You rely on your garage door a lot. It’s probably opened and closed thousands of times already! Are you protecting your investment by cleaning, maintaining and inspecting it regularly? There are things you can do on your own to protect your garage this summer and safeguard your investment.
Check out these basic summer garage door maintenance tips that will save you money and hassle.
1. Wash Away Seasonal Grime
To prevent rust and decay, you’ll want to start by washing away all the dirt and grime that’s built up so far this summer on your door and windows. If you live at the coast, apply car wax to the front side of your steel door twice a year after you have cleaned it. This will protect the finish.
Clean windows with a mild dishwashing detergent and soft cloth. Stay away from abrasives or solvent-based cleaners.
2. Remove Rust
If you see rust or flaking paint on your steel door, you know that moisture is making an impact. You’ll need to sand the rust, apply a primer with zinc, and paint it with an exterior latex.
3. Apply Paint
Paint your steel garage door with a 100 percent acrylic latex exterior-grade paint. Clean the surface first, though, to get rid of dirt, oil, caulk, wax and mildew. You can paint your window frames and inserts with this same exterior acrylic latex. Remove surface gloss by sanding the plastic first.
4. Inspect the Hardware
Check out all hardware for any signs of wear and tear. Do any hinges look loose? Is the track misaligned? Are any bolts missing? Tighten all bolts and replace missing ones. Open and close the door to ensure it opens consistently and safely every time. If not, call the professionals at M&M Garage Door rather than attempt a more involved repair on your own.
5. Lubricate the Hardware
Proper lubrication will ensure smooth operation of your door and will keep loud noises at bay. Use a three-in-one type of oil, not grease.
6. Insulate
You can save a lot of money on energy bills by ensuring your garage door is sufficiently insulated. Your garage door is a large expanse of space that could be leaking a lot of cool air from your home’s interior in the summer. Don’t lose that expensive air! Upgrade your garage door now so you can reap the energy efficiency rewards later.
7. Reinforce Your Door
Michigan is prone to extreme weather conditions in summer, such as rain and wind storms, hail storms, etc. To prevent damage to your door when storms roll through, make sure there are no holes or openings and that the door is reinforced properly.
8. Test Your Door
Lastly, test out the garage door, opening and closing it several times to make sure it’s working smoothly. Place a roll of paper towels in the path of the door on the floor and see if the door reverses direction when it hits the roll. This is a crucial safety feature and if it doesn’t work, you need a professional’s attention.
Contact M&M Garage Door
If you need a professional inspection, or have a repair in mind, give us a call today at (586) 610-5434. Rely on your Detroit MI garage door specialists to take care of anything related to your garage door this summer!
