A garage door inspection is a great way to ensure your garage door remains in excellent shape. By performing this task, you can take preventative measures against potential problems and avoid paying for serious repairs or replacements. The idea of a garage door inspection might feel overwhelming and nearly impossible to complete. Luckily, you can use this garage door inspection guide to help you get through each garage door inspection component individually. Hopefully, this guide will reduce any ongoing stress about completing this vital task.
How To Use This Garage Door Inspection Guide
A garage door inspection involves examining many parts of your garage door, and this guide breaks down each component to make it less daunting. When using this guide, focus on one part at a time and treat it as a checklist. Without further ado, here is your guide to performing your own garage door inspection.
Part One: Garage Door Sensors
The first part of your inspection involves examining the sensor photo-eyes. Are they clean and clear? Are they aligned and securely attached? Do they work properly? To answer these questions, check the alignment and attachment of the sensors before opening your garage door.
Once opened, place an object that is taller than six inches in the line of sight of the photo-eyes right below the garage door, blocking them. When you close the garage door, pay attention to whether or not it proceeds to close all the way. You can check garage door sensors off your inspection list if it doesn’t close.
Part Two: Auto-Reversal
The next item on your inspection checklist is to check the auto-reversal function. The difference between this part and the first one is that this step requires a smaller object that doesn’t interfere with the sensors. This is meant to test the ability of the garage door to stop and reverse back into an opening position. For this part, you follow the same steps as before, except, instead, you’ll use a one-and-a-half-inch tall object to test the auto-reversal. If the garage door stops and goes back to staying open, you can move on to the next part of your garage door inspection.
Part Four: Door Balance (Plus Track And Rollers)
One of the most important parts of your garage door to inspect is its balance. This component should actually be tested on a monthly basis. This part is also an opportunity to check on the track and rollers. Check the balance of your garage door by disconnecting it from the opener so it’s on manual mode, then open and close the door.
Make sure the door stays on the tracks and moves smoothly and evenly. As you open and close the garage door, look out for any signs of rust or wear and tear on the tracks. If the garage door isn’t able to stay halfway open or closed when moving it to the halfway position, you’ll need a professional to do further work. As for the rollers, check that they stay on the tracks and have no signs of damage or wear and tear.
Part Five: Springs And Cables
You’ll want to check on the springs and cables next. Start by listening for any unusual noises from your garage door, then check your springs and cables for wear and tear or breaks. If you notice that either of these parts has sustained damage that lubrication cannot fix, reach out to a professional to set them right.
Part Six: Weatherstripping
The last part of a basic garage door inspection involves checking to see if the weather stripping needs changing. For this, you’ll need to close your garage door and see if any light seeps through the parts where there’s weatherstripping. If any light comes through, it’s time to replace the weatherstripping. Also, check to see if there’s any wear or tear. If so, then it’s also time to replace it.
Our Technicians Will Perform A Thorough Garage Door Inspection!
Hopefully, this introductory guide to performing a garage door inspection has eased any previous stress about completing one yourself. However, it’s all right if you’d rather leave this task to a garage door technician. If you live in Cypress, all you need to do is contact us at Overhead Garage Door Repair Cypress, and we’ll send one of our technicians to inspect your garage door as soon as possible.