Heavy rains in the spring, snow, and hail in the winter, beating sunshine in the summer and strong winds in the fall, garage doors are taking weather beating all year round. Over time, the color on your garage door may fade, the panels may become warped, or the weather seals may be letting unwanted critters in. Also, accidents happen and sometimes people run into their garage doors with their vehicles. If this is happening to you, it may be time for a complete garage door replacement.

Getting a new garage door is an easy process when you partner with an Official Overhead Door Company™. We can help you select the right door for your home — one that will match its style, create a focal point, be efficient and last well into the future. Swapping the old garage door with a new one will give your home a fresh feel and add value to your residence. There are many options when it comes to garage doors, so talk with one of the salesmen about the best garage door material (steel, vinyl, wood, etc.), and style for your home. For those who only need to replace a section or two, we also offer panel replacements.

NEW GARAGE DOORS CONTINUE TO DELIVER HIGH RETURN ON INVESTMENT

According to the 2018 Cost vs. Value Report by Remodeling magazine and National Associate of Realtors, on average, garage door replacements have been ranked one of the most valuable home improvement projects among other popular remodeling projects nationwide. Homeowners can obtain up to a 98 percent return on investment for their garage door replacements.

Upgrading your garage door can offer many benefits. Insulated garage doors, for example, can cut down your heating/cooling expenses. Also, replacing a dirty-looking old beaten-up door with a newer, fresher-looking one can increase the value of your home and its curb appeal. Whether you are selling your home, or just simply looking for an upgrade, talk to one of our sales representatives today about replacing your garage door!

SCHEDULE YOUR FREE ESTIMATE TODAY!

Upgrade your old garage door or replace a noisy, outdated garage door opener to improve the style and performance of your home. We carry an extensive line of dependable and affordable products, and will gladly come to meet with you at your home to show you all we have to offer. By developing a relationship with your local experts, you can rest assured that an experienced and trustworthy company will have your back 24/7. Call us today to schedule your garage door sales appointment.

GARAGE DOOR SPRING REPLACEMENT

Did you hear a loud bang? Will your garage door only open a few inches? You might be dealing with a broken spring! A broken garage door spring can be very inconvenient and frustrating. Unfortunately, at some point, your garage door spring will reach its life expectancy and will wear-out and snap.

WHAT NOT TO DO…

If you experience a broken spring, do not attempt to lifting the door manually or with the assistance of the electric opener. Without the aid of a proper spring, the door will become extremely heavy and difficult to lift manually. Attempting to lift the door by hand with a broken spring could cause you personal harm. Furthermore, attempting to open the broken door with the electric opener will likely cause further damage. Garage door openers are manufactured to lift doors only with the assistance of the garage door spring. If the spring is broken, continuing to use the opener will likely burn out the motor.

GARAGE DOOR SPRING DANGERS

Replacing broken garage door springs is not a DIY project! Springs should never be adjusted or replaced by individuals who are not properly trained and possess the proper tools. Spring replacements are dangerous because when installing the new springs, they are places under extreme tension. Without the proper tools and training, the wrong size replacement spring or springs can cause damage to the garage door and opener. More importantly, without the proper tools and training, serious personal injury can occur.

TYPES OF GARAGE DOOR SPRINGS

There are several types of garage door spring systems including the most commonly used, extension springs and torsion springs.

Extension springs are mounted on both sides of the garage door alongside the track. Typically there is a safety cable that runs through the center of the spring to help prevent the extension spring from sailing around the garage when breaking. The extension springs attach to the track and through a series of pulleys and cables to the bottom bracket on the garage door located on the bottom section. The extension springs provide the energy needed to open the garage door while the cable and pulley system does the actual lifting. If any one of these components are damaged or not installed properly, the system will not function safely or properly.

Torsion springs are mounted horizontally on a bar just above the garage door opening. These spring(s) are mounted on a shaft that spans the entire width of the door. On either end of the shaft, there are drums. These drums are used to help wrap cables which are attached from the drum to the bottom section of the garage door. As the door moves to the open position, the cable wraps around the drum. As the door moves to the closed position, the cable unwraps to safely lower the door. Typically, when a torsion spring breaks, these cables will lose tension and pop off of the drums. Again, the spring provides the energy needed to open the door, while the cables, which are attached to the drums, do the actual lifting of the door. If any of these components are damaged or not installed properly, the system will not function safely or properly.

Less popular setups include the Wayne Dalton Torquemaster Spring System and the EZ-Set Torsion Spring System.

