Frequently Asked Garage Door Questions-Answered

Most homeowners are unaware of what to do or what to look for when they need a new garage door or are replacing an existing garage door. The one thing that they will need to consider is the cost of the door and their budget. Trying to figure out the cost associated with having a new garage door installed isn’t always the easiest or the most fun but it is necessary to do when you are having a garage door installed. Garage door expenses will vary considerably.

You might be able to spend only a couple hundred dollars on a basic door up to thousands of dollars on a high-end garage door that is expertly installed. If you have an existing garage door, replacing it may be a good investment move. This is one of the single things that you can do to your home to add value to your home; installing a new garage door. Even if you have an inexpensive door installed due to your budget, you can add certain features to make it look more expensive than it actually is. If you’re thinking about getting a new garage door, here are a couple of things that you might want to consider:

Do You Need a New Garage Door?

This is an easy question for someone who has a door that has rotted, one that has been banged up so much that the door will no longer run along the tracks or the door is simply falling apart. However, if it isn’t that obvious, there may be a chance that there are some small things that you can do to maintain your existing door. At McDonough Garage Door Repair, we always suggest that you have annual garage door repairs performed on your garage door.

When you have routine maintenance performed, you prolong the need to replace your garage door. There are some general things that can be done to help protect the condition of your garage door. Consult with a garage door service professional about things you can do to help maintain the condition of your garage door. If it is the appearance of your door that has you thinking about buying another door, think again. With a little paint and some changes to your door’s hardware, you can have a door that looks like new in no time.

What Type of Garage Door Should I Buy?

One of the biggest factors to consider when buying a new garage door is its material. The material is what will significantly change the cost of the door. The steel door is the most popular door installed because of it is low-cost, durable and offers low maintenance. However, you should know that the steel door doesn’t offer good insulation and are made of thin panels, which will not hold up to extreme weather conditions. On the other hand, it is the wood door that is amongst the most expensive because of the way they look and the way they are constructed. They are more costly but rightly so considering the level of craftsmanship needed to design them. They are also good for insulation purposes.

What Expenses Can I Expect?

This is a logical question, especially since it is important to count the cost before taking on this expense. Expenses involve more than just the cost of buying a garage door. When you are replacing a garage door, you must consider that the tracks will also need to be replaced. This is definitely something that should be included in your estimate. If it isn’t, then make sure you ask them to include this fee in the written estimate. Since the prices of having a new garage door will vary because of certain factors, it is best to discuss what you are looking for with several different services.

The estimate that they provide for you will give you an idea of what expenses you can expect to pay for no matter which service provider you use. You will need to make sure that the price they quote you is the same price that is found on the estimate. Many people ignore the written estimate and only focus on what was quoted to them. It is hard for you to dispute the written estimate after the work has been completed. This is why it is very important to pay close attention to the written estimate.

Should I Install My Garage Door?

Your garage door is the largest piece of equipment in your home. It also has moving parts that can become dangerous if they are not handled properly. While you might assume it will be more cost-effective, it is usually far more expensive when you attempt to handle the job on your own. The problem is that when you are not a trained professional, you run into problems and have to buy some of the same things over again. This is counter-productive if you are doing it so that you can save money. It is best to allow a qualified, experienced garage door service technician.

Should I Replace the Opener?

As long as your garage door opener is not the reason you are having a new garage door installed, you should be fine continuing to use the same garage door opener. The only time you wouldn’t be able to use the same opener is if you buy a new door that is heavier than your existing door. If you want to be sure that you can continue using the same garage door opener, purchase a lightweight door. This will also help you save money and keep your expenses to a minimum.

If you need a new garage door, take the necessary time to make sure that what you are buying is really going to suit your needs. There is nothing worse than spending your hard earned money on something this is useless. Everyone wants to get their money’s worth and surely you can if you take your time to do your research.

