Cold Ottawa winters are hard on garage doors — grease stiffens, metal contracts and springs work harder. A little maintenance in the fall prevents an emergency call in January.
Lubricate the moving parts
Use a garage-door-specific silicone or lithium lubricant (never WD-40) on the rollers, hinges, springs and bearings. This keeps everything quiet and reduces strain when temperatures drop.
Inspect and tighten hardware
- Tighten roller brackets and bolts that vibrate loose over time
- Check rollers for wear and cracking
- Look for frayed cables or rust on the springs
- Test the weather-seal along the bottom for cracks and gaps
Test the balance and auto-reverse
Disconnect the opener and lift the door halfway by hand — it should stay put. If it drops or flies up, the springs need adjustment. Then test the auto-reverse by placing a block of wood where the door closes; it should reverse on contact.
Book a professional tune-up
A yearly professional tune-up catches small issues before they become expensive breakdowns. DPS offers maintenance tune-ups across the Ottawa region — lubrication, balancing, hardware inspection and weather-seal replacement, seven days a week.