A useful door maintenance record is a one-page log for each door. It shows the door's location, the date, who serviced it, what was checked, what was found, what was repaired and when the next visit is due. The safety reversal test, balance, springs and cables matter most. You can start the log yourself this week.
Why door records matter
An insurer, a tenant or a new strata council usually asks for door records at a bad moment. It might be after a claim, at a policy renewal or during a handover. If the only answer is that someone looked at the doors last year, that is a weak position.
The record does not need to be fancy. A one-page log for each door does the job.
What a useful service record shows
Each entry should be short and dated. A good record shows these items.
- The door's name and location, such as "north parkade entry" or "unit 4 bay door".
- The date of the visit and who did the work.
- What was checked, including lubrication, springs, cables, balance and the safety reversal.
- What was found, in plain words.
- What was repaired on the day, and what was recommended.
- When the next visit is due.
If a technician replaces a part, the entry should say which part. Keep the invoice with the log.
The checks an insurer or tenant cares about most
The safety reversal test is the one people ask about first. It shows that a closing door stops and reverses when it meets an obstruction. If nobody has tested it, there is no record to show.
Balance is next. A door that is out of balance puts extra load on the operator, the springs and the cables. A balance check on each visit shows the door is being looked after.
Spring and cable condition come after that. Worn cables and tired springs are what stop a door without warning.
We don't know the wording of your insurer's policy or your lease. Ask them what they want to see, then make sure the log can show it.
Start with a door list
If you manage several buildings, begin with a simple list of every door. Include storefront roll-up doors, overhead doors on auto service bays, retail plaza doors and strata parkade doors and gates.
For each door, note the building, the type of door, the operator if you know it, and the last time anyone serviced it. Many properties in Vancouver are spread across neighbourhoods like Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Marpole and Hastings-Sunrise. A single list in one place saves a lot of phone calls later.
The gaps will show up quickly. Some doors will have no history at all. That is normal, and it is the reason to start.
Where Vancouver buildings tend to have gaps
Strata parkades are a common one. Vancouver has a large stock of condo buildings, and in areas like Kerrisdale, Dunbar and Riley Park the parkade gate is run by the strata, not by a homeowner. Councils change from year to year. The binder goes missing, and nobody remembers when the gate was last serviced.
Mixed-use buildings are another. A storefront roll-up door, a rear service door and a parkade gate may all belong to the same building but have different people looking after them.
The local climate also leaves a trail. Damp weather wears rollers and bottom seals all year, and cold snaps bring a jump in broken springs even though winters are mild. A record that shows wear over several visits helps you plan the repair before the door stops.
Keeping the log yourself
You can keep the log in a shared folder or a binder at the property office. Either works if it is kept up to date.
- Give each door a name and use it every time.
- Save every service report and invoice in the same place.
- Take a photo of any worn part before it is replaced.
- Record breakdowns too, with the date, the symptom and what fixed it.
- Hand the log to the next person when staff or council members change.
Breakdown entries are useful. If one door shows up four times in a year, you have a reason to spend on it or replace it.
What a scheduled visit looks like
Most service visits take under an hour per door. The technician lubricates moving parts, checks the springs and cables, tests balance and the safety reversal, and fixes small problems before they stop the door.
A schedule also lets the work be planned around opening hours, tenants and residents, so each door is out of use for as little time as possible. Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday in BC, and some offices and buildings are quieter around it. If that suits your property, mention it when booking.
When to call a professional
If you have several doors and no service history, it makes sense to book a first visit and start the log from there. The same applies if an insurer or tenant has asked for records you cannot produce, or if a door is noisy, jerky or has never had its safety reversal tested. You can keep the log yourself. The testing, the spring and cable checks and the repairs are work for a trained technician.