Every 3 months, you need to check these 4 things on your garage door.

All by yourself, you can ensure that your garage door continues to operate properly. It’s not very complicated and only takes about 10 to 15 minutes of your time. Let’s take a look at 4 checks that are recommended to perform every quarter or season, to make sure the complete system continues to work well, especially when you need it the most.

Start with a visual inspection of the whole door

Begin with looking at how the overall door system works by placing yourself inside the garage with the garage door closed.

• Are any rollers looking worn out? Are they sliding in the horizontal track instead of rolling?
• Are the lifting cables frayed?
• If you have a torsion spring, located over the head of the door, is it broken?
• If you have extension springs, those place above horizontal tracks, are they distended or hanging down?
• Are the horizontal tracks in alignment or do they tilt away from each other?
• Do you see any screws or bolts that are loose and in need of tightening?

Is your garage door properly balanced?

This is an element of major importance to verify. In order to do it, pull down on the red emergency release cord, which will disengage your electric door opener. If you have a lift handle located in the second or bottom section, lift the door without using much force. Are you able to do it with just one hand?

If things are going smoothly to this point, place the door about 4 feet (120 cm) from the ground. Does the door remain in this position, without slowly descending toward the floor?

If the door is too heavy to lift easily or doesn’t stay in place halfway open, it means your spring system, which works as a counterweight for the weight of the door, isn’t doing its job. It must be inspected by a professional and, if needed, changed.

Is your MECHANICAL reversal system working correctly

Garage doors are equipped with two reversal systems for your safety and that of your family. First, let’s discuss the mechanical one. To check it, you’ll need a piece of lumber, like a 2’ x 4’, about 1 foot (30 cm) long. Open your garage door and place the board on the flat part of the threshold. Then press the control button to close the door. When the door makes contact with the piece of wood, it should reverse direction automatically.

If that doesn’t happen, then you have to adjust the sensitivity of the opener. Generally, the limit adjusting screws are found on the side of the opener housing. Using a flathead screwdriver, turn the screw next to the downward-pointing arrow counterclockwise a quarter turn. Retest the door by closing it again using the opener, checking if it reverses now. If not, turn the screw another quarter turn. Continue with this procedure until you find the correct setting for your door.

Is your PHOTO-EYE reversal system working correctly?

Now, let’s talk about the second safety system based on photo eye sensors. Starting in 1993, all electric garage door openers manufactured in North America had to be equipped with this type of automatic reversal system. It uses a light beam that crosses the full garage door opening and is not visible to the naked eye. The system uses two units, one on each side of the door, placed about 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm) from the ground. To ensure that everything is working properly, close the door with your remote, and while the door is lowering, pass your hand or foot in front of one of the two units, breaking the beam. The door must reverse its path automatically and open.

If that doesn’t happen, it means that one of your units is misaligned or there is a broken or worn out wire between the unit and the opener.

And if your garage door needs a good tune up or even to be changed…

Then just contact us at 1-877-794-4223! We can provide you with our “Tune-up” program to put your garage door system back in top working order.  If you realize that you should change your garage door or door opener, we can also send you a quotation by email, or even better, happily come to your home to explain the different door models on the market.

If you would like an idea of what a new garage door would look like on your home, use our Design Centre or take a look at our image gallery.