Maintaining Your Roll up Garage Door

A roll up garage door may look like just a few panels of wood or fiberglass to you, but it actually has quite a few more components to it than that.  Especially if it's hooked up to an automatic garage door opener.  Roll up garage doors, regardless of the material they're made of, are extremely heavy.  And because your roll up garage door is exposed to the elements, and because it does have the added complexity of the opener, problems do occasionally occur.

The most frequently occurring problem it that the roll up garage door starts becoming harder and harder to raise and lower. This problem can usually be taken care of with a few simple adjustments and some regular maintenance. First of all, disconnect the garage door opener and see how well the door works without it. If you can now easily raise and lower it, then the problem is in the opener. In that case, you'll need to consult your owner's manual to see what they recommend.

If your door still seems difficult to lift, though, it may be the tension in the springs. Roll up garage doors are extremely heavy and they put quite a bit of stress on the springs. You should never attempt to change the springs yourself, though. Contact a qualified technician.

If you have a wood roll up garage door, be sure you keep it painted or stained to protect it from the weather. You'll have to paint or stain both the inside and the outside or the door may warp. Many manufacturers recommend that you paint both the inside and outside to start with and then repaint the outside every 2 years.

All of these tips so far have required that you contact a professional in order to properly and safely repair your roll up garage door. But I do have 3 tips for minor repairs that you can safely make on your own.

Roll Up Garage Door Tip #1

Because your roll up garage door is so big and heavy, it tends to fall out of adjustment every now and then. You'll notice the door becoming harder and harder to lift. The best way to prevent this from happening is to annually inspect your door for loose or worn hinges, springs or other hardware and take care of them immediately.

Roll Up Garage Door Tip #2

The best thing you can do to prevent your roll up garage door from falling out of alignment is to regularly oil all the moving parts. Apply penetrating oil to all the rollers and hinges at least once a year.

Roll up Garage Door Tip #3

If you notice your roll up garage door sticking as you try to raise or lower it, the tracks may be out of alignment. To adjust the, loosen the mounting bolts and use a hammer and a wood block to knock the track back into the proper position. Don't forget to retighten the bolt.