Aricle source here: Frequently Asked Garage Door Questions-Answered

GARAGE DOOR WON’T STAY OPEN

Yes, it happens – garage doors that won’t stay open! It is not only surprising, but it gets annoying after a while. Let’s say you open up your garage door to load some groceries into the house. You just made it to the kitchen when you hear it close! Or, you are working at your tool bench inside the garage. You are totally engrossed in your project when you notice the garage door closing, seemingly on its own. Enough of our McDonough Garage Door Repair customers have contacted us about this problem to let us know that it is more common than first thought.

The main culprit – your springs!

Your torsion or extension springs can cause a lot of confusion at times. People know that they have them and that these powerful metal coils do the heavy lifting of your garage door when needed. What they don’t know is when they are acting up. Sometimes our McDonough, GA garage door repair customers assume that the problem is the opener system or maybe a snapped cable. Often, the photo electric safety eyes are blamed. Usually though, when garage doors won’t stay open, the problem is with the springs.

Adjustment needed!

Sometimes your faithful and trusty garage door springs act up. These tireless workers can lift and lower garage doors for up to 10 years with no problem. In the garage door industry, springs last for life cycles. One open and one close equals one cycle. If you come and go through your garage door 4 times a day, you use 4 cycles. Obviously you will use up your cycles faster than someone that only opens and closes their garage door once a day. Springs can break, snap, become damaged and need adjusting. If your garage door won’t stay open, it is usually because the springs can hold its weight.

Don’t adjust on your own!

Please refrain from trying spring repair on your own. Torsion springs (the ones horizontally above your garage door) are safer than extension springs (vertically installed on either side) but both can still be volatile when damaged. Every year folks become injured and property is damaged when an innocent attempt is made to repair or replace garage door springs. We recommend that you call a full service McDonough garage door repair shop and have your springs repaired or adjusted by the pros. Many locations including ours are affordable and offer same day appointments.

Do this test

You can test the overall quality of your springs by doing this simple test. With your garage door closed, pull on the emergency release cord. That is the one with the red knob at the end of it. This will disconnect your garage door from the opener system and allow you to manually open your garage door. Ok, try lifting your garage door and pay attention to its movement. Does it lift easily and smoothly? Or, is it hard to lift and choppy? Now open your garage door all the way (up) and see if it stays. If it comes right back down you have spring damage and will need to call for help. Tell your garage door repair professional about the test that you did and see if he recommends that your springs be re-tensioned.

Culprit #2

If your garage door opens and then reverses itself soon after, there may be another culprit – the close limit switch! It may need adjusting and here’s how you tell. When your garage door rises, its limit switch stops the garage door once it has reached the correct height. If the switch needs adjusting, your door will open too much or not enough and start making its way back down. It is possible to adjust the limit switch on the motor to restore it to normal usage. Do you still have your owner’s manual? Refer to it for directions on how to do this. If not, you can find one online by searching for the PDF or you can view any of dozens of online videos that show you in detail how to do this.

Other tips

Dealing with a garage door that closes on its own can be confusing; especially if it is not your property! Are you renting or leasing to own? If so, contact the property manager, owner or seller. Check your lease-to-own agreement to see what repairs you have responsibility for and which ones the seller should claim. If you are straight leasing, your lease agreement should spell out how any repairs should be handled and paid for. It’s standard to put in a dollar amount (like $30) that should be the tenant’s responsibility and anything over that should be the responsibility of the owner or manager.

Did you recently buy the property? If so, the garage door and any repairs to it might be covered by warranty or service guarantee. Check with your realtor and the builder or contractor to see. Always be sure to save contracts, leases, receipts and other important documents in a folder or drawer for fast and handy reference when needed. Why pay for a repair bill if you really don’t have to?

Call in the pros!

Each person has different circumstances and priorities. You may be busy with your career or vacation plans. You may be limited to what you can do due to health issues or age. Each person has to calculate what their time is worth, and decide whether to attempt garage door repair on their own or to call a professional. As stated earlier, our McDonough Garage Door Repair crew recommends that you do NOT try to service your own springs. Some things are just not worth the risk involved and spring repair or replacements are included in that. Whether you call our technicians or another local shop, we urge you to use the best service that your budget allows for. Your garage door springs and accessories are built to last for many years with the proper care. Even after all is fixed, you should consider basic and regular maintenance for them.

