The offer · $0 · no obligation
Free 21-point garage door safety inspection
We check all 21 points on the list below, hand you the written findings, and tell you what does not need fixing. It costs nothing anywhere in Greater Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky, and there is no obligation to book work afterwards. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes.
Why it exists
The problem this solves
Nearly every part that decides whether a garage door is safe sits somewhere a homeowner cannot see it: the drum at the top corner, the bearing plate behind the spring, the cable ends down inside the bottom bracket. When a technician says one of them has gone, there is no practical way to check. That gap is the reason this trade collects the reputation it has.
The only honest answer to it is to write down what we found, in order, including the items that were fine. You can take that list, put it in a drawer, and get a second quote against it. We would rather be the people who gave you the list.
Two of the 21 checks — the balance test and the safety reversal test — are ones you can then repeat yourself between visits, with no tools. We will show you how while we are there.
The checklist
All 21 points
Springs
- 01
Spring type and sizing
Torsion or extension, and whether the springs actually match the weight of the door they are carrying. Undersized springs are common after a door has been replaced without re-spring.
- 02
Spring condition and remaining life
Gaps in the coil, rust, and stretch. A standard spring is rated around 10,000 cycles; we estimate where yours is in that life so a failure is not a surprise.
- 03
Containment cables on extension springs
Extension springs must have a cable running through them so a break cannot send the spring across the garage. Older installations frequently do not.
Cables & drums
- 04
Lift cable condition
Checked along the full length for fraying, broken strands and corrosion — particularly at the bottom, where winter road salt collects.
- 05
Cable drum condition and seating
Grooving, chipping and cracks. A damaged drum saws through a new cable, so replacing a cable without checking the drum is a repeat failure waiting to happen.
- 06
Drum tension balance side to side
Uneven drum tension is why a door creeps out of square over the weeks following a repair.
Hardware
- 07
Bottom brackets
The single most safety-critical bracket on the door, because it is under full spring tension. Checked for rust, cracking and loose fasteners.
- 08
Centre bearing plate
Wear and play in the bearing that carries the torsion shaft.
- 09
End bearing plates
Both sides, for wear, alignment and secure mounting to the jamb.
- 10
Hinges
Elongated holes, cracks and loose fasteners. A worn hinge holds the roller at an angle, which is a common reason new rollers wear out early.
- 11
Rollers and bearings
Every roller turned by hand. One that will not spin freely is dragging rather than rolling, and it is wearing the track as it goes.
- 12
Fasteners throughout
Hundreds of cycles of vibration loosen bolts. Every accessible fastener on brackets, hinges and track is checked and tightened.
Track
- 13
Vertical track alignment and plumb
Including the gap between track and door edge, which should be consistent top to bottom.
- 14
Horizontal track alignment and support
Level, correctly angled, and properly hung. Sagging horizontal track is a common cause of a door that binds near the top.
- 15
Track condition and debris
Bends, crimps and packed debris. On sloped Cincinnati driveways the bottom track fills with grit that pushes the door out of alignment.
Door
- 16
Section condition
Dents, creases and — the one that matters most in this region — rust at the bottom edge, where winter road salt sits against the steel.
- 17
Weather seal and perimeter stop
Bottom seal, side and top weatherstrip. Cheap to replace and the difference between a dry garage and one that lets in water, leaves and mice.
Opener & safety
- 18
Balance test
Opener disconnected, door lifted to waist height and released. A balanced door stays put. If it drifts, the opener has been carrying weight it was never designed to carry.
- 19
Force settings
Up-force and down-force. Set too high, the door will not reverse properly on an obstruction; set too low, it stops for no reason.
- 20
Photo-eye sensors: alignment, height and wiring
Both sensors lit steadily, mounted no higher than six inches from the floor, and wired intact. Mounting them higher defeats their purpose.
- 21
Live safety reversal test
A solid obstruction placed in the door's path. The door must contact it and reverse. We run this in front of you before we leave.
Questions
About the free inspection
Is the inspection really free?
Yes. The visit, the 21-point inspection and the written findings cost nothing, and there is no obligation to book work afterwards. If the door is fine we say so and leave.
What is the catch?
There is not one, but the honest reasoning is worth stating: most doors we look at need something, and being the people who told you what it was — including the parts that are fine — is how we get the job. If yours needs nothing, that costs us an hour and buys a recommendation.
How is this different from a free estimate?
A free estimate is a price for work someone has already decided to sell you. This is a defined checklist of 21 items, run in the same order every time, with the results written down — including what does not need fixing. Every competitor in this metro advertises free estimates; the itemised written report is the part that is different.
How long does it take?
Around 30 to 45 minutes for a standard residential door, including the balance test and the live safety reversal test.
Do I have to be home?
It helps, because the reversal test and the balance test are worth watching — they are the two checks you can then repeat yourself between visits. But it is not a requirement.
Will you try to sell me a new door?
Only if the door genuinely warrants replacing, which usually means the bottom section has rusted through, several panels are creased, or it is uninsulated on an attached garage. A door with sound structure is worth repairing, and that is what we will quote.
Book the free inspection
Call (513) 276-2503 any hour, or send the form and we will call you back. No charge, no obligation, written findings either way.