HOW TO MAKE YOUR GARAGE DOOR LAST AS LONG AS POSSIBLE

Keep your garage door in tiptop shape, and you’ll prolong its life. Considering regular wear and tear, how long will a garage door last? That depends. First, the manufacturer provides an official estimate. Also, your garage door’s construction materials are of exceptional quality, your garage door is bound to last considerably longer than average.

We usually don’t think much about our garage door, but the truth is, it plays a major role in your property’s value and curb appeal. Choosing to install a brand-new garage door, since it can be a significant purchase, is a big decision. Instead, you can simply keep the garage door you have, and maintain it well, so it will stay in good condition for as long as possible. Ideally, you will keep it functioning and looking as good as you can, and for as long as you can.

Nowadays, garage doors are of better quality than they used to be. They’re manufactured according to much stricter safety standards. A prime-quality garage door helps provide a barrier for maximum reduction of heat transfer into your garage. Door sections of excellent-quality garage doors are thoroughly tested and offer superior warranties.

Your garage door is actually the largest operating appliance at your home. Be sure to keep it in superb working order. Especially if your garage doubles as a shop, game room, or office, you’ll need to have a well-maintained garage, which includes beginning first with a solid and resilient garage door.

Follow a maintenance schedule. Follow a regular upkeep schedule recommended by the majority of garage door expert technicians. For extraordinary safety, inspect the components of your garage door system once a month. Replace any worn parts, and tighten any loose bolts. If you hear any unexpected noises whenever your garage door shuts or opens, be sure to investigate. If you find issues with wires, pulleys, springs, and cables, your garage door will definitely require attention from a professional. And, it’s recommended that you schedule an annual inspection with a dependable local garage door repair service.

It’s well worth the time and effort required to maintain your garage door. You’ll save money in the long run. You won’t spend a lot on repairs, and you won’t have to replace it for a good number of years.

Keep it lubricated. Garage door springs typically last for about 10 years. The most common reasons garage door repair is needed are broken springs and cables. To do as much as you can to prevent the need for repairs, keep your garage door springs, hinges, and rollers lubricated.

Without any lubrication, your garage door springs will rust, and the coils will bind. Don’t use anything too heavy, or it will attract more dirt and grime. A light coating is all you’ll need.

Most garage door professional technicians advise that you must keep the springs lubricated annually, right before the winter arrives; some say to do it every three months. In any case, it won’t dry out if you use a reputable brand.

You can also do your part to lengthen the life of your garage door opener. Most garage door openers can last 20 years. Regularly monitor the opener’s main gear. Open the case, and lubricate the main gear using white lithium grease.

Keep it balanced. At least twice per year, check the balance:

1. Disconnect the door from the opener, and operate it manually: Pull down on the rope hanging from the opener to disconnect the door, so you can lift it up by hand.
2. Your owner’s manual will provide instructions on how to reattach the garage door to your garage door opener.
3. At about 3 or 4 feet from the floor, your garage door should balance. If it’s too heavy, if there’s resistance, or if the door doesn’t stay all the way up, you’ll need to adjust the spring, so hire a garage door expert.

Keep it clean. You’ll make the garage door last longer by washing it well, on both sides, at least annually, using a sponge and clean water with mild dish soap. Rinse it well. Include the garage door opener sensor eyes: Use a clean, dry cloth. Keep the area around the sensors free of cobwebs and dirt.

• Is your garage door made of steel? Wash it, at a minimum, every 2 years. For added cold-weather protection, put on car wax.
• Is your garage door made of wood? If you ever discover any signs of peeling and chipping, you will maintain stellar curb appeal with a fresh coat of paint.

Keep it working.

1      Operate your garage door one complete cycle (open and shut), making sure it’s working smoothly.

2      Examine the automatic reversing garage door opener feature: As the door goes on its way down, grasp it to give it a little resistance, to find out if it reverses. If it doesn’t, then the opener’s sensitivity must be adjusted by a garage door professional.

3      If your garage door doesn’t reverse, or if you discover any other issues, hire a qualified garage door expert to inspect, adjust, repair, or replace what’s required.

