Tips to Keep Your Garage Door in Good Working Order This Fall

The autumn season is often the wettest and windiest time of the year. During this time, your home may be subjected to a wide variety of weather conditions. These can cause minor issues to blow up to something much more severe and costly. One of those areas includes your garage door. Because it has just come out from the summer months, it may not be in the strongest of condition. But, as stated above, a combination of wind and rain can quickly cause those minor issues to show themselves and create an even more severe situation. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to deter this from happening. Read on to learn about a few maintenance tips you can apply to your garage door before and during the autumn season.

Clean & Replace Old Garage Door Weather Stripping

Because autumn is towards the end of the year, it’s likely that your garage door’s weather stripping has already seen plenty of action. However, because the fall season is when you need it the most, it may not have enough durability left to properly protect the garage door space. Failure to maintain the integrity of the material can lead to a damaged garage interior and even the frame surrounding the garage door. Those who have wooden garage doors may also see some damage to them as water pours into the cracks.

Thus, the first tip on this list is to inspect your entire door’s weather stripping and make sure it’s in working order. Damage to the weather stripping may come in the form of discoloration, stiffness, and the peeling of the material. If it’s a little dirty, all you must do is clean it off with a bit of water. Avoid using rough chemicals or tools such as a broom. Fortunately, this issue isn’t too serious as weather stripping can be easily purchased and installed on your own.

Conduct an Inspection of Your Door’s Various Components

Now that you know that your door frame and the interior of your garage are going to be protected from the elements, the next tip on the list involves the various components of your garage door. In many cases, this tip alone can help you save on garage door repairs because you are catching them early. Thus, it is important that you take your time and even research further into this particular tip. With that said, here are a few of the components that you need to place your focus on.

Starting with the simplest to notice and fix are your door’s nuts and bolts. Firmly tighten the nuts and bolts of the door in order to avoid both loud rattling and out-of-control movement of the door. You may have an issue with your loose nuts/bolts if you hear a loud rattling sound. The next component to look at is your tension springs. You’ll find these either on the top or the side of your door. They are what allows your garage door opener to safely move up and down the door along the tracks. If you notice some defects to them, it is important that you contact a professional garage door installation company as they can be extremely dangerous to handle on your own.

Lubricate Garage Door Components

As stated above, the garage door is much more than what you see from the street; it is also a combination of other components such as the tension springs, cables, and tracking system. However, those components cannot properly move your door during the windy days of autumn if they are not properly lubricated. Lubrication of the components is rather simple as you simply purchase your favorite brand from the store and apply it to the moving parts. If you want a more detailed explanation, looking into your door’s owner’s manual is the best route to take. In fact, many manufacturers insist that you give them a call to check for proper lubrication.

Remove Debris From Your Tracks

Although there are plenty of things you can do before fall, once fall is in full effect, a few maintenance tips will need to be included. One of those includes making sure that debris is not piling onto your garage door’s tracks. Because fall is famous for its falling leaves, you can bet that you’ll see them within the tracks. Fortunately, the cleaning process is rather simple. All you must do is grab a ladder, some working gloves and begin removing as much as possible from the tracks. Doing this a few times a month can greatly improve the function of your garage door.

Keep Using Your Garage Door

Yes, the fall season is the perfect weather for staying indoors and reading your favorite book. In addition to home delivery services, this is that much easier to do. However, it’s never a good idea to stop using your door for weeks at a time, especially during autumn. The reason for that is because you want to make sure that your door’s components are being used and that you are catching problems before they get too serious.

Test & Replace Your Batteries

One of the most common things that surprise homeowners is the fact that their garage door opener actually does need batteries to run properly. Although they mainly run on your home’s electrical power, they do hold batteries within them to help during emergencies. Because the autumn season brings in much more rain and wind than summer, you may have to deal with a few power outages. However, if you have not changed them since winter, they may be running on their last leg. Thus, changing them before the autumn is an absolute must.

Call a Professional Inspector

If this is the first time that you are living in a home that has a garage door, contacting a professional inspector is highly recommended. A professional inspector may be able to walk you through the process that much better and thus allow you to take on the role the following year.