DASMA TDS 167 - Garage Door and Operator Checklist for Home Inspectors

Garage door problems are among the most common deficiencies noted in residential home inspection reports. DASMA TDS 167 gives both inspectors and buyers a structured checklist so that important safety items are not missed and marginal conditions are described consistently.

What this data sheet says

TDS 167 organizes the inspection into sections covering the door, hardware, operator, and safety devices. Each item describes what to look for and what a deficiency looks like.

"This checklist is intended to assist home inspectors and consumers in evaluating the condition and safe operation of residential sectional garage doors and electric operators."

Checklist areas covered by TDS 167:

• Door panels: look for dents, cracks, warping, or delamination that affect structural integrity. Minor cosmetic dents are different from panel damage that affects the door's ability to seal or carry load.
• Hardware: hinges, rollers, cables, and bottom brackets are checked for wear, corrosion, and secure attachment. Worn rollers with cracked wheels or hinges with elongated screw holes are flags.
• Springs: the inspector notes whether the door has torsion or extension springs, whether springs show coil separation or rust, and whether the door is balanced. TDS 167 does not expect inspectors to test spring tension directly; it focuses on observable conditions.
• Track: check for bent or misaligned sections, loose fasteners at the wall, and debris in the track that could cause binding.
• Operator: verify that the operator runs the door smoothly, that the force limits are set correctly (the door should reverse on a 2x4 obstruction), and that the operator has a UL 325 listing mark.
• Safety devices: the photoelectric sensors must be present, aligned, and functional. The inspector tests by interrupting the beam during a close cycle. The auto-reverse force test (2x4 on the floor) must pass.

When it applies

TDS 167 applies during any formal or informal evaluation of a residential garage door:

• Real estate transactions: buyers and their agents can use TDS 167 as a pre-inspection reference so they know what to expect in the report.
• New homeowner move-in: a new owner who has not yet had the door serviced can use the checklist to identify items that need attention.
• Annual self-inspection: TDS 167 is written to be understandable by non-professionals, making it useful for a homeowner's annual check of their own door.

In Denver, where temperature swings affect metal hardware and where hail can damage panels without immediately compromising function, a regular inspection per TDS 167 helps catch issues before they become failures.

What this means for you

Do the two safety tests yourself, today. Place a 2x4 flat on the floor and close the door. It must reverse. Wave your hand through the sensor beam while the door is closing. It must reverse. If either test fails, the door is not safe to operate until the issue is corrected.

Do not ignore worn bottom rollers. A roller that wobbles or has a cracked wheel is quiet most of the time and then causes a loud derailment. Replace rollers that show visible damage.

A TDS 167 checklist finding of "springs need service" is a real-cost item. Budget $150 to $300 for a full spring replacement on a residential door. Delaying it risks a sudden spring break, which can prevent the car from getting out of the garage.

G Brothers can perform a full TDS 167-based inspection on your door as a standalone service or as part of a tune-up visit.

Full text and source

Download DASMA TDS 167 from the official TDS index at https://www.dasma.com/technical-data-sheets/.

This checklist covers residential sectional garage doors with drawbar electric operators. Commercial operators, rolling steel doors, and fire doors have different inspection criteria not covered by TDS 167.