The two tests everyone should run

1. Photo-eye reversal

Start the door closing, then wave a broom handle through the beam near the floor. The door must reverse immediately. Federally required on every residential opener since 1993 — because doors killed children before it existed.

2. Force reversal

Lay a flat 2x4 across the threshold and close the door onto it. It must reverse on contact. If it keeps pushing, the close-force setting is too high and the door is genuinely dangerous — that gets corrected before anything else on the door is touched.

Never attempt these yourself

• Torsion springs. They store enough energy to break bones and release all of it if a winding bar slips.
• Lift cables. Under the same tension as the springs driving them.
• Bottom brackets. They carry full cable tension even when the door is closed.
• Putting a door back on its track. The door is unbalanced and heavy; people are injured levering these.

Genuinely safe homeowner tasks: sensor cleaning and alignment, remote and keypad programming, bottom seal replacement, and lubrication.

How do I test if my garage door is safe?

Run two tests. Photo-eye: start the door closing and wave an object through the beam near the floor — it must reverse immediately. Force: lay a flat 2x4 across the threshold and close the door onto it — it must reverse on contact. If either fails, the opener needs adjusting before the door is used again.

What garage door repairs should I never do myself?

Anything involving torsion springs, lift cables, or the bottom brackets. All three are under extreme tension and are the leading cause of serious injury in garage door DIY. Sensor alignment, remote programming and bottom seal replacement are genuinely safe homeowner tasks.

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