Three essential maintenance tips to keep your garage door in perfect working order

Your garage door and opener is an investment in the safety and security of your family. As the largest moving object in the home, regular cleaning and maintenance is vital to extend its life.

See our three tips to ensure your garage door and opener is in perfect working order.

Regular cleaning

It’s easy for dirt and grime to build up and stop the door from gliding open and closed. Wash your garage door regularly and carefully. For aluminium or steel doors, it’s as easy as rinse, wash with warm soapy water, and rinse again.

If you have a wooden garage door, the steps are the same. However, you need to take care to have a low concentration of detergent in your warm soapy water to avoid damage to the finish of the door. A 1:5 ratio of soap to water is the general rule of thumb.

It’s important to take care not to get the motor wet when cleaning, as water can cause irreversible damage.

Listen and watch

Consistent maintenance will help to ensure your garage door is safe for the entire family. As soon as you notice any changes (including the door not running as smoothly, grinding or scraping sounds), cease use and have it fixed straight away.

Remember to read the manufacturer’s instructions, as each door and opener can have different parts that need to be cared for in certain ways.

If you require any assistance with your garage door opener, contact your local Merlin dealer.

Safety first

Safety around the home is essential, especially if you have young children. Remember to regularly check your garage door’s safety features.

To test your safety reversal system, you will need to place an object 40mm above the base of the garage door’s path and set it to close. If the door doesn’t reverse in less than a second (or two seconds if Safety Beams are installed) when it touches the object, contact your local Merlin dealer for support.

You should also regularly check that the manual release cord is in good working order, that the cord is not frayed and still had the plastic handle attached. To operate the manual release cord:

1.    Pull the red cord down firmly once to manually release the door’s locking mechanism, The opener will make a clicking noise.

2.    Walk over to the door to push it up manually. Do not try to pull the door using the manual release cord; it will snap under the load.

3.    Take care when operating the manual release when the door is open, as it may fall rapidly due to weak or broken springs.

4.    When power returns or it is safe to do so, re-engage the opener by pulling the red release cord down firmly.

For more information, call 1800 638 234 or email [email protected].