Aricle source here: GARAGE DOOR WON’T STAY OPEN

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR GARAGE FROM EXTREME TEMPERATURES

If your garage doubles as a shop, game room, or office, then you ought to have an insulated garage door for your home. When your garage is properly insulated, you’ll achieve the benefit of maximized thermal efficiency with optimal air infiltration reduction. No matter what the weather is outside, a well-insulated garage will give you a workable garage space inside all year round, providing superior comfort. You’ll keep as much cold out as possible during winter, and as much heat out as possible during summer.

Cold Weather Protection

Should the temperature ever drop to below freezing, if you have winterized your garage, you’ll save money and time overall.

Insulate your garage walls. For correct installation of insulation in your garage, carefully study the installation guide, and be sure you select the appropriate insulation thickness for your garage’s walls. Some typical mistakes people make are: not securely fastening the batt insulation, cutting it too long or too short for the location, or not supporting it properly. Keep in mind that insulation must fit snugly; nevertheless, don’t jam it in too tightly.

Insulate your garage. If the garage interior were ever to grow too cold, it would damage not only your vehicle, but also anything you keep in storage there. Are your washer and dryer in the garage? In freezing temperatures, if you have a washing machine with any water left in the lines or the pump, it can freeze and crack. The same risk is possible with your vehicle’s fuel gels, which can freeze inside the combustion engine. Another problem that can come up is that paint can separate and become ruined in a prolonged stretch of freezing temperatures.

Insulate the garage door. A great variety of products is available for insulating your garage door, including a kit specifically designed for doing so. The options for successful insulation include foam board, reflective barriers, and Fiberglass batt insulation.

Regardless of which option you decide on, first you’ll have to cut the insulation to fill the garage door panels. Next, fasten them with adhesive and make sure each remains fixed in place. If your garage door is not the type with recessed panels, the entire project will become easier.

For most folks, insulating your garage by yourself is too overwhelming a task. If it all seems too much of a bother, then your best bet will be to hire a professional to install a modern-designed insulated garage door for you. If you are located any place in McDonough, Georgia, consider hiring a trusty expert from a reputable garage door company such as McDonough Garage Door Repair.

Repair or replace the weatherstripping. This will create a very effective seal between the garage door and the garage door opening. If you feel a cold draft leaking into the garage between the frame and the door, then remove any of the existing weatherstripping if it’s cracked or brittle. Take off any residual sealant with a pry bar and putty knife or flat scraper. Make the surface as clean and smooth as you possibly can. After you remove the old weatherstripping completely, measure so you can apply the new weatherstripping. To align it, close the garage door and make sure the rubber flap flattens slightly against it. You’ll have a good seal and the garage door will operate without any trouble.

Install a unit heater in the garage. Insulation and weatherstripping effectively guard your garage from extreme winter weather; but if you’d like to be extraordinarily toasty, you can add a unit heater. (On the other hand, if you have only mild winters, then rather than insulation or weatherstripping, an electric unit heater is probably all you’ll need, since you’ll want heat only once in awhile.) This is a great way to heat your garage with nominal cost and space requirements. Gas-fired units are generally cheaper to operate overall, but they’re more difficult to install since they require exhaust venting and a gas supply. An electric model, is easier to install, but more expensive to operate. A good electric choice is the mini-split heat pump, which provides remarkably efficient heating and cooling for your garage with only a 3″ hole through an exterior wall.

Hot Weather Protection

In the summer months, the main goal is to increase the airflow in your garage. The following measures are worth considering:

Wall insulation keeps out summer heat economically. Use wallboard or other paneling to encapsulate the material. You’ll prevent teenagers, toddlers, and pets from tearing things out.

Leave the garage door slightly open, about a foot from the ground, and add a fan.

Attach an adjustable rollaway awning onto the sunny side of the garage. You’ll be creating shade to cool things off.

