Garage & Garage door

• Use empty coffee cans or vegetable cans as garage tool holders. Remove both the top and bottom of the can with a can opener. Nail the can to the wall and insert your tools’ handles. Now the tools will no longer tip over when they are leaning up against a wall.
• Removing oil stains from concrete garage floors can be done with nearly any chemical or cleaner. If the garage floor is made of asphalt, the only safe remedy is to use detergent cleaner. Turpentine, paint thinner, gasoline and kerosene all dissolve asphalt and cause it to deteriorate.
• To clean soiled and stained concrete floors, use a strong solution of degreaser. Flood the concrete and let it sit for a few minutes, then scrub it with a nylon pad or brush. Use a squeegee to gather the muck into a puddle. Pick it up with a dust pan and dump it into a bucket. If the floor is really dirty, rinse and scrub it again.
• Concrete absorbs moisture when cleaned. Even after it looks dry, it is still releasing “sweat,” and that’s a bad time to wax, paint or mop the concrete. If you’re not sure whether the concrete is really dry, lay a rubber mat over it. If moisture doesn’t accumulate under the mat after a few hours, it’s OK to wax, paint, mop or otherwise treat the concrete.

A garage door is one of the largest moving objects in a home, therefore, it is important to keep it properly maintained.

• In order to prevent damage such as rusting, which is caused by foreign matter adhering to the door, the garage door should be wiped down with a soft cloth twice a year. Use a mild household detergent that has been diluted with water.
• To protect the finish of a garage door, apply car wax. This will help repel dirt and moisture.
• Check for broken or bent components, and lubricate all moving parts of the door with a dry lubricant such as silicone.
• Lift cables at the bottom bracket button and hinges. Lock hardware where surfaces turn or slide. Lubricate steel rollers. Do not lubricate nylon oil.
• Inspect the bottom weather seal on a garage door. This is called the rubber astragal. If it is cracked or broken, replace it by taking off the old gasket and installing or sliding a new one into place.
• Doors equipped with automatic door operators can cause serious injury or death if not properly adjusted and operated. To ensure safe operation of these doors, test the sensitivity of the operator’s safety reverse mechanism once a month. Here’s a way to ensure the safety reverse mechanism is operating correctly
• Refer to the owner’s manual of the garage-door opener for instructions on how to properly test and adjust the safety reverse mechanism.
• All screws and nuts on bolts should be tightened every six months. Make sure that the slide lock does not extend past the end stile of the door when it is in unlocked positioned.
• The door should open and close easily. With the proper adjustments, the door will hang into the opening four to six inches. If the door is difficult to open but falls closed, or if the door is difficult to keep closed, contact an authorized dealer to make the proper adjustments. Springs are under considerable tension. Do not attempt to make any adjustments yourself.