Garage door maintenance in Albany and the Capital Region
Most of the repairs we make start as a part wearing out quietly. A spring loses tension or a seal cracks, and the garage door keeps working until one day it doesn’t. Overhead Door Company of Albany has been repairing and maintaining garage doors across the Capital Region for more than 20 years, and our preventive maintenance plans are designed to catch that wear while the garage door still runs.
We are locally owned and based in Clifton Park, and our technicians are factory certified on Overhead Door™ products. They work on garage doors and garage door openers of any brand, for homes and businesses in nine counties.
The service people who came were professional, fast, and went above and beyond. Not only did they fix the issue we were having in the moment, they told me how to maintain the garage door so we would have fewer issues going forward.
Why garage doors need maintenance
A garage door is usually the largest moving object in a home, and it runs on parts that are under constant tension. The Northeast is hard on those parts. Freezing weather makes spring wire more brittle and can stiffen rubber seals, and wet snow and rain add to the wear. Rollers and hinges also dry out over time.
Most of that wear happens slowly, so a garage door can seem fine right up until a spring breaks or a cable frays. Regular maintenance lets you replace worn parts on your schedule, before they fail. The garage door industry’s trade association recommends a yearly visit from a trained technician.
Signs your garage door is due for a tune-up
Some signs are easy to notice. The garage door may have become louder, or started to jerk or shudder as it moves. It may lean to one side, or the garage door opener may strain as it lifts.
Daylight under the closed garage door is another sign, since the bottom seal has probably worn. So is a garage door that reverses for no clear reason, which often points to the photo-eye sensors.
If you see a gap in the coil of a spring, or a cable that is frayed or hanging loose, don’t wait for a tune-up. Stop using the garage door and call 1-800-688-4312.
What a professional tune-up looks at
A tune-up usually starts with the parts that carry the garage door’s weight. The springs and cables are checked for wear and rust, along with the bottom brackets they attach to, and the garage door’s balance is tested. A garage door that is out of balance makes the garage door opener work harder than it should.
The rollers and hinges come next, then the track, and then the moving parts are lubricated. The garage door opener’s reversing feature and photo-eye sensors are tested, and weather seals are checked before the cold sets in. When you set up a plan, ask us what your visits will include for your garage door.
On time arrival, Rapid diagnosis and fix of issue, along with tune-up of tracks and tension, sprayed lubricant on hinges. Excellent job so that the remote controlled garage door now works smoothly and reliably.
Setting up a plan
Our preventive maintenance plans are designed to fit your garage door and your budget. Call 1-800-688-4312 or request an estimate, and tell us how many garage doors you have and how often they are used.
For businesses
Commercial garage doors open and close many more times a day than a residential garage door, so their springs and commercial garage door operators wear out sooner unless they are rated for that use. A maintenance schedule catches worn parts before a commercial garage door fails during a busy day.
We maintain commercial garage doors and commercial garage door operators on a schedule that works around your operating hours. We also repair loading dock equipment.
Between visits
Some maintenance is easy to do yourself.
- Test the reversing feature once a month. With the garage door open, lay a 2×4 flat on the floor in its path and close the garage door. It should reverse when it touches the board. Then pass a broom handle through the sensor beam while the garage door closes, and it should go back up. If either test fails, stop using the garage door opener and call us.
- At least twice a year, spray a garage door lubricant on the hinges and springs, and on the bearings of steel rollers, and check your garage door maker’s manual for the type to use. Don’t grease the tracks. Just wipe them clean, because grease collects dirt.
- Leave springs and cables alone, and the bottom brackets they attach to. They are under high tension and should only be adjusted by a trained technician.
