If you haven't checked or repaired your garage door since its initial installation, do so now. Although your garage door protects you and your home from bad weather, crime, and pests, the door's parts can corrode over time, including its hardware and springs. These parts can be dangerous if they go unchecked. Here are some tips you can use to keep your garage door and its parts safe.

Lubricate or Replace the Door's Hardware

Even if you don't use your garage door regularly, the hardware and metal parts can still corrode from exposure to the elements. Corroded metal can break or crumble if you don't lubricate or replace it. Some of the parts that can corrode and break are hinges. Hinges help keep the door in place, as well as help it open and close. Corroded or damaged hinges can make it almost impossible to raise and lower your garage door.

If you inspect your garage door's metal pieces and find corrosion on them, try to clean them with a rust-removal product. If the pieces still show signs of corrosion, contact a garage door company and ask them to replace the pieces. Unless you have previous experience repairing your garage door, you should avoid repairing or replacing the pieces yourself.

You also want to ask the contractors to check and possibly repair your garage door's springs.

Repair the Door's Springs

Springs are some of the most dangerous components of the garage door. Garage doors require two types of springs to open and close the door: torsion and extension. Both types of springs are under a significant amount of tension. If a spring rusts, breaks, and then comes loose from its placement in the door, the door can unexpectedly crash down to the floor. You want to stay safe by having a garage door contractor replace your bad springs.

After the replacement, have a contractor check the springs regularly. A contractor will generally look for signs of rust on the surfaces of the springs. Rust can spread further if you don't remove right away.

A specialist may also lift and lower the door to see if the springs make any strange or abnormal sounds. If the springs creak, screech, or scrub during the inspection, a contractor will need to lubricate or repair them.

If you need immediate answers or help with your garage door or its parts, contact a company like hungritedoor.com for an appointment.

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