Do Garage Doors Require a Lot of Maintenance?

Garage doors generally do not need a lot of maintenance if you only open the door once or twice a day. But, if you’re a family that uses your garage a lot and you open and close the door frequently, then your garage doors will likely require more garage door maintenance than average. The climate you live in is another contributing factor. Extreme climates often make garage doors work harder which can lead to problems requiring garage door repair. Staying on top of garage door maintenance will help you avoid costly and unwanted garage door repair.

When is the best time to service your garage door?

To help keep your garage door in good working order continuously or to catch small repairs before they become larger problems, it’s important for a garage door professional to service your door at least once a year, though twice a year is more ideal. The best time to service your garage door is during the spring or fall. These time frames land just before the extreme heat of summer and the cold of winter set in. Regular maintenance is advised to help your garage door work well at all times and to extend its life and it's particularly important if you’ve recently had a new garage door installed.

6 Garage door maintenance tips for homeowners to avoid serious damages.

Your garage door is usually the largest moving mechanical part of your home. And just like all the other areas of home improvement, when you stay on top of its care, you’re less likely to run into major issues and often avoid serious damage to your vehicles, valuables, and more importantly you and your family. Garage door maintenance isn’t difficult, it just requires intentionality. Add a schedule to your calendar to inspect your garage doors regularly and follow these 6 tips. By doing so, you’ll keep your family safer and make life easier with a continually functional garage door. 

 1. Look and listen. Perform visual and audible inspections of your garage door.

Visually inspect all the components of your garage door both large and small:



●       The door opener

●       Drive belt (or chain-belt)

●       Metal tracks

●       Electrical connections

●       Dents in panels

●       Cables, bearings, and rollers

●       Hinges and springs

Check for signs of rust, wear and tear, and alignment. A carpenter’s scale can help check alignment if you happen to have one. Do not just inspect it while it’s not moving, but also watch and inspect it while it's opening and closing. Listen carefully as it moves up and down. Is it making unusual noises? Jerking? Do the cables and pulleys appear to pull in a uniform way?

Whether you have manual or electric garage doors; steel or wooden garage doors, it’s important to listen and visually inspect your garage doors. If you notice anything that seems off about how your garage door is operating – especially when it comes to broken springs or electrical and such, contact a professional to check it out. Taking care of smaller issues right away will save you time, money, and headaches from more complicated problems that could arise if not handled in a timely manner. 

2. Fix strange noises by tightening loose fasteners.

If your automatic garage door is squeaking or making unusual noises, it could be due to loosened nuts and bolts. Take a minute to inspect the nuts and bolts and tighten them. Be sure to not tighten them too tightly though. If nuts and bolts are too tight, they can cause other garage door parts to work improperly and lead to costly unplanned damages. Be sure to tighten them firmly, yet don’t force them. If you have your garage doors inspected twice a year, this is something your garage door professional will do as a part of preventative maintenance.

3. Clean, grease, and remove debris from the tracks and under the garage door.

At times objects and debris can get entangled in the garage door tracks or under the door and keep your garage doors from opening and shutting smoothly. Do a quick visual check to see if anything is in the tracks, whether wires, dirt, or anything else. If you do see blockage that can be easily removed, clean it out of the tracks. Always make sure to regrease the tracks to ensure smooth traction. If there’s anything blocking the door, remove it. If you notice broken wires or bolts, it would be wise to contact your local garage door professional to take a look for safety’s sake as there could be a more serious issue going on.

4. Disconnect the door from the operator and check the balance.

Check to make sure your garage door is opening and closing freely and can easily maintain a mid-position. Properly balanced garage doors will weigh between 10 and 20 pounds. Check to make sure your door stays in place without dropping or going back up. Disconnect the door from the operator (opener) then pull the garage door to about belly button high off the floor to make sure it will stay in place – not fall down or spring back up. Garage doors that are out of balance will wear down the garage door operator/opener more quickly, potentially leading to the dangerous situation of the door falling on valuables, a vehicle, or someone. Garage door maintenance by a professional will also check on this issue.

5. Adjusting the garage door springs.

The garage door torsion spring is a spring that’s generally found above the garage door and assists in the opening and closing of your garage doors. These springs are more dangerous to adjust on your own. If there appears to be complications, call a professional to handle the adjustment. Tightening and adjusting a torsion spring to the ideal setting requires experience, training, and the right skills and tools.

If you have extension springs (springs that stretch along the horizontal tracks), you probably can adjust the cable length to compensate. If you’re finding it difficult to get it to the right setting, call a professional. If you have a spring assembly that’s inside a shaft, such as TorqueMaster or EZ-SET, and the garage door springs are not visible, you will need to call a professional.

No matter what type of garage door springs you are dealing with, there is considerable danger involved when adjusting springs. You run the risk of a spring slipping and snapping. Unless you are a trained professional or extremely confident, avoid the risk of serious injury by contacting a garage door professional for garage door maintenance and repairs. 

6. Reattach the door to the operator/garage door opener and test the reversing.

Reconnect the door to the operator if it’s not already connected. Open the garage door then press to close it. While the door is closing, attempt to stop it by placing your hand or any object in the door’s path. As it comes into contact with your hand or the object, it should reverse automatically and open again. If it doesn’t, it will need to be adjusted. You may need to call a professional. Often people will try to force roller garage doors to open or close if the operator is not working. This is dangerous and could cause injury to you or damage to the system. Remember, the operator is mechanically and automatically doing what you would be doing manually without it. If you are having trouble with the doors opening or closing, the operator will be working harder. Forcing the doors open or closed will lead to the operator working too hard. If the operator has failed, it may be time for a garage door replacement. Contact a professional to evaluate your system. 

Regular maintenance and service from a professional garage door repair company can prevent major repairs and injuries.

Proper garage door maintenance can save homeowners hundreds of dollars in garage door repair jobs. To avoid costly repairs and an even more costly garage door replacement, follow the 6 steps above, but also be sure to contact your local professionals to do quality and thorough checks at least twice a year. Their years of expertise and experience in taking on all types of garage doors and models will keep your garage doors in good working order for many years.

Contact Door Systems today to schedule garage door maintenance! Door Systems is where you will find local professional garage door technicians trained to do the job right every time!