Each component of a garage door must work together in order for the door to work like it should. A problem with one component of a garage door can lead to problems with other components of the door. For example, a problem with the hinges could put stress on the rails and motor of the garage door. Added stress can lead to premature failure. Thus, if you want your garage door to last for as long as it should, you need to properly maintain your hinges. 

How Hinges Get Damaged

The moving parts of a garage door should be protected with a lubricant. Hinges will come from the factory with lubricant inside of them. Hinges are not a closed system, so lubricant can leak out of them and water can get inside and undermine the integrity of the lubricant. As your lubricant wears away, nothing is left to prevent friction.  Once friction starts, it will wear down the hinges until they completely fail. 

How to Detect Problems with Your Hinges

If you can hear your garage store squeaking as you open and close it, then there is a good chance that you have a problem with your hinges. Panels that  jerk instead of open smoothly are a second sign of hinge problems

Maintenance for Hinges

When you detect that your hinges are not working like they should, you need to lubricate them. Simply pouring drops of oil on the outside might not be enough to get the oil down into the hinges. In order to get the oil down into the inner workings of a hinge, you need to use a penetrating oil. Such an oil will typically come in a spray can. To lubricate your hinges, you need to spray them and then open and close your garage door a few times to allow the oil to work. You might have to apply the oil a couple of times before the squeaking in your door stops, which is a good indication that oil has made its way down into the inner workings of the hinges. 

It is easy to take a garage door for granted. Many people do not even notice that their garage door has started to squeak. Homeowners who pay attention to how their garage door operates can detect hinge problems before they get out of hand. It is a lot cheaper to lubricate hinges instead of paying to have them repaired once they have already failed. For more information, talk to a company like AAA Garage Door, Inc.

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