Keep it safe. Be sure to regularly check the garage door’s safety features. Wave in front of the electronic eyes to test the door’s safety sensors. The garage door should go back up when the beam is broken.

Take caution! Unless you’re an engineer, DON’T adjust the spring tension of your garage door by yourself! Only a highly qualified garage door professional technician will be able to provide the correct maintenance necessary. Your garage door springs pack a punch, so if not serviced properly, they can actually cause serious injury, and even death. Along with the garage door springs, the cables, drums, and bottom brackets (which the cables attach to) are all under high pressure.

If any of your garage door components needs adjusting or replacement, hire a premium-quality local garage door repair company you can rely on. If you’re located in Kendall, Florida, consider a legitimate company such as the aptly named Kendall Garage Door Pros.

Aricle source here: HOW TO MAKE YOUR GARAGE DOOR LAST AS LONG AS POSSIBLE

Kendall Garage Door Pros: Identifying Garage Door Spring Issues

Garage doors, for the most part, are very reliable security mechanisms. Their components have been designed to be durable and sturdy, though they can become worn out over time. That being said, even our most reliable components are never fully immune to damage. Your garage door will be under a continuous amount of stress in its lifetime, especially since it is so frequently used.

According to the professionals at Kendall Garage Door Pros, wear and tear is just one of common reasons behind garage door spring faults. Your springs may snap under stress over time, rendering your door unsafe for daily use. In a case of a broken spring, you should avoid handling the door yourself – it will become highly unstable and could even collapse on you. Nobody wants to get injured or cause a great deal of property damage because of a broken or worn out spring, so it’s best to leave this kind of issue to qualified professionals.

Your door’s spring damage can take different forms – with some issues being much serious than the rest. Which is why we are going to take some time to explain to you about some of the different types of spring troubles, how to identify these, and what to do when you need the help of a repairs professional.

 

But first, let’s start with the basics.

Types of garage door springs

The two main types of springs you will find in most garage doors are torsion and extension. These are tightly wound to your garage door, but their location differs slightly. Extension springs are fitted along both sides of a garage door’s upper tracks, while torsion springs are attached just above the door. Another point of difference for extension springs is that these will have safety cables running through them from the ceiling – this helps the springs control your garage door’s opening and closing mechanisms.

When should springs be replaced?

Given that the main function of your springs is to raise and lower your door, spring replacements are an essential part of garage door maintenance. You are likely to not need to replace these unless they are showing strong signs or wearing and age. Keep an eye on your components, and if you think that you may benefit a replacement, get in touch with a repairs professional. They will be able to inspect your springs for you to confirm whether these are on the brink of exceeding their warranties. Replacing these before any breakage is ideal – and if your door has two springs, you’ll get more peace of mind if you change them both at the same time.

Spring damage: Main symptoms to look out for

This can be quite tricky as some of the main signs and symptoms of breakage overlap with those of other malfunctioning components. A garage door technician will be able to identify the source of your issues – but before you call them for help, there are a few things to check for yourself.

Essentially, your door’s ability to open and close will be the main indicator of whether its components are in top working condition. When everything is running smoothly, you will not hear any gnashing noises, nor will there be a delay in operations. The intensity of the noise matters here: a tiny squeak is merely an indication that your springs need a bit of oiling, whereas loud noises are a sure sign of damage.

Make sure to check if your door is out of balance. If you experience issues opening and closing the door, see what happens when you try and lift it manually. There should be a cord on the side that will enable you to do this – if raising the door and keeping it in place proves too difficult, then you’re dealing with an out of track door. Spring breakage or malfunction tends to be the most common cause of this, and you should get a repairs technician to inspect it closely.

Sometimes, a visual inspection may help you identify broken springs. Check by the door’s rollers and upper tracks and see if there are any clear signs of damage. Don’t try to remove or handle these, though, as this can be quite dangerous to do without the adequate training.

