Spring is the perfect time to get your office, store, warehouse, or other industrial facility in shape. And while you’re at it, don’t forget the doors.
Winters in Sacramento aren’t terrible, but we often get a lot of rain, and that can make for some messy conditions, including mud, dirt and debris build-up. You’ll want to clean up fallen leaves, and anything else that’s blown in over the winter. You likely have high traffic through your facility’s storefront or garage doors, so you want them looking good as well as functioning at their peak.
Seattle winters are just as wet as Sacramento’s, with really humid air and a complete lack of sun that might help dry anything out. They literally call it “The Big Dark” because it’s always grey, overcast and drizzling. And when it gets too cold, you’ve also got road salt to consider. In both Sacramento and Seattle, winter water is a real risk to any building portal, whether it’s storefront doors and windows, overhead doors at loading docks, or even truck trailer doors on your drivers’ semis.
Spring is the best time to inspect, maintain and repair any type of commercial or industrial door, because you can reverse all the potential damage winter wrought on your facility. What happens if you skip a spring cleaning? Well, any dirt, debris, moisture or surface rust is left to wreak havoc on the moving parts of your storefront doors and windows or overhead doors. Then you’ve got to deal with unplanned commercial door repair when something breaks down. All of that is more inconvenient and more costly than just paying your doors some attention.
Spring Cleaning Suggestions for Your Commercial Doors and Windows
Beyond the basic cleaning, here are some areas to look at to spiff up your garage door, dock or any kind of storefront, industrial or warehouse entrance so it’s ready for business.
- Power wash the entrance. While we may not get the seasonal residue that snow brings, your garage area needs an occasional power washing to clean stains and dirt.
- Debris removal should be done occasionally, and spring is a good time to schedule this task. Check for cardboard, paper, plastic or any kind of debris that might have accumulated by being blown in or tossed. Make sure the tracks of the garage door are free of debris and operating smoothly.
- Scrubbing floors – even if they’re concrete – should be done now and then to remove oil, dirt, grime and any other chemicals or stains. It will not only look better, but also lessen your safety risks. You may want to hire an industrial cleaning firm to do a thorough job.
- If you have gutters, have them inspected and cleaned in spring to ensure rain is draining away properly and to avoid roof damage.
- Does your operation use chemicals of different types? Are they stored near the garage door? Go through the supplies this spring and make sure they are properly labeled and that lids are on tight. Make sure there’s no leakage or corrosion in containers. Store them in a place where they are likely to be secure from tampering and to minimize risks to your employees and the public.
Have a Professional Inspection Done by a Local Exterior Door Installer
Schedule garage door maintenance with your local consultants for exterior door repair and installations. You might use your commercial overhead or storefront doors every day, but that doesn’t mean you know all the details of potential areas for failure, or the early warning signs you may need commercial door repair. There are specialists for this kind of stuff for a reason, and your doors will last longer if they’re attended to by a professional exterior door repair technician. The technician should do the following:
- Check the door’s balance.
- Lubricate parts, including bearings and springs.
- Tighten hardware (nuts, hinges, bolts).
- Clean surface rust off any and all moving parts.
- Replace malfunctioning parts, including safety sensors.
Check with your exterior door installation specialist for more tips on garage door maintenance.