How To Clean & Maintain Your Garage Door
Extending the life of your garage door is simple, yet upkeep is often overlooked by many homeowners. But you shouldn’t wait until something goes wrong with your garage door before giving it attention.
That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide. Here, we’ll address handy maintenance and cleaning tips for wooden and metal garage doors, along with specialist tips for more unique door styles. By following these simple steps, you can boost the longevity of your garage door for years to come.
How to Maintain Wood/Timber Garage Doors
Cleaning Wooden/Timber Garage Doors
Regular cleaning of the door will keep it free from dirt and dust and ensure it remains attractive and functional. Use mild soap and warm water, scrubbing both sides of the door with a non-abrasive cloth.
After cleaning, hose down gently – avoid power washing, as this can damage paint and softer woods. If you’re repainting, wait until the door is completely dry before proceeding.
In addition to washing, regularly check the rollers and roller tracks, ensuring they are free of dirt and debris.
Servicing Wooden/Timber Garage Doors
- Regularly inspect your garage door to assess the quality and stability of any parts; however, be careful around springs and moving parts, which can be dangerous when handled by untrained individuals.
- Ensure the wood of a garage door is treated at the installation stage, and also periodically, to top it up – treatment protects the door and lessens the likelihood of splitting. Special attention should be made to areas that may get wet often, and also parts that are more prone to wear and tear.
- Fill up splits. Even the most high quality wood may eventually experience splits due to sunlight exposure. To protect the longevity of the wood, make sure you use a wood filler to treat any splits.
- Lubrication of moving parts is very important to ensure all mechanisms are working effectively and without hindrance. Try and do this every couple of months, using oil, WD-40 or a recommended product. Always be careful around high tension areas, such as springs.
- Arrange an annual garage door service. A professional eye can identify any problems better than a DIY lookover. Companies such as Doormatic offer comprehensive maintenance services to keep your door looking and performing at its best.
How to Maintain Metal Garage Doors
Cleaning Metal Garage Doors
Steel and other metal garage doors will accumulate dirt and grime over time, but luckily it’s a quick fix to get rid of it. Simply give it a good wash once or twice a year – more if you live in a coastal area, as salt can cause corrosive damage to metal.
Use a mild detergent, with less than 0.5% of phosphate, and dilute into 5 gallons of water – but never mix with cleanser or bleach. For tougher marks, spot cleaning with bleach is recommended. For a non-abrasive touch, use a soft cloth or sponge before rinsing off with a hose (but not a pressure washer).
Check hinges and rollers, ensuring they are cleared of gunk or debris. Adjust, de-gunk and replace weather stripping, if necessary, as this is responsible for keeping your garage insulated.
Servicing Metal Garage Doors
- Listen to metal doors and note if they are jerky or making scraping noises – this could be a sign it needs a little TLC. Take a look at our guide on how to fix a noisy garage door.
- Factory-applied finishes will stand the test of time, boasting fantastic durability and aesthetic quality. However, time and weather may discolour even the most hardy of paint jobs over time. Therefore, a paint touch-up wouldn’t go amiss. If you’re taking the DIY approach, ensure the door is completely clean and dry before repainting.
- Lubrication should be performed every 3-6 months to ensure smooth operation of all moving parts. Springs, tracks, rollers, garage door openers, and hinges are the main components that will require attention. Either search online or ask for advice from your garage door manufacturer for advice on how to lubricate a garage door.
- Book the services of a professional to perform an annual garage door service. A company such as Doormatic can identify potential problems before they become serious issues, and also give helpful advice about future maintenance and replacement of parts.
Tips for maintaining other types of garage doors
The above tips can be used for most styles of garage doors, but certain types of garage door may also have maintenance tips that are unique to their style.
- GRP and fibreglass doors are a durable option that are built to withstand rot, dents, rust, cracks and other types of damage, including a resistance to salt and humidity – this makes it a low maintenance option, ideal for coastal dwellers.
- ABS plastic garage doors are virtually maintenance-free, thanks to the impact and corrosion resistant material.
- Roller garage doors can be cleaned and maintained much in the same way as metal doors can; however, avoid cleaning side to side. It may seem counterintuitive, but a top to bottom cleaning technique is more effective for roller doors.
- For automated doors, ensure the photo eye sensors are wiped down and kept clean for smooth open and closing. Take a look here on how to solve any issues with opening and closing your garage door.
Doormatic supply and fit a broad array of garage door types across Surrey, Kent and Buckinghamshire. We also offer thorough maintenance services to guarantee top performance of your garage, all year round. With over 20 years’ experience and hundreds of models to choose from, our team can offer garage doors to suit all budgets. Get in touch today to arrange a free home visit.
