Is your garage door safe? 5 quick checks

As a family-owned garage door company, we would rather you catch a problem early than wait for a loud bang in the middle of the night. Print this page or check the boxes as you go. Hours: Sun–Thu 7:30 AM–6:00 PM, Fri 7:30 AM–3:00 PM, Sat closed.

1. 1. Look at the springs (visual only)

   • What to look for: From the ground, look at the torsion spring(s) above the door opening, or the extension springs along the sides. Watch for a visible gap in the coils, a spring that looks stretched out, heavy rust flakes, or a spring that has clearly snapped.
   • What’s normal: Coils sitting evenly with no open break, and no dangling pieces. Springs can look oily or dusty — that alone is not a failure.
   • Call us if: You see a gap, a broken spring, or you recently heard a loud bang and the door will not open. Do not force the opener. See spring replacement.

2. 2. Check the lift cables

   • What to look for: Cables near the bottom brackets and winding drums. Frayed strands, unraveling wire, a cable hanging loose, or one side sitting differently than the other.
   • What’s normal: Cables that look tight, evenly wound, and free of broken strands when the door is closed.
   • Call us if: Any cable is frayed, slipped off a drum, or the door sits crooked. Do not try to rewind or tighten cables yourself.

3. 3. Careful balance check

   • What to look for: Only with the door fully closed, and with people and pets clear, pull the emergency release cord to disconnect the opener. Lift the door a short distance by hand — about waist height if it feels manageable — then lower it gently and reconnect the opener before you leave the garage.
   • What’s normal: The door feels reasonably balanced and stays roughly where you leave it, without slamming down or shooting up.
   • Call us if: The door feels extremely heavy, will not stay in place, or you are not comfortable doing this test at all. Skip this check if a spring already looks broken. Use the emergency release only with care — an unbalanced door can be dangerously heavy. More in our FAQ safety section.

4. 4. Test auto-reverse

   • What to look for: With people and pets clear of the opening, place a sturdy object in the door’s path — a 2×4 laid flat or a roll of paper towels works. Close the door with the wall control (not a remote if your manufacturer says otherwise).
   • What’s normal: The door contacts the object and reverses upward, or stops and reverses per your opener’s design. Always follow your opener manufacturer’s test instructions.
   • Call us if: The door does not reverse, keeps pushing down, or you have never been able to get a clean reverse test. Stop using automatic close until it is fixed. See California auto-reverse notes.

5. 5. Check photo-eye sensors

   • What to look for: Both sensors near the floor (about 6 inches up) facing each other. Indicator lights should be steady when aligned. Wave a broom handle or cardboard across the beam while the door is closing — it should reverse or refuse to close.
   • What’s normal: Clean lenses, steady lights, and a door that reacts when the beam is broken. No tape, jumpers, or “bypassed” wiring.
   • Call us if: Lights blink or stay off, the door will not close unless you hold the wall button, or someone has bypassed the sensors. Never tape over or disconnect photo-eyes. Opener help: opener repair.

While you’re looking: rollers, tracks & hardware

Listen for new grinding, scraping, or popping. Look for rollers with flat spots, loose hinges or brackets, and tracks that look bent or rubbing the door. New noises and visible wear are good reasons to schedule service before a small issue becomes a stuck door. See door repair.

Battery backup note (California)

Under Health and Safety Code section 19892 (SB 969), on or after July 1, 2019, residential automatic garage door openers manufactured for sale, sold, offered for sale, or installed in California must have a battery backup function that keeps the opener operational during an electrical outage. This is general information, not legal advice. If your opener has no backup and the power is out, use the emergency release only with care — the door can be heavy. Full summary and official links: FAQ — battery backup.