Commercial sectional overhead door repair in DFW

What actually fails

The six things we are called out for.

• Springs and cables The counterbalance is doing the work, and it wears by cycles. At commercial rates that arrives sooner than anybody plans for.
• Rollers, hinges and bearings Worn rollers mark the track, load the hinges sideways and eventually put a door out of true.
• Section damage Forklift contact, a trailer reversing, a dropped pallet. Often one or two sections rather than the whole door.

• Track and brackets A bent vertical track or a bracket pulled from the wall is what turns a bump into a door off its track.
• The operator Gears, boards, limits, and the safety devices around it.
• Bottom bar and seals A door that no longer seals at the floor lets in water, grit and everything that follows them.

Before you call

What to have ready so the estimate is right the first time.

• Opening and label Width between jambs, height from floor to header, and any model and serial number label inside the door.
• Clearance and track Headroom above the opening, room at each side, depth into the building, and the track: standard, low headroom, high lift or vertical lift.
• Operator type and age Drawbar or wall-mounted jackshaft, and how old. Entrapment rules differ for commercial operators made before and after August 2010.

• How it is used Cycles per day, long stretches held open, wash bays or chemicals, and anything added, like paint. DASMA, the door makers' association, says these affect spring life and door weight.
• What happened What hit it, and what it has done since. Clopay's commercial manual says running a door with damaged track could be hazardous; it says to call a professional promptly.

Rules and standards

The safety standards behind a powered commercial door.

• UL 325 and the operator label UL 325 covers electric door operators. UL says the model building codes (IBC, IRC, IFC) require automatic garage door operators to be listed and labeled to it.
• Photo-eyes and edge sensors They signal the operator to stop or reverse. DASMA says UL 325 requires a commercial vehicle-door operator made after August 2010 to close only on constant pressure or to use a monitored device. Photo-eyes sit no higher than six inches above the floor.

• OSHA OSHA's 2002 letter says no OSHA standard is written specifically for overhead doors. DASMA says an operator can meet OSHA's electrical-equipment test by being listed and labeled by a recognized laboratory, under UL 325.

Upkeep rhythm

What the makers say to check, and how often.

• Every month Clopay says test the operator's safety reverse monthly. DASMA's photo-eye test: block the beam while closing, then with the door open. It should reverse, then refuse to close.
• Every two months Amarr says lubricate commercial door weather stripping with silicone-based lubricant, not petroleum-based oil, which costs it elasticity.

• Every six months Clopay and Amarr both call for an inspection twice a year. Clopay's list: cables, spring anchors, bearings, rollers, hinges, track alignment, fasteners. Adjusting is for a qualified mechanic.
• High-use doors Clopay says high-use doors need lubricating more often. DASMA says springs are maintained to the maker's written instructions, which helps maximize cycle life.

Not this door?

The other commercial openings.