One of the best ways to check on the state of your garage door’s functionality is by performing a garage door tune-up. This process allows you to see if everything in your garage door is in good shape, from your springs to the opener. A tune-up can be performed by a professional, or you can do a basic tune-up to get a basic idea of things yourself before calling for help. That said, it’s important to practice some garage door tune-up safety tips to avoid injuring yourself or damaging your property.
7 Garage Door Tune-Up Safety Tips
Unless you have extensive experience working with garage doors, you’ll need these seven garage door tune-up safety tips to successfully check your garage door.
1. Disconnect The Garage Door Opener
One of the most essential garage door tune-up safety tips to follow is to turn off and disconnect the garage door opener. Keeping your garage door connected during a tune-up increases the likelihood of an accident happening. This disconnection reduces the chances of having to deal with bigger problems than a malfunctioning garage door. It’s especially important to remember this step when testing the auto-reversal function and balance of your garage door.
2. Secure Your Open Garge Door
Parts of your garage door tune-up will require you to keep the garage door open. In those instances, you’ll need clamps to keep the door in place, especially if you’re examining the springs and cables. If you aren’t able to obtain clamps yourself, leave any part of the tune-up that requires them in professional hands.
3. Clear The Area of Important Items, Children, Pets, Etc.
One of the easiest garage door tune-up safety tips to follow is to ensure that no children and pets are in the area and that any valuables are out of the way, such as vehicles. Do not proceed with the tune-up until all these things are done.
4. Obtain And Use The Proper Safety Equipment And Gear
Before completing the tune-up, consider what equipment and gear you’ll need to do it. Some of this equipment includes a ladder, wrench, screwdriver, tape measure, and pliers. You also need the right equipment to help you stay safe, like gloves and a hard hat.
5. Thoroughly Inspect Hardware
Inspecting the current state of your garage door hardware is an important part of the tune-up process. During this step, take note of what you see when examining it. If you need to get closer, use the ladder so you can safely inspect the hardware. The hardware in question includes springs, cables, hinges, tracks, rollers, and even your garage door opener.
6. Use The Correct Lubrication
When lubricating garage door parts during the tune-up, you want to be sure you’re using the correct lubrication for them. Failing to use the proper lubrication can result in future safety problems with your garage door. The last thing you want to deal with is a garage that can’t function properly, so don’t underestimate this garage door tune-up safety tip. As far as what the correct lubrication is, silicone spray is the best choice, followed by lithium grease.
7. Leave Advanced Adjustments To The Professionals
Of all the garage door safety tips, this is one we strongly urge you to follow: leave all advanced adjustments to the professionals. Your tune-up is about ensuring the safety of your garage door; compromising your safety by attempting to adjust springs yourself very much defeats that purpose. That’s why it’s important to know when to have a garage door technician take over this task. If you live in the Houston area, you already have access to the best garage door repair service for the job: Garage Door Repair Houston. Contact us today, and we will let you know the status of your garage door’s functionality.
