Reading what the door is telling you
Doors usually warn you before they fail. B&D lists the signs of a broken spring: a loud bang, a door that suddenly feels far heavier or will not lift, an opener that hums or strains without moving it, coils that look snapped or stretched, and a door that goes up crooked.
Other faults are gentler. Steel-Line treats a roller door that won't stay up, rises loosely or crashes down as out of balance, which is a job for a professional to re-tension. On a sectional door, constant noise or a door that reverses just before closing can simply mean the tracks and hinges want a clean.
When a spring has gone
If a spring snaps, B&D says to stop using the opener straight away, because running the door can strain the motor, cables and tracks. Steel-Line's instruction for a broken spring is blunt: do not attempt the repair. Leave the door where it is and send us the job.
Garage door service in Perth: what each maker asks for
| How often | Why it matters | |
|---|---|---|
| B&D | Within the first 12 months, then at least every two years | It is a condition of B&D's warranty |
| Steel-Line | At least once a year, by Steel-Line or an approved service partner | Without it, Steel-Line says the warranty is invalidated |
| Gliderol | Roller doors every 24 months; Glidermatic Heavy Duty and Dual openers every 18 to 24 months | Skipping the opener service voids its 5 year motor warranty |
Between services
You can
- Clean inside the guide tracks every three to six months with a cloth dampened in mineral turps or methylated spirits, as B&D's manual suggests
- Keep oil and grease out of the tracks, where Steel-Line says it only gathers dirt
- Check the cables from a distance for any frayed strands
- Note when a new noise started and what the door was doing at the time
Leave to a door specialist
- Spring tension, broken springs and lift cables
- A door hanging crooked or out of its tracks
- Opener faults that a fresh remote battery does not cure
- A new power point for the opener, done by a licensed electrical contractor
Repairs around Perth
Coastal suburbs
Salt, sand and even sunscreen corrode doors, Steel-Line says, with rust usually starting on hinges, springs and tracks. A door near the beach is worth looking over more often.
After a big blow
Perth does get damaging winds: the May 1994 gales damaged about 600 houses in Perth, Mandurah and south-western WA. If wind has pushed a door off its guide rails, B&D says not to try lifting it back on yourself, as a spring or cable may have broken.
When the fix needs power
If the repair turns up a need for a new power point, a licensed electrical contractor does that part, and in WA their licence number starts with EC.
What we would do
If the door has been getting slowly heavier, say so when you tell us the job. B&D's manual says springs naturally lose tension over time, and a door specialist who hears that first comes ready to look at the springs as well as the opener.