Garage door storm season checklist

Do this once in the fall, before the first nor'easter, and once in spring when the road salt is gone. Salt air and freeze-thaw are hard on springs, rollers and seals.

Springs first

• Look up at the springs: a split anywhere in the coil means stop and call
• If the springs are intact and the door is shut, pull the release cord and raise the door halfway with someone helping. A balanced door holds there
• Afterwards, run the opener up and down once so it latches back on
• A door that falls, rises on its own or feels heavy has springs that need service
• Spring winding is a job for a technician: don't loosen or remove one

Rust and moving parts

• Look for rust on springs, hinges and the bottom brackets, worst near the sea
• Use a garage door lubricant on springs, hinges and roller bearings, and keep grease out of the tracks
• From a safe distance, check the lift cables at each bottom corner for broken strands; never handle a cable under tension
• Run the door and listen: grinding or scraping means something is wearing

Seals and the slab

• The rubber along the bottom still bends, with no splits
• After wet snow or freezing rain, clear the slab so the seal has nothing to freeze into
• Weatherstripping at the sides and top keeps wind-driven rain out

Opener checks

• Lay a 2x4 flat under the door and close it: the door has to reverse on contact
• Wipe the two sensor lenses near the floor and check their lights are steady
• New batteries in every remote and the outside keypad
• Find the manual release now, and only use it when the door is closed
• Never let a car idle with the garage door shut