Many homeowners use their garage as their home’s main entry and exit. This means the garage door is opened and closed practically every day, probably more than once. With this kind of usage, the garage door and system can easily become worn or damaged. In the same vein, many businesses (car washes, auto dealerships, firehouses, and more) need their commercial garage doors to work properly in order for their business to thrive as well as to provide security and energy efficiency.
When a home or business owner notices even the smallest issue with their garage door, they should never wait to address it. Catching problems early enables garage door systems to run in top shape for as long as possible. Waiting too long or attempting a DIY fix can result in even bigger, more costly problems.
Don’t let your garage door damage become a horror story! Avoid these two major mistakes to keep your door in good shape and yourself out of harm’s way.
DIY Repairs
Some minor maintenance, like cleaning and aligning photo eyes or tightening hardware, can be repaired by most home or business owners. However, attempting a do-it-yourself garage door fix could cause more serious damage to your door or worse—result in injury. Not only are garage doors extremely heavy, but they are also under an incredible amount of tension and pressure. So, if you try to replace a spring or get a door back on its tracks by yourself, you run a serious risk of making the damage worse or hurting yourself or someone else as the door comes crashing down.
If you aren’t specifically trained and familiar with each component of your garage door system, you can make small issues into scary ones. Reaching out to a garage door expert keeps you and those around you safe from such mishaps. When in doubt, always call a professional.
Neglecting Preventive Maintenance
Most business owners are pulled in several directions all at once, every day. A preventive maintenance program is immensely helpful in keeping commercial garage doors running smoothly—especially when employees are too busy to notice issues as they arise. A maintenance program should provide regular visual inspections and routine maintenance, and many also include extra perks like discounts and priority scheduling. Participating in a maintenance program is a simple way to protect your business’ investment by addressing minor problems before they undermine the structural integrity of the entire system and cause irreparable damage.
What happens if you neglect regular maintenance? Hardware gets loose, tracks rust, and springs become worn or damaged over time. Without regular inspections, no one may notice these problems until they cause serious damage. You can easily prevent these horrific outcomes by enrolling in a preventive maintenance program and keeping every appointment.
Don’t let garage door damage scare you! For more tips on how to keep your door maintained or what to do if it needs a repair, subscribe to our blog.
