Short answer: a few times a year, watch and listen as the door runs, look over the hardware, lubricate the moving parts, and run the balance and auto-reverse tests. Never adjust or loosen springs, cables, or the bottom brackets. If something fails a test or looks damaged, call a technician.
The steps below follow the maintenance guidance from Genie and Clopay, two garage door manufacturers. Your door and opener manuals come first, since not every model is maintained the same way.
Before you start
- Unplug the opener. Genie says to unplug it before doing maintenance.
- If you work with the door up, Genie suggests a clamp on the track under one of the rollers so the door can't slip down.
- Know what not to touch. Springs, cables, drums, and the bottom brackets are under extreme tension. Genie says never to adjust torsion springs or any fasteners painted red or marked as professional-only.
1. Watch and listen
Open and close the door and pay attention. It should move smoothly and fairly quietly. Genie's checklist says:
- Groaning or slapping can mean slack in the opener's chain or belt.
- Clicking or whirring can mean the springs need lubrication.
- Grinding or scraping can mean the door needs lubrication, alignment, or balancing.
- A slow door may be out of balance or binding.
Watch that the rollers stay in the tracks the whole way. For a full noise guide, see why is my garage door so loud.
2. Look it over (hands off the tension parts)
| Part | What to check |
|---|---|
| Springs | Gaps in a torsion spring, stretching, rust, or cracks. Look only. A broken spring is a pro job. See signs of a broken spring |
| Cables | Fraying, broken strands, kinks. Genie says to inspect only, since cables are under considerable tension. See cable snapped |
| Rollers | Cracks, chips, wobbly or worn bearings. Genie says rollers may need replacing every five to seven years |
| Hinges | Bent hinges or loose fasteners. Tighten loose hinge bolts |
| Tracks | Debris, bends, rust, loose bolts. Genie suggests vacuuming out loose debris and wiping the tracks clean |
| Panels | Dents, cracks, rust spots, or, on wood doors, rot and peeling paint. See panel replacement cost |
| Seals | Close the door and look for daylight around the edges and bottom. Cracked or brittle seals let in water and pests. See weather stripping |
| Opener | The opener and its brackets shouldn't move when the door runs. Check the power cord for damage |
North Carolina's humidity is hard on metal and wood, so rust spots on steel doors and soft or swollen wood at the bottom of wood doors are worth a close look each season.
3. Clean
- Door panels: Genie suggests a mild detergent with a soft brush or rag and a low-pressure rinse, inside and out.
- Safety sensors: wipe the lenses with a soft dry cloth and make sure their lights show they're aligned. Genie says the sensors should sit 6 inches or less off the ground.
- Tracks: clear out leaves and grime so nothing blocks the rollers.
4. Lubricate
- Use a lubricant made for garage doors. Clopay recommends a silicone-based spray or white lithium grease. It says to skip WD-40, which attracts dirt and dust.
- Hinges: metal hinges get a little lubricant where they pivot. Genie says not to lubricate plastic hinges.
- Rollers: metal rollers with open bearings get lubricant on the bearings. For nylon rollers, Genie says to lubricate only the roller stems, not the bearings.
- Lock: a little where it slides or turns.
- Opener drive: lubricate a chain drive, but not a belt drive.
- Springs: Genie says a light spray on torsion springs reduces friction between coils. Use extreme caution and keep your hands clear.
- Wipe off the excess. Extra lubricant attracts dirt.
5. Test the balance
- Close the door and pull the opener's release handle (usually a red cord).
- Lift the door by hand to about halfway open and carefully let go.
- A balanced door stays put. If it drifts up or down, it's out of balance.
- Reconnect the opener as your manual describes.
An out-of-balance door strains the opener, and Genie says a badly unbalanced door can be a safety hazard. Adjusting spring tension is a job for a trained technician. If the door feels very heavy or won't stay up at all, stop: that can mean a broken spring.
6. Test the safety reverse
- Contact test: put a piece of wood or a brick on the floor in the door's path and close the door. It should stop and reverse when it touches it.
- Sensor test: with the door open, start closing it and wave an object through the sensor beam. It should reverse right away. Genie suggests trying at least three points along the beam.
If the door fails either test, Genie says it must be repaired before it's safe to use. Genie also notes that openers over 20 years old may not have safety sensors at all. If your sensor lights blink or the door keeps reversing, see garage door sensor blinking.
7. Remotes, keypad, and backup battery
- Test the wall button, remotes, and keypad. If one doesn't work, replace its battery and try again.
- If your opener has a backup battery, Genie suggests unplugging the opener and trying the door. If it won't run, the battery needs replacing.
- Burned-out opener bulbs: Genie says some LED bulbs can interfere with remotes, so it recommends bulbs from the opener's manufacturer.
Leave these to a pro
- Adjusting, winding, or replacing springs
- Anything involving cables, drums, or bottom brackets
- Removing the bottom roller brackets, which Genie says are under extreme tension
- A bent track or a door that's off track
- A door that fails the balance or auto-reverse test
If you'd rather not do any of this, a professional tune-up covers the same ground.
Sources
- The Genie Company, "Maintaining Your Garage Door"
- Clopay, "Repairing Damaged Garage Door Sections"
- Clopay, "How to Properly Lubricate Garage Door Components"
- Clopay, "Why You Should Never Use WD-40 on a Garage Door"
Need help in the Triangle?
Found something that failed a test? Tell us what's going on and we'll connect you with one independent garage door company that serves your ZIP. Book a tune-up.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I do garage door maintenance?
Clopay says all doors should be inspected at least twice a year and regularly cleaned and lubricated. It also suggests re-lubricating every three to six months, or whenever the door gets noisy. Your door's owner's manual is the final word for your model.
How do I test if my garage door is balanced?
Genie's method: pull the opener's release handle, then carefully lift the door by hand until it's about halfway open and let go. A balanced door stays put. If it drifts up or down on its own, it's out of balance. Don't adjust the springs yourself; Genie says that's too dangerous without training.
How do I test my garage door's auto-reverse?
Genie describes two tests. Put a piece of wood or a brick on the floor in the door's path and close the door: it should reverse when it touches it. Then, as the door closes, wave an object through the safety sensor beam: it should reverse right away. If either test fails, have the door repaired before you keep using it.
Should I lubricate a belt-drive opener?
No. Genie says to lubricate a chain-drive opener's chain but not a belt-drive opener. Check your opener's manual for its own instructions.