Garage Door Guides
Plain answers to the questions homeowners ask about their garage doors: what a sound or a blinking light means, what is safe to check yourself, and when to call.
Looking for a quick answer instead? Try the garage door FAQ.
Featured guide
How to open your garage door without power
When the power goes out the opener stops, but the door can still be opened by hand if the springs are working. Here's how to do it safely, and when not to.
Read the guideCity guides
- Aventura: permits for opener and repair workWhat the city's FAQ says, and who to ask.
- North Miami: king tides and the bottom of the doorSensors, rollers and the lowest section after tidal water.
- North Miami Beach: is your opener older than 1993?Dating an opener and why sensors matter.
- Hallandale Beach: flood vents in a garage doorWhat a panel repair has to keep.
- Hollywood: loose tracks in older garagesBrackets, jambs and who fixes what.
- Fort Lauderdale: the opener after a floodChecks before you press the button.
- Pembroke Pines: parts for wind-rated doorsWhy close enough isn't.
- Miramar: reading your door's wind labelIdentify the door before a panel is matched.
Repairs
- Can a dent in a garage door be fixed?Which dents come out and which need a new section.
- Why do garage door cables break?Wear, corrosion and what to do next.
- Why is my opener light blinking?What the flashes usually point to.
- Garage door parts, explainedEvery part, named.
Safety
- How to test your door's auto-reverseA two-minute safety check.
- How garage door safety sensors workThe beam, the lights and why they fail.
- How to check your door's balanceWhat an unbalanced door tells you.
- How to open your garage door without powerThe emergency release, done safely.
Coastal & storms
- Preparing your garage door for hurricane seasonChecks before the season and the storm.
- Protecting a garage door from salt airSlowing corrosion near the coast.
- Replacing a garage door bottom sealKeeping wind-driven rain out.
Upkeep & openers
- How long do garage door springs last?Cycles, wear and warning signs.
- How long do garage door rollers last?Steel, nylon and the signs of wear.
- How to make a garage door quieterThe noise and the part behind it.
- What size opener do you need?Horsepower and door weight.
- How to program a garage door remotePairing and clearing remotes.
- Who pays for a repair: you or the HOA?What to check before a repair.