What a door maintenance program should record for every door
The short version
A good door maintenance record gives every door its own ID and history. For each visit it should note the date, door type and size, the condition of springs, cables, rollers, hinges, track and seals, the balance and safety reverse test results, what was adjusted or replaced, and what still needs repair. Kept door by door, those records show which doors are wearing out and back up insurer, landlord and budget requests.
- Give every door a fixed ID that matches a label on the door itself
- Record the condition of springs, cables, rollers, track and seals on every visit
- Write down balance and safety reverse test results, not only that they were done
- List open repairs with a priority so they can be budgeted
- A door-by-door history shows which doors keep failing and why
Why records matter as much as the service
A site with a few dozen doors can't run on memory. When a dock door fails during peak shipping, the first questions are when it was last serviced and what was found. Without a record, nobody knows. With one, you can see that the springs were flagged as worn last visit and the replacement never got booked.
Records also answer the people outside the building. Insurers and landlords ask for door maintenance records, and a written history for each door is the simplest way to show the work is being done.
Start with a door register
Before the first service visit, every door needs a fixed ID. We label it on the door and use the same ID in every report. Then the register holds the details that don't change:
- Door ID and location, such as the dock number or bay
- Door type: sectional overhead, dock door, or rolling steel
- Width and height
- Panel type and rough age
- Operator brand and model, or manual or chain hoist
- Spring type, so the right springs come on a repair visit
What each visit should record
Every service visit should leave a short write-up for every door on the program. The useful fields are:
Moving parts
- Springs: condition, signs of wear, and whether they're nearing the end of their life
- Cables and drums: fraying, rust, and whether the cables sit evenly
- Rollers, hinges and bearings: wear, noise and play
- Track or guides: bends, loose brackets and alignment
Tests and their results
- Balance: does the door stay put at mid-height
- Safety reverse: does it reverse on contact, and on the photo eyes
- Limits: does it open fully and close fully to the floor
Write down the result of each test. "Tested" doesn't help much a year later. "Safety reverse passed" or "photo eyes out of line, realigned" does.
Seals and weather
- Bottom seal and perimeter weatherstripping, noting tears, gaps and drafts
Work done and work still open
- What was lubricated, adjusted or replaced
- What still needs repair, with a priority: now, before winter, or watch
Turning records into a schedule
Once each door has a history, patterns show up. Busy dock and warehouse doors are usually serviced two to four times a year, and the ones that cycle all day need it more often than doors that open a few times a shift. The records tell you which is which. If one door keeps breaking springs, that door may need heavier springs. If seals on one side of the building tear every winter, that's where the weather hits.
The open repair list becomes a budget. Instead of paying for surprises, you can plan replacements between shipping peaks.
Why this matters in Abbotsford
Abbotsford has colder winters than Metro Vancouver, with Arctic outflow winds, freezing rain and snow more frequent. Those are hard on springs, operators and seals. Freezing rain can lock a bottom seal to the slab, and spring breaks tend to spike on the first cold mornings. Hot, dry summers can then crack the same seals. From Clearbrook to the low-lying Sumas Prairie, a record that notes seal and spring condition before the cold arrives gives you time to fix the weak doors first.
How our visits work
We service doors on a schedule that fits around your shifts and shipping windows, with only one door out at a time. Most doors take under an hour per visit. Doors at several buildings can run on one program. Each door is written up every visit, and you get a quote before any repair work starts.