When Should You Have Your Home's Garage Door Serviced?

If your home's garage is a bit older, you may notice that the garage door tends to creak or rattle when it opens and closes, or doesn't hang completely straight and even. If these problems are very minor, you may be willing to simply put up with them; however, there are times when you want to think about having that door repaired or replaced, rather than tolerating some obvious signs of damage or wear. Note when it's good to have your home's garage door serviced, and why this can be so important.

Noise

A few minor creaks might be expected as a garage door gets older, but usually any type of very noticeable creaking, groaning, scraping, or other such noises mean that there is rust developing along the springs and chains that control the door. If this rust should spread, those springs and chains can struggle to move; in turn, this puts undue pressure on the motor of the opener and on those metal pieces themselves. It's usually good to have those metal pieces oiled as soon as you notice any such noise, so you avoid wear and tear on the motor and don't risk having those chains and springs outright break.

Uneven closing

If you notice that the door doesn't sit evenly along the ground when it closes, this can mean that the seal along the bottom edge of the door has come loose. Open the door just slightly and check this seal, and use construction adhesive to put it back into place if needed.

However, if the seal is intact, this unevenness often means that chains on one side of the door are rusted, and the two sides are not operating in sync. The track that the door runs along could also be bent or otherwise damaged on one side. Ignoring this problem can put undue stress on the chains or the motor of the opener, so have the door repaired if that gap or unevenness is very noticeable.

Uneven door

If the door itself is dented or dinged, consider the amount of damage; a minor dent may not need immediate fixing, but a severe dent to a metal door can expose unprotected metal to humidity, which can lead to rust. A dented wood door can start to hold mould and mildew, or soften and then cup and bow. While a few minor nicks and scrapes might be overlooked, it's good to thoroughly examine any dents in the door itself and have more serious damage repaired as soon as possible.