Once a month, look at the springs and cables, test the balance and the safety reverse, and check the photo eyes. Twice a year inland, or every three months near the coast, wash the door, wipe the tracks and lubricate hinges and open-bearing rollers. Once a year, have a technician check the springs, cables, drums, bottom brackets and opener settings.
Key takeaways
- Monthly: look at springs and cables, test balance and the safety reverse, and check the photo eyes.
- Twice a year inland: wash the door, wipe the tracks, lubricate hinges and open-bearing rollers. Near the coast, every three months.
- Never put lubricant inside the tracks. It collects grit.
- Anything on a spring, cable, drum or bottom bracket is technician work, however simple it looks.
- DASMA, the door industry association, recommends a yearly visit from a trained technician.
Most garage door failures give some warning first: a new squeak, a door that feels heavier, a rough patch in the travel. A few minutes a month catches those, and a yearly technician visit covers the parts you should never touch. Here is what to do and when.
Safety first: what stays with a technician
Read this before the checklist. Never unwind, adjust or remove a torsion or extension spring, a lift cable, a cable drum or a bottom bracket. Do not loosen or tighten the bottom bracket bolts or the set screws on the winding cones and drums. Anything attached to a spring, a cable, a drum or a bottom bracket is technician work. Never run the opener with a broken spring or a snapped cable, and keep people out from under a door that is crooked or jammed.
Your side of the job is looking, listening, testing the balance and the safety reverse, cleaning the sensors and the door, and lubricating hinges and open-bearing rollers.
What should you check every month?
It takes about ten minutes, and the International Door Association’s monthly list covers most of the same ground.
Look
From the floor, look at the springs above the door for a gap in the coil, and at the lift cables near the bottom corners for frayed strands. Check the rollers, hinges and pulleys for obvious wear or damage.
Listen
Run the door once and listen. Grinding, scraping or a new squeal means something has changed. The noisy door page matches each sound to the part behind it.
Test the balance
With the door closed and the springs intact, pull the emergency release cord, lift the door by hand to about halfway and let go. A balanced door stays put. If it drops or climbs, stop there: the springs need a technician. Lower the door, then run the opener once, and the trolley usually reconnects.
Test the safety reverse
Lay a 2x4 flat on the floor in the middle of the doorway and close the door with the opener. It should reverse as soon as it touches the board. If it does not, stop using the opener until it has been adjusted.
Check the photo eyes
Close the door and pass a broom handle through the beam. The door should reverse. Wipe both lenses with a soft, dry cloth, since a film of dust can block the beam.
What should you do twice a year?
- Wash the door. Clopay recommends cleaning a door at least twice a year with a mild, non-toxic cleaner or dish detergent in warm water and a soft brush, then rinsing well.
- Lubricate hinges and open-bearing rollers. Use a spray lubricant sold for garage doors on the hinge pivots and on the bearings of steel rollers, where the stem meets the wheel. Wipe off what drips. Sealed nylon rollers need little or none.
- Keep lubricant out of the tracks. It collects grit. Wipe the inside of each track with a dry rag and clear debris from the bottom of the vertical tracks.
- Check the bottom seal. Look for cracks, flat spots and daylight under the closed door. A gap is covered on the gap at the bottom page.
- Test the backup battery. Unplug the opener for a moment and run the door from the wall button. Replace the batteries in the remotes and keypad while you are at it.
What does the yearly visit cover?
DASMA, the door industry association, recommends an annual visit from a trained door systems technician. That visit covers the work you should leave alone: spring tension and balance, lift cables and drums, bottom brackets, roller and hinge wear, track alignment, and the opener’s force, travel limits and safety reverse. That is our tune-up and safety inspection.
Springs wear out by cycles, so a door that opens many times a day reaches the end of its springs sooner. The spring lifespan guide shows how to estimate where yours are.
How does inland compare with the coast?
| Task | Inland | Within a mile or two of the ocean | Who |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look, listen, balance, reverse, photo eyes | Monthly | Monthly | You |
| Wash the door | Twice a year | Every three months, plus wax | You |
| Lubricate hinges and open-bearing rollers | Twice a year | Every three months | You |
| Wipe tracks, check the bottom seal | Twice a year | Every three months | You |
| Backup battery and remote batteries | Twice a year | Twice a year | You |
| Tune-up and safety inspection | Once a year | Once a year | Technician |
Inland, heat and dust are the main wear: Santa Ana winds push grit into hinges and tracks, and summer sun dries out the bottom seal. Near the coast, salt air rusts springs, cables and bottom brackets, and Clopay recommends cleaning quarterly in coastal regions. The coastal maintenance guide has the full coastal routine, and the fire season guide adds a few checks before the Santa Ana months.
When should you stop and call?
- A gap in a spring coil, or a door that suddenly feels heavy. See broken spring and heavy to lift.
- Frayed or loose lift cables, or a door hanging crooked.
- A door that drops or climbs in the balance test.
- A door that does not reverse on the 2x4.
- Rollers that drag instead of turning, or grinding in the track. Worn rollers and hinges are a roller and hinge repair, and the quiet door guide ranks the noise fixes.
Across San Diego
In the inland valleys, in El Cajon and Santee, keep an eye on the bottom seal after each summer and on grit in the hinges after a Santa Ana spell. Closer to the water, in Pacific Beach and the other beach neighborhoods, switch to the coastal schedule and watch the springs and cables for rust.
Next step
Do the monthly checks yourself, and book a yearly tune-up and safety inspection for the parts that carry spring tension. If the balance or reverse test fails, stop using the opener and book it sooner.
Rather have a technician look at it?
We repair garage doors across San Diego County, same day in most cases, with the price agreed before we come out.
Frequently asked questions
Should I lubricate garage door tracks?
No. The rollers should roll inside the track, not slide, and lubricant on the track collects dust, sand and grit that make them drag. Wipe the inside of each track with a dry rag instead. Put garage door lubricant on the hinge pivots and the bearings of steel rollers, where it does some good, and wipe off the excess.
Do nylon garage door rollers need lubricating?
Sealed-bearing nylon rollers need little or no lubrication, which is one of their advantages. If yours have exposed bearings, a light spray where the stem meets the wheel is enough. Do not try to change rollers yourself: the bottom rollers sit in the bottom brackets, which are under spring tension, so roller replacement is technician work.
How often should I lubricate my garage door if I live inland?
Twice a year is enough inland, which matches the International Door Association's suggestion. Use a spray lubricant sold for garage doors on the hinge pivots and the bearings of steel rollers, and wipe off the excess. Within a mile or two of the ocean, salt air calls for every three months instead, on the same day you wash the door.
Does a garage door opener need lubricating?
Check the opener's manual, because it varies by type. Chain drives need the most attention, mainly chain tension and sometimes lubrication, while belt drives need little. Older Genie screw drives needed grease on the screw, but current Genie screw drives ship pre-lubricated, so a noisy newer one points to carriage or screw wear. Keep door lubricant off a belt.
How do I clean garage door safety sensors?
Wipe both lenses with a soft, dry cloth, as the International Door Association suggests, and check that each sensor's light glows steadily. Skip solvents and spray cleaners on the lenses. If a light still blinks after cleaning, the beam is blocked or the sensors are out of line, and the door may refuse to close until that is fixed.
Sources
- Safety & Maintenance, International Door Association
- Safety Tips, Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA)
- Garage Door Cleaning Tips for a Long-Lasting Finish, Clopay