If your garage door breaks down, you may be inconvenienced by having to park in your driveway or on the street, or your problems could be much more severe. Imagine getting in your car to drive to work only to find that you can’t leave your garage because your door won’t open. Even worse, if the springs or sensors fail, your heavy overhead door could fall and cause damage to your car or even injure you or another person.
What steps can you take to keep these distressing situations from happening?

Regular Lubrication

Like many machines with moving parts, garage doors rely on lubrication to keep running smoothly. Without proper lubrication, your door may open slowly, make a loud grinding or squeaking noise, or even fail to open. Luckily, refreshing the lubricant is not a difficult task.
Avoid using regular WD-40. Instead, look for a white lithium or silicone lubricant when performing this garage door maintenance. Apply whichever product you choose to the springs, door rollers, hinges, and chain. Doing this once a year will help prolong the life of your door.

Check the Springs

The door to your garage is quite heavy, and its springs are responsible for holding much of this weight. Since they do so much work, these springs tend to stretch over time and can even snap, so it is important to check on them.
If your springs are not covered by a tube, a visual inspection can often reveal any problems. Visible gaps on either spring mean you should make an appointment to have both springs replaced. This is not a task you should try to do on your own.
If you cannot see your springs, you can still test their elasticity. With the garage door closed, pull the emergency release. Next, manually open the door to about knee or waist height. Let go of the door, keeping your hands nearby to prevent it from crashing down. If your springs are in good condition, the door should stay in place. If it begins to fall, the springs need replacing.

Look and Listen

Identify other problems by taking some time to use your eyes and ears.
Look over each part. Pay attention to fraying cables or rusty hinges. Notice whether the door is opening and shutting smoothly or stuttering and grinding while it moves. Listen for any changes in the sound made by the mechanism.

Test the Sensors

Inside your garage, at the bottom of the door, there should be a sensor that keeps the door from closing when something is under it. To make sure this sensor is working, open the garage door. Then, when the door is closing, place a board or piece of paper in the path of the sensor. The door should stop closing and reverse directions. 

Call a Professional

When you notice any problems, contact K & B Door Co. They can identify and correct any issues preventing your overhead door from working properly. You can even schedule regular garage door maintenance with them so you can have peace of mind that everything is in good shape.