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Dangers of Working on Garage Doors
 Safety Tips And Advice

Safety First! When working on a garage door or opener, and if you're not sure of what you're doing, don't mess around - call a professional.

Installing, repairing or performing maintenance on garage doors doesn't have to be a dangerous task. Many garage door repairs and maintenance projects can be done by the average do it yourselfer. But, you should know what to do and what not to attempt when working on them.

SPRINGS: When wound, the torsion springs take on the weight of the garage door. If these accidentally release they can jump like a rocket, carrying 400 pounds of pressure. Many people have been seriously injured or even killed trying to adjust these springs.  Before working on any garage door, be sure the torsion spring has a shaft that it's installed around to prevent it from breaking loose. If your garage door uses extension springs, they should have a safety cable inserted into them and securely mounted to the garage hardware or wall.

CABLES: If a cable is worn it can break and cause serious damage. Look for worn or frayed areas on the cable. These are installed from the bottom bracket to the springs.

GARAGE DOOR BOTTOM BRACKETS: Don't try to remove these if they are under tension or you're looking at potential risks of injury.

WINDING TORSION SPRINGS: Adjusting tension on torsion springs requires manual winding. This is dangerous and also a difficult job. Again, this should be done by an experienced professional.

GARAGE DOOR OPENER: Make sure the power source is turned off when appropriate while working on a garage door. You don't want someone accidentally activating it while you're working.

SECTIONAL DOORS: Keep your fingers out of the openings between the sections as the garage door is coming down.

For additional information, please see our garage door maintenance guidelines.