Some aspects of garage door maintenance can be performed at home – but you have to maintain a level of control and professionalism while conducting them – and if for any reason you feel less than competent, we strongly recommend hiring a professional. Of course, it’s a given that while these tests are being conducted, that nobody should open or close the garage door. As a general rule, garage door rollers, tracks, and hinges should be treated with a conservative amount of spray lubricant twice a year.

Visual Inspections

Stand inside the garage with the door closed – look at all the springs, rollers, cables, pulleys, and hinges for any signs of wear and tear. Check out if any of the cables are tearing or frayed, or if there’s any loose hardware. If you find any of the above issues, call a professional locksmith technician.

Door balancing

If you have an automatic door opener, close the door and disconnect the automatic opener. Try to lift the door manually – it should be able to smoothly lift up and stay open.

Force Setting

If you have an automatic opener system, push the opener transmitter or wall button to close the door from being fully open. While the door is closing, hold the bottom of the door with a wide open firm hand – if the door does not instantly reverse, and it continues to close, quickly pull away your hand and call a professional to repair the door sensors.

Photo Eyes

If you have an automatic door opener, make sure that it has a photo eye or edge sensor along with a reversing mechanism. While the door is completely opened, press the button to close the door, and put an extended object in front of the photo eye, interrupting the beam – which should cause the door to reverse. If it doesn’t reverse, close the door, and clean off the eye with a dry cloth – and readjust it if it is misaligned. Reopen the door and try the test again – and if the door still doesn’t reverse, call a professional.

Reversing Mechanism

With the door completely open, put a piece of wood in the center of the door opening where it would come into contact with the floor – activate the door to close- when the door hits the wood, it should automatically reverse by itself – and if it doesn’t contact a professional right away.