Garage door roller tracks are one of the most important parts of a garage door because they help ensure that the garage door is able to smoothly move up and down. However, frequent use can result in garage door roller tracks getting misaligned, becoming rough, or wearing out. This can be a problem because it makes your garage door much less effective and, in extreme cases, can result in the garage door being dangerous to use. In order to reduce the chances of the garage door roller tracks wearing out or becoming misaligned, you need to get on a regular maintenance schedule. You should follow these steps to make sure that you are properly maintaining your garage door tracks.

1. Look For Rollers With Holes

The first thing that you should always look for are rollers with holes in them. These holes could be very small but signify that the roller tracks are wearing out. You will need to replace these tracks as soon as possible.

2. Clean Around Any Unsealed Bearings

If your tracks are made out of metal, there's a good chance that they will have unsealed bearings that keep them functioning properly. Take an old toothbrush and use it to rub around each of these bearings individually. The toothbrush will be able to knock free any dirt or other foreign particles that might have settled around the bearings. Use a rag to wipe away these foreign particles. Once the bearings are cleaned, spray them with a silicon lubricant until they are shiny.

3. Check All of the Nuts and Bolts

Then, go through each of the nuts and bolts individually and make sure that they are tight. If they seem loose, use the appropriate wrench to tighten them.

4. Clean the Tracks Themselves

Next, you're going to need to clean the tracks themselves. Take the toothbrush and knock free any grease or dirt that might have become stuck to the tracks. Remove these foreign particles with a rag. Continue until the tracks feel smooth and don't have any more dirt embedded into their surface. Once the tracks are relatively clean, spray them with disc brake cleaner to remove any particles that might have been left behind. Use a rag to get rid of the cleaner and any remaining dirt.

If you're concerned about this process, talk to a professional service that specializes in garage door repairs. You should have your garage door roller tracks cleaned between two and three times a year.