Most garage door professionals recommend residential garage door systems have scheduled maintenance — including inspecting and lubricating moving parts, checking for hardware damages and performing safety tests — at least once every year.
Learning how to maintain a residential garage door is key to keeping it operating efficiently. A malfunction can prevent you from taking your car out of the garage when you want to. Regular maintenance twice a year can make such mishaps less likely.
An annual garage door tune-up and inspection performed by a professional technician is the best way to ensure your door functions correctly. It will also reduce the risk of costly repairs and safety issues that could cause serious injuries, giving you peace of mind.
Garage doors should ideally be serviced by a qualified professional every one to two years. "Signs that your garage door needs maintenance or repair include loud squeaking or squealing, jerky movements, jamming, or running very fast on the way down and noticeably slower on the way up," Martin says.
It is important to lubricate all moving parts of your garage door every six months including the garage door track. Make sure you're using an all-weather product, since low temperatures can cause lubricants to become thick and viscous. This makes it harder to open and close the door.
If you need to clean a metal part, WD-40 works great. However, you will need to then clean the WD-40 off said part and apply a lubricant after. If you don't, you'll be left with metal-on-metal contact that could wear out your garage door parts quickly.
An average technician's fee for garage door maintenance is about $85. Their services will include: Checking, lubricating, and tightening screws and hinges as needed. This costs about $5.
A garage door tune-up costs $190 on average, or between $100 and $240, depending on the parts that need servicing or replacing. If your garage door squeaks, creaks, or simply won't open, you need a tune-up.
Though many factors contribute to a garage door's lifespan, a typical garage door will last around 15 and 30 years. Your garage door's lifetime will vary depending on the type and brand you choose. Factors like the weather, environment, usage and maintenance schedule also impact the longevity of your garage door.
Remember, we recommend using only lithium grease as a garage door lubricant instead of WD-40 or oil. WD-40 or oil would lubricate the garage door just fine, but it would attract dirt later on, which would prove counterproductive.
A full tune up can run you between $200 and $800. As noted above, the cost of tune up varies depending on the cost of parts and labor where you live. DIY for the mechanically inclined. Some drivers like to roll up their sleeves and perform basic tune ups themselves.
You should replace your rollers when they stop working well. Depending on the material, that may mean 10 to 20 years, though plastic rollers will need to be replaced well before that. To determine whether you need new rollers, disconnect the door from your automatic opener.
Hinges, bolts, and other hardware wear down over time, making it harder for your garage door to operate properly. Usually, you just need to check the hardware and tighten anything that has become loose. Then spray silicone-based lubricant to ensure everything is moving smoothly.
A garage door tune-up includes inspecting for damage and wear, lubricating moving parts to reduce friction, adjusting opener tension and alignment for smooth operation, tightening screws and bolts for stability, and ensuring the door is level with aligned hinges.
Fall: As summer ends and the focus shifts towards preparing for winter, demand for garage doors tends to decrease. This decrease can lead to potential price reductions and attractive deals as manufacturers and retailers try to clear out inventory. Winter: Winter generally sees the lowest demand for garage doors.
Generally, you can expect to pay $1,293–$6,348 for a new garage door, with a national average cost of $1,818. A new garage door is a significant investment that can boost your home's curb appeal and value.
Use garage door lube to lubricate them and make sure everything is tight. Then clean the tracks with a carburetor or brake cleaner. Don't use a lubricant on the track, as it could cause the door to slip and become unbalanced. Then make sure all door hinges and track hardware is tightly secured.
According to Home Adviser, homeowners have reportedly spent between $742 and $1,416 on installing new garage doors – but that price can skyrocket up to as much as $4,000 for double garage doors. It's simply much more cost effective to have your garage door repaired than to replace it.
You should get a garage door tune up on a regular basis. In fact, it is recommended that you get one every six months. The parts work very hard, and the wear and tear on them is not always visible. This means components of your garage door could go bad without any warning.
On average, replacing garage door rollers can cost between $100 and $300. The price range depends on the type of rollers used (nylon vs. steel) and how many rollers need replacement. Nylon rollers are generally less expensive, while steel rollers tend to be pricier due to their durability.
WD-40 is also bad news for the rubber, plastic or nylon rollers, seals and gaskets found throughout your garage door system. It can deteriorate these materials, causing them to crack and lose their shape. And while WD-40 may silence a squeaky hinge in the short term, it provides only temporary relief.
Lubricating garage doors every six months helps keep them moving smoothly. You might need to lubricate more frequently if the garage door is noisy or doesn't roll smoothly, especially if you live in a harsh environment that's tough on garage doors. Avoid petroleum-based lubricants.