Your garage door is one of the few things around the house that will only need your attention a couple of times each year. If you take care of a garage door the right way, it should last many, many years before you'll even need to consider replacing it. Here, you'll find a few tips to help to extend the life of your garage door and keep it looking beautiful for years.

Hire a Professional for Repairs

One of the biggest mistakes a lot of homeowners make is thinking that they can watch a 15 minute video and know how to fix anything around the house. Sure, sometimes that can work, but honestly, if you're not experienced with these types of repairs, you could end up making matters worse.

The best way to protect the condition of your garage door is to have the door inspected and professionally maintained once each year by a garage door repair professional. It could be in the spring when you need to wash away all of the dirt and grime that winter's left behind, or it could be at another time. It doesn't matter when, as long as you get it done.

Door Care

Between professional maintenance, you'll want to keep the door clean and take the time to inspect the seals and the surface for damage.

The best way to wash a garage door without damaging it or having to refinish it is to use nothing more than a liquid dish soap. These cleaners break down the hardest grime without removing any finish that may be on the garage door. Once you get it clean, just rinse it and let it dry.

Note: If you find any cracks in the door, don't spray it down with a hose – you will want to avoid getting water in the cracks until you can have them repaired. Water that gets caught inside the door will lead to mold and possible corrosion.

Hardware

You do need to keep the hardware of your garage door clean, especially the tracks and rollers. If you allow dirt, cobwebs and debris to build up on the tracks, the door won't be able to roll smoothly and the dirt will become caked around the rollers. Take your broom to the hardware every now and then to knock off the debris that is building up and you'll avoid this problem.

Tip: Discuss lubrication with a garage door professional. He or she will tell you if your garage door hardware needs to be lubricated and, if it does, what kind is best to use.

Hopefully, the tips above will help you come up with a good plan for maintaining the good condition of your garage door.