Garage doors need an annual tuneup
By Laurie Lucas
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

July 25, 2004

Listen to your garage door. If a squeak or raucous rattle has replaced its usual purr, it’s time to start thinking “tuneup.”

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Here are some safety tips from Clopay Building Products, the largest manufacturer of residential garage doors in the United States, and On Trac Overhead Door Co.: Check the hardware and opener every four to six months, says Roger Langdon, branch manager of On Trac in Temecula.

Make sure the door goes up and down smoothly when manually operated.

Make sure garage door springs are tightly wound and under high tension.

Make sure the bottom brackets aren’t loose.

Check cables for frayed or worn strips hanging loose on the spring system. Langdon recommends lubricating the parts with white lithium grease, available at hardware and auto supply stores.

Call for an annual door inspection for lubrication and adjustment. Langdon says the cost runs about $75 to $100.

The garage door’s longevity largely depends on its thickness. Langdon says typically, builders of new homes use a thinner grade of steel that needs replacing after about five years. Some garage doors come with lifetime warranties on the hardware.

Make sure the remote controls are out of reach of children.

Make sure the system has a properly working safety reverse system. That means, says Langdon, if the door comes down on a person, pet or object, the door stops and reverses itself.

Ensure that infrared sensors are mounted on either side at the base of the garage door. The legal requirement is no more than 6 inches off the ground, to ensure that even a baby crawling under a descending door will break up the beam of light and the door will reverse itself.