4 Ways to Reduce Garage Door Repair Costs

Garage door problems are not just inconvenient, they can be costly and dangerous. A broken cable can allow a garage door to crash down on your car, or worse, you or a family member. A spring can break in the middle of the night, trapping your car inside the garage until it can be replaced. To avoid unexpected garage door repairs and cut down on costs, considers these tips for garage door maintenance.

  1. Complete regular inspections. You can identify many garage door issues before they become a major problem. Inspect your garage doors and opening system at least once a month for loose screws, frayed cables, dents, rust and other obvious issues.
  2. Lubricate your opening system. Follow the manufacturer recommendations for lubricating your garage door system. This can protect the hardware and reduce wear on your opener to help extend the life and cut down on repairs.
  3. Start with a quality door and opener. It may cost most initially, but the adage is true: you get what you pay for. Invest in a quality garage door and opener and you can cut down on repairs and enjoy a longer life from your system.
  4. Schedule annual tune-ups. Scheduling a tune-up on your garage door system once a year can catch issues proactively, reducing emergency garage door repairs. Tune-ups also can extend the life of your garage door system, saving you money in the long run.

Not all garage door repairs can be avoided but keeping up with preventive maintenance and investing in quality equipment is a good start. Contact your local garage door service to schedule your next tune-up and inspection to reduce unexpected garage door repairs.

Posted on behalf of: 
Habpro Garage Doors
Dacula, GA 30019
770-985-3355

Lubricating Your Garage Door Opener

Your garage door opener needs occasional lubrication to keep working year after year smoothly and quietly.  If you are handy, lubricating the garage door opener is something most homeowners can handle themselves.  Otherwise, have the door serviced annually by an experienced garage door contractor.

There are three common types of garage door openers:  chain drive, screw drive, and belt drive.  If you have a chain drive opener, you will need to lubricate the drive gears, the rail and the chain.  Apply a thin coat of low temperature silicone grease on the drive gears and the the rail.  The chain can be lubed with almost any kind of oil.  Bicycle or motorcycle chain lube works well.  Make sure to wipe off any excess lubricant or it will drip on the raised door or worse, on your car.

For a screw drive opener, lube the rail and screw with low temperature silicone grease.  A belt drive opener just needs some grease on the rail and also the gear mechanism like a chain drive opener.  Take care not to get any lubricant on the belt.  If the belt seems noisy, it may just need to be adjusted.

Once you have applied the lubricant, run the door up and down a few times to spread the lubricant around and wipe off any excess.  If your garage door sees a lot of use, you should lube it three or four times a year.  With less frequent use, annual lubrication is probably sufficient.