From warehouses to firehouses, many buildings rely on commercial rolling doors to keep operations running smoothly. For any business that relies on rollup doors for protection and daily operations, overhead door issues can be a major setback. Maintaining your door can ensure you reap all the benefits it offers. You can prevent downtime through fewer breakdowns and extend the life of your door. Follow our five maintenance tips to save time and money on repairs and preserve your warranty.

Rollup Door Maintenance Checklist

Your commercial garage door has many moving elements requiring occasional attention and quick checks to spot issues before they worsen. Use these five steps to take care of your investment properly:

1. Take Safety Precautions Before Your Inspection

Before you get close to your rolling door's moving parts, remember to be safe. Wear appropriate work gloves, eye protection and other PPE gear, and stay out of the way of the door itself during inspections. Don't attempt to remove or replace any hardware during the inspector or door operation. Before doing anything to the door, disconnect the electronic opener. This step prevents someone from unknowingly operating the door while you are nearby.

Never leave the door partially open during an inspection. When the door isn't fully open, the counterbalance system can't work to hold it in place. It can cause the door to fall on you or another unsuspecting person. Likewise, never stand under the door while it is in motion or being serviced.

Do not attempt to make any repairs yourself. Overhead doors are extremely heavy, and individual components present their own dangers. If an untrained worker attempts to fix an issue, one wrong move can cause the door to come crashing down, potentially injuring those nearby.If you notice anything that needs a professional's attention, contact your local Cookson dealer to schedule commercial rollup door service.

2. Perform a Visual Inspection of the Hardware and Door

Once you're ready to begin your preventive maintenance, start with a visual examination, which can occur about once a month. Be on the lookout for rust, corrosion and breakage. Any place where metal rubs against metal has the potential to wear down over time. During your visual inspection, carefully check these components:

• Door curtain and bottom bar
• Brackets and fasteners
• Guides
• Hood and fascia
• Operator motor
• Chain drive
• Safety inertia brake

If any of the hardware components show signs of rust, metal filings, dents, bending, excessive noise or vibrations, misalignment, corrosion or breakage, make a note to have them replaced. Many components, including the fasteners, chain drive and guides, must be tightened if they come loose. Discontinue use of the door if any items seem damaged, and schedule prompt repair service.

On your electronic opener, check the gear for any signs of leaking oil. If you have an insulated door, look for any sign of damaged insulation or holes in the door that might compromise your building's energy efficiency. Plan to check the door's curtain and bottom bar once every week, and note any signs of damage to the slats, endlocks or bottom bar.

Finally, check the weather seals. They need to have a tight fit to prevent water from leaking into your facility and damaging your property. They also assist with energy efficiency. If there are any holes in the weather strip along the bottom of the door or it does not fit tightly against the floor when the door is closed, have it replaced.

3. Look for Signs of Poor Operation

If the door has passed your inspection, you can move on to opening and closing — also known as cycling — the door to see it in motion. While the door is in operation, observe the speed. Does it seem to be moving too slowly or too quickly? Remember that high-performance Cookson doors, like our Extreme 300 Series, Extreme 1024 Series and high-performance security grilles, move up to 24 inches per second.

Other Cookson doors should move at a rate of 8 inches-12 inches per second. If your door is moving any faster, or significantly slower, it's time to give your Cookson dealer a call. Stay aware of your door's movements during your weekly activities. If you notice any hang-ups, jamming or other issues that prevent a smooth operation, check for obstructions. If you don't find any, contact a service technician. If the door moves unevenly or appears to be bent, one of our professional technicians should handle your rollup door repairs.

4. Lubricate Moving Parts

On average, commercial rollup doors need to be lubricated every 500 to 1,000 cycles. The parts that typically need lubrication, including any mechanical components, such as the locks, chain drive, bearings, shafts and sprockets. One cycle means the door has opened and closed a single time.

If you use the door twice a day, you'll have to schedule lubrication about once a year. Most commercial facilities use their doors much more often. Your manufacturer may include how often you should perform maintenance and lubrication in your warranty.

Always follow your manufacturer's guidelines for lubricants. Many do not recommend products like WD-40, and instead recommend lithium grease or silicone-based lubricants. Using an unapproved type of lubricant can void your warranty. It's also important to top off the operator's oil as needed using synthetic motor oil.

If you have a Cookson door, your lubrication needs might look different. For example, our high-performance doors can go up to 300,000 cycles maintenance-free, thanks to their springless construction and self-lubricating anti-wear strips that reduce friction without the need for lubricant. For most of our regular and high-performance doors, we recommend you lubricate the chain drive, bearings and shafts of the motor operator every three months. Check what type of lube to use with your model, as some cannot use grease or silicone and must use SAE 30 oil.

5. Clean off Any Debris

A clean door is a functional door. Dirt, dust and grease can all inhibit a door's mechanics and make it slower or off-course. Be sure to clean the hardware and tracks regularly. It's also smart to clean the surrounding area. Get rid of any nearby leaves, twigs or dirt, as these retain moisture. When they come into contact with your steel rollup door and stay there for too long, they increase the door's likelihood to corrode and rust. 

Sensors are an often overlooked part of the cleaning process. Spots on sensors can prevent the door from working correctly. They can trick the sensor into thinking there's an object beneath the door and stop it from closing. Prevent this scenario by cleaning the sensors along with your door during cleanings.

Why Is Preventive Maintenance Important?

Adhering to a regular maintenance schedule for your facility's rollup door has many benefits for your business. First, it allows you to maintain your warranty. Although Cookson doors have an excellent warranty and are graded for thousands of cycles, we ask that our customers continue to perform regular checks to ensure the door remains safe and to catch any problems. 

Beyond the initial warranty period, keeping up with regular maintenance can significantly extend your door's life. The more proactively you care for your door, the more years you can get out of your investment. 

Regular maintenance inspections and cleanings prevent larger issues from forming and help you identify problems while they're still small. You can save money on repair expenses through maintenance and avoid paying for emergency services if a breakdown occurs. By preventing broader issues, you also reduce your downtime. You won't have to pause regular operations for a major repair or a door that won't budge.

One last benefit of regular maintenance is preventing the worst from happening. Commercial garage doors are made with thick, galvanized steel to be incredibly durable and are often designed to withstand high winds. These features offer many benefits and also make the door quite heavy. If the rollup door were to fail at the wrong moment, whether the sensors give out or a joint comes loose, it puts your employees and co-workers at risk. While we offer many safety features to prevent these accidents, they must be supplemented with regular safety checks.

Contact a Dealer for Rollup Door Maintenance Services Today

All Cookson dealers offer Planned Maintenance Programs and fire door testing services to our clients. We can help you develop a maintenance schedule that fits your company's needs and cycle frequency, and send trained professionals to handle any repairs safely. If you're in need of service or want to start your regular maintenance schedule to maximize your door's service life, find a dealer near you today.

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