Garage Door Maintenance & Repairs

One of the most overlooked components of your home is the garage door. It usually operates flawlessly several times a day but when it gets neglected and sub sequentially fails it can interrupt your daily routine.
Because a garage door is a very large, heavy, moving part, it’s prone to fall out of adjustment with daily use. When this happens, the door becomes harder and harder to lift and lower.

A garage door looks rather simple but it has many moving parts that need yearly attention to keep it in great working order. The best way to prevent a failure and high repair costs is to inspect it every year for loose or worn hinges, springs, and other hardware and, when you notice a problem, address it immediately before it has a chance to deteriorate.

Then lubricate the moving parts. Apply penetrating oil to all rollers and hinges at least once a year. If you notice any loose screws, bolts, or nuts, tighten them so parts won’t fall out of adjustment.

The most common garage door problem is that the door becomes difficult to lift and lower. This may be something that can be resolved with a few simple adjustments and basic maintenance, or it may be more serious. If the door is connected to an opener, determine if the problem is with the door or the opener. The first step is to disconnect the opener mechanism from the door by pulling the release cord or lever. If the door works fine manually, the problem is with the electric opener.

A door that seems unusually heavy to lift may have a problem with spring tension. Garage door springs are under extreme tension because of the loads they must lift, and this makes them dangerous to adjust. If your door’s springs are out of adjustment, do not attempt to work on them yourself. Call in a professional. If the door seems to bind in the tracks an adjustment and maintenance may be all that is needed. If it sags in the middle when opening or once it is fully open it may need a few bracing members.

With proper care and maintenance a quality garage door should last 30-40 years. The key to this longevity and lowest cost benefit is to spend about an hour a year on the maintenance if you can do it yourself or $100-$130 to have a professional service it. Again, spend hundred$ now in maintenance or thou$and$ later in repairs (or replacement). An average mid-grade replacement double wide door will run around $1800-$2700 installed.

Storage 'Stuff"

Spring cleaning is right around the corner. If you are like most Americans you have accumulated quite a lot of “stuff” over the winter months and the holidays. The newer, shinier and sleeker stuff probably has displaced the older, yet still good “stuff” that you are still very fond of and are not quite ready to ship out or get rid of.

When it is all said and done we Americans accumulate a lot of “stuff.” Our homes can only handle a fixed amount of this “stuff” before it becomes a mess or potentially a fire hazard. We like our “stuff” and we hesitantly get rid of it. Cyndy Salzmann, 'The Clutter Coach,' states “If you don’t love it or use it….lose it!” But let’s face it; we seem to love all of our “stuff.”

The good news is that as we accumulate all of our “stuff” we can live out our normal, structured lives if we learn to keep our “stuff” somewhat organized.

The two most popular and least costly means to add structure to the mounds of “stuff” are to add storage shelving and/or storage shed. Many will opt for the rented storage units instead of building or purchasing an on-premise storage shed but the concept is the same, it’s just a convenience and cost issue.

Adding shelving space is an inexpensive way to allow us to accumulate more of our “stuff” and to keep it organized and at our fingertips when/if we do decide to use it. Mr. Handyman has built many shelving units in garages, storage rooms, basements and attic crawl spaces for dozens of our customers over the past 4 years. The key to turning that empty space into a valuable storage option is planning and budgeting. You cannot expect inexpensive shelving materials to hold up to heavy use with heaping, full storage totes. In the same regard, the least-expensive pull-down attic ladder will not last if it is used many times each year.

Adding that extra storage space could be as easy as purchasing and installing a heavy-duty shelving unit or having one custom tailored for a particular spot in the basement or garage. The pull-down attic ladder with planking and shelving installed in that unused area is the most requested storage option we have accomplished. The long-term costs are favorable compared to renting an off-premise storage unit. Oh, and maybe some focus on pairing down on how much “stuff” we think we need to retain.

Garage Organization

Helpful tips to keep your garage clean and organized.

Pare down. Get rid of items you no longer need. Recycle by donating to the Goodwill.

Install a pull-down attic ladder to increase your storage space.

Purchase "knock-down" heavy-duty plastic shelving from one of the "big-box" stores.

Install a pully system to raise your bikes up and out of the way. (Great for winter storage)

Hang garden tools and ladders on the walls with specially designed hooks & racks.