EXPECTED LIFESPAN OF YOUR GARAGE DOOR SPRING

Garage door springs have a limited lifespan. This lifespan is measured in cycles, with the door going up and coming back down counting as one cycle. While there are various lifespan options, most common garage door springs come with a 10,000 cycle life expectancy. Your spring replacement frequency will be determined by your garage door usage. Below you can see the life expectancy of a 10,000 cycle spring determined by daily use:

2 times daily = about 14 years

4 times daily = about 7 years

6 times daily = about 5 years

8 times daily = about 3 years

Once the springs reached its life-cycle, it may break, effectively releasing all the tension and no longer assisting to balance the door. The spring has the most tension when the garage door is in the down position, and as a result, this is the most likely position for the spring to break. That is not to say the spring could not fail while the door is in a raised position, which would result in the door crashing down. This is why it is important to never walk under a garage door in motion. Replacing a garage door spring can be very dangerous, and we highly encourage you to contact your local garage door repair expert to handle this repair today. If you have a high cycle application, ask if extended use high cycle springs are available for your application.

TRUST THIS REPAIR TO THE EXPERTS

A spring replacement is one of the most common repairs required on a garage door. With so many different spring setups, wire sizes, lengths, and more, it’s important a broken spring is repaired with the correct replacement. A trained professional will ensure your replacement spring balances the garage door weight properly, allowing the door to easily open and close manually or with the assistance of an electric opener.

GARAGE DOOR PLANNED MAINTENANCE PLAN

Have you considered a garage door Planned Maintenance Program? In most instances, a garage door is the largest and heaviest moving object in your home or business. The door must be properly adjusted and maintained in order to continue functioning safely and efficiently. You local Overhead Door Company offers a Planned Maintenance Program to provide and ensure the ongoing safety and proper operation of your home or business’ garage door. Garage doors are in use every day, resulting in unavoidable wear and tear. To keep you door in working condition and help minimize the chance of major repairs required in the future, a planned maintenance program is a great option and makes perfect sense.

MAJOR BENEFITS OF GARAGE DOOR MAINTENANCE:

• Some of the major benefits of a regular garage door planned maintenance program include:
• Reducing logistics problems
• Minimizing emergency repair costs
• Eliminating receiving / shipping delays
• Preventing workflow disruption
• Increased garage door life expectancy
• Optimizing operational efficiency
• Whether you want to have maintenance done quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, you can find a program that fits your home or company needs and budget.

KEY SERVICES INCLUDED IN YOUR MAINTENANCE PLAN:

Just a few of the things that are included in our preventative maintenance programs include:

• Inspecting rollers, cables, chains, tracks, bottom bars, alignments, etc.
• Tightening hinges, couplings, back hangs, track brackets, drums, etc.
• Adjusting brake, clutch and limit assemblies
• Lubricating rollers, hinges, chain hoists, release mechanisms, shaft bearings, and more
• Examining door controls, safety mechanisms, and the garage door operator itself

DAMAGED GARAGE DOOR SECTIONS CAN CAUSE BIGGER ISSUES

Over time, garage door panels take on normal wear and can begin to warp, crack, bend, or break. Damaged panels can lead to bigger problems with your garage door. If you continue to use a door with faulty sections, the door can become misaligned and that may cause additional damage to all sections and possibly lead to the replacement of the complete door. The next time you notice that a section of your garage door is broken, trust your repair to the industry leader, an Overhead Door™ Distributor. Our highly trained technicians will visit your home or business to evaluate the problem and recommend the best course of action.

If replacement panels are required, we’ll work with you to find the best match to your current door. Damaged garage door panels often are more than a cosmetic issue and indicate greater structural problems that are occurring. It’s important to get a trained professional to look at your garage door to assess the damage and offer you the best solution going forward.

SCHEDULE SERVICE TODAY!

Our friendly and knowledgeable team of garage door specialists has experience working with all types, makes, and models of garage doors. So whether you own a roll-up or sectional door, an Overhead Door™, Clopay or Ammar product, we can assess and solve your garage door issues quickly, easily, and effectively. Call to schedule service today!

DOES YOUR GARAGE DOOR OPENER NOT CLOSE OR OPEN YOUR DOOR COMPLETELY? TRY THESE QUICK FIXES BEFORE YOU CALL…

Inspect the photo eyes. All garage door openers manufactured since 1993 are required to have properly functioning safety photo eyes. These should be located at the bottom of either side of your garage door, no higher than 6″ off the ground. Insure these photo eyes are looking at each other. If a light it blinking, try to realign them. Sometime the photo eye can be bumped by a trash cat, child, cat, etc. and simply needs to be realigned to look straight at the other eye. Also inspect for spiderwebs. If a web is formed over the photo eye, the device safety device is detecting something between the safety beams and will not allow the door to close.

