Regardless of the area of the country, garage doors take a beating from wind, rain, and heat. In the North Central states such as Minnesota, the additional conditions of snow, salt and sand need to be dealt with throughout the autumn and winter seasons. The condition of the home exterior, including the garage door, can degrade quite rapidly if not maintained properly. The weather stripping and gaskets are of prime importance to maintain and be kept in good repair. Often these are the first line of defense.
Without the weather stripping and the gasket at the bottom panel of the door being intact the elements are allowed to slowly affect the rollers and quite possibly any items stored near the opening. Although weather stripping and gaskets can be found in some big brick and mortar home improvement centers, surprisingly it can be a back breaking task for the average home owner to change out items as simple as these. Additional maintenance needs to be performed on the door components as well.
In order for the door to work as smoothly as possible, every hinge and roller should be lubricated. Either a basic oil, such as that used for a bicycle chain, may be used, but can often create a mess by dripping on objects below when the garage door is opened. A better alternative can be a synthetic lubricant or graphite. Graphite however, will not last as long and will most likely not protect the hinges and rollers from moisture. It is important for the home owner to not apply any oil or grease in the tracks. Not only will this attract dirt and debris to collect in the track, it will prevent the garage door from traveling smoothly causing a sticky mess which can be very difficult to clean.
The maintenance required for maintaining a door will be very much the same no matter the type of door. There are several choices of garage doors on the market. The most durable garage doors will be manufactured from fiberglass or composite materials, although these are more expensive than steel doors. Steel doors are the most commonly installed type of door. One key component which will raise the cost of a door is whether insulation is integrated into the door itself. Should the home owner foresee any work being done within the garage during the extreme temperatures of summer or winter, then the extra investment will be a wise choice.
Most garage door installation companies will not be able to stock the wide variety of premium garage doors available, but instead will have samples and catalogs from which to choose. Because steel doors are the most common, most installers will have a good supply of steel doors on hand and decent supply of colors.
Without the weather stripping and the gasket at the bottom panel of the door being intact the elements are allowed to slowly affect the rollers and quite possibly any items stored near the opening. Although weather stripping and gaskets can be found in some big brick and mortar home improvement centers, surprisingly it can be a back breaking task for the average home owner to change out items as simple as these. Additional maintenance needs to be performed on the door components as well.
In order for the door to work as smoothly as possible, every hinge and roller should be lubricated. Either a basic oil, such as that used for a bicycle chain, may be used, but can often create a mess by dripping on objects below when the garage door is opened. A better alternative can be a synthetic lubricant or graphite. Graphite however, will not last as long and will most likely not protect the hinges and rollers from moisture. It is important for the home owner to not apply any oil or grease in the tracks. Not only will this attract dirt and debris to collect in the track, it will prevent the garage door from traveling smoothly causing a sticky mess which can be very difficult to clean.
The maintenance required for maintaining a door will be very much the same no matter the type of door. There are several choices of garage doors on the market. The most durable garage doors will be manufactured from fiberglass or composite materials, although these are more expensive than steel doors. Steel doors are the most commonly installed type of door. One key component which will raise the cost of a door is whether insulation is integrated into the door itself. Should the home owner foresee any work being done within the garage during the extreme temperatures of summer or winter, then the extra investment will be a wise choice.
Most garage door installation companies will not be able to stock the wide variety of premium garage doors available, but instead will have samples and catalogs from which to choose. Because steel doors are the most common, most installers will have a good supply of steel doors on hand and decent supply of colors.
For more information on garage doors and openers, visit Premium Garage Door Service of Minneapolis & St. Paul, MN.
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