4 Tips For Maintaining Your Garage Door in Middle GA’s Climate

Through a few simple garage door maintenance practices, you can keep your garage door looking and operating its best in Middle Georgia’s sometimes-extreme climate:

  • Clean your garage door regularly
  • Perform basic lubrication
  • Inspect your garage door often
  • Receive regular professional maintenance

When was the last time you got your oil changed? How about the last time you changed your air conditioner filter? Or the last time you went in for a physical or a dental check-up? We’ll bet you’ve done every single one of those things in the last year.

How about maintaining your garage door? Have you done that in the last twelve months? That one seems a little less likely – even though it’s just as important. Especially here in the often extreme and always fickle climate of Middle Georgia, inadequate maintenance can lead to premature deterioration of your door’s components, negatively impacting its appearance, function, and longevity.

This month, we’re going to share four simple tips for maintaining your garage door so that it looks and performs at its best through the intense summer heat and punishing spring, fall, and winter storms of Middle Georgia.

A Warning Before We Start

Trying to do any maintenance beyond what’s listed explicitly in this article is incredibly dangerous. Garage doors are heavy, and the springs and cables that help open and close them are under remarkably high tension. Never attempt to adjust, remove, or otherwise mess with any of the following:

  • Garage door torsion springs
  • Garage door cables
  • Any fastener (bolt, nut, or screw) that’s painted red
  • The belt, chain, or screw-drive components of your garage door opener
  • Any electrical components of your garage door opener

Homeowners and even trained professionals have been seriously injured, maimed, and killed by garage doors and their components.

Garage Door Maintenance Tip #1: Keep It Clean!

The special paints and other coatings that are applied to a garage door may look great, but that’s only a secondary purpose. Your door’s protective coatings are crucial to prevent the metal or wood underneath from suffering from:

  • The destructive impact of ultraviolet radiation
  • Decomposition and rot from excessive moisture
  • Corrosion and rusting from exposure to water and pollutants

If your door’s finish fails, your door will be close behind it. By regularly washing away dirt, debris, and other contaminants, you can help prolong the life of your door’s paint or finish and enjoy:

  • Longer-lasting color that is less likely to fade or chalk
  • Better resistance to moisture and other weathering elements that can deteriorate your door’s surfaces
  • An overall better appearance and a longer lifespan for your door.

To clean your door, mix a mild solution of detergent and water; Simple Green or Formula 409 work best. Use a soft towel or an old t-shirt to scrub away dirt and debris and gently rinse with the hose. Before cleaning any garage door, make sure to place a Ziploc bag or other watertight bag over the safety sensors to keep water from getting to the electrical wires and components. Rinse with clean water and allow to dry.

You should wash your garage door once every quarter . In a Middle Georgia spring – when pollen seems to make up about 90% of the atmosphere – you may need to wash the yellow powder off your door a little more frequently, as needed.

Garage Door Maintenance Tip #2: Keep It Lubricated!

After you’ve finished washing your door’s outside, it’s time to turn to the inside. The rollers that keep your garage door on track and the hinges that allow each panel to bend relative to its neighbors are some of the most often used and wear-heavy mechanical components in your home. If your garage door is making horrible squeaking and squealing noises every time you open it, it’s time for a quick lubrication.

Use a commercial spray oil, like WD-40, to apply a very thin coat of lubricant to your garage door’s rollers and hinges. Don’t drown them in oil, as most of it will just drip down and make a mess on the floor. Never use grease on a garage door’s tracks or rollers—the grease will just collect debris and eventually make your door much, much harder to open.

A quick blast of spray lube is more than enough to keep most parts moving smoothly, reducing wear and tear on them and making it easier for your garage door opener to lift and lower the door.

Garage Door Maintenance Tip #3: Keep It Inspected!

A huge part of maintaining anything is keeping your eyes peeled for any changes in its appearance or function. At least once every quarter , give your garage door a good going-over from top to bottom:

  • Inspect the vinyl trim around the perimeter of the door and rubber weatherstripping at the bottom of the door. Look for small cracks, gaps, or other indicators that the vinyl or rubber may be starting to deteriorate.
  • Look closely at the individual door panels. If you see any damage to the finish, cracks, or anything else that might indicate that a door panel is failing, you should call for a professional evaluation.
  • Run the door up and down a few times. Watch and listen for anything out of the ordinary. If your door or opener is making any new or unusual noises or acts jerky or hesitant, it may indicate an emerging problem with one of your door’s mechanisms.

If you see any issues that obviously need repair or you’re unsure about, call your local garage door experts and ask about scheduling a service call to investigate and address the issue.

Garage Door Maintenance Tip #4: Keep Calling the Pros

While the above are some simple maintenance tasks that any homeowner can do, some things on a garage door absolutely must be left to the professionals. So, every couple of years, you should contact your local garage door maintenance and repair company to visit and perform more in-depth preventive maintenance on your door and its mechanisms:

  • Adjusting springs and cables for smoother operation
  • Expert inspection of door components
  • Lubrication and adjustment of your garage door opener
  • Any other required maintenance to keep your door on track and working flawlessly

Need Garage Door Maintenance? We’re a Phone Call Away!

Whether you’re scheduling your regular maintenance appointment or calling for the first time to get some attention for your garage door, Overhead Door Company of Macon-Warner Robins is here to help. Our team of experts can perform maintenance on any manufacturer’s garage doors and keep things running smoothly. When you call us for garage door maintenance, we’ll be there within 48 hours to do the work and give you peace of mind about your door!

Call Overhead Door Company of Macon-Warner Robins at 478-474-4347 to schedule maintenance!

Areas We Serve

No matter where you live in Middle Georgia, Overhead Door Company of Macon-Warner Robins is ready to help provide you with the garage door solutions you need!

  • Macon
  • Warner Robins
  • Perry
  • Bonaire
  • Kathleen
  • Forsyth
  • Barnesville
  • Milledgeville
  • Jeffersonville
  • Fort Valley
  • Byron
  • Unadilla
  • Hawkinsville
  • Montezuma
  • Cochran
  • Butler
  • Reynolds
  • Thomaston
  • Roberta