Routine Garage Door Maintenance Tasks

Routine Garage Door Maintenance

Invented in the early 1920’s, the garage door has transformed the lives of homeowners nationwide, yet it receives very little respect. In a two-career household, where school aged children are present, you can count on the garage door smoothly opening and securely closing more than 1,500 times during the course of a year.

For many, the garage door is actually their front door, as it provides increased convenience and security. Just drive up, park, and enter through the service entrance – it really can’t get any easier than that. Whether new or old, your garage door’s safety is paramount, especially if you want to ensure its continued performance – and your peace of mind.

The average life span of a garage door is approximately thirty years when properly maintained. The automatic garage door opener tends to last 10 to 15 years. The life expectancy of the garage door springs is determined on your usage as they’re estimated in terms of cycles (typically 10,000) rather than years. These numbers, however, are solely contingent on the manufacturer.

In 1993, federal law mandated the use of electronic safety eyes be included on all automatic garage door openers, sold after this date. Located 6 inches above the garage floor, the safety eyes instruct the door to automatically reverse should something, or someone obstruct their beam. This ensures the safety of your pets and loved ones. If your opener doesn’t feature this; replace it immediately!

Truth be told, a malfunctioning garage door is a human affliction, one that has increased in severity the busier and faster-paced we’ve become. Routine garage door maintenance can help you extend the life your garage door, and its related components, as well as save money on costly repairs. Keeping your door in top shape is quite easy. Perform the following tests and maintenance monthly.

Reversal Test: With the door fully open, place a 2×4 (or similar size object) on the floor, centered directly under the door. Operate the door in the down direction. When the door hits the object, it should immediately reverse direction. Never attempt to stop the door using your hands or a object. If the door fails to reverse direction, halt further use, and contact a professional repair technician.

Door Balance and Alignment: With the door fully closed, disengage the garage door opener from the door itself, by simply pulling the red manual release rope straight down and then back towards the motor. Once disengaged, lift the door about 3 or 4 feet above the ground with your hands and let go. If the door stays open, then it’s properly balanced, but if it closes then you’ll need to contact a professional.

Visual Inspection: Thoroughly inspect the various components of your garage door system (i.e. the door and opener) once per month. This simple act is one of the best ways to prevent malfunction. Should you spot anything amiss, contact a professional, and schedule service. Never attempt to repair or replace any worn parts without the help of a professional.

Proper Lubrication: The International Door Association recommends regularly lubricating all of the moving components of your garage door during maintenance. You should, however, refrain from lubricating any plastic components. A high-quality silicone lubricant is a good choice – anything heavier will only work to attract more dirt and grime. A light coat is all you need.

Prevent Your Door from Breaking Down

Garage Door Maintenance Tips

A garage seems like such a simple-looking mechanism. At just one push of a button you can tell your garage to open or close. That’s pretty powerful! While a garage is easy to work with when it’s functioning properly, if there are any signs of a broken garage spring or off track garage door, you should be careful. You should not attempt any major garage door repairs by yourself. Although, there ARE a few maintenance tips you can keep up with! Our hope is to help you prevent future garage door issues.

garage door phoenix

Have you done all of these yet?

A noisy garage door is extremely annoying, and totally unnecessary! Most people think that you can spray a little WD-40 on your garage door springs and tracks and the sound will vanish. We’re here to set the record straight! WD-40 was not designed to be a long-term lubricant. Lithium or silicone lubricate spray’s are designed to work with the metal parts, chains, and rollers on your garage door.

Sometimes people assume that your garage track needs lubrication, when that’s not always the case. Adding lubricant can actually attracted more dust and interfere with how your garage is operating. Use a damp cloth to wipe down the tracks, that should take care of your cleaning needs. If there is more of a sticky residue on your track, it is a good idea to use a solvent metal cleaner.

If you garage door has randomly stopped opening or closing, we recommend checking your garage door sensors first. You will find your garage sensors at the bottom of both sides of your garage door. These are little but important aspects to a properly running garage. Make sure your garage sensors are aligned and that no obstructions are blocking their ability to work.

These are just little, but helpful tips to be mindful of while caring for your garage! For more information, your ARIZONA GARAGE DOOR company can help you with all of your garage door questions and needs!

Call us at: 602-396-4717

New Year, New Goals!

Arizona Garage Door CompanyEvery New Year brings new goals! While some people are setting fitness goals or changing eating habits, we are hoping to inspire each of you in a new way. Instead of waiting for spring, we are sending out a new years challenge to start this year on a clean slate. Or should we say, with a clean garage!

Here are our favorite tips for how to get organized this New Year!

