Maintenance For An Overhead Door

If you want the overhead door in your garage to last as long as possible it is important that you maintain and clean it as required. To get the most out of it, regular maintenance is a must. When you notice that a problem has arisen, you need to address it immediately. Doing this will prevent future problems from occurring.

Cleaning the overhead door is very simple. All you need to perform this task is a mild detergent and a soft car brush. You should clean it approximately four times throughout the calendar year. If you do this often enough it will reduce the development of corrosive elements.

When you clean the garage door steer clear of any abrasive cleaners and any harsh chemicals. You also need to make sure that no corrosive chemicals come into contact with the garage entry any time throughout the year. For instance, salt that is used to melt ice in the wintertime can corrode the hardware of the overhead door. If you choose to use salt during the winter then keep it away from the entrance.

If the door is made of wood then the cleaning and maintenance of it must be according to the recommendations of the manufacturer. In most cases a manufacturer will recommend to a customer that they paint the inside and outside at the onset and then repaint the exterior every one to two years. Please note that if you decide to only finish the exterior it is likely to warp because of excess moisture.

Make sure that there are no obstructions anywhere around the area where the door and the ground meet. There are lots of things that can develop in this area that can lead to problems that can give way to bigger problems if left to their own devices. Cobwebs, dirt and leaves can build up under the entryway to your garage, as can snow and ice during the winter months. Any of these obstructions can prevent the entrance from having the solid seal with the ground that it requires. When the seal is broken this can adversely affect the alignment and weight distribution of the door.

A preventative maintenance tactic that you should put into play for the overhead door in your garage is to apply a type of lightweight oil to all of the moving elements, including the hinges and the rollers on a yearly basis. A spray oil would work well for this purpose or the popular product WD40. The rollers in the track are held in place by end hinges but there are also center hinges. To keep the door working smoothly it is essential that you lubricate all pivot points.