Experienced Garage Door Repair Experts in Southeast, WI

We often take for granted the little things around the house that make our life easier, like garage doors and openers. We typically don’t pay much attention to these devices until they break down. And of course, they’ll break when you have an important 9 o’clock meeting, you’re running late, and your car is stuck inside because of a garage door or opener breakdown. The truth of the matter is that many of the problems that happen with garage doors and their openers could be prevented with a basic maintenance done by yourself or a professional.

Checklist for Doors:

• Closely isnpect cables, rollers, and pulleys for fraying or signs of wear.
• Lubricate the rollers, pulleys, and other moving parts with a lightweight oil to keep them moving.
• Check track alignment.
• Tighten any hinges and screws carefully.
• Check spring balance. With the garage door in the closed position, disconnect the door from the opener and raise the door to waist level. When you let go, the door should remain in place. If it does not, the springs need to be adjusted by a professional. These springs are strong and could cause harm if adjusted incorrectly, so we recommend having a professional at Advanced Garage Door Services adjust them for you. Poor spring balance can cause unnecessary wear and tear on your opener, and shorten its life.
  

Checklist for Openers:

• Test the automatic reverse system of the opener. The door should stop in its tracks and reverse when it encounters an object. Manufacturers often suggest using a 2×4 board. You may also want to try a softer object such as a cushion or cardboard box to ensure the sensitivity of the opener is set to reverse even when it hits something soft and light. Garage doors often weigh around 250 lbs or more, so you want to ensure it stops should a child or pet get caught under it.
• New openers come with an electric eye that reverses the opener if an object crosses the path of an infrared beam. If your opener has one, be sure to test it to make sure it is working as intended. Consider purchasing a new opener if you don’t already have this safety feature! 
• Check opener belts or chains for signs of fraying or wear.
• Periodically remove the cover to ensure there are no uninvited house guests living in your garage door opener. Mice and small birds occasionally make a nest in the opener.
• Use a surge protector.