Houston is a humid place, and it can rain a lot here. That rain and humidity can cause rust to form on both your garage door springs and the garage door itself. Once rust starts, it’s hard to contain the corrosion. Corrosion on the garage door springs can cause the garage door springs to break. Corrosion and rust on a garage door can cause weak spots on the garage door, cause the garage door to either break, get off track, leak water into the garage, or be a security issue where someone to breaks in just to name a few issues. There are things you can do to prevent rust on garage doors and garage door springs.
Garage Door
Garage doors are made to last 10-15 years or more, but rust and corrosion can really shorten the lifespan of your garage door. If you have a metal garage door, you have the possibility of rust or corrosion. There are two main types of metal garage doors, steel and aluminum. Now, even though aluminum does not rust, it does corrode. The best way to keep ahead of any rust or corrosion is to keep the garage door painted. That means inspecting the door twice a year to make sure the whole garage door is covered, and that there are no chips or cracks in the paint. If something impacts the garage door like a branch from a storm or vehicle, make sure to inspect the area as soon as you can. You want to make sure there is not any exposed metal on the garage door. If you find an area where your paint on your garage door has chipped, pealed or been scratched away, we have a great how to called How to Fix Chipped Paint on a Garage Door.
Garage Door Parts
Now in keeping with the garage door, you also have to give consideration to the garage door hardware and parts. Sectional garage doors, which are the most common, will have hinges between each section. You will want to inspect each hinge and replace any that are already rusted. For the others you want to apply a garage door, or all-weather lubricate to the hinges. Never use WD40! Inspect your garage door tracks and wipe them down if there is any dust or debris on them. Do not lubricate your garage door tracks. If you are using metal garage door rollers, you are going to need to lubricate them too. We suggest switching to nylon garage door rollers, as they are quieter and do not rust. You are also going to want to check your garage door cables and make sure they are not rusting to the point of about to break. If they are, it is best to replace your cables before they break.
Garage Door Springs
The standard cycle life for a torsion spring on a garage door is 10,000 cycles. That equals to about 3 to 5 years. Your garage door spring is just one big metal coil. That means they are easy to rust. Rust can greatly reduce how long the garage door spring (also known as a torsion spring) will last. Like the garage door, you need to inspect your garage door springs twice a year, once in the Fall and once in the Springtime. Also, upon inspection it, it is best to also lubricate your garage door springs with garage door lubricant. This lubricant will help prevent rust and corrosion.
Garage doors, their parts, and garage door springs all are vulnerable to the elements, and that can cause rust and corrosion. However, with a little diligence and prevention, you can keep rust from being a problem. If you are in the Houston area, and rust has already gotten to your garage door or garage door springs, call Spectrum Overhead Door LLC for award-winning garage door repair service.