Tips For Garage Door Maintenance Over September

September is usually a busy month. Schools are opening and the days tend to be shorter. There are many activities to be undertaken as you prepare for the upcoming winter season. For garage owners, September is a great time to carry out garage door maintenance checks. This is because the weather is still favorable allowing for a thorough check up. There is still ample time to carry out any repairs you may find necessary to be done before winter. However inconveniencing it may sound, you should make the most of September to ensure your garage door is in top condition for the harsh weather of winter. Most of the tasks you can easily undertake on your own.

Here are some garage door maintenance tasks you should undertake over September:

1. Perform a visual test:

Stand inside the garage with the door closed and look carefully at all parts. Look for any signs of misalignment, wear and tear, broken rollers as well as those which may have come off the tracks, dents and leaks and rust. Perform necessary repairs or call an expert where you cannot.

2. Lubrication:

The garage door is the largest moving object at home and within it there are several moving parts and systems. This means there is need for sufficient lubrication as advised in the maintenance manual or by a professional. For the metal parts that make contact with each other like hinges, rollers and springs, you should use a professionally recommended petroleum based lubricant. For exterior frame weather-stripping in PVC, use a silicon based lubricant applied slightly. This type of lubricant does not attract dust and does not get affected so much by cold weather.

3. Check batteries for all devices that use them:

For most people who use remote controls and exterior keyboards, it is very easy to forget that these devices require new batteries after some time depending on the usage. The month of September is a good time to check on the power status for these parts. If you notice the remote or the external keyboard are slow to complete their instructions it is time to consider a battery change. It is advisable to know the right kind of battery and have an extra pair at hand just in case they die out at an inconvenient time.

4. Test the safety reversal system:

For doors made after 1993, there are two systems designed to offer protection against accidents. There is the mechanical system and the photoelectric system. To test the mechanical one, place a piece of wood about 2 by 4 at the bottom of the door and then lower the door. When the door makes contact with the piece of wood it should reverse immediately. The photoelectric system has two units one placed on each side of the door about four inches from the ground. While lowering the door pass your foot in front of one of the units. The door should reverse back up and if it does not in any of these tests, call a garage door expert.

5. Check on the lights both for the door openers as well as outdoor lights.

See if they still light as brightly and if they are properly protected against harsh weather elements. Replace any if there is need to.

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