The following contribution is from another author.
The majority of people don’t focus too much on their garage door. For many, it’s simply there. It has two jobs: open when you want it to open and close when you want it to close. In terms of functionality ,it’s pretty straightforward overall.
Just like other household items, garage doors need maintenance and repair. Having your garage door break is always going to be an inconvenience. There’s never going to be a time where it stops working and you can shrug your shoulders and return to it later.
If left unattended, garage doors can be pretty dangerous. Especially to small children.
When it comes to looking at the state of your garage door, you don’t have to be a legend handyman. Keep an eye out for these signs before having someone fix it.
Odd Noises
You can probably vocalize the rhythm of plenty of your appliances at home when you turn them on and they start whirring. After hearing your garage door open and close so many times, there’s a chance you can do the same with it.
However, when it starts making odd noises that you don’t recognize could be a sign of worse things to come. Start by simply standing inside your garage when you’re opening or closing it. It could be nothing more than a branch caught in the hinges or a child’s toy lodged somewhere.
It could also be rusty hinges or faulty opening mechanisms. The no doubt noise is screeching and that means it’s time to start looking for a repairman.
No Opening or Closing
This one is pretty obvious, but if your door is refusing to open or close then it’s definitely time to call a repairman. Before you do, make sure nothing is blocking the door and the opener has fresh batteries.
But if after you’ve checked everything and the door still refuses to open or close, then you may have a dud on your hands.
An Uneven Door or Slanting
Uneven or slanting parts of your house are always a sign that something is wrong and in need of repair. If your doorways, foundation and driveway slant, then there’s definitely a problem with your house.
The same applies to your garage door. Chances are your garage door is going to sag and slant over time. Nothing can stay perfect forever. But an uneven door could mean it’s not closing properly, meaning critters, bad weather and those neighborhood punk kids could enter with ease.
Eventually, your door won’t be able to open or close at all. Make sure you nip the problem in the bud early.
It Starts Dancing
Have you ever turned your ceiling fan on high and the entire fan begins to shake? The constant shakiness makes you a little nervous as if the fan is going to fly off the ceiling and crush you.
Shakiness is not only a fan problem, but also a potential problem for your garage door. Many garage doors will shake a bit when they’re in use, but what you don’t want it to be imitating John Travolta’s dance from Saturday Night Fever.
If there is constant shaking and creaking going on, it’s probably time for repairs. Shaking is usually a sign of worse things to come, so be on the lookout for constant, excessive shaking.
No Response
You may have had your garage door for quite some time and over the years, the response time has been getting slower and slower. Where oftentimes that can be fixed by simply replacing the batteries, other times it means your garage door is wearing down to the point of no return.
You don’t want the garage to pause or hitch when it’s opening or closing. If you’ve replaced the batteries and everything, then it’s probably time to have a repairman come out.
High Energy Bills
It’s no secret that new, more modern electronics and appliances are more efficient. Not only are new garage door models more efficient, but they also have newer features that many of the older models do not have.
This is also one way to slightly increase your home’s value. Smart technology has been proven to increase a home’s value, not just for the cool gadgets, but also for the energy-saving practices that smart technology brings.
Great post! We’re out of the baby stuff hoarding phase but even with slightly older kids, it’s shocking how quickly the “stuff” takes over. One trick we’ve put into practice is that each year when our Christmas elf arrives, he brings an empty box with instructions from Santa for the kids to fill the box with toys/books that they no longer use. It’s a great way to move some old stuff out before Christmas gifts need to be stored away. We’ve also started really enforcing the rule that a toy or game has to be put away before more can be taken out. It takes vigilance to enforce this, but it’s easier than standing guard like a prison matron while they clean up a giant mess that has accumulated over time!