Look and listen monthly, test the reversing feature, and have a trained technician inspect the door once a year. Before the wetter months, check the bottom seal, rollers and track. Do the visual checks yourself. Springs, cables and bottom brackets are under tension and belong to a technician.
Why a routine helps
A garage door is often the largest moving part of a house, and it works every day. Small problems such as a loose bolt, a worn roller or a misaligned sensor are easy to fix when found early and costly when they are not. DASMA says to make monthly inspection and testing of the door and opener part of your routine, and to have a trained technician visit once a year.
Washington's Department of Ecology describes June through October as the historically dry months. That makes late summer a sensible time to do the heavier checks, before the wetter months arrive.
Every month
- Watch and listen as the door runs. Note any new scraping, popping, shaking or slow starts.
- Check that the door moves smoothly by hand with the opener disconnected. Clopay says an unbalanced spring can show up as a door that does not move smoothly.
- Test the reversing feature following your opener manual, and check the photo eyes are aligned, since Clopay notes they can be disabled when bumped.
- Look at the springs and cables for gaps, fraying or worn strands, without touching them.
Before the wet months
- Inspect the bottom seal and side weatherstripping for tears and flat spots.
- Check that rollers, hinges and safety equipment are securely fastened.
- Wipe dirt and debris from the track and the photo eye lenses.
- Clear leaves and gravel from the threshold so water and debris do not collect under the door.
- If the springs squeak or chatter, Clopay says that is coils rubbing, not a safety problem, and a spray-on lubricant can quiet it. Follow your manual for anything else.
What you do and what a technician does
| Task | You | Technician |
|---|---|---|
| Visual check of seal, rollers, hinges | Yes | At the annual visit |
| Wipe track, clean sensor lenses | Yes | At the annual visit |
| Reversing test and balance by hand | Yes, following the manual | Verifies and adjusts force and limits |
| Spring replacement or adjustment | No | Yes |
| Cable replacement, bottom brackets | No | Yes |
| Opener installation | No | Yes |
DASMA and Clopay both say springs, cables and bottom brackets are for trained technicians.
Quick answers
How often should I service my garage door?
DASMA recommends monthly testing by the owner and a visit from a trained door systems technician once a year.
Can I lubricate my garage door springs?
Clopay says squeaking from coils rubbing is not a safety concern and a spray-on lubricant can quiet it. Check your door's manual for what to apply.
What should I check before the wet months?
The bottom seal, weatherstripping, rollers, hinges and the track, and clear debris from the threshold and sensor lenses.
What maintenance should I never do myself?
Spring adjustment or replacement, cable replacement and loosening bottom brackets. They are under extreme tension and belong to a trained technician.
Signs to stop and call
Stop using the door if it is heavy, crooked, off its track, or has a broken spring or frayed cable. Do not adjust a spring or cable yourself. Never put your fingers between the door sections, as DASMA warns.
A door that fails the reversing test, or one that opens a few inches and stops, also needs a visit. See garage door repair and spring repair.
The yearly technician visit
At an annual visit a technician checks springs, cables, rollers, hinges, tracks, sensors and the opener, tests balance and adjusts what has drifted. Ask for a written note of what was found and which parts are worn. For how a Washington-wide insulated door choice changes upkeep, see insulated doors.
Where we work
Emil Garage Doors repairs garage doors, springs, cables and openers and installs new doors in Washington, including Vancouver, Camas and Longview. Call or send your details.
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Cities near you
We repair and install in these cities. Each page has local notes, prices and reviews.
Read next
Sources
- DASMA: Garage door safety tips (monthly checks, annual technician visit, springs and cables for trained technicians)
- Clopay: Garage door safety checklist (inspect, test the reversing mechanism, leave springs and cables to a professional)
- Washington Department of Ecology: Columbia River Basin outlook (warming, rain instead of snow, dry months June through October)