Keeping Hinges in Top Condition

Regular Maintenance

The garage door hinges have several very important roles. They keep the panels together while allowing the door to be raised and lowered smoothly. The ones at the two ends of the panels also house the roller stems. This is how they make it possible for the door to follow the tracks every time during opening and closing. To work well, these components require proper care. They should be checked for damage and wearing in the first place. The hinges which are in good condition require lubrication just like all moving metal components. It is best to spray a small amount of lubricant along the center of each hinge. The product will be properly spread in a natural way when the door is opening and closing.

Repair and Replacement

Since these garage door parts are made from galvanized steel, they are highly unlikely to get rusty. However, they may get bent. Regular checks will help you to notice bending on time and to have the affected component fixed. If the problem is left to get worse, the only solution will be to replace the hinge. While lubrication brings down the rate of wearing of these hardware parts, they can still get greatly worn eventually. When this happens, you will start hearing ever louder squeaks. There are visual signs of wearing too. The cylinders in the central axis of each hinge will be oval rather than round. This problem is most clearly seen in the components which house the roller stems. The ideal replacement hinges are made from heavy-duty galvanized steel.