A door that gets serviced does not break on a Tuesday morning
Roughly a thousand cycles a year go through the same six moving parts, and almost every failure gives you warning first if somebody is listening.
What a real service actually covers
The door gets run and watched. Then the hardware gets gone over: hinge bolts, roller brackets, track brackets, the bottom bracket, the opener rail hangers. A garage door shakes itself loose over a few thousand cycles and a loose hinge bolt is how a section gets torn.
Rollers get checked for flat spots and cracked bearings. Cables get looked at end to end for fraying, especially where they wrap the drum. Springs get inspected for gaps in the coil, which is what a spring looks like just before it goes.
Then the moving parts get lubricated with the right stuff. One customer described exactly this after a repair call: Tim Johnson fixed the problem, then serviced the moving parts with lubricant, and talked them through what good maintenance looks like. Their words were that the service was beyond expectations.
- Full cycle run and watched, up and down
- Hinges, brackets and rail hangers checked and tightened
- Rollers, cables, drums and springs inspected for wear
- Hinges, rollers, springs and bearings lubricated properly
- Balance test by hand, safety reverse test, photo eyes aligned
The one thing homeowners do wrong
Do not spray WD-40 on a garage door. It is a solvent and a water displacer, not a lubricant. It strips what grease is there, runs off, and leaves the roller bearings drier than they were before you started, which is why a door often gets noisier a few weeks after somebody sprays it.
Use a proper garage door lubricant, which is normally a lithium or silicone based product. Hinges at the pivot, roller stems and bearings, the spring coils, the end bearing plates. Not the track. The track is a surface the rollers run on and greasing it just collects grit.
If the door is loud and lubricant does not fix it, the noise is coming from something worn rather than something dry, and that is a call rather than another can.
The safety checks, and why they are not paperwork
Two things stop a garage door hurting somebody. The photo eyes stop it closing on anything crossing the beam, and the reverse mechanism sends the door back up if it hits an obstruction. Both drift out of adjustment over time and both are quick to test.
Lay a two by four flat on the floor under the door and close it. The door should touch the timber and go straight back up. If it stops and sits there, or worse keeps pushing, the down force is set too high and it needs adjusting.
Then break the photo eye beam with a broom handle while the door is closing. It should reverse immediately. A customer wrote that Steve was very helpful in explaining the operation and safety issues of a garage door system, and thorough in examining the door's condition. That is what these visits are for.
When to book one
Once a year is right for a door on a house that gets normal use. Twice a year if the garage is the family's main door in and out, which in a lot of homes it is, because that door is cycling six or eight times a day rather than two.
The other good times are after you buy a house, since you have no idea what the last owner did or did not do, and after any storm or flood that got into the garage.
It is also the cheapest visit we make, and it is the one that stops the expensive ones. A cable spotted fraying is a small job. The same cable snapping on a Monday morning with a car behind the door is a different day entirely.
Door due a service?
It is the cheapest visit we make and the one that prevents the expensive ones.
What 37 homeowners said
Every quote below is a real review, word for word, from our Google profile.
I have been using Entrance Masters for almost 2 years, and from the first encounter the service has been absolutely fantastic. I had been having the worst issues with my garage since the recent purchase of my home, and they have been there every step of the way working to try to figure out the issue. Ricky tried every cost effective option he could before just saying you need to replace the motor, which most companies would not have. The motor was replaced a week ago along with some other updates and my garage closes and opens as it should and it is so smooth and quiet now.
When our residential gate stopped working I called them for a quote. Ricky was extremely responsive (even though he was out of town). He quickly scheduled his tech to come out and within a couple of hours he had our gate working again. He also replaced sensors on a garage door that had not been working properly for a couple of years. Once Ricky was back in town he scheduled to come back and button up a couple of loose ends and bring us some much needed clickers for the gate. Fantastic experience, excellent communication, skilled workmanship, extremely reasonable pricing.
We interviewed two garage door companies. The prices were very close however we chose Entrance Masters Garage Door and Gate Co. after reading great reviews and because it was important that they are local. We had many questions and they kindly and quickly responded. Also the delivery was on time and install quick. We have planned for a garage door for 20+ years and they helped us make our dream come true.
Tim Johnson repaired our garage door today. He went directly to the problem and fixed it. Then, he serviced moveable parts with lubricant. During all of this he talked with my wife and I explaining the various aspects of good garage door maintenance. His service was beyond expectations. We have been caught before with service people and it makes you wary. Tim Johnson spoke highly of his boss and it means that we are going to mention Entrance Masters to all our neighbors.
Great service and very reasonable! After another company told me I needed things I didn't need, I called Ricky and he came out and not only fixed it but did maintenance too, all for under 200 bucks. Would definitely recommend to all my friends and family!
Our garage door looks amazing and Ricky provided top notch customer service. First he was willing to communicate via calls, text and email. This itself is huge. So many companies today want you calling the office and email only which slows production and communication. Next he really laid out all the options and explained them in great detail. Once we narrowed down to two, Ricky went above and beyond really going over pros and cons of both. The install went quick and on time just as he stated. A few days after install he shoots me a text to confirm we're happy.
Amarr Gold Dealer. Southern Ideal Door Silver Award 2023.
Once a year for normal use. Twice a year if the garage door is the door the family actually uses to come and go, because it is cycling several times a day.
A garage door specific lithium or silicone lubricant on hinges, rollers, springs and bearings. Not WD-40, which strips the grease rather than replacing it, and not on the track.
Usually a lot quieter, if the noise is dryness or loose hardware. If it is a worn roller or a spring on its way out, the tune up will find it and you will be told what it costs to put right.
Yes. Somebody looking at the springs, cables and safety reverse before you own it is a sensible thing to have done.
Lay a piece of timber flat on the floor under the door and close it. The door should touch it and go straight back up. If it does not, stop using the opener until it is adjusted.
Yes. Rolling steel and sectional doors on shops and steel buildings get the same treatment, and they normally need it more often because of the cycle count.
Tell us what the door is doing.
Most garage door problems are one part. Describe the symptom and we will tell you what it usually means.