If your garage doors are sticking as they roll up and down or if they are making funny noises, it's time to give your rollers and tracks a tune-up. Tuning up your roller doors is relatively simple, regardless of how handy you are, and all you need is a mallet, a level, a spanner, soap and water, a broom and some lubricant. Here's what to do:

1. Straighten your tracks

To see if your tracks are straight, hold a vertical level flush with them while the roller door is up and out of the way. If they are not straight, you may just have to tighten the bolts on the brackets holding them in place. In most cases, the brackets for roller doors are attached to the wall of your garage. Use your spanner to tighten the bolts on these brackets, and once they are tight, check the tracks again with your level. If they are still crooked, you need professional maintenance.

2. Remove bends and bumps

Once you have determined that your tracks are relatively straight, visually look them over to see if there are any bumps and dings. If you find any, use a soft rubber mallet to gently pound out these irregularities.

3. Clean the tracks and rollers

Your roller doors cannot move smoothly if your tracks are built up with debris. Use your hand or a broom to remove debris, Then, use soap and water to clean your tracks and rollers – to cut the grease use a strong dish soap or just use brake cleaner. If you have vinyl covered rollers rather than just metal ones, use upholstery cleaner on those rollers.

4. Tighten your rollers

Just as you tighten your tracks, you also need to tighten your rollers. In most cases, rollers are attached to hardware that is bolted directly to your garage door, and you can easily tighten these bolts with a spanner while your garage door is down. Once everything is in the proper spot, your roller doors should find it easier to move up and down.

5. Lubricate your tracks and rollers

However, in order to move smoothly, you need to ensure everything is well lubricated. You can lubricate your rollers and tracks simply by spraying lubricant on them. This task minimises friction, and while you have the lubricant out, you should also spray your roller door springs to keep them moving efficiently and quietly.

For more information, contact a company like Ian's Garage Door Centre Pty Ltd.

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