When the fall approaches, it is a good time to get your garage door inspected, maintained or serviced. Although hiring a garage doors Fort Worth specialist to regularly check your springs, motors and seals in the fall may not be a top priority, there are some tips that can help you make it through the season. As a word of caution, some maintenance, inspection or repairs of your garage door may cause serious injury and are jobs that need to be left to pros.
Cleaning out the tracks
Periodically, the tracks of a garage door will need to have debris removed. This is not an involved process and usually only requires a quick once-over with a vacuum nozzle. After a long summer, debris in tracks usually includes dried organic matter, leaves and spiderwebs.
Doing a visual inspection with a level
Did your kids use the garage as a place to play with a basketball all summer? If you are questioning the integrity of the garage door after light abuse, a carpenter’s level can determine if professional garage doors Fort Worth specialists are required. If you use a construction worker’s level and notice that some areas of the door or tracks are warped, professionals can come to make the necessary repairs.
Checking the seals and moving parts
In many cases, it is not a good idea to use a ladder and engage the garage door to move. When operating the door, your entire body should be as far away from the door and its moving parts as possible. Although there are many parts of garage door inspection that are reserved for professionals in order to prevent fatalities, there are a couple of things a homeowner or property owner can do themselves. Mainly, observing whether or not the door has a tight seal at the bottom when it closes is a primary money-saver for utilities. If this area of the door is suffering, pros can be called in to fix the door, the rubber seal at the bottom, or the concrete surface the door rests on.
Changing the batteries and inspecting the motor
If you have a remote control for your garage door, adding fresh batteries in the fall keeps you and your family from dashing out into the winter weather when you pull up to the house. Inspecting the motor can be tricky, but the main idea is to check and see if there is anything leaking or any wiring that looks exposed. Sadly, critters can invade garages and make nests in areas like garage door motors that are usually out of sight. If you observe any problems, do not attempt to fix them yourself without turning off the electricity to the motor via the circuit breaker box. In most cases, getting up on a ladder and dealing with potential problems related to motors are taken care of by garage door maintenance professionals when they do semi-annual inspections.
Preparing for holiday garage door decorations
There are many ways to prepare for the holidays, but most homeowners and property owners forget about their relationship to the garage door until they are having trouble with them throughout the holidays. Unfortunately, neglecting the garage door in the fall can cause problems with holiday decorating. For example, homeowners may want to change the color of the door in the fall to make their holiday decorations sparkle. As far as maintenance, making sure all of the springs are in good working order can help in case extra weight is added to the door in the form of decorations.
Bob Vila’s all-time garage door tip
One of the interesting things about garage door maintenance is that some repairs are illegal to DIY. Bob Vila of “This Old House” television fame was quick to point out in a recent Yahoo article that replacing a garage door spring yourself could be illegal because improper repairs can result in fatalities. In particular, Bob Vila writes, “Over time, garage door springs lose their tension and need to be replaced, but the first and final steps require releasing and returning the tension to the spring. One wrong move and that spring could go hurtling toward your body, resulting in serious, even fatal injury. To avoid such potentially hazardous accidents, call a garage door installation specialist.”
Let us help you feel safe on your property
At Texas Overhead Door, we want you to feel safe at home or on your property. We specialize in garage-style doors, but our main priority is helping our customers feel confident that everything is well-maintained, up-to-date and in good working order. To get started with garage door maintenance services, call us for a fall inspection. We are happy to help you with any of your questions, and we looked forward to meeting you. Thank you in advance for being our customers and thanks for contacting Texas Overhead Door!
References:
Yahoo – 13 Home Improvements That Are Illegal
