While you can seek out professional help to fix your garage door if it breaks down, you do not want it to come with that. Keeping a garage door operational means that you'll need to perform regular maintenance so that it stays in great shape. Here are some tips for doing just that.

Track Maintenance

While you may not notice those tracks suspended high up in your garage, you should not ignore them. They are a place where dirt and filth can easily collect, which will cause problems with the door opening and closing each day. You'll need to get out your ladder to take a close look at what is happening on top of it.

Cleaning the tracks is as simple as wiping down the surface with clean rags. You should avoid applying lubricant that is sticky since it only attracts dirt and causes problems sooner rather than later. You'll need to apply a special grease to the tracks that will not cause dirt to stick to it, which can be purchased at your local hardware store.

Replace Weather Stripping

The garage door needs to form a seal with the ground to prevent air from getting into the garage. Thankfully, weather stripping is used so that the door does not have to hit the hard surface to form a seal. This weatherstripping can become damaged after years of wear and tear, which will require replacement to help close that gap once again.

Replacing the worn-out weather stripping is an easy job you can do on your own. Some garage doors have a weather strip that slides out, while others have weather strips that are glued onto the bottom side of the door. Buy the appropriate replacement part and follow the directions on the packaging to ensure that the gap is closed up when the door is down.

Safety Feature Testing

While safety mechanisms are designed to prevent an accident from happening, it is a good idea to test them periodically to ensure they still work. Start by testing the motion sensor, which can be done by waving an object in front of the sensor while your door is starting to close. The automatic reverse feature can be done by putting an object in the direct path of the door, such as a chair, and letting the door close. In both situations, the door should reverse when the safety mechanism has been activated.

For more information, contact your local garage door repair service.