Yearly Garage Door Maintenance Checklist for Old Homes

If you have an older garage door, do you wonder what needs to be checked regularly to make sure it stays in good working order?

Here is a list that explains the four main steps to ensuring your garage door continues to open and close without hassle, so it will work properly when you need it the most.

Step 1: In case of emergency or power outage

  • Is your door opener equipped with an emergency cord to deactivate the door?
  • Is there a lifting handle and/or step plate installed on your door?
Yearly Garage Door Maintenance Checklist for Old Homes

Step 2: Garage door system

Garage door:

  • Is there any section that’s damaged from being hit by a vehicle?
  • Do the joints between the sections close so that they’re weather-tight?

Spring system:

  • At first glance, are there any broken springs?
  • Do they have a lot of rust on them?

Hinges:

  • Is anything bent or twisted?
  • Are the screws properly tightened?
  • Is the lifting cable properly attached to the hinges at the bottom of the door?

Rollers:

  • Are any of them broken or worn?
  • Do they roll in the tracks (rather than sliding)?

Lifting cables:

  • Are they frayed?
  • Do they wind correctly around the reel located at the top of the vertical track?

Lifting the door:
The purpose of this action is to verify that the entire lifting system works properly. With just one hand:

  • Does your door seem sluggish or difficult to lift?
  • Does your garage door open in fits and starts?

Step 3: Garage door opener

Make sure beforehand that the door opener carriage is working.

Mechanical safety reverse system:
Place a piece of wood (2×4) on the threshold of the door. Close the door using your remote.

  • When the door hits the piece of wood, does it go back up?

Photoelectric safety reverse system:
2 boxes installed 4” above the ground on the vertical tracks

  • When you stick your foot in front of the photoelectric system, does the door go back up?

Wall control panel:
This is located on the wall near the door going into the house

  • Does the “open/close” button work properly?
  • What about the one to turn the light on and off?
  • And what about the one to disable the remote? (Push the button and try to work the garage door opener using your remote)

Remote:

  • Lastly, have you changed the battery in your remote?
  • Is the door opener antenna properly extended?

Step 4: Lubrication of the metal parts

Lubrication:

  • Have you been lubricating all the metal parts of your door opener every 6 months (before and after the winter season)?

If you don’t have time to do all that, remember that one of our Garaga Expert can do it for you or fill out the online service request form.

You can also print out the verification checklist in PDF format.

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