Inspect the wall console for “Vacation Lock”. Many different models of garage door openers offer a “Vacation Lock” which is located on the wall console mounted inside your garage. The vacation setting prevents remotes and keypads from opening your garage door. This is an extra measure to keep your home secure while you are away. In most cases, the vacation mode allows you to use the remote one time after it is activated: to shut the garage door upon departure. Depending on the manufacturer, this setting may be known as “lock” or “security” mode. If your remote suddenly stops working, check to see whether this mode has been accidentally activated.

Inspect that you have power to the outlet. Sometimes the breaker may be off. This can be a simple fix. Try turning on the operator light to ensure there is power.

Inspect that the emergency release is not pulled. Make sure the garage door opener is engaged. If you see the chain or belt moving, but the garage is not closing, the emergency release may be pulled.

If none of the above tips fix your issue, it might be time to call the professionals.

GARAGE DOOR OPENER REPAIRS ON ALL MAKES AND MODELS

Did you recently discover your garage door opener not functioning properly? We don’t give much thought to the garage door opener we use everyday until it stops working! The garage door opener is one of the more complicated components of the complete garage door system.  The most popular types of openers include:

• Belt Drive Trolley Openers
• Chain Drive Trolley Openers
• Screw Drive Trolley Openers
• Side Mount Jackshaft Openers
• Repairs of broken garage door openers can be performed on brands including:
• Overhead Door
• Genie
• LiftMaster
• Chamberlain
• and more…

COMMON GARAGE DOOR OPENER ISSUES

Some opener repairs require simple adjustments made to the existing components and do not require any additional parts. In other situations, replacing the garage door opener’s motor, circuit boards, limit switches, trolleys, drive trains, drive belts and more may be required.

Does your garage door close all the way, then bounce off the floor and return to the open position?

The limits on your garage door opener may need to be reset. These limits control how far your garage door opens and closes. If the limits are off, when it hits the floor, it believes its hitting an obstruction and reverses for safety. A quick adjustment can prevent your garage door opener from reopening automatically.

Do you hear a grinding noise when you try to use the garage door opener?

The sprocket and gears may need to be replaced on your opener. This is one of the most common issues after years of use. Note, if you hear the opener working, but the garage door is not moving, be sure the emergency release has not been pulled by accident.

Electrical Issues:

There are several possible electrical issues that could cause your garage door opener to stop working. If one of the low voltage wires running from the opener to the photo eyes is damaged, the opener will not close due to the safety feature. Furthermore, if your remotes stopped working and a simple battery replacement doesn’t resolve the issue, you may be dealing with a defective circuit board. This can be cause by an electrical surge, storm, or simply age.

Depending on the age of your opener, replacement parts may or may not be available. Also, consider the advantages of purchasing a completely new opener over piecing together an older model. Most new garage door openers come with excellent warranty programs to protect you in the coming years. With installation and annual maintenance of your complete garage door system, your garage door opener should open the garage door smoothly time and time again.

GARAGE DOOR OPENER SAFETY

It is important to always test the safety reversing mechanisms to ensure your openers are safety compliant. Review your owner’s manual for the door opener. If you don’t have the owner’s manual, look for the opener model number on the back of the power unit and request a manual from the manufacturer.

Photo Eye Test. Make sure your opener has safety photo beams. If photo eyes are not present, it should be replaced. Garage door openers manufactured after January 1, 1993, are required by federal law to have advanced safety features which comply with the latest UL 325 Standards.

Near the bottom of each side of your garage door, check to confirm the proper installation of photo eyes (black sensors), mounted no higher than 6 inches off the floor.

Use an object to block the photo eye, and push the transmitter or wall button to close the door. The door should not close.

 If the door does close, have it repaired or replaced. Have a qualified individual adjust, repair, or replace the opener or door.

Reversal Test. Make sure your opener has a reversing feature. If a reversing feature is not present, it should be replaced. Garage door openers manufactured after January 1, 1993, are required by federal law to have advanced safety features which comply with the latest UL 325 Standards.

Test the balance of the door. If the door is properly balanced, proceed.

Start with the door closed.

If you have a garage door opener, use the release mechanism so you can operate the door by hand when doing this test.

You should be able to lift the door smoothly and with little resistance. It should stay open around three or four feet above the floor. If it does not, it is out of adjustment. Have it adjusted by a qualified service person?

With the door fully open, place a 2” x 4” laid flat on the floor in the center of the door opening.

Push the transmitter or wall button to close the door. The door must reverse when it strikes the wood.

 If the door does not reverse, have it repaired or replaced. Have a qualified individual adjust, repair or replace the opener or door.

Force Setting Test. Test the force setting of your garage door opener by holding the bottom of the door as it closes. If the door does not reverse readily, the force may be excessive and need adjusting. See your owner’s manual for details on how to make the adjustment. Test the reversing feature after any adjustment.

Failure to regularly perform these safety tests may put the garage door users and those nearby in danger.