THIS IS A GUIDE ONLY FOR TIPS ON GARAGE DOORS, GATES & AUTOMATIC OPENERS.
PLEASE CONSULT A QUALIFIED GARAGE DOOR TECHNICIAN IF IN DOUBT.

DO NOT CARRY OUT REPAIRS YOURSELF AS THIS WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY.

Garage Door Safety and Maintenance Tips.         
 

Is your Garage door operating correctly?:

Is your door is automatic or manual? All garage doors should be Serviced at some stage by a Qualified Garage Door Technician.....A regular garage door maintenance check is advisable on doors with or without openers.

DO NOT disengage the door opener to manual operation with people or objects, including your motor vehicles, in the way.

DO NOT allow children to operate or play with the garage door opener. Children must be supervised near a garage door at all times when the door opener is in use.

Keep hands, feet and loose clothing clear of the door and door opener at all times.

DO NOT attempt to repair the door yourself as hardware is under extreme tension.

Roller Doors:

If your door is automatic, it is a good idea to release the motor into the manual mode at least every 6-12 months. By operating the door manually you will then be able to determine the way your door travels. Does it run smoothly, is it extremly heavy and stiff to open and close, etc. If you feel the door is not fuctioning well in manual mode,you should have it serviced, as to prolong the life of your automatic opener and of course your garage door.

Make sure to check the support brackets to ensure that the door is supported in a safe manner. Loose wall fixings,brackets hanging and pulling away from supporting structures, etc.  Never try and fix these yourself. All repairs and services should only be carried out by a Garage Door Technician. Home repairs can and will void your warranty.

Do not use Lubricants such as oil, grease, etc on your tracks (guides) as this can cause damage to your garage door and make the door worse. When you have two items working together, both the garage door and the electric opener must function together on an equal par, as the garage door opener cannot fix a binding garage door. By checking both individually, you will be able to determine which of the two items needs repairs.

SILICONE SPRAY.. is the only lubricant that you will need to use in the tracks on occasions as this is not only a sealant, but a substance that will also provide a slippery surface which helps prolong the ribbon on your door and makes the door slide smoothly.  This will help give your garage door and garage door opener a longer life, and travel in a smoother mode.

Panel Doors:

These should also be tested in the same manner as the Roller doors.

Please NOTE:  All Panel-lift and Roller Doors require a spring re-tension at some stage in their life time. This is the most important Service required  and is usually the reason why the door becomes heavy to lift. It can damage your motor in regards to the weight it is lifting and will also denote the sensitivity on your opener.

Cables on the left and right side of the garage door should be checked when the door is in the closed position, lightly run your fingers down the steel cables to determine that they are smooth and that there are no broken wires or fibres. If there are broken wires, this is a clear indication that the cables may be about to snap. This needs to be repaired immediatly.

DO NOT attempt to fix them yourself. All spring re-tensioning should be performed by a Qualified Garage Door Technician.

Tilt Doors:

Refer to Roller Doors and Panel Doors.

At least every 6-12 months, check all fixings,pivot points,bolts etc to make sure they are nice and tight and secure. If loose they can cause a slackness in the secure points which can become extremely dangerous. The springs on these garage doors release at high speed and can cause a Dangerous bouncing garage door, especially when it is Automated.

Gates:

In most cases gates are similar to the Garage Door, you should do all the things in a manual mode the same way, as to determine the function of the gate.Is your gate post strong and secure? Make sure that there is no mobility is the support post and unsure that all anchor points a secure and tight.