Preventive Maintenance Tips for Commercial Garage Doors

When was the last time you checked your business’s garage door for problems? It’s a feature that owners often skip over. However, broken garage doors can come with costly repair bills, so you should use some preventive maintenance to keep yours in prime condition.

Check out a few key tips on how to maintain your commercial garage door.

1. Check for Balance Issues

If your garage door isn’t balanced, your opener won’t work correctly, which can pose future concerns. Garage doors use springs to move up and down. Those springs must work harder when they’re unbalanced — and, in turn, your garage door’s lifespan shortens.

To ensure your garage door opens and closes properly, you should conduct a balance test. After you unlatch the automatic release handle, you should see whether the door stays in a halfway-open position by itself. If not, you now know the door isn’t balanced.

These occasional checks will help the springs and door last longer.

2. Look for Certain Sights and Sounds

Keep in mind that a well-maintained garage door shouldn’t exhibit any odd sights or sounds. Instead, your door should move up and down smoothly and quietly. It’s smart to pay attention to how the door operates so you know whether there’s an issue.

Ask yourself:

• Does the door jerk or lurch when you open it?
• Do you hear any squeaking when the door moves?
• Are there loose or unsymmetrical parts?

These checks won’t take any more than a few minutes, and you’ll be able to avoid costly repairs as a result. If you hear or see anything strange, you can go through a few tests to see what’s wrong. Don’t hesitate to contact an expert for help.

3. Inspect the Hardware

People often forget that simple fixes make a difference. Because garage doors have several parts, you shouldn’t overlook the smaller components, like nuts and bolts. Be sure to tighten and lubricate the metal parts so the door can operate as smoothly as possible.

It’s also crucial to ensure your garage door’s automatic parts work. If your business’s garage has elements like keypads, lights, and other electronics, you want to ensure they function. Keep replacement batteries and lightbulbs on hand so you can switch them out quickly.

4. Keep the Area Clean

Don’t let debris and other items disrupt your garage’s operation. Objects like leaves and twigs can find their way into the garage door’s tracks, damaging the rollers. After you turn off the automatic opener, you can use a ladder and a brush to clear out any debris in the tracks.

5. Replace the Weatherstripping

Try to ensure your garage stays dry and cool. When too much moisture accumulates inside a garage, you’ll have to deal with rust, mold, and other concerns. These problems can impact how well the garage door works. Plus, your company’s storage items could become damaged.

Check that your garage’s weatherstripping hasn’t become torn or worn down. This material creates a barrier from the weather, so that’s an essential component. Every six months, you should repair the weatherstripping on the sides and bottom of the door to keep the entrance sealed.

When Should You Call a Professional?

What should you do when your garage door has extensive problems? Remember that some garage door fixes are okay to do by yourself, like lubricating the tracks and removing any debris. You must know when to Fix-a-Door by yourself and when to call a professional.

Here are a few issues you should let an expert handle:

• Broken springs and cables
• Off-track garage doors
• Cracked rollers
• Failed safety features
• Excess water damage

If you’re unsure whether you can have your garage door openers installed properly or fix them safely, your best bet will be to hire a professional.It’s always better to spend money than put yourself, your employees, and your clients at risk. Even when you don’t suspect a problem, you’ll want someone to conduct an annual garage door check.

Keep Your Business’s Garage Door in Perfect Shape

Whether you use your company’s garage every day or once per month, you want to practice preventive measures to keep everything in working order. If your garage door doesn’t operate, you can experience various inconveniences and safety issues. Plus, broken garage doors can be expensive.

Do your best to conduct these checks so your business’s garage remains in good condition.

Author Bio:

Oscar Collins is the managing editor at Modded. He writes about cars, fitness, the outdoors and more. Follow @TModded on Twitter for more articles from the Modded team.