Garage door tune-ups and maintenance

A safe 10-minute monthly check

• Watch it run. The door should move smoothly without jerking or scraping.
• Test the reverse. Lay a roll of paper towels where the door closes. It should reverse on contact.
• Test the sensors. Wave a broom through the beam while it's closing. It should stop and go back up.
• Look, don't touch. Check springs and cables for gaps, rust, or fraying, but leave adjusting them to a pro.
• Clear the tracks. Wipe out pollen and grit. The Triad's spring pollen builds up fast.

Lubrication done right

Use a garage door spray lubricant or white lithium grease on hinges, roller bearings and the springs. Skip the inside of the tracks, because grease there collects dirt and makes things worse. Twice a year is plenty for most homes.

What a professional tune-up includes

• Checking spring balance and tension
• Inspecting cables, drums, and bottom brackets
• Tightening hinges, track bolts and brackets
• Lubricating moving parts
• Adjusting opener force and travel limits
• Replacing worn weatherstripping along the bottom

Making a noisy door quieter

The biggest difference usually comes from swapping worn steel rollers for sealed nylon ones, tightening loose hardware, and, if the opener is an old chain drive, moving to a belt drive.