube the pulleys and any other moving parts you find as well.

 

The Springs Do The Heavy Lifting Treat Them Well

 

The large springs that you see on each side of the door are what make opening and closing the door so effortless. They also can wear out or break with usage and should be handled with caution when it comes to garage door spring replacement, they have a lot of stored energy that can cause injury if let loose under the right conditions.

 

Garage door spring replacement isn’t an easy task, and if there was any danger in maintaining a garage door, it’s changing the springs. You can learn to tighten or loosen the springs to make the door open and close more easily. If you need to completely remove and replace a spring, it might be time to call in the professionals, especially if you don’t have the owners manual and plenty of tools. Definitely read up on just the right procedure before you get started so you know exactly which bolts to loosen first, second and so on.

 

Taking care of your garage door won’t take a lot of time, about 20 minutes at the most, every six to eight months. By keeping it clean, well lubed, and inspecting it regularly you can get years of good service with no problems to speak of. If you do run into problems, especially with the springs, it’s generally best left to a technician that knows exactly what to do and has all the right tools and equipment to do it.