How often should a garage door be serviced?
Rinse road salt off the lower door and brackets each spring, lubricate springs, hinges and roller bearings twice a year, treat the bottom seal before winter, and keep the threshold clear. Test the balance and the safety reverse, and leave spring and cable work to a technician.
A garage door has a lot of moving parts and very few people look at them until something breaks. These seven habits take little time and catch most problems while they are still small. They are written with Penn Township's hills, salt and winters in mind.
Habit 1: rinse off the salt every spring
Road salt rides into the garage on your car all winter and settles along the floor. In spring, hose down the bottom of the door, the lower track brackets and the cable ends where they attach. Let them dry. This one step does more than anything else to slow rust on the parts closest to the ground.
Habit 2: lubricate twice a year
In late fall and again in spring, apply a garage door lubricant to the springs, the hinge pivots and the bearings in the rollers. Use a light coat. Do not put grease inside the tracks, because it collects grit and makes the rollers skid.
Habit 3: treat the bottom seal before winter
Wipe the rubber bottom seal clean and mist it with silicone in late fall. It is less likely to freeze to the floor. If the seal is cracked, flattened or torn, replace it before the cold arrives.
Habit 4: keep the threshold clear
After snow or a thaw, clear the area in front of and under the door. On a sloped driveway, water runs toward the garage, and anything left there will freeze against the seal overnight.
Habit 5: check the balance
Once or twice a year, close the door, pull the release cord and lift it by hand to about halfway. It should stay put. If it drops or rises, the springs need a technician. A door out of balance overworks the opener and wears it out early. Reconnect the opener when you finish.
Habit 6: test the safety reverse
Lay a short piece of wood flat on the floor where the door closes. Run the door down. It should touch the wood and go back up. Also wave a broom handle through the sensor beam as it closes. The door should reverse. If it does not, call. This is the feature that protects children and pets.
Habit 7: listen for changes
Under-house garages carry sound into the home, so you will hear trouble early. A new grinding, scraping or popping noise means something is wearing. Rollers that clatter can be swapped for nylon ones. A chain drive that has grown louder may be due for adjustment or replacement.
Leave these to a technician
Springs, cables and the bottom brackets are under heavy tension. Do not adjust or remove them yourself. If any of these checks finds a problem, call (724) 634-4887. Going by our posted prices, an opener diagnosis with a minor fix is $125 to $245.
More help: garage door opener repair and garage door repair in Penn. You might also like Why Springs Snap on Cold Penn Mornings.
Reference: the CPSC's garage-door safety notes (manufacturer / safety source).