How to Extend the Life of Garage Door Springs
An automatic garage door is a luxury in anyone’s home that makes day-to-day life a lot easier. Being able to press a button and easily come and go from your home is something that often goes unnoticed and underappreciated. Though, without the proper care to the springs of the garage’s door, the lifespan of them may vastly decrease, causing a hurdle. Not only will improper spring care make a garage’s automatic door function poorly, but it could also make them hard to reach for repair. Getting ahead of the problem and properly taking care and managing the springs will greatly extend their lifespan and postpone the disruption to the ease of your automatic door.
1. Cleaning your springs to extend their life
First things first, taking time to clean the springs is a basic step in order to extend their lifespan. During everyday use, dirt and grime builds up on the springs. This can lead to them having to work hard, exerting more energy and thus, decreasing the longevity of use.
In order to properly clean the springs, use a wire brush and lightly scrub the dirt and dust away. This will only take a few minutes, and you should only have to do it a few times a year. In turn, your door will greatly benefit, and won’t tire out as quickly.
2. Watching for rust on springs
After cleaning the springs, it is important to put some lubricant on them in order to prevent future rust. Rusty springs can lead to the metal corroding and therefore weakening. In some cases, rust can lead to uneven pulling on one side of your garage versus the other.
Using a silicone spray or white lithium grease can prevent rust buildup and corroding, easily providing a new life to the springs and can help them function properly. Never use WD-40 on the springs, and always make sure to not overlubricate. Just enough to lightly coat the springs is perfect and will not cause any buildup.
3. Decrease the amount of usage
Using anything more than needed will decrease its lifespan. That being said, using your garage door as little as you need to will make for a beneficial change on the pressure put on it. Trying to decrease the need to open and close the door repeatedly throughout the day could put a few years on the springs, as they won’t have to work as hard as often.
4. Maintaining balance
Making sure your door springs have the same amount of tension in them is important in order to have a properly functioning door as well as healthy springs. This is a dangerous task, so having a professional come to check on this will be much safer and provide reassurance that your garage is functioning properly.
Conclusion
Springs are something that is often overlooked in the functioning of an automatic garage, yet it is important for you to keep on top of them in order to assure they are holding up. Attending to your springs will extend their lifespan and create a better, sturdier garage door.
Let us be the professionals you trust for your garage door spring repair.
