Why Preventative Garage Door Maintenance Is So Important
While garage doors are inherently reliable, they are not invincible. As the most used entrance and exit to and from your home, your garage doors needs the same attention and care your car and lawn need. Unfortunately, they typically become neglected and overlooked. With spring on the way, it’s the perfect time to implement a garage door maintenance schedule into your life. Need more convincing? Let’s take a look at why preventative garage door maintenance is so important.
Safety
Each year, over 30,000 people are injured in garage door related incidents. From falling door injuries to DIY projects gone wrong, this number could be significantly reduced if more people conducted proper preventative maintenance. Reversal System. Your garage door is powerful. With the ability to exert deadly force on an individual, a properly functioning safety reversal system is extremely important. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that nearly 40% of safety reversal systems don’t work properly and it’s due to maintenance neglect. DIY Projects. Many are unaware of the potential danger of a garage door system, particularly the garage door springs. Garage door springs exist under extreme stress & tension. If not handled properly, a garage door spring has the potential to be deadly. Of the DIY related injuries seen each year, most are caused by those attempting to fix, adjust, or replace a spring. Along with bodily harm, an improperly functioning garage door leaves your home vulnerable to intrusion and theft.
Lifespan
Not only can improper maintenance lead to injury, it can also lead to shorter lifespan for your garage. Loose bolts, unaligned tracks, faulty safety sensors, lack of lubrication, etc. can all prevent a door from opening and closing normally, which can put excess wear and tear on your door in the long-term. When it comes to your spring, it has a lifespan of 10,000 cycles. However, if your spring isn’t continually lubricated or takes on excess stress due to other issues with your garage door, this lifespan can be significantly reduced.
Convenience
We all have things to do, people to see, and places to be. Unfortunately, this busyness is the primary reason most neglect their garage door maintenance. As we stated before, your garage door is the most used entrance and exit in your home. If your garage door isn’t working properly, you may find yourself stuck on either side. On top of that, it’s likely you will have to wait for a repair or possible replacement to take place. This is time most of us don’t have.
Added Home Value
As one of the most highly recommended renovations, a new garage door can net you a ROI of nearly 90%. Why? For the typical home, a garage door makes up 50% of the front facade, so a properly maintained and aesthetically pleasing garage door is more appealing to potential buyers Additionally, a garage door in optimal working order is likely to strengthen your home inspection.
Savings
While repair costs are typically minimal, a full replacement can be a different story. The primary reason behind the majority of our full garage door replacements is the owner’s lack of maintenance. Typically, one neglected area leads to issues in other areas and the snowball effect becomes catastrophic. Additionally, improper insulation and/or improper closing can lead to increased energy bills.
By taking a 15 to 20 minutes out of one day each month, you can easily avoid the major issues related to improper preventative garage door maintenance.
For a full preventive maintenance checklist, check out our Preventative Maintenance page.