How to Tell If Your Garage Door Needs Service

All automatic garage doors, I’m sure you know, need to undergo some maintenance from time to time. Like everything else, they don’t last forever, but with a bit of routine attention, they will last for as long as you need them to. The question is, how do you know when it’s time to call someone in? You don’t want to have to wait until the system breaks down before you do it. So to help you keep a closer eye on the health of your garage door, here are some tips for you to tell if it isn’t doing all too well.

What does it Sound Like?

Obviously no opener is completely silent, but you should be able to hear yourself think when the door opens. If your system is way too loud it could be a problem with the chain, belt or screw in the motor, depending on what kind of drive you have. One of the biggest causes of a noisy garage is the dire need for lubrication maintenance. Just like the engine of a car, the workings of the motor need to be kept properly lubricated or they will be damaged in no time.

Does your system have nuances?

Do you have to squeeze the remote and bang it on the dashboard before it works? Does your door sometimes slip off of the track, especially when it’s wet? Does the garage sometimes only go up halfway and then hang there before doing what it’s supposed to? Well, all these things are not really supposed to happen but are often overlooked as ‘just how the thing works’ or as nuances of the system. No, if these sorts of things are happening, it’s a very good indication that the system is starting to wear out which means you need garage door maintenance, or will need it soon.

In cases that are not extreme, automatic garage doors are inexpensive and relatively hassle free to maintain. Yet it often slips the minds of their owners because they are such sturdy pieces of hardware, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need attention too.