garage door makeover or replacement

While it's important to know that you should call a licensed garage door repair service anytime you encounter a major issue with your garage door, there are smaller projects that the average homeowner can successfully perform on his or her own. Maintaining your garage door is about more than repainting it when the exterior paint begins to peel; by rolling up your sleeves and performing some simple tasks, you'll be helping the door work properly and might even contribute to it lasting a longer life. You don't have to be particularly familiar with do-it-yourself projects around the home to have success with these three jobs.

Moving Parts Lubrication

Opening and closing your garage door involves a number of moving parts that can get stiff and squeaky over time. In fact, you'll know that it's time to tend to these parts when these symptoms appear. You can easily lubricate the moving parts on your garage door with a can of household lubricant spray. There are a couple keys areas to direct your focus – the hinges that hold each of the door's panels together and the rollers that guide the door along its track. For the former, position the spray at the center pin of each hinge; for the latter, make sure the spray hits the center of each roller rather than the tread of the roller. You can wipe up any excess spray with a rag and open and close the door repeatedly to allow the lubricant to soak in.

Weatherstripping Replacement

Roll up your garage door partially and check the condition of the weatherstripping across the bottom. If it's split, it could be allowing moisture to enter the garage and even soak into the underside of the door, causing rust or rot. Use a utility knife to cut out the damaged weatherstripping but leave its mounting bracket intact. You can then buy a replacement piece of stripping at your local home store, cut it to the appropriate length and patiently feed it into the bracket from either end.

Bolt Tightening

It might seem minor compared to the other maintenance tasks, but ensuring that all the bolts on the garage door are tight is valuable. The vibration from using the door can cause these pieces of hardware to loosen over time. In extreme cases, they could loosen to the point that the door's individual panels fall off. Grab the right size of wrench or socket and meticulously check each bolt and tighten those that require it.

If you're unsure what the problem is, consider contacting a local garage door repair service, such as KBI Door Services Ltd., to take a look.