What You Need to Know: Preventative Maintenance and Servicing Your Garage Door

Many homeowners don't think about the preventative maintenance of their garage door until it stops working. When that happens, professionals can get your system up and running again.

What you may not realize is that regular maintenance by a service professional can greatly reduce your long-term repair expenses and ensure a safe environment for you and your family.

When to Call the Experts

Loud, unusual noises when your garage door opens or closes are signs that your door needs to be serviced. Grinding, banging and creaking may indicate a minor problem, but if left unattended could turn into major mechanical issues.

Garage Door Springs 101

"Many malfunctioning garage doors can be attributed to weak or broken springs. When a spring breaks, it will cause damage to anyone or anything located below that door," says Eric Moody, Creative Door's Edmonton field operations manager. "It's not a matter of if garage door springs will break; it's a matter of when. They can only handle as many cycles as they were created for."

Springs are rated for a specific number of cycles: one cycle equals your door opening and then closing. Once garage door springs have exceeded their cycle rating, they're at risk of breaking, resulting in a costly repair. The average residential garage door spring lasts 10,000 cycles, or between six and ten years.

Cycle count is not the only factor affecting the lifespan your garage door. Extreme cold weather can cause ice buildup under the door and, over time, can alter the operator limits. Improper limits can cause excessive wear and tear on your garage door. Another factor wearing on your door is moisture. Heavy moisture in the garage can cause rusting on many of the moving parts of a door which can shorten your door's lifespan.

Safety

A piece of advice that Moody offers to homeowners is one that he taught his own kids: "Never walk underneath a garage door when it's operational. Be patient and let it raise fully before entering or exiting the garage because the springs and cables are most likely to break when the door is operational and can cause the door to come crashing down."

Warranty

Did you know that most manufacturers require annual maintenance on your garage door in order for your door's warranty to remain valid?

Note: Warranties can differ depending on the manufacturer. Please refer to the specific warranty information for your make and model of garage door to find out how frequently it needs to be serviced.

What to Expect

A maintenance call may seem like an inconvenience, but at Creative Door we've taken measures to make it headache-free.

After contacting your local Creative Door branch, a technician will be dispatched to your home within one to two days depending on the season and the type of repair required. We will contact you to provide you with a specific date and time estimate of when we will arrive at your home.

During each site visit, the technician will conduct a 15-point safety inspection along with a 12-point inspection of the garage door openers. Some items on the technicians' checklists include:

• Safety edges
• Chains/cables
• Remote controls and wall-mounted remotes
• MotorsRadio receiver and remotes

Our technicians will also tighten all nuts, bolts, rollers, pulleys, and cables as well as lubricate the tracks and rails.

"Just as you would bring your vehicle in for an oil change, it's important to have your garage door inspected to extend the lifetime of your system," says Moody. "A trained eye can detect an underlying mechanical issue before it's too late."

To schedule a service or preventative maintenance call, contact us at one of Creative Door's eight Western Canada branches or call us toll free: 1.800.621.DOOR (3667).