Mount Vernon Garage Door Pros · Brant
Garage Door Tune-Up: preparing for the visit
Garage Doors · Brant, Ontario
Every morning the door announces itself to the whole street: a long metallic squeal as it climbs, a rattle at the top, and a groan on the way back down. It still opens and closes, but it never used to sound like this.
Worth answering before the call
Can you lift the door by hand with the opener disconnected, and does it stay up? When was the door last serviced, and do you have any paperwork? What brand is the opener, and is it a chain, belt, screw or wall-mounted unit?
What happens if a broken spring is found during the tune-up?
The door is left closed and not operated with the opener, because a door with a broken spring weighs its full weight and can drop. The technician explains what was found, shows you the break, and quotes the spring replacement as its own job, usually replacing both springs on a two-spring door so they wear evenly. The rest of the tune-up either waits or continues on the parts that can safely be serviced with the door down.
What is the balance test and why does it matter so much?
With the door closed, the opener is disconnected using the red release handle and the door is lifted by hand. A balanced door rises with modest effort, stays fully open and holds still about a metre off the floor. The springs are meant to carry nearly all the weight so the opener only guides the door. A heavy or sinking door means the opener is lifting weight it was not built to lift, wearing its gear and making the reversal system less reliable.