Now every home and business owner wants to get the most out of their garage door. On average, a garage door lasts around ten years. However, even the lowest priced garage door’s life can be stretched by several years with the right maintenance procedures. We’ve seen garage doors last as much as 20 years because it was Professionally Maintained from the very beginning.

Now, if you are a homeowner and are concerned about your garage door’s life, be assured that there are a couple of things you can do to stretch its life. We’ll discuss exactly what you can do without the need of any special equipment. However, if you run into trouble or see something you don’t understand the make sure that you call up a team of professionals right away.

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Always Listen and Watch How Your Garage Door is Moving

You always want to listen closely to the door each time it is opening and closing. A garage door that is functioning correctly should move without making much of a noise. However, if you hear scraping or grinding noises when the door is moving, then there is potentially an issue.

The first thing you will want to do is to check the roller brackets and the bolts to ensure they are not loose. You can then tighten any loose hardware using a socket wrench.

Think about the fact that the average garage door goes through 1000 cycles a year. The repeated motion and resulting vibration end up moving a lot of its hardware out of place.

Check if Your Door is Balanced

You will want to start by disconnecting your garage door opener from the door, then manually move it in both directions. The door should be able to stay in place. If you see that the door is moving on its own, then that indicates an unbalanced garage door.

An unbalanced garage door is an issue that most homeowners can’t fix on their own. You will need to call a professional garage door repair service to fix it.

Lubricate All Moving Parts

When you lubricate the chain and springs, it ensures that all moving parts are able to operate smoothly, either when the door closes or opens. You will want to use a rag to apply or spray lubricant on the springs. Since these are the parts that move your door, they have to be well lubricated. Also, silicone spray can be used to loosen plastic hinges.

Finally, Take a Closer Look at All Springs and Cables

The cables and springs are both parts that are responsible for lifting the door via the pulley mechanism. You always want to check and make sure that they are not damaged in any way. If you see that there are signs of wear or there is fraying owing to excessive friction, then call a professional. These types of issues are not something that a homeowner can fix without training. High tension garage door cables have the potential to kill you, which is why you’d want to leave this to the pros.