Having access to an enclosed garage makes it possible to secure your vehicle and other personal items from theft and the element. An automatic garage door helps to make access to your garage easier, but these doors can break down if they are not cared for properly.

Here are three tips that you can use to help you tune-up your garage door in the future.

1. Replace worn roller bearings.

As your garage door is opened and closed each day, it travels along a roller track. This roller track comes equipped with bearings that help move your garage door along the track safely. Over time, unsealed bearings can begin to wear out. A garage door that rattles or makes excessive noise during opening and closing usually needs to have the bearings replaced.

Contact a garage door professional to purchase nylon rollers with sealed bearings to replace your existing steel bearings. Since the sealed bearings in nylon rollers don't need to be oiled regularly, you can reduce the amount of maintenance required to keep your garage door in working condition.

2. Check the chain drive tension.

Many garage systems rely on a chain drive system to create the tension needed to open and close a heavy garage door. If the tension in the chain drive system is not correct, your garage door could come crashing down unexpectedly.

If you have a T-Rail garage door opener system, your chain should be one-half inch above the base of the rail at its midpoint. If your garage door relies on a Square Rail system, then your chain should only be one-quarter inch above the rail at its midpoint.

Checking the chain drive tension in your garage door regularly, and making adjustments as needed, can help you prevent additional damage to your door or injury to yourself in the future.

3. Replace a worn astragal.

If the astragal (the rubber seal that runs along the bottom of your garage door) is cracked or damaged, your garage door will not be as energy efficient as it could be. You should take the time to inspect your astragal, and install a replacement if the existing seal is worn.

You can purchase a replacement astragal from your garage door dealer, but be sure that you invest in a seal that is at least six inches longer than the length of your door. This will give you enough excess to seal the ends of the astragal into your garage door track.

Giving your garage door a tune-up can be a great way to spot minor repairs that need to be made before they turn into serious problems. If you find these tasks a little overwhelming or have a more pressing garage problem on your hands, contact a local garage repair company, such as SMARR GARAGE DOOR.