Effective Garage Door Hardware Replacement

All metal garage door parts get severely worn or break eventually. When they are replaced timely, there is no risk for other components to be affected. One of the major questions is how to ensure that the new parts will do a good job and last for a long time. This depends on their make. It is important for every homeowner to be able to evaluate the overall quality of replacement components accurately.

Focus on Strength and Durability

The material which the components are made from is the main factor determining how long they will operate for. In the past, you could get only galvanized garage door torsion springs. Now you can find tracks and other major components made from galvanized steel as well. These are more durable compared to their traditional steel counterparts. This is because the galvanization process gives them zinc coating, which provides natural protection from rust and corrosion. Thanks to its properties galvanized hardware is also easier to maintain. You will not have to worry about scrubbing the surfaces of the parts with rust remover.

The thickness of the metal sheet or wire is also essential for the strength and durability of the hardware parts. Thicker garage door tracks, in particular, are less likely to get bent or break compared to their thinner counterparts. Similarly, thicker hinges tend to do a good job for longer. There are two ways for the thickness of metal to be measured. It can be in inches. The higher the inch thickness is the better.

The thickness of components made from sheet metal can also be measured in gauge. This measure works in the opposite way. The lower the gauge is the greater the thickness is. For instance, garage door hinges with gauge of 14 are thicker than those with 16. In general, each gauge measure corresponds to a specific thickness in inches. However, the thicknesses are different for the different types of metal. Basically, galvanizes steel and aluminum with the same gauge are not equally thick.

Finally, you should know that even the strongest and most durable metal parts require proper care in order to stay in good condition. They must be cleaned at least twice a year. All moving metal components from the springs to the rollers require semi-annual lubrication maintenance as well.