Should I Paint My Garage Door?
The bottom line is that we would strongly discourage any consumer from painting their garage door. First off, most manufacturers will void any applicable warranty if an applied finish is not carried out by the manufacturer themselves. Secondly, it is common for consumers to apply incorrect types of finishes which can cause the paintwork/primer to peel, bubble or disfigure the door, revealing the door’s material composition.
The doors best suited for painting are metal doors. The majority of metal doors come with a minimum of a primer finish making them suitable for painting; however, most people leave them as they are. Wooden doors can be painted or treated as required, yet it’s always suggest that you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations/instructions.
How Much Should I Spend On My Garage Door?
Like anything in life, a higher priced product is usually of greater quality – garage doors are not an exception to the rule. There are a number of factors which invariably affect the price of a garage door including but not limited to:
-
Dimensions of the door itself
-
Style (Georgian, Europa, Vertical)
-
Finish – (Steel, Timber, GRP)
-
Color
-
Lifting Gear
-
Other extras – (Windows, Accents Pieces, and Automatic Openers)
The aforementioned factors can vary the price of a garage door significantly. For example, timber is significantly more expensive than its steel counterpart; likewise, a garage door of 14′ wide will be more expensive than a door 7′ wide given everything else is the same.
What you spend on a garage door is different for everyone; it’s partially a budget issue, an investment in your home and an issue of convenience. How much you should pay for a door is dependent on your lifestyle and how you intend to use your garage. We would always recommend that you understand all of the options available and speak with a company that is able to give advice and aid you in your choice of door.
My Garage Door Opener Doesn't Work
If you have an Electric Garage Door that will not do anything when you push the button, there’s a few things you can look at to investigate the problem.
-
Is the the opener plugged into the an electric socket outlet?
-
Is there power coming out of the electric socket? Try plugging another electrical device into the same socket and seeing if it works. There is always the possibility that there has been a short in the wiring. If this is the case, call a qualified electrician.
-
Another option could be to use an extension lead to plug the opener into another wall socket. This might be a better option than having to lug a nice piece of electrical equipment into the garage.
-
If all fails, you probably have a mechanical or electrical fault with your opener. Before you shell out hundreds to repair your opener, consider purchasing a new garage door opener. It could save you money, hassle, and time.
When You Attempt To Open Your Electric Garage Door, Does The Door Go Up a Foot Then Stop?
This could be one of two things. If you apply pressure upwards when the door is lifting, will it go up all the way? This problem is more than likely due to a problem with a torsion spring. For most doors, torsion springs can be replaced at an affordable cost.
Otherwise, you could be looking at a problem with the motor and/or garage door. As garage doors age, they require maintenance to keep them evenly balanced. An opening garage door can find itself getting stuck in a stationary position because an usually large amount of force has been detected required to open the door. Usually, a garage door service will mend any problems seen.
If the door closes again shortly after opening, the opener will require that you tune/adjust its force sensors.
What Maintenance Should I Perform?
Visually inspect the cables that attach the spring system to the bottom brackets on both sides of the door. If these cables are frayed, worn, or rusted on the bottom brackets, they are in danger of breaking, which can cause injury. Due to the dangers associated with high spring tension, only a trained professional should replace these cables.
Check your springs. Every so often operate your door manually to make sure that your spring is lifting the door weight properly. A 10-year-old child should be able to lift the door easily. Do not attempt any repairs or adjustment to a spring, unless you REALLY know what you're doing. A trained professional technician should perform this work.
Doors SHOULD NOT BE NOISY! A noisy door is a problem waiting to happen. Doors should be QUIET. Worn out roller bearings or bent tracks are signs of problems. If your door is noisy, the rollers might need to be replaced on the door to preserve your opener. Try to lubricate your rollers and hinges 3 to 4 times a year with a lithium-based garage door lubricant. We don't like WD-40™ or grease on the door at all because grease soon turns to grit as it picks up the particles that float around in everyone's garage. Silicone-based lubricants, such as WD-40™, go on wet and stay wet, also picking up particles that get in the bearings and eat them up.
If My Garage Door Has 2 Springs and 1 Breaks, Should I Replace Both?
