Most of us just push the button and ignore anything else. Think of your garage door as an appliance. It may not look like one, but it is the largest operating appliance in your home! Learn more maintenance tips and recommendations from the experts.

Like any equipment, your garage door, opener, and other components have to be maintained. If you have a garage that faces south, you will want an insulated garage door to reduce the heat transfer into the garage. In the case of using the garage for a workshop or a game room, you may want a thermal insulated garage door with a high R value and steel skinned on both the inside and outside for durability.

There are garage doors to blend in with the homes architecture, whether it is Spanish, Tuscan, Modern, Contemporary or Western. Stamped steel raised panel and carriage designs, polystyrene and urethane insulated (up to R-17), composite overlay carriage doors, custom wood overlay, unique fiberglass faced doors, custom rustic designs, wrought iron, and contemporary glass aluminum doors are all available. Along with a large selection of glass top designs and decorative hardware that have become so popular in the garage door industry, anyone can customize new garage doors to meet their specific needs.

They are safer and have a much more aesthetic appeal. You choose the color and design that’s best to enhance your home, including the garage door.

By maintaining your garage door system, its lifespan will be extended for many years. It is important to pick the same date once a month, to inspect your garage door and operator system. It’s not only a maintenance issue, it’s a safety issue!

Look at the garage door springs, cables, rollers, pulleys and other door hardware for signs of wear. If you see potential problems, have a qualified company make repairs. Did you know that you can also opt for having a qualified, professional, Arizona company do your periodic maintenance and inspections?

1. The garage door experts in Phoenix recommend that you should not try to adjust the spring tension on your garage door.

• The garage door springs are under high tension and serious injury can occur.
• Along with the garage door springs, the garage cables, garage drums and the garage door bottom brackets which the cables attach to are under high tension and can cause serious injury. Only a qualified expert garage door company should maintain them.

2. Regularly lubricate the garage door rollers, springs and hinges on the garage door with a “garage door lube” specifically made for garage door and operator lubrication.

• Other types of lubrications can cause the tracts to be clog.
• Check to see if any screws or nuts have loosened on the garage door hinges and tighten as needed (Do not touch the bottom brackets which the cables are attached to or the spring system.).

3. Checking the balance of your garage door should be done at least once per year.

• First close the door; if you have a garage door opener, pull the release cord so the door can be operated by hand.
• Open the door slowly; it should lift easily and with little resistance. At about three to four feet off the floor the door should balance.
• If it doesn’t then it is out of adjustment. Have a qualified company make the adjustments.

4. The garage door opener should also have safety and maintenance checks preformed once per month.

• First check your operator owner’s manual for procedures from the manufacturer.
• Before starting, make sure there is a reversing feature on your operator, if not the unit should be replaced. All garage door openers manufactured after January 1, 1993 are required by federal law to have safety features to comply with U.L. 325 standards.

5. Remember garage door openers are not toys.

• Never walk or stand under a moving garage door.
• Don’t allow children to try to beat the door closing.
• Don’t let children play with the remote controls and make sure the wall push button is at least 60″ from the floor.
• Always have clear sight of the garage door when operating it.
• And teach children to keep their fingers out of the section joints, hinges and tracks.

6. Make sure the garage door is balanced as discussed in the prior paragraph.

• Operate the door one full cycle (open and close).
• Then fully open the garage door with the opener and lay a 2×4 flat on the ground in the center of the garage door opening (A roll of paper towels may also be used.).
• Now operate the opener to close the garage door. The door should reverse upon solid contact with the 2×4.
• If the garage door does not reverse, have a qualified company repair and or replace the operator.

7. You can check the down force of the operator by holding the bottom of the garage door as it closes and applying an upward force against it.

• If the garage door does not reverse with medium pressure, then the force may need adjusting.
• Check your owner’s manual for adjustment instructions.

Call to schedule your maintenance today with one of the local garage door experts in your area.