Maintaining Commercial Sectional Doors

In order to maintain a safe working environment and keep your operation running, Clopay® recommends routine maintenance and inspection of your commercial overhead door.

Warnings

Door springs, cables, brackets, and other hardware attached to the springs, are under very high tension and, if handled improperly, can cause serious injury or death. Only a qualified professional following the manufacturer's instructions should adjust them. Do not attempt to repair or adjust the torsion springs yourself.

Never remove, adjust or loosen the red headed fasteners on the bottom brackets of the door. These brackets are connected to the spring by the lift cable and are under extreme tension.

Inspection (quarterly or every 5000 cycles)

Visually inspect the door springs, cables, rollers, pulleys, and other hardware for signs of wear.

Some things to look for include:

  • fraying cables
  • tearing or bent hinges
  • loose bolts or screws
  • excessive roller wear
  • rusty or dry or broken springs

If you suspect problems, have a Clopay dealer make repairs.

Lubrication (quarterly or every 5000 cycles)

Lubricate moving parts of the door including hinges, rollers and springs with “garage door lube” by P.B. Blaster or similar product. Ensure torsion springs are adequately lubricated. However, be sure not to over lubricate components as this may cause dripping or seepage onto other surfaces. For high cycle applications, grease end bearing plates.

Check Operation (Annually)

Motor operated – disengage the opener arm (trolley) or emergency release (jack shaft) and operate the door manually. This will ensure all door components are functioning properly, which reduces wear and tear on the opener.

To operate your door, make sure your lock is disengaged and raise the door to the open position. To close the door, pull down on the rope, step on the step plate to ensure the door is completely closed, and engage the locking mechanism.

You should be able to lift the door smoothly and with little resistance. It should stay open around three or four feet above the floor. If it does not, it is out of adjustment. Have it adjusted by a qualified Clopay service dealer.

Finally, re-engage opener and test / reset limit switch and reset / adjust friction clutch if applicable. Test safety features of the opener to ensure safety equipment such as photo eyes or bottom edges are functioning properly.

Clopay commercial dealers are equipped to service any brand of sectional overhead door products. To locate a dealer near you, click here.