The garage door is typically the largest moving part in your
home and is probably used every day. With normal use, parts
can wear out and break, creating potential safety problems.
There are a few light maintenance duties and inspections a
mechanically inclined person can perform to ensure maximum
safety and increase the life of their door.
Check the rollers, hinges and safety devices to be sure they
are fastened securely and in proper working order.
Check the balance of the door by lifting it a few feet off
the ground and releasing. The door should not travel more
than a couple of inches in either direction. If the door
drops to the ground then your springs either need adjusting
or replacing. When operated manually a garage door should go
up and down smoothly.
In the event of spring failure extension springs can cause
severe damage if they are not contained. If the door’s
springs don’t already have safety cables installed, now
would be a good time to get them installed. Remember even
the highest quality springs eventually wear and break.
Replace springs if they show signs of wear such as uneven
gaps between the coils, bent or damaged ends.
Inspect the cables for fray. Replace frayed cables
immediately. Check the pulleys for nicks or excessive wear
that can cause damage to the cable. Replace worn pulleys if
necessary.
Verify that the tracks are level and plumb. Tracks should
line up parallel to the door sections without binding.
Ensure that the lag screws securing the track brackets to
the jambs are secure. Replace bent, missing or rusted lags
immediately.
Tighten all hinge and bracket screws, bear in mind that
garage door bottom brackets are under extreme tension when
the door is closed and can cause serious injury if
accidentally or deliberately loosened or removed. Replace
bent or broken hinges. Check the door’s rollers for
excessive wobble and replace as necessary.
All garage door openers manufactured and installed after
1991 are required by law to have a reversing mechanism.
Garage door openers manufactured and installed after 1993
are required to have photo eyes connected at the bottom of
the track to trigger the reverse mechanism when an infrared
beam is broken. A defective or improperly adjusted reversing
mechanism on your garage door opener could cause damage,
injury and possibly death. Check your door opener regularly
to be sure that the reversing mechanism is in proper working
order.
Lubricate rollers, hinge pivots, pulleys, torsion spring
coils, bearings and the electric opener chain and sprockets.
With periodic inspections and maintenance the average garage
door can safely provide many years of trouble free performance.
About the Author
Richard Aquino has been selling and installing replacement garage door parts since 1982. Visit Bargain Enterprises at http://www.garage-door-hardware.com for residential, commercial and industrial garage door and electic opener parts and accessories.