We don’t often think about our garage doors; however, like our windows and doors, their purpose is two-fold: they add to the aesthetic appearance of our homes and provide security to the property we store within them. Taking good care of your garage door should therefore become part of your household maintenance routine.
Protecting your possessions
Most of us store more in our garages than we think. If we took the time to take an inventory, we would probably be surprised by the monetary value stored within.
Thames Valley Police provides some great advice to help you keep your garage safe following a spate of burglaries in its area.
Looking good
Nearly all property programmes wax lyrical about ‘kerb appeal’ – how a property looks from the street. Your garage door plays a big part in this, given that it takes up roughly two square metres of your property’s frontage. It is easy to see how the state of repair of your garage door can potentially affect the value of your property and its saleability, should you decide to put it on the market.
If you are looking to put your house on the market or simply feel that your garage door is past its best, you might want to consider replacing it. If so, you should contact a specialist; for example, companies such as http://garagedoorsrus.co.uk/garage-door-installation-dunstable/ carry out garage door installation in Dunstable.
To keep your existing door in its best conditions, you should clean it regularly. Everyday substances such as bird droppings can cause real damage if not cleaned off quickly, as they are very acidic. In general, you should simply use a soft cloth and warm, soapy water. Try to steer clear of strong chemical cleaning products, as these can cause scratches and remove the surface of the paint or uPVC.
A couple of times a year you should give your garage door a thorough check over. You are looking for any obvious signs of wear and tear that might indicate the door needs repairing, such as cracks and peeling paint, or rot if it is a wooden door. You should check the frame in addition to the door itself.
Also give the locks and opening mechanism a once over, check them for corrosion or damage, and lubricate all the moving parts alongside the lock and its mechanism.
