Keeping Your Garage Door In Shape

You want to make sure your garage door stays in great shape and continues to operate without problems for as long as possible. In order to do that, you need to pay attention to the door, and you need to do an occasional basic checkup. Each of the checkups will only typically take you about fifteen minutes or so, and you only need to do it about once every three months. If you perform the checks we discuss in the article below once during each season, you can help to make sure your garage keeps on working, and you can spot problems quickly, so you can have them repairs before they get out of hand.

Check the Door With a Visual Inspection

This is a quick and easy look at your garage door system to see how everything is working. Shut the garage door while you are inside of the garage, and then start to look at the various pieces.

You will want to check the rollers to see if they are looking as though they are worn out or damaged. Do the rollers slide in the track instead of rolling? Check the lifting cables to see if they have any fraying on them, and check the torsion spring to see if it is broken. Those who have extension springs over the horizontal tracks should check to see if they are hanging low, which is a sign of trouble. Is everything aligned properly? Do you notice any bolts or screws that have come loose?

Do You Have a properly balanced Garage Door?

It is easy to see if your door is balanced correctly. Simply pull on the red emergency release cord. This will stop your electric opener from working. Now, you will want to lift the door by hand and without much force. If it is balanced properly, you should still be able to lift and open the door with just one hand.

If you are able to lift the door, you will then want to let it go when it is about four feet up. Does the door remain there, or does it start to descend? If it is balanced right, it should stay in place. If not, or if it is difficult to open by hand, you will want to have a professional come out for an inspection. They will likely need to repair or change out the system.

Does the Mechanical Reversal Work Right?

Man closing a garage door with a switch

Garage doors have safety systems in place to protect you, your family, and your pets. One of those systems is the mechanical reversal system. To see whether it is working properly, you can take a short 2’x4’ and place it beneath the garage door at the location where it would touch the ground when closing. Next, close the door. If the system is working properly, then the door should stop and reverse as soon as it touches the wood.

If it does not, then there is likely a problem with the opener’s sensitivity. You can adjust the opener and then test it again until you find the right sensitivity for your door. If you are still not sure it is working properly, do not hesitate to get in touch with a professional.

The PHOTO-EYE Reversal System

kid toy under a closing garage door

Garage doors often have a photo eye sensor system in them, as well. In fact, since 1993, it has been mandatory to have these for garage door openers made in North America. This utilizes an invisible beam of light that covers the garage door, along with units on each side of the door. You can test this by closing the door with your remote and then waving a hand between the units on the side of the door. This breaks the beam of light, and the garage door should reverse.

If it doesn’t, it might mean that the units are not aligned properly, or that one of them is broken. You will want to have this fixed or replaced as soon as possible.

Tune-Ups and New Garage Doors

If you find that you need to have a new garage door, or you need a repair or tune-up for the door, you can contact us at 705-721-7909! We can set you up with the “Tune-up” program for your door. This will ensure it is working properly. If you find that you need to get a new opener, or you want to change out the door, we can help. We can provide you with a quotation by email, or we can come and visit to let you know about your options.

In addition, please take the time to check out the options for new garage doors with the Design Centre or our image gallery.

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