Pick a nice warm day to give your garage door a once-over so you won't have to be out in the cold of winter trying to fix things.

Garage doors are big, hefty, and get used a lot. They put a lot of strain on screws, bolts, and mechanical parts and need occasional maintenance to keep them properly balanced and working smoothly. Their working partners -- garage door openers -- have some heavy lifting to do. An annual checkup to see if parts are dirty, worn, or out of alignment should keep your garage door operating trouble-free.