Common Garage Door Mistakes

Garage doors form the heart of almost every garage; without them, home safety is compromised, and our vehicles are exposed to the elements. It’s thus important to make sure our doors are always in good shape, and go through maintenance regularly. However, we often make simple, yet costly mistakes when handling garage doors. To help us arrest these bad habits, here are some common garage door mistakes, and how to deal with them.

Forcing garage doors open

When your garage door needs to be forced open, it’s usually a sign of a bigger problem. For manual doors, only minimum force should be required to raise the mechanism. Automatic doors should need no manual force at all. Excessive force can indicate lubrication problems on hinges or tracks, and can mean concerning problems for motors on automatic models. Whether it’s manual or automatic, you should contact your local repairman as soon as your garage door no longer operates as smoothly as it did before.

Leaving garage door remotes unattended

Particularly a concern for automatic or electric garage doors, leaving their remote controls unattended can spell dire consequences for you and your garage. No matter how good a lock or how sturdy a material your garage door has, if you lose the remote, you’re as good as exposed. Make sure you always know where your remotes are; don’t leave them in children’s hands, and tell them remotes are not toys. Remember: the convenience of remotely controlled garage doors comes with responsibilities, too.

Neglecting regular maintenance

This is probably the biggest mistake of all. Garage doors are just like any other part of your home: they need to be regularly checked and maintained. Just as you would ensure the proper operation of your doors and stoves, you should make sure your garage door maintenance is performed regularly as well. Periodically perform lubrication and basic checks on your garage door; ensure there are no worrying squeaks, creaks, or unusual motor smells. Schedule regular maintenance runs with your repairman -- this is even more important for places that experience a lot of rain and snow, as these can corrode your door’s moving parts.

Making sure not to make these mistakes will make for a properly working garage. All it takes is a little diligence and some common sense, and your simple maintenance will pay off in dividends.