A garage door gets used more than almost any other moving part of a house — often ten or more cycles a day — but it rarely gets a second thought until it squeaks, sticks, or stops working. A short seasonal checklist is enough to catch small problems before they become expensive ones, especially in a climate as damp as the Puget Sound area.
Every 3 months
- Look and listen: watch a full open-close cycle for jerky movement, uneven speed, or new noises.
- Wipe down tracks and check that they're free of dirt, leaves, and debris.
- Test the auto-reverse safety feature by placing a roll of paper towels in the door's path.
- Inspect weatherstripping along the bottom and sides for cracks, gaps, or stiffness.
- Tighten visible hardware — hinges, roller brackets, and mounting bolts — with a wrench, checking for looseness rather than over-torquing.
Every 6 months
- Lubricate rollers, hinges, and the torsion shaft with a garage-door-specific lubricant.
- Check the balance of the door by disconnecting the opener and lifting it halfway by hand — it should stay in place.
- Clean the photo-eye sensors near the floor track so they don't misread and stop the door unnecessarily.
- Inspect the bottom seal for wear from ground moisture, a common issue in the Pacific Northwest.
Once a year
- Have a technician inspect springs, cables, and drums as part of a full tune-up.
- Check the condition of the panels for rust, denting, or moisture intrusion at the seams.
- Confirm the opener's force settings are correct — doors that struggle to close fully often need a professional adjustment, not a DIY fix.
Sticking to this rhythm adds years to a door's service life and keeps small annoyances from turning into a Saturday spent troubleshooting. If your checklist turns up rust through the steel, a door that won't stay balanced, or panels that are visibly warping, it may be more cost-effective to replace than keep patching. Our online wizard gives an exact installed price for a new Hörmann door in about two minutes, with no obligation.