fall garage door maintenance checklist.

Photo by Brandi Ibrao

Originally Posted On: fall garage door maintenance checklist. – Spectrum Overhead Door LLC

With fall comes a change in the weather including a drop in temperatures and colder wind and rain.  These changes in weather conditions can do some damage to your garage door system. Yet, with just a little bit of prep and garage maintenance, you can avoid serious damage. Here is your fall garage door maintenance checklist.

We are going to start off with the garage door first.  You are going to want to inspect these parts and replace and or fix any damages.

If you have a paneled garage door, these panels are held together with metal hinges. The moist, humid Houston air can play havoc on metal parts and make them rust. If the hinges get too rusty they can make the garage door malfunction. Check your garage door hinges for any rust and spay them down with garage door lubrication. If any of your hinges are covered with rust, it would be best to replace those hinges with new ones.

Your garage door weather seal is your defense against fall rain getting into your garage, let alone any bugs or critters looking for warmer places during those first few cooldowns.  heck to make sure your garage seals nice and tight with the ground. As the weather gets colder during the fall and winter, older the rubber is, the more chance it has to crack. If the weather seal looks old and worn, you can easily change out the weather seal yourself.  Read our post on How To Prevent Your Garage From Flooding to find out how.

You will want to catch any paint damage or rust spots early. If you have any paint damage or rust spots, See our post on how to clean and fixed chipped garage door paint for instructions on how to take care of that issue.  If a panel on your garage door has been dented, it might be a good idea to go ahead and replace that panel. Depending on the severity of the dent, it can affect the henges and how the garage door operates as a whole, putting undue stress and strain on the spring and opener motor.

You will want to make sure there isn’t any dust or debris that could get in the way of the garage door rollers. Wipe away any dust or debris with a damp cloth, then spray down with garage door lubrication.  You are also going to want to make sure your garage door track is nice and tight to the wall. The vibrations can loosen the bolts securing the track. If the garage door track gets out of place, it can impede your garage door opening and closing and could even get it stuck in a crooked position.

If your garage door rollers are nylon (like we recommend) you are going want to check to ensure they’re not worn, cracked or chipped. If any of them are, you will need to replace them. You can order garage door rollers here.

One of the biggest metal parts of your garage door system can be affected the most by the change in temperature, your garage door springs.  The moist air can cause your springs to rust. When the air gets colder, metal contracts and can cause your garage door spring to break. You will want to check for rust on your springs and lubricate them down with garage door lubrication.

If your garage door opener is chain driven, you will want to look for rust and lubricate the chain according to your openers operational manual.

Garage door opener models that are upwards of 15 to 20 years old can be affected by the changing weather. The cold weather can make your garage door opener lag in it’s timing while the newer models are built to withstand the outside temperatures better.

In order to help you better prepare your garage door and garage door opener for the fall and winter, we have put together this handy one-page Garage Door Maintenance Checklist PDF.

Spectrum Overhead Door LLC has been serving Houston area garages for over 14 years with award-winning garage door repair service. Call either 281-748-9542 or if you are closer to East Houston 713-557-3407 for a free quote today with no trip charge!