How often should you service your garage door?
Updated July 2026
Give your garage door a full service once a year — lubricate the springs, hinges, rollers, and opener rail, tighten the hardware, and check the balance — and test the auto-reverse safety features monthly (that's the manufacturers' and CPSC's standing recommendation, and it takes two minutes). The door is the largest moving object in the house and typically runs 1,000+ cycles a year; springs are rated for about 10,000 cycles, so maintenance pace decides whether that's 10 years or 6.
What changes the interval
| Your situation | Interval | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use (2–4 cycles/day) | Lube + tune yearly | Matches the ~10,000-cycle spring rating to a 7–10 year life |
| Heavy use (main entrance, 6+ cycles/day) | Every 6 months | Cycle count, not calendar, wears springs and rollers |
| Coastal or road-salt climate | Every 6 months | Corrosion attacks springs and cables faster than wear does |
| Auto-reverse + photo-eye test | Monthly | The safety system that protects kids and pets — CPSC guidance |
| Door feels heavy / opener straining | Balance check now | A door out of balance burns out the opener motor |
| Squeaks, grinding, jerky travel | Lubricate now | Noise is the door asking before it starts breaking |
The cost of skipping it
What skipping it costs: a snapped torsion spring is the classic failure — $150–350 replaced (never DIY a torsion spring; the stored energy is genuinely dangerous), usually discovered when the car is trapped inside. Let an unbalanced door grind on and the opener motor follows at $400–600 installed. Frayed cables and a failed auto-reverse are the expensive-in-a-different-way risks: the door weighs 130–350 lbs.
How to do it (30 minutes · DIY with a can of garage-door lube)
- Monthly, 2 minutes: block the door’s path with a 2×4 (or roll of paper towels) and close it — it must reverse on contact. Then wave an object through the photo-eye beam while closing — it must reverse instantly.
- Yearly: with the door down, disconnect the opener (pull the red cord) and lift by hand — a balanced door lifts smoothly and stays put at waist height. If it slams or flies up, call a pro for spring tension.
- Lubricate with garage-door lube or white lithium (not WD-40, which is a solvent): torsion springs, hinges, roller bearings (skip nylon roller treads), and the opener rail/screw.
- Snug every accessible bolt on hinges and track brackets — a year of vibration loosens them.
- Inspect cables for fraying and rollers for cracks by eye only — cables and springs are pro-replacement items.
Knowing the interval is the easy half. OnOtto reminds you at the right interval — and won't let you snooze it into next year. Tasks persist until they're done, and completing the yearly tune-up and monthly safety test schedules the next one automatically.
Put this on autopilot — free for 30 daysFrequently asked questions
How long do garage door springs last?
Torsion springs are rated in cycles, not years — standard is ~10,000, which at 3–4 cycles a day is 7–9 years. Lubrication (rust is the accelerant) and correct balance stretch that; extended-cycle springs (20,000+) cost modestly more at replacement time and are usually worth it. When one of a pair snaps, replace both — the survivor has the same mileage.
Why does the monthly auto-reverse test matter so much?
Because it's the system that keeps a 130–350 lb door from closing on a child or pet, and it fails quietly — misaligned photo eyes and drifting force settings are common. The test is two minutes: contact reversal with a 2×4 on the floor, and beam reversal with a wave of the hand. Openers made before 1993 without photo eyes should simply be replaced.
My garage door is loud. Which part is the problem?
Squealing usually = dry rollers or hinges (lubricate); grinding = worn roller bearings (swap to nylon-with-bearing rollers, a cheap DIY upgrade); banging on start = loose hardware or a worn opener trolley; a single loud BANG from the garage when nobody was there = a torsion spring letting go. Lube first — it fixes most of the orchestra.