Summer Garage Door Maintenance
Summer is the ideal season to carry out a few of those pesky home repairs and maintenance jobs that have crept up on you. A few easy summer maintenance tips for your garage door can really help in terms of making it not only last longer but also work more effectively. It’s perhaps obvious that your garage door requires some attention based on how crucial it is to your everyday life.
By ensuring that you maintain it, you will be able to make sure that it continues to work effectively for many years to come. Here at Thoroughbred Industrial Doors, we know a thing or two about garage door maintenance so, we have compiled this guide in order to help you keep your garage door working and looking great all year round.
Keep it Clean
When you have plenty of cleaning to do, it is so easy to neglect the areas which really require a bit of a spruce up. For example, although your garage door isn’t technically inside your home, it’s still something that is visible and with that in mind, needs to be properly maintained. Frequently, we don’t tend to think about giving the door of the garage a little bit of care. After the harsh conditions of winter and the showers of spring, your garage door may be in need of a bit of TLC.
The great news is, it’s very easy to clean your garage door, and you can often get away with doing it annually. Take full advantage of the warmer weather and get out there with a bucket of soapy water and get stuck in. The exterior of the garage door by default is always exposed to the elements. With that in mind, it may really need a good clean if it’s not been done for a good while. It’s also very easy for garages to get a bit dirty, dusty, and greasy on the inside, so this needs to be considered too. Hose down and clean both surfaces with soap and water. You can even stop dust from building up by applying car wax to both sides of the garage door.
Inspect Your Tracks
The tracks are located on each side of your garage door and permit your garage door to open and close. It’s certainly a good idea to have a look at the condition of the tracks at the start of every season to ensure nothing obstructive is getting in the way of the wheels. Even a small obstruction could cause harm to the wheels and put the garage door out of alignment.
Get yourself a ladder or a stool and take a look at the tracks along with the ceiling and move your way down to the lowest point of the tracks. Clear any debris with a cloth or rag. While you’re at it, it might be a good idea to look for any rust, as this can be an indication that you may require the professionals to install new tracks or a new garage door.
You can also seize this opportunity to have a look at the evenness of your garage door tracks. Using a long level, ensure each side of the door is even. Check both the vertical as well as horizontal sections of tracks. Uneven garage door tracks can be a real problem in increasing the chances of your doors breaking down.
Keep Moving Sections Clean and Lubricated
You may not realise it but your garage door and opener use intricate moving parts in order to function well. All year round it’s certainly going to be useful for you to make sure these sections are clean and well lubricated to make sure they are working. You need to start by using lithium grease on your roller brackets and garage door tracks. This will lower the stress on your opener, increasing the overall life span. If any of your rollers appear to be stuck, you can spray them with WD-40 as this will help to loosen them.
Just by lubricating the moving sections of your garage door’s pulley system, you will be ensuring it works a lot better. Spray the springs with WD-40, clear off any excess and stop them from dripping on your garage floor. If your garage door opener has a chain drive mechanism, you will be able to give the chain a quick spray with lithium grease to lower the level of stress on the opener. This can ensure that your opener runs smoothly for many years to come.
A Fresh Coat of Paint
After cleaning your garage door, you might want to enhance its overall appearance by applying a fresh coat of paint. Pick the same colour that you already have or you can create a totally new look on the outside of your home by choosing a new colour that sets you apart from your neighbours.
Provide Insulation
You need to make sure that all garage doors are properly insulated. If you don’t put your garage insulating material in the correct area, it will not give you the protection that’s required for your home. Garage doors are often created from aluminium or steel, and if you don’t properly insulate these varieties of doors, you may damage them.
Not only is garage door insulation suitable for the winter months, but can also be very useful during the summertime. Stay out of the heat and keep in the cool air by ensuring that your garage door is well insulated. This can also help to keep out the heat in living spaces that may be located directly above or next to the garage.
Measuring The Temperature
In order to determine how to insulate your garage doors properly, you have to know the temperature of the garage and how long it will take for the air to reach the doors. Some of the most widely used methods for measuring temperature are the Fahrenheit and Celsius systems. Many find the Fahrenheit system easiest to use so you might want to opt for this system.
Reinforce Your Garage Door
Reinforcing your garage door is a good idea for areas that are likely to bear the brunt of extreme weather conditions. Have a look to make sure that there aren’t any holes or openings within your garage door and that it is reinforced as it should be to keep your home safe from harm and damage during harsh storms or extreme rain.
Thoroughbred Industrial Doors - Reliable and Professional Garage Doors
Are you looking to replace an old garage door with a new garage door in Royston or Mildenhall? Perhaps you just want to refurbish your property? Here at Thoroughbred Industrial Doors, we can provide you with all of the services and products you need. We can supply a number of products, from electric to roller garage doors, in the Royston and Mildenhall areas.
Our team of professionals have over five decades of experience between them and will be able to arrive at your property, discuss your needs, provide you with a quote and then build a bespoke door for you. Contact us today to find out more, we’d be delighted to help with any further enquiries you may have.
