Every homeowner wants to extend the life of their home assets and garage doors are no exception. Garages are a great thing for families to own and utilize. Having extra space for vehicle storage, long-term storage items, and other possessions is invaluable to a vast majority of homeowners. If you want to learn how you can extend the life of your garage door and keep it running strong for years to come, read on! Below you will find practical, easy-to-follow advice for how you can increase the longevity of your garage door.

Tip #1 – Keep it Clean!

If you want your garage door to last as long as possible, you will need to clean and maintain it just as you would any other appliance or asset around your home. It is important to keep your garage door and its various parts free of dust, debris, snow, bird nests, and other elements of nature that may find their way into your garage. Certain garage door parts can erode or break down easily if they are unnecessarily exposed to harsh weather conditions, mud, dirt, and other kinds of debris.

• Mold Prevention

  . As a part of your regular home cleaning routine, you should include maintaining your garage door. All it takes is a damp rag or cloth and a quick wipe down to get rid of build-up and grime. It is important to know that mold can quickly take over your garage if you are not careful. Garages provide the ideal environment for mold to grow. Certain strains of mold can be particularly harmful to humans and animals. Keeping your garage clean and doing periodic inspections to check for mold is a great way to stay on top of any potential issues.

• Photo Eye Maintenance

  . You will also want to take special care when it comes to cleaning the photo eyes of your garage. There are two separate photo eyes that are on your garage. Either one sits at the bottom of your garage on the sides. An invisible beam connects the two photo eyes together. The photo eyes are responsible for detecting any objects, people, or animals that may try to pass under the garage when it is closing. If an object passes in the way of the photo eye beam, the garage door will automatically stop. If there is any kind of dirt or build-up on the photo eye lenses, your garage door may stop for no reason. It is important to clean the photos eyes to prevent any false triggering of the safety mechanism.

Tip #2 – Keep Children Away from Your Garage

Children are naturally curious and should have plenty of activities they can engage in to help cultivate their imaginations and sense of play. Hanging out in or around the garage is not the kind of environment your children should be playing in unattended. There are far too many mechanisms and parts in your garage that can cause harm to a child. To avoid any damage to your garage from kids at play, it is best to keep them away from the garage and the garage door entirely.

Tip #3 – Check the Garage Door Balance Periodically

About once a year, you should check the balance on your garage door. This is fairly easy to do. First, close your garage door completely and disconnect it from the opener. Next, lift the door manually about 2 feet or so off of the ground. Then, take a few steps back and watch closely to see how the door responds. If your garage door stays still, then it is still balanced properly. If you find that the door does move, then it is out of balance. If you find that this is the case, you will want to seek out the help of a garage door expert immediately.

Tip #4 - Receive a Professional Inspections and Maintenance

In addition to checking the balance every year, you will also want to schedule an inspection with an expert. Even if there doesn’t appear to be anything visibly wrong with your garage, preventative maintenance is one of the best things you can do to keep your garage running strong.

A professional garage door expert will have the skills and experience necessary to properly inspect your garage, identify any potential problems, and help you secure any needed repairs before they become worse and require a complete replacement. It is always preferable to prevent issues before they begin, rather than deal with a major problem down the line as a result of negligence. Hiring an expert once a year or so will help you receive the most direct feedback regarding the health of your garage door and take steps in the right direction to prevent any present problems from worsening.

Call around in your area to find a garage door specialist you can trust. The right expert will listen to your concerns, address any issues you are experiencing with affordable solutions, and work with your household to ensure that your garage door is safe to use and functioning correctly. Letting a garage door expert periodically inspect your garage is a sure way to stay on top of any problems and impending repairs.