OVERHEAD DOOR MAINTENANCE TIPS
Your overhead door is an important part of your structure. Not only is it apart of the aesthetics, but also a functional service to your business. As such, handle it with care and perform the suggested maintenance on it to ensure it will operate smoothly for years to come. Talk to us about a Preventative Maintenance Program, which is based on the frequency of use of your overhead door(s).
EXTERIOR FINISH
Keeping up the appearance of your overhead door with a simple surface wash will do the trick. A mild detergent such as a (green) dish detergent, or to remove tough stains you can use a (green) all-purpose cleaner for the home. We emphasize the use of a green product to ensure that your (waste) products are safe for your local areas water drainage system. Waxing your garage door once a year with liquid car wax will protect its lustre. For best results, never apply wax in direct sunlight.
DOOR HARDWARE
A light oil coating (ie:10w30) on galvanized parts such as rollers, hinges and tracks will help prevent corrosion and surface rust from forming. Remember that the rollers are meant to "roll" in the tracks, not to slide in them. It is for this reason, we recommend not to use grease in the tracks. Make sure you remove the old grease before applying the new, in the case that is all that you have on hand.
When it comes to the torsion springs, spread (ie:10w30) over the surface and wipe away any excess. The damper the area you live, the more often this procedure is recommended. This simple trick will help to prolong the life of your overhead door's torsion springs and ensure they work properly. Remember to carefully inspect the cables as well to detect any signs of fraying (due to normal usage). The bracket assembly is under high tension, so for your own safety, never attempt to adjust it yourself. Open and close the door manually. If the garage door is equipped with a motor, deactivate the mechanism to operate the door manually. A well-balanced door weighs only 4 to 7 kilograms. If the door seems heavier than that to you, it could be due numerous thing such as: a decompressed spring, a loose cable, a broken roller or a warped track. Call on the services of Diesel Overhead Doors Inc. for any adjustments that you may require.
MANUAL OPERATION
Make sure that you always open your overhead door slowly and smoothly. Be especially careful about the way you close it. For doors measuring 12 X 12 or more, the door will seem especially heavy once it is fully open in a horizontal position. Do not activate the chain hoist too roughly as this could possibly cause the lifting cables to dislodge from the drums. Make sure that the chain is securely fastened to its hook when the garage door is open. Above all, when closing your garage door, pay special attention not to release it too quickly as you do not want it to hit the floor too hard and cause additional problems. As such, maintaining control while closing the door until it reaches the floor is your safest bet.
OPERATOR OPERATION
An overhead door operator requires very little maintenance. Should you require information about your particular models functions, please refer to your owners manual. They do require a monthly inspection to ensure it is in good working condition. When doing so, always check that the door's path is free from debris. Otherwise, you risk having the door hit the obstacle and dislodging the cables from their drums, not to mention it will damage whatever item was in it's path.
Never let the overhead door open and close in rapid succession. Make sure you allow about a 3 second delay between each operation, as this will allow the balancing assembly of cables, drums, and springs to come to a full stop as you do not want the cables to dislodge from their drums. In the event that this were to happen, do not attempt to correct the problem yourself. Get in touch with a Diesel Overhead Doors Inc. and we will advise you on what to do. In addition, never adjust the overhead door motor's limit switch, our expertise will do that safely and accurately for you!
WEATHER STRIPPING MAINTENANCE
During your buildings spring cleaning, don't forget the weather stripping. This is made of PVC and we recommend that you use a green all-purpose cleaner (like that used in your home). Generously lubricate weather stripping with a silicone-based product. We suggest that you don't use a petroleum-based lubricant (ie:WD-40), as petroleum is known to adversely affect the elastic properties of rubber. Weather stripping rubber must remain flexible in-order to remain the efficient barrier that it's made for. Don't forget the weather stripping found at panel joints and at the bottom edge of the door as well.
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
The maintenance of your building's overhead doors must be taken as seriously as any other safety measures that your company instills. Not only for your employees' safety, but the smooth running of your operations via your overhead doors, depend on it. We recommend that you call Diesel Overhead Doors Inc. at 403-984-3290 to look after the maintenance of your overhead doors.
WHY DOES MY DOOR SEEM TO ALWAYS HAVE A PROBLEM?
An overhead door system is an important component of a structure. It is imperative to understand what might be happening if the system is not performing according to the user's expectations.
Some of the inherent "problems" can be attributed to the components that have been installed. They may not be appropriate for the usage of the door system (actual number of operation cycles has been underestimated, or the doors operation has increased due to larger volumes of production). Another reason may be that the number of cycles of the torsion springs is not appropriate for the frequency of use, where you will find that the springs break more often.
HOW CAN WE REDUCE MAINTENANCE COSTS?
By selecting the overhead door best suited to the conditions of operation, in conjunction with regular maintenance (to which we refer to as a PMP), you will significantly reduce your annual maintenance costs. It's wise to compare the annual maintenance costs of your doors with the indirect costs related should you have a malfunction (ie: inoperative door at critical times of productivity) and you will come to the conclusion that the initial investment is well worth it.
To help you determine how often you should perform preventive maintenance on your doors, we have broken it down in 3 categories:
1) Structures which require maintenance every 3 months (more than 7,500 cycles per year).
ie: apartment building or condominiums, transit companies, manufacturing plants
2) Structures which require maintenance every 6 months (3,000 - 7,500 cycles per year).
ie: auto repair shops, car dealerships, distribution centres, logistic companies
3) Structures which require maintenance every 12 months (less than 3,000 cycles per year).
ie: municipal garages, fire stations, warehouses, residential homes
CLOSING WORDS
If you perform the suggested maintenance on your overhead door(s), they will provide you with years of service and convenience. We recommend that you have them inspected by a qualified service technician at least once a year to ensure your continued safety.
Please never attempt to adjust the springs, the lower hinges, or the cables yourself due to an inherent risk of injury associated with the tremendous amount of tension in the springs.
Call Diesel Overhead Doors Inc. to handle the work for you at 403.984.3290