Insulate the garage ceiling. If you use paper-backed batt insulation, ceiling wallboard isn’t required. Install the insulation using staples, paper side down, or keep the insulation in place with netting. You can also use staples to fasten the netting. Experts advise that you do both.

Plant a tree nearby. A hardwood or deciduous tree is an affordable and aesthetic way to cool your garage in summer. (It will even keep the garage warm in winter.) Plant the tree between the garage and the position the sun takes during the hottest part of the day. The tree’s leaves will provide welcome shade. (In winter, the bare branches will let sunlight through to provide warmth.)

Install a stationary vent on the roof. This is an inexpensive way to make an exit point for hot air trapped in the garage attic. Or, if you can spend more, install a mechanical exhaust system, in which fans will draw cooler air from the garage into the attic. This will cool the attic and also the space below.

Insulate the garage overhead door. For a metal garage door, add a layer of rigid insulation 2″ thick, attached to the inside of each panel using contact cement. Or, an insulated sectional overhead door is an ideal alternative.

Aricle source here: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR GARAGE FROM EXTREME TEMPERATURES

GARAGE DOOR CLOSURE PROBLEMS

You come home and press the button to open your garage door. The door goes up and you park your car. You press the button again to close it. And nothing happens. Strange! You press it again. The door starts to close, but stops halfway down the track. Perhaps at this point it reverses, or it may stay halfway between open and closed. Whatever the specific scenario may be, the overall issue remains the same: your garage door will not close. This can be especially annoying if you’ve just returned from a long day at work or you are returning late at night. Your garage can house some expensive equipment in addition to your car. Many people have expensive tools and bicycles stored in their garages – items that are easy for someone with ill intentions to walk away with. So getting the garage door closed as soon as possible is of paramount importance. Here are some reasons why your garage door may not be closing, and some methods you can employ yourself to troubleshoot the issue.

Issue: Garage door closes part way and then reopens

There could be various reasons why this is happening. To start, check the garage door tracks and make sure they are free from any obstruction. The obstruction could be something small, even a twig or a leaf can be enough to cause the door to not operate correctly. If the door is not closing due to obstruction, the obstruction can usually be found near the top of the track. The fix would be simple – simply remove the obstruction.

Another cause for this issue could be the limit switches on your opener unit. If the unit has been bumped or shaken, it is possible that the switches have become loose. To fix this, get a ladder and climb up to the unit (bring a screwdriver with you). Use your screwdriver to adjust your limit screws (check if the unit operates correctly after each adjustment). This should fix the problem.

If none of the above works, you may be dealing with a bent or warped track. This can be caused by weather fluctuations. While you can fix this yourself, most people would contact a reputable professional so as to avoid any permanent damage to your garage door tracks.

Issue: Garage door gives problems when trying to close with remote

Usually if someone is having this issue, they have checked the wall switch (and the door is working correctly with the use of the wall switch). If that is the case, you can feel confident that your remote is the issue. When dealing with garage door opener remote issues, the first place to take action is with the batteries in the remote. Change the batteries and see if the remote will work correctly. Another reason the remote may not be working is dirty remote eyes. Take some alcohol on a cloth and clean the remote eyes on the remote itself and the receiver. If none of this works, it may be time to consider getting a replacement remote. Most home improvement stores carry the major brands. If your brand of remote is not available, a universal remote may do the trick.

Another option is to replace the receiver (which would then come with a new remote). This type of job should be done by a qualified garage door technician in McDonough. The receiver may be built into the opener itself. However, a professional can open the unit and replace the receiver. Or, your service technician can open the unit and remove the receiver. The new receiver can be mounted separately. The benefit of having the job done this way is that the receiver can be mounted closer to the door, which will help you get better reception from outside.

Issue: Garage door will not respond to remote or wall switch

If this is happening to you, the issue is most likely with your opener’s power source. Your first course of action is to make sure the opener is plugged in. Next you’ll want to check your circuit breaker to make sure you don’t have a blown fuse. Usually one of these fixes will correct your power source issue. If you have a garage door opener that is battery operated, you will want to change the batteries to see if that brings power back to the unit.

