How to Give Your Home's Garage Door a Tune-up
Even the most high-quality, heavy-duty garage door is vulnerable to breaking down and needing repairs, as a garage door of any material puts lots of wear and tear on the chains or springs that operate it when it opens or closes. The electrical wiring and other components that operate an automatic garage door can also be prone to overloading or suffering electrical shorts. Maintaining your garage properly and giving it something of a tune-up can help prevent many of these problems; note a few tasks you might perform regularly so that your home's garage door doesn't break down any sooner than it should.
Test its balance
Disconnect an automatic garage door from the opener; there should be a cable or button you can use to stop that motor from working, so you can open and close the door manually. Next, open the door just halfway and let it sit in the tracks, or balance on its own if it's a swing-out door. Note if the door seems to be jagged, crooked, or swaying. If so, the door is not balanced, and this puts added wear and tear on all its parts, but especially the springs or chains. Having the door balanced is best left to a professional, who can reset it in the track, adjust the chains or springs, or otherwise make it level and even again.
Check the stopper
A garage door should have a rubber stopper of some sort along its bottom. This is to help seal the gap between the door and the ground, and to add some cushioning, absorbing the impact if the door should close too quickly or firmly on the concrete. Check this stopper every year or as often as needed, to look for cracks and rips, or to see if it's pulled away from the door. If so, replace it, so that the door is properly protected against impact.
Check the power
You can usually rent a handheld meter to check the power of electronic devices in the home. Use this to check the motor of the door opener, to see if it's getting sufficient power; if not, the wiring may need to be replaced. This can ensure the motor doesn't suffer added wear and tear from getting insufficient power, and that the wires are not likely to get bare and frayed from being overloaded. If you're unsure of how to check this power, have an electrician do this every year or when needed, just to ensure the wiring is in good condition.