Having the perfect garage can offer peace of mind and confidence in your property. But it all starts with a well-performing door. Garage doors are designed to open and close with ease, providing quick access to stored items without disturbing your home life. An essential element of ensuring that easy operation is proper balance — if a garage door isn’t balanced correctly, every time you activate the opener, it will strain against its own weight, resulting in unnecessary wear and tear on components as well as slower response times when opening or closing your garage.
To ensure consistent performance from your door, test its balance regularly to guarantee optimal working conditions throughout the year. In this blog post, we’ll look at what garage door balance is, why it’s so important for safe and reliable operation, as well as how to test it.
What is Garage Door Balance?
Garage door balance is an important component of garage door functionality. It is the ability of the garage door to move up and down evenly and with ease without putting undue strain on it as it closes or opens. Proper garage door balance helps to ensure that the garage door will open and close safely without putting excessive wear and tear on the garage door opener, ultimately lengthening its lifespan. In addition, balanced garage doors provide a smoother operation experience overall. It’s important to maintain garage door balance in order to keep your garage door working effectively over time.
Why Is Garage Door Balance Important?
Garage door balance is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, it ensures that the door operates as smoothly and efficiently as possible, meaning less wear and tear on the various components. Secondly, balanced doors will put far less strain on your garage door opener. This is especially important if you’re using an older model as you reduce the risk of malfunction or breakdown due to overworking. Finally, properly balanced doors are safer to use, as they don’t have the tendency to suddenly drop or fall.
How to Test Garage Door Balance
A simple test is the best way to check that your garage door is properly balanced.
- Start by disconnecting the opener from the wall and manually opening and closing the door. If this action requires more than moderate effort, it’s likely unbalanced.
- To test further, place a level across the top of the door while it’s in the open position. If one side of the level is higher than the other, adjust accordingly and ensure that all components are working correctly.
- Finally, if your garage door isn’t balanced after completing these tests, you may need to check for broken springs or cables and inspect and lubricate any tracks or rollers.
Ultimately, testing your garage door balance regularly can help keep it running smoothly for years to come — preventing unnecessary wear and tear on components and expensive repairs down the line. Contact a local garage door technician to get professional advice today. With their expertise and experience, they can diagnose any issues with your current setup and make sure everything works properly.
