Homeowner Do-It-Yourself Tasks

Are you a DIY person? If so, look no further. We’ve listed some great Do It Yourself items to maintain and protect the largest piece of moving equipment in your home!

Check out your old springs: It is perfectly safe to check out the balance of your door and springs. In fact, it’s recommended you do this very thing! Look for anything that is broken or appears to be deteriorating. Release the garage door from the opener and attempt to lift / lower the door manually. No matter the size or weight of the door, your average individual should be able to lift/lower the door with relative ease.

Inspect your cables: Look for the cables on the left and the right side of the door. They run parallel to the vertical track. These cables loop over the drum along the shaft at the top of the door, and then attach to the bottom bracket at the corners of the door. Inspect for fraying or rust build-up. Especially in our area rust on the cables is common. Rusty cables break, causing the door to become stuck or crooked. (This can even damage the door!)

Safety Eye Sensors: All garage door openers manufactured after 1993 are required to have safety eye sensors. These sensors send and receive an invisible beam of light between one another. When that beam is “broken” it triggers the safety mechanism that reverses the doors closing motion. You can check these sensors in a few easy steps.

  1. Using some object (bucket, cardboard box, etc.) block one of the safety sensors. Attempt to close the door with the opener. The garage door should immediately stop, reverse, and the light in the motor should flash. The door should NOT close!
  2. Next lay a 2×4 (or some other soft-firm object) on the ground. Shut the garage door. Once the garage door makes contact with the soft-firm object it should reverse.
  3. Locate the operator safety sensors. They should be mounted to the track on the left and right side of the garage door no higher than 12” off the ground.

If these safety mechanisms seem to be functioning properly, you’re good to go! If they’re not, you may want to contact a professional.

Lubrication: The final thing you should do is lubricate the garage door’s squeaky hinges and springs. Do not touch these parts, simply lubricate them with a garage door specific lubricant.

If your garage door is in need of repair or a more in-depth maintenance, please do not hesitate to contact Madison Overhead Garage Door Services. We’re here to help!

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