YES. If your door has 2 springs, then they both should be replaced even if one is not broken. All springs are made out of metal and the average torsion spring has an expected lifespan of 10,000 cycles or 7-10 years. Every time a garage door cycles up and down, these steel springs encounter tremendous force and stress. Eventually with time and use, the steel weakens and will crack, causing the spring to break and release all of its stored energy with a loud bang. When the first spring breaks, the mate is likely to fail shortly afterwards as it's probably just as old and weak as the first one. Therefore, any potential savings in parts by just replacing one spring isn't worth the effort to repeat the work later. Additionally the use of an old spring with a new spring can cause imbalance in the door operation.
What Type of Opener Do I Need to Purchase?
There are 3 basic openers. the chain, screw, and belt drives. The belt drive is the most quiet. When there is a bedroom above or near the garage and noise is a factor, a belt drive is the best choice. However, the screw drive is built tough for continuous strain over years of the garage door openers life.
If I Replace My Door, Can I Keep My Old Tracks?
We will always encourage consumers to replace their old track when installing a new garage door. As you can probably imagine, each brand and model of garage door has been specifically designed to work in conjunction with a specific type of track.
Unfortunately, there is no international standard when it comes to garage door tracks. Let’s look at the positive: you receive a new track that is free from old grime, dirt, and rust. In essence, replacing your old track is an inexpensive way to insure that your entire garage door system is as safe and reliable as possible.
Keeping the old track will usually void any manufacturer’s warranty that would have otherwise applied to the garage door.
Should I Replace a Remote or Add a Second One?
Are you looking for a replacement garage door remote control? Have you thought about adding another remote control to your existing installation? Depending on the age of your electric garage door opener this may or may not be possible. All the big garage door opener manufacturer’s provide the ability to add or replace remotes.
Programming a new remote control with a opener is easier than you might think. Manufacturers include simple easy-to-follow instructions making it quick even for you technophobes.
If your garage door opener was manufactured before 1980, it is almost certain that a new remote for your opener will no longer be in circulation. Sometimes it’s a good idea to get a new opener installed because the newer openers have convenient features like lights and battery powered backup.
Remote controls differ in price depending on the features of your opener and the manufacturer of the system.
Are You Concerned About the Lighting in Your Garage?
Well, if you invest in a garage door opener, it is likely that your new opener will include a light that can be either automatically or manually operated.
Benefits of a garage door light include:
-
Security: What’s worse than driving it a dingy, dark, garage? It’s enough to make the bravest of adults scared. Think about the benefit of being able to see into the garage before you drive in.
-
Sight: How often do you need to fetch something from the garage? How often do you find yourself packing the car inside the garage? An automatic opener light is a great alternative to a lamp or any other temporary fixture.
The light stays on just long enough for you to step out of your vehicle and get into the house. What’s more, the amount of time that the light is ON is completely adjustable. Configure the light to fit your lifestyle. The light comes on automatically when the garage door opens and will then shut off a couple minutes after the garage door has been closed. This ensures that you don’t have to worry about unnecessarily wasting electricity. All the openers included in our automatic garage doors come equipped with a light as described.
Getting your garage door repaired or replaced s more important than ever. In days past garages were separate from the home, and if the door didn’t work, it might present less problems. Today many garages are attached to the home, and people rely on these doors for easy access in and out of their homes. The garage is where we keep our vehicles and many tools for use in our home. Because of this, it has become one of the most important parts of our house that we cannot just ignore. And when coming to your garage, the garage door is the first thing that greets us. It is important because it keeps our cars and tools safe.
So, you have to be cautious when choosing your garage door. Primarily, it has to serve the purpose of security. But, it also has to give a look or at least blend in with the design or your style of your entire house. So you may consider both function and aesthetic together.
Who Should I Buy the Garage Door Opener From?
From Doors On Demand of Course!!! An opener purchased from a hardware or retail store is for the "do-it-yourselfer." There is no in-home warranty. A garage door opener purchased from a professional garage door company like Doors On Demand is a bit different. Garage door openers from a professional come with a solid rail to avoid buckling and bending over time. The average cost of a new opener purchased from a hardware or retail store is $200-$300, plus around $115 for installation. The average cost of an opener purchased and installed through a professional garage door company is around $300-$400. Bottom Line....Hire a professional. When you work with a pro you can save yourself time and trouble, get a warranty and ensure that your new garage door is installed correctly so you’ll receive years of service from it, maximizing your investment.
