Canuck Door Systems

Basic Maintenance & Repair

When you hear the words “tune-up” and “garage” in the same sentence, you probably think of your car, motorcycle or lawn mower. But there’s a different type of tune-up, one that’s simple to perform and can extend the life of the “equipment” by up to five years: a garage door tune-up.

Squeaking and grinding noises, rough operation and poorly reacting safety mechanisms are sure signs your door needs attention. This article will show you how to maintain and inspect your garage door to ensure it will work smoothly and safely. The garage door in our example is a 16-ft.-wide steel door with an overhead torsion spring and automatic opener. Your door might be slightly different, but most of the maintenance steps described here will be the same.

We won’t show you how to deal with problems involving a high-tension torsion spring—the type mounted on a rod over your door that acts as a counterbalance and determines how much effort it takes you to raise and lower the door. These springs are dangerous. Some manufacturers, such as Amarr and Wayne Dalton, now have do-it-yourself–friendly systems that can be adjusted with a power drill. Unless you have this type of system and the instruction manual, hire a professional. Adjusting or replacing extension springs—the type mounted on each side of your door by the tracks—or the cables connected to them can also be dangerous and should be left to trained professionals.

You can adjust safety systems yourself, particularly the automatic reversal mechanism, but leave repairs to pros . Don’t take chances when it comes to safety.

Lubricate the hinges, rollers and tracks
Oiling the moving parts on your door will help it operate more smoothly and more quietly. Make sure to:

• Apply two drops of regular household oil (such as 3-in- One) in each seam of every hinge. Apply the oil on top so it can work its way down and lubricate the entire seam.

• Apply two drops in each seam of each roller mount bracket on the door, and a drop or two on the ends of each roller pin.

• Apply six drops of oil on the roller track. To ensure that all the rollers come in contact with the lubricated section, apply the oil about 1 ft. from the curve in the track.

Note: Do NOT oil the track if your door has nylon rollers; certain oils can soften, gum up and ruin nylon rollers.

After you've oiled all the parts, use the automatic opener to raise and lower the door a few times to help distribute the oil.

TIP
Wipe away any grease buildup on the rollers and roller pins before lubricating the door. Grease combines with sand and grit to form a sludge that acts as an abrasive and eats away at the rollers.

Check the door for balance
 

With the garage door in the closed position, disengage the door from the automatic opener by pulling down on the emergency release handle. Manually open the door halfway and let go. If the door is balanced properly, it should stay in the halfway position or creep down slowly.

If the door closes quickly or if you have to pull it down hard from the halfway position, it isn’t properly balanced and will overstress the automatic opener. Hire a garage door professional to adjust the spring tension.

TIP


Manually operated doors have brackets and locking tongues (one on each side) that are operated by cables connected to the exterior handle (see above). If your door has an automatic opener, remove the brackets; if these locks are accidentally engaged while the opener is trying to open the door, you could damage the door or opener.

Replace worn weather seals


The elements, age and rodents (who rarely use the automatic opener) can all take their toll on the weather stripping around the door, particularly the weather seal along the bottom. If you can see gaps at the bottom of the door when it’s closed, replace the seal.

Most metal doors have two channels along the lower edge that the weather seal slides into. To replace the seal, first use a screwdriver to open the channels on their ends (they’ve usually been pinched to secure the existing seals in place) and slide the old seal out. Wipe the channels clean, lubricate them with dish soap or silicone spray, then slide the new seal into place. This process is much easier if you have a helper.

Lubricate the cable connections and springs
While you shouldn't attempt to replace or adjust cables or springs, you should lubricate them:

• Apply one or two drops where the two cables connect to the bottom roller mount brackets. This is also a good time to check the cable for wear (see below).

• Run a bead of oil along the top of the torsion spring. The oil will eventually work its way down, coating the spring and preventing corrosion.

Check cables and cable connection points for wear
Cables can fray and break in two places: along their length and at the ends where they connect to the roller brackets and spring mechanism. Inspect your cables; hire a professional to replace frayed cables immediately.

Tighten bolts on garage door and garage track brackets


Tighten the bolts that connect the hinges to the door and those that secure the mounting brackets to the garage framework. Bolts on steel doors (like the one shown) rarely loosen; those on wood doors tend to loosen and should be examined and tightened regularly.

Check the safety reversal features



Today’s garage doors and automatic openers include several safety features. To check the safety reversal system, set a 2x4 flat on the ground centered in the opening as shown. Close the door using the automatic opener. When the door contacts the 2x4, it should reverse itself and open. To check the safety reversal sensors, start closing the door with the automatic opener, then wave your hand between the safety reversal sensors (photo above). The door should reverse and reopen.

If your door fails either test, read the opener owner’s manual for adjustment guidelines. If your adjustments don’t fix the problems, consult a trained professional to repair or replace the opener. If your opener lacks these safety features altogether, replace it.

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