Homeowners Should Perform A Garage Door Check-Up
Spring is the ideal time to take a look at the largest moving part of your house, the garage door, and make sure that it is operating safely and properly.  According to Earl J. Donahue, General Manager of State Line Doors, a 10 minute garage door checkup will ensure the safe operation of typical garage doors.  "Most homeowners use their garage and garage door without thinking of maintenance," notes Donahue.  "Taking 10 minutes each spring and fall can avoid serious problems."  Mr. Donahue also explains that three key areas can be quickly checked.

SPRING BALANCE
Garage door springs are designed to counter the weight of the door.  Garage door openers should not be lifting the weight of the door.  To check how well the garage door is balanced, with the garage door closed, homeowners should disconnect the garage door opener, (pull the cord that is attached to the garage door opener unit.)  If the door is heavy to lift or difficult to close, it is unbalanced.  If it is heavy to lift, just think of the damage it is doing to the garage door opener.  While some garage door maintenance can be performed by the homeowners, spring balancing is dangerous.  Unbalanced doors should be repaired by a professional to avoid physical harm to the homeowners.

FRAYED CABLE
Minor fraying of a garage door cable can be expected.  Fraying can lead to broken cables which, in turn, leads to major repairs.  Cable problems are rare but significant.  To check cable condition, a simple visual inspection is adequate.  If minor fraying exists, the problem should be monitored regularly.  If major fraying exists, a garage door professional should be contacted.

LOOSE HINGES
Single-width garage doors typically include nine to twelve hinges.  Each of these hinges helps hold the door in place.  Rarely, these hinges can loosen over time.  A simple manual inspection of the screws on each hinge is required.  Loose screws should be tightened and checked periodically.

"These are simple maintenance checks that can save homeowners significant repair bills," notes Donahue.  "More importantly however, they can safeguard your family against injury."

For more information, please contact State Line Doors located at 6 Dust House Road in Enfield, CT.  Or call toll-free at 1-800-431-3667, local calls please call 1-860-741-5955.