We at A Plus Garage want to offer these Money Safety Tips to You our Customers and Future Customers to help your Garage Doors to last hopefully for a long period of time. It, however, is a good idea to have your garage doors checked yearly by a garage door professional to insure they are working properly and have no potential safety hazards. Please give us a call when you need an inspection or repairs we service all the Eastern Shore and Baldwin County area with affordable rates. Our number in Daphne is 251 626-0773 and in Foley  251 971-3331.

People use their garage for different purposes; car keeping being the basic one. Some people also use it for storage or a play area for the kids but the main thing which is common in all uses is the fact that garages are always in use and the garage door works every day to provide your entrance and exit. Garage doors are an expensive investment and you wouldn’t want yours to deteriorate without living the full life it was meant to have.

The average life span of garage doors varies from 20 to 30 years, while that of garage openers is 10 to 15 years. But the longevity of your garage door depends on three main factors as follows:

• How often you use your garage door
• The quality of your garage door and its components
• How well you maintain your door

Follow these amazing tips if you want to add a few more years to your garage door’s life span or even for maintaining its average lifespan.

1.     Rust Prevention

Always take careful measures to keep your garage poor away from the horrors of rusting and corrosion. Wash away the accumulated grime and dirt from your aluminum or steel garage door.

• Use mild detergents for washing grime off the garage door
• Rinse thoroughly with clean water
• Apply car wax on steel garage doors to get additional weather protection from the cold

2.     Lubrication

Make sure that your garage door is properly lubricated at all times. Lubricate your garage door springs, rollers and hinges once every three months to ensure their proper working. Your garage door will continue to work smoothly if you make a habit of regular lubrication. Use a light coating of WD-40 spray to clean the tracks of an automatic garage door system but refrain from using it on the garage door opener.

3.     Safety and Maintenance Checks

Perform safety and maintenance checks once every month to ensure proper and smooth running of your garage door.

• Perform safety checks and procedures as outlined by manuals by your manufacturer
• Your garage door operator should have a reversing feature because all garage doors manufactured after 1^st January 1993 should comply with safety standards of U.L. 325

4.     Balance Checks

Check the balance of your garage door annually to make sure that you do not pay any expensive repair bills.

• Close the door and disconnect your automatic garage door opener
• Lift the door manually (the springs do most of the work)
• Make sure that the door does not slide down and maintains in an open position
• Reverse the process and close the door
• Apply sufficient but not too much pressure to close the door
• If your door slams down with a loud noise, then you need to contact your manufacturer

5.     The Outer Finish

Nothing makes a garage door look younger than a fresh coat of paint. You can paint wood textured steel with classic wooden colors if you want a traditional garage door. If you have a wood garage door, make sure to apply a fresh coat of paint every few years depending on your environment and weather conditions.