For most of us with garages, the only time we give much thought to our garage door is when it breaks down. As long as it is opening and closing on command and not making an excessive amount of noise or behaving erratically, we assume everything is fine. But do garage doors need to be inspected? The answer is yes, and here’s why.
The Importance of an Annual Garage Door Safety Inspection
A garage door system has many moving parts, and moving parts are designed to wear out. Even if your garage door seems to be working fine, you could have a worn-out torsion spring, frayed cable or another failing part, which could be an accident just waiting to happen. If you have a situation where some part of your garage door system snaps while you’re using it, it could create a safety issue. Checking warning labels on your garage door is a great first step to keeping your garage door operating properly, but a professional inspection is the best way to make sure your garage door is ready for the upcoming seasons.
With an annual inspection, we can identify any worn-out or failing parts and replace them before they become a serious problem. This could potentially help you avoid a very costly repair that could follow should those parts fail suddenly and without warning.
Regular garage door maintenance can also help extend the life of your door. Garage doors that are improperly maintained have to work harder, putting more stress on the system and shortening its lifespan.
How often do garage doors need to be serviced? It couldn’t hurt to call for a maintenance inspection at the beginning of every season, but you should at least call for a professional maintenance check once a year.
Signs You Made Need a Garage Door Inspection
Often, your garage door will “tell” you something might be wrong. It’s better to have a professional service technician check out the issue before it becomes a significant and expensive door repair.
Examples of the many signs that call for an inspection include:
1. Unusual Noises
Your garage door will make “normal” mechanical sounds during opening and closing. However, if the noise is louder than usual or you hear popping, groaning or grinding, it could indicate a problem that requires further investigation.
2. Failure to Open or Close Completely
If the door gets stuck during raising or lowering, there could be a problem with the track, springs or alignment that needs attention.
3. Slow Movement
Is your garage door opening faster or slower than usual? This likely means that key components like the rollers, tracks or hinges need oil. Lubrication is part of the annual inspection and service process. However, you may need to do it sooner if you’re experiencing performance issues.
4. Reverses Direction
Garage door systems have a built-in safety mechanism that causes a closing door to reverse direction when encountering an object in its path. If your door suddenly changes direction when nothing is blocking it, there could be a problem with the motion sensors that trigger this feature. A service technician can get to the bottom of the issue.
5. Rusted Springs
The springs play a crucial role when raising or lowering a garage door. As they age, they can develop rust that impacts their performance and makes them unsafe. An overhead door inspection will reveal the extent of the damage and whether it’s time for a spring replacement.
6. Crooked Appearance
Does your door look crooked or uneven? It could mean that one of the cables has loosened from the drum. This can occur due to the door opening or closing too quickly, which could result from a malfunctioning opener, or if it strikes an object during operation. A garage door professional can perform a drum inspection and pinpoint the exact cause and remedy the situation.
Best Overhead Door for Annual Garage Door Maintenance Inspections in Portland, OR, Vancouver, WA, and the Surrounding Areas
Because we want your garage door to operate safely and efficiently at all times, we offer a very affordable annual garage door inspection and tune-up. When we get to your house for your tune-up, we will take you down through our complete garage door inspection process and general garage door safety for homeowners.
Our Garage Door Saftey Inspection Checklist includes:
- Re-tensioning your torsion springs
- Tightening any loose nuts or other parts
- Clearing any debris from your rollers
- Tracks or under the door
- Lubricating all moving parts
- Making sure your door is properly
- Aligned and adjusted
- Inspecting all parts for wear to see if they need replacement
- Checking the surrounding component for safety hazards
- And more!
We will also perform a garage door opener inspection to make sure it is adjusted correctly as well as your photo eye sensor system to make sure it reverses in response to an object under the door to avoid damage or injury.
Once we make sure your door is in optimal working condition and have installed any replacement parts you may need and request, we can give you tips on how to maintain your garage door health yourself so it lasts for years to come.
If you haven’t had a tune-up or inspection of your garage door in over a year, there’s no time to waste. Contact us at Best Overhead Door to request an inspection/tune-up appointment today.
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