Issue: Safety sensors

As a safety measure, all garage doors manufactured had to include certain safety measures. One of those measure is sensors. Garage door sensors are usually found at the bottom of the door (on either side of the door). Both sensors should be emitting light at all times. If you notice one of your sensor lights is off, or blinking it can mean one of two things. Either the sensor eyes are not aligned (which would cause the door to malfunction). If this is the case, you can usually move the sensors yourself to realign them. Once the sensor emits a light that stays on, you know it is realigned.  Another issue could be that the sensor light is blinking. This will happen if there is something in between the sensors’ path that is triggering the sensor. Take a look around and move anything that may be in the sensors path. If you find that your sensors are continuously getting misaligned, this can be due to dust, pollen or wind that interferes with the sensors each time you open your door. It’s a good idea to clean your sensor lenses from time to time. If your garage door track vibrates a lot, the vibration could cause the sensors to jostle out of position. If this is the case, your tracks may need to be reinforced with brace, or the sensor screws may need to be tightened.

Hopefully these tips will help to correct any issues you are having. If you are not comfortable doing repairs yourself, you can always call a professional to help you. If you are in the McDonough, GA community and are looking for help, please give us a call. McDonough Garage Door Repair is here to help with any problems you may be having with your garage door system. We are happy to provide you with a free consultation over the phone. Give us a call!

Aricle source here: GARAGE DOOR CLOSURE PROBLEMS

The City Said He Couldn’t Install a Garage Door…So He Got Creative

By Adam Cozens

Recently Eric Vekeman, a retired Belgian shop owner requested a permit from his city council in order to install a garage door. Much to his shock and dismay, his permit application was denied.

Instead of letting that hiccup get in his way, the determined Mr. Vekeman decided that he wouldn't let this minor paperwork roadblock get in his way and got creative.

Via Imgur

Read more: The City Said He Couldn’t Install a Garage Door…So He Got Creative

Related Article: http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2013/04/diy-project-overhead-garage-door-re.html#.VxSv0noafIU 

WelCome to Mcdonough Garage Door Repair

Here at Mcdonough Garage Door Repair we are extremely excited to have new people stop by.  We want everyone to know that we have a team of experts that are insured and licensed and they are ready to speak to you now.  They will be able to answer your questions and give you the information you are looking for.  We offer many solutions and you can view them on our website.  If you cannot find a service you need, just call.  We are confident that if your problem has something to do with a garage door we can help you.  If there is an issue regarding your garage door, we can solve it and offer you a free quote, free Consultation and live help 24/7.  We have made certain that are prices are affordable for everyone.  If you are looking for garage door repair in Mcdonough, Georgia, we are ready for your call!

Contact us to get a free quote now: (678) 803-6170

We have a crew that is ready to help you with many services including:

• Garage door opener installation
• Garage door replacement
• Garage door spring repair
• Opener repair
• Opener replacement
• Garage door installation
• Commercial services

If you have a problem with a garage door and need help, get in touch with us!

• Commercial Steel Doors
• Broken or Bent Rollers
• Broken Springs Replaced
• Calls answered 24/7 by live operators
• Broken Garage Door Cables
• 25-Point Safety Inspection
• Commercial Wood Doors
• Residential Aluminum Doors
• Noisy Garage Doors Silenced
• Residential Steel Doors
• Broken Overhead Garage Door Springs

Get in touch now: (678) 803-6170

We are an extremely Competent Company and are able to deal with every major brand including:

• LiftMaster
• Clopay
• Amarr
• Genie
• Craftsman
• CHI Doors
• Sears
• Wayne Dalton

At Mcdonough Garage Door Repair we are ready to assist with every major garage door repair issue.  Mcdonough, GA is a fantastic place to live, surrounded by majestic mountains and rolling hills.  It is even more wonderful because of local businesses like ours that have customers like you in mind.

Contact us now: (678) 803-6170