Maintenance · 4 min read
What Garage Door Maintenance Can Homeowners Do Themselves?
Published
There's real maintenance a homeowner can do safely, and there's a short list of components that cause the majority of garage door injuries. Knowing the line matters.
Safe to do yourself
- Wipe the inside of the tracks clean — remove debris, but don't grease the track surface
- Clean the photo-eye lenses and check both are aimed at each other
- Lubricate hinges, roller stems, end bearings and the springs with a garage-door lubricant (not WD-40)
- Snug up visible hinge and bracket bolts if they've loosened — without over-tightening
- Check the weather seal along the bottom and sides for cracks
- Wash the door's exterior to keep the finish and slow corrosion
Two safety tests worth doing twice a year
Balance test: close the door, pull the opener release, lift the door to waist height and let go. It should hold roughly in place. If it drops, the springs need attention.
Reverse test: with the door open, put a roll of paper towels flat on the floor in the door's path and close it. The door should contact it and reverse. If it doesn't, stop using the opener and get it looked at.
Never DIY
- Torsion or extension springs — enormous stored energy, specialized tools required
- Lift cables and drums
- Bottom brackets — these are under the same tension as the springs
- Re-seating a door that has come off track
- Anything that requires loosening a set screw on a winding cone
Where the line really is
If a task involves tension, hand it off. If it involves cleaning, lubricating or observing, it's yours. That division covers almost everything.