1. The Sift Through 

If you have used your garage more as a storage unit for “stuff”, instead of a place to park your car, then this is the perfect place for you to start. Over the years we all collect random knick-knacks, and when we can’t find space for them in our homes, we toss them into the garage. But not in 2015! We encourage you to sift through everything in your garage. If you can throw it away, TOSS IT! But if it’s something that you can donate, stop by a donations center like Good Will or Savers. Help bless someone else, while simultaneously doing yourself a favor.

2. No storage? Buy storage!

We try to keep this tips as cost effective as possible. But let’s be honest, if you are going to spend the time cleaning everything in your garage, invest into some necessary storage solutions. Visit your local Container store, and find the perfect storage bins or shelving. If you find that your garage is filled with loose screws, scraps of crafting supplies, bike pumps, or basketballs, you need to find the exact kind of storage that will fill your needs. This will make a huge difference in the look of your garage.

3. Clean up 

Once all the unnecessary things are thrown away or donated, and the rest is properly stored away, we recommend actually cleaning your garage. Sounds more exhausting then it really is. If you have an outdoor hose that reaches your garage, we suggest hosing the floor off. (Please be careful with this step. We do not want you to hose your garage door censors, found at the bottom of each garage door tracks, and knock them off balance. So be conscious of that.)

We believe that this is going to be a great year for you! We want to be able to help you feel organized and “put together” so you can tackle everything 2015 has for you. For all your garage door needs, we can help. From garage door replacements, simple garage door repairs, or just for any of your garage door questions, we can assist you.

Contact us today at: 602-396-4717

Visit us at: Arizona Garage Door Repair

New Garage Doors

New Garage Doors | Installations And Repairs

With several garage door styles and materials, it can be a daunting task trying to find a new garage door that works perfectly for your home and for your family. We have been privileged to assist hundreds of individuals with finding the exact garage door that fits the design and feel of their home. We are also privileged to work with the top brands in garage doors, as well as providing you several different collections to choose from.  Such as, Heritage, Stratford, Hillcrest, Olympus, Oak Summit, etc.

Our Services Consist of:

Contact Us:
Arizona Garage Contact

Garage Door Safety Month

In light of garage door safety month, we decided to dedicate this post to ways you and your family can stay safe when using your garage door. As technology has progressed over the years, it has become more and more advanced in its safety features. For example, the automatic retractable door helps ensure that the garage door will not shut on your car or on any small children. With the new and very helpful innovative garage door tools, we are better able to assist and take care of you!

Here are a few ways we can help:

1) We need to check your garage door censors

The alignment of your garage door censors is a very important factor in making sure your garage door retracts in a proper amount of time (while causing little to no damage). These censors are located at the bottom of your garage door tracks closes to the floor. That means, they are more susceptible to being bumped, accidentally, causing misalignment within your garage door censors. Once we come out and check your garage censors, you shouldn’t experience any more difficulties with your garage door retracting.

2) Talk to your kids about safety

Even with a flawless retracting test, it is important to inform your children (Especially the ones that can reach the garage door opener) that closing and opening the garage door is not a game and it is not safe. Our hope is that by educating even our little ones about garage door safety, it will help us decrease the amount of garage door accidents and injuries.

3) Don’t wait till it’s too late

We have seen some people postpone garage door repairs simply due to a lack of urgency. We strongly encourage you, even with minor garage repairs, to not wait and to contact us immediately at the sight of  and off track garage, broken spring, or a squeaky garage door. To avoid sever issues or injuries, make your garage door a priority by calling us at:

Arizona Garage Contact

Squeaky Garage Doors

HOW DO I GET RID OF THIS SQUEAKY GARAGE DOOR

There is nothing more annoying than having to hear a squeaky garage door every time you open it. It might even bother your neighbors, who also have to listen to it. Having a loud door does not mean you need to purchase and install a new garage door. But you need to be careful what product you use in order to mute the sharp noise from your door. Most people think that using a product like WD40 or grease, will eliminate the sound of rusted metals rubbing together. In fact, it is quite the opposite! WD40 and grease tend to attract dirt and in cold weather areas the grease gets stiff. Those results are very counter productive and won’t solve your garage door issue. We are firm believers that using a garage door lubricant is your best bet. But using a light chain & cable fluid is also a good alternative.

If you use the garage door lubricant or chain and cable fluid and you still find that your garage door is still making loud noises, it may be time to call us. It is not worth the headache – get your garage door repaired today! There may be worn hinges or rollers that need to be replaced – don’t try to self diagnose your door, call us today at:

Arizona Garage Contact

Visit Us At: ARIZONA GARAGE DOOR REAPIR