Garage Door Repair

This is almost always a sensor issue. The two photoelectric sensors at the base of the door must be properly aligned and free of dirt or moisture. When the infrared beam is interrupted or the sensor bracket has been knocked out of position, the door reads a false obstruction and reverses. Cleaning the lenses and re-aligning the brackets usually resolves it immediately.

Standard residential torsion springs are rated for 10,000 to 15,000 cycles — roughly 7 to 9 years with average daily use (2 cycles per day). High-cycle springs rated for 25,000+ cycles are available and significantly reduce replacement frequency for busy households. Montreal winters can shorten lifespan due to cold-weather brittleness.

Cables fail from metal fatigue, rust and corrosion along the cable length, fraying where the cable wraps around the drum, or sudden overload caused by a broken spring transferring uneven weight onto a single cable. Cables rarely snap without warning — visible fraying or individual strand breakage are early signs to watch for.

Off-track doors result from a broken cable (which drops one side suddenly), a vehicle impact with the door frame, a worn roller that has jumped out of the track channel, or a bent track section. An off-track door must not be forced open or closed — it is a safety hazard and will cause additional damage to the door panels and hardware.

Every 6 months: lubricate all rollers, hinges, and the torsion spring shaft using a lithium-based garage door lubricant. Inspect cables visually for fraying. Test balance by disconnecting the opener and lifting the door manually to waist height — it should stay in place without assistance. Check the bottom rubber seal for cracking and inspect the weatherstripping on the sides.

Operating a door with a broken spring puts the full door weight on the opener motor, which can burn out within days. The intact cable is also now carrying unbalanced load and is at high risk of snapping. The prolonged imbalance progressively damages the rollers, tracks, and hinges. What starts as a spring repair often becomes a much larger job if left unaddressed.

An uneven bottom gap between the door and the floor almost always points to a broken or weak torsion spring, a cable that has come off its drum, or a roller that has exited the track on one side. Stop operating the door immediately — running an unbalanced door forces the opener into override and bends the bottom panel over time.

Yes, significantly. Steel springs become more brittle below -15°C and are more prone to snapping during the first opening of a cold morning. Standard lubricants thicken in extreme cold and lose effectiveness on rollers and hinges. The rubber bottom seal can freeze to the concrete and tear when the door opens. We recommend a pre-winter lubrication service in October using low-temperature rated grease.

Worn rollers produce a grinding or squealing noise as the door moves. Visually, look for flat spots or chips on the roller wheel, and check if the roller is wobbling or tilting inside the track bracket. Nylon rollers typically last 10,000 to 15,000 cycles before the wheel surface degrades. Replacing them before full failure prevents track damage.

Noise accumulates gradually from roller wear, dry hinges, loose nuts and bolts on the track brackets, and spring fatigue. Metal rollers amplify vibration through the steel track more than nylon rollers do. In most cases, tightening all hardware, lubricating every pivot point, and replacing worn nylon rollers eliminates 90% of door noise permanently.

Once per year for most residential doors in normal use. For high-use doors (three or more cycles per day), every 6 months is recommended. A professional service visit covers lubrication, full hardware inspection, spring and cable tension check, balance test, and sensor alignment — catching developing issues before they become emergency repairs.