Maintaining your garage door’s curb appeal is no small feat. You need to stay on top of the overall condition of your garage door’s functionality and appearance, and failing to do this will lead to a drop in curb appeal and property value. One of the biggest killers of curb appeal and property value is garage door rust.
Garage door rust doesn’t only damage your garage door aesthetically but also in terms of its usefulness. The best way to avoid a situation like this is to take the initiative to prevent garage door rust. You can get started by checking out these six useful preventative maintenance tips to mitigate rust on your garage door.
Preventing Garage Door Rust: 6 Useful Tips
Rust appears on garage doors as a result of extensive exposure to the elements, such as snow, rain, and heat. Failing to address this environmental impact will lead to rust, especially if your garage door is made of steel. Thankfully, with these six tips, you can make a visible effort to prevent garage door rust.
1. Reduce Water Contact
Given that contact with water in any form is the number one contributing factor to rust, the first thing you want to do is reduce that contact as much as possible. The first way you can do this is to dry your garage door as soon as possible after a storm. You can also install drip caps along your gutters so the water runoff doesn’t hit your garage door. Additionally, consider getting weatherstripping for your garage door to further reduce water contact. This measure will not only reduce the chances of your garage getting flooded, but it will also reduce the extent of potential mold and rust afterward.
2. Lubricate With Silicone Spray
All the moving parts of your garage door are likely to rust without consistent and proper maintenance. Luckily, you can easily deter the onset of rust by lubricating the moving parts with silicone spray. Usually, these parts require lubrication at least twice a year or anytime you hear odd noises from your garage door when it’s in motion. This procedure will reduce the amount of friction between different parts, which will subsequently reduce rust.
3. Wash Regularly With The Right Solutions
Giving your garage door a thorough wash every so often will also help prevent rust. For best results, ensure that you’re using the appropriate soap or detergent for the material of your garage door. That way, you can avoid other potential problems with your garage door. Just be careful not to wash too roughly in a way that could ruin any protective coating.
4. Apply Rust-Preventative Paint Or Finish
Another way to go about preventing garage door rust is to apply rust-preventative paint or finish to your garage door. Even repainting your garage door can go a long way in preventing rust since scratches leave your door vulnerable to oxidation. Find the right paint or finish to add that extra protection, and you can either do it yourself or hire a professional to finish it.
5. Perform Regular Inspections
A simple garage door inspection can sometimes be the only thing standing between your garage door and extreme rust. Taking time to regularly check your garage door for any signs of rust is a great way to treat it while it’s minor so that it doesn’t get worse.
6. Upgrade To A Rust-Resistant Garage Door Material
Finally, if you’ve had enough of rust getting in the way of your garage door’s usefulness and appearance, consider upgrading to a rust-resistant garage door material. Wood, aluminum, and fiberglass are just a few examples of garage door materials that are less likely to rust. The question is, which garage door service is best suited to perform this upgrade? Luckily, if you live in Houston, the answer is Best Garage Door Repair. Contact us today; our technicians will do everything to keep your garage door rust-free.