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(972) 222-2345
McKinney Overhead Door

Free resource

Garage Door Maintenance Checklist

A simple, homeowner-safe routine for keeping a garage door quiet, balanced and safe through North Texas heat and cold snaps. Free to print and share with your HOA, residents or clients.

Every month

  • Watch the door open and close. It should move smoothly and quietly, without jerking, scraping or grinding.
  • Test auto-reverse: lay a 2x4 flat on the floor in the door's path. The door should reverse as soon as it touches the board.
  • Test the photo-eye sensors: wave a broom handle through the beam while the door closes. It should stop and reverse.
  • Look over the springs (above the door or along the side tracks) for gaps, rust or stretched coils. Look only — never touch or adjust them.
  • Check that the wall button and keypad are out of children's reach and the keypad is working.

Every 6 months (spring & fall)

  • Balance test: disconnect the opener with the red release cord when the door is fully closed, lift the door halfway by hand and let go. It should stay put. If it drops or rises, call a pro.
  • Lubricate hinges, metal roller bearings and the torsion spring with a garage-door-specific silicone or lithium spray. Do not grease the tracks.
  • Wipe dust, leaves and grit out of the tracks with a dry cloth.
  • Tighten loose bolts on hinges and roller brackets. Leave bottom brackets and cables alone — they are under spring tension.
  • Inspect lift cables near the bottom corners for fraying or broken strands.
  • Replace remote and keypad batteries.

Before Texas summer

  • Check that the bottom rubber seal is soft and touches the floor along its full width. A gap lets in heat, dust and insects.
  • Look for warped or sun-faded panels on west-facing doors and touch up paint or finish to protect them.
  • If the garage gets very hot, consider insulated panels or an insulation kit.

Before winter cold snaps

  • Make sure the bottom seal isn't cracked. Brittle seals freeze to the slab and can strain the opener.
  • Springs break more often in cold weather. Note any new noises or a door that feels heavier than usual.
  • Confirm your opener's battery backup (if it has one) holds a charge in case of a power outage.

Once a year (professional tune-up)

  • Spring tension and balance adjustment by a trained technician.
  • Cable, drum, roller and bearing inspection and replacement of worn parts.
  • Opener force and travel limit settings checked against safety standards (UL 325).
  • Weatherstripping and track alignment check.

Stop and call a pro if you notice

  • A loud bang from the garage (usually a broken spring)
  • The door is crooked, off its track, or a cable is hanging loose
  • The opener hums but the door won't move
  • The door slams shut or won't stay open halfway

Never adjust springs, cables or bottom brackets yourself — they hold enough tension to cause serious injury.

McKinney Overhead Door
8720 Silverado Trail, Suite 104, McKinney, TX 75070 · (972) 222-2345 · mckinneyoverheaddoor.com
Free inspections and estimates · Open 24/7 · Emergency Service

Share this checklist with residents

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<a href="https://mckinneyoverheaddoor.com/garage-door-maintenance-checklist">Free Garage Door Maintenance Checklist (printable) – McKinney Overhead Door</a>