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Garage Door Balance Test

The balance test is the most informative thing anyone can do to a garage door, and it takes under a minute.

Close the door and pull the release cord to disconnect the opener. The door is now on its springs alone.

Lift it by hand to roughly halfway and let go. A correctly balanced door stays where it is put. It may drift slightly. It should not move decisively.

A door that slams down is under sprung: the springs have lost tension or are undersized. A door that shoots up is over sprung. Both put the load on the opener and shorten its life considerably.

The test also reveals binding. A door that is stiff at one point in the travel, or that needs noticeably more effort at one height, is catching mechanically, and that is a track, roller or hinge problem rather than a spring one.

Do the test with the door closed to start, not open. A door released at height with a broken spring will fall.