Why a repair technician will be your safest choice

Garage door repairs professionals have been especially trained to perform repairs and replacements in the safest and most reliable manner. They will be able to quickly identify which components are acting up, and the best solutions for your issues. Not only that, but their assistance is quite affordable and efficient: a lot of businesses operate 24/7 in case of emergencies and a credible professional always carries a truck loaded with tools and components to enable them to perform all the required fixes in a single visit. Another thing to keep in mind is that garage door repairs businesses will give you products with good warranties, so even if something goes awry you more peace of mind than you would with a botched DIY attempt.

To know you’re hiring a trusted garage door technician, make sure to ask around for recommendations. Keep 2-3 names handy and call them to inquire about warranties, minimum callout charges, certifications and insurance details. Some businesses may ask for a partial deposit prior to repairs, but they will never ask you for full payment upfront. Many businesses offer free consultations and price quotes, so make the most of these as well. If you have the time to do some background checking, look for customer reviews about your chosen business, and check with your local Better Business Bureau if these have had any complaints laid out against them. Stay away from businesses that don’t list their addresses anywhere, and be wary of information displayed online (especially when it comes to location as some dishonest operations may list a company address that doesn’t exist).

Are you based in Kendall, Florida? Then feel free to get in touch with Kendall Garage Door Pros. We are locally-based, have all the right credentials, and we are more than happy to answer any queries you may have about your springs or garage door troubles.

No matter where you live, though, we hope that this guide helps you understand a bit more about your garage door springs and any issues you may encounter along the way.

Aricle source here: Kendall Garage Door Pros: Identifying Garage Door Spring Issues

Garage door won’t open or close with remote control

You are tired after a long day at work. You can’t wait to go home, eat some dinner, and unwind with a good book or by watching one of your favorite movies. It’s not to be; not yet, anyway. You pull up into your driveway and hit the open button on your remote control and….nothing! The garage door didn’t open. You try again, and get the same results. Here at Kendall Garage Door Pros we often receive calls from local customers saying that their garage doors won’t open or close when they use their remote controls. It’s a problem that can happen to any of us at any time so keep reading and see what our Kendall, FL garage door pros recommend that you do.

Do the obvious – check your battery

9 out of 10 people will assume that the problem is a run-down battery in the remote. That’s good because it usually is! Just remove your batter from the remote and test it. Do you have a reliable battery tester at home? If not, you can take it to a local Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot or Lowes and they will be happy to test it for you at no charge. Of course, their goal is to sell you a battery but you are under no obligation to buy one there.

Next, check your remote’s battery terminals. If you have an older remote that has had its share of battery replacements, then the terminals may have loosened to the point that they no longer do their job right. There’s an easy solution; just press them together slightly until they are tighter and hold the battery better. You want good contact and by doing this you can get it. Also, be sure to clean the terminals if any battery fluid has leaked on to them as this too can affect performance.

Are your remote buttons sticking? They tend to do this with excess use and wear. Who hasn’t dropped the remote onto the driveway or garage floor on occasion? Remotes can wear out, become damaged with time. If you notice that you have to hit the open or close button several times to make it work then that is a sure sign that it is time to replace your remote (not your whole opener system!).

Do you have an older model remote? You may need to re-program it. Newer ones don’t need this but often the older ones can’t retain their memory after a time. Check your owner’s manual to see how to do this for your particular model and if you don’t have one, don’t worry about it. Most owner’s manuals are online in PDF form and all you have to do to access them is to search for it using your favorite browner and keywords; “brand name garage door opener owner’s manuals”.

Safety sensors

Another major reason that your remote is not opening or closing your garage door has nothing to do with your remote at all. The problem may be your photo electric safety eyes. Check your sensors and make sure that the LED lights are working and are lit. If one is out, or if it is blinking, then there is a problem. Check for frayed or cut wires and make sure that nothing is loose. Also, the lenses need to be clean and not smeared or caked with dirt. Here in Kendall, FL the warmth and humidity sometimes attract spiders and other bugs that love to build webs or other nests in and around your sensors. Be sure to remove any webs or insect nests safely with a long stick to avoid getting bitten or stung. You can clean the sensor lenses with a dry cloth (gently). Be careful to avoid scratching them (you can pretend they are camera lenses, if that helps). If the sensors have been bumped or nudged, they may not be aiming at each other. You can gently re-align them by hand so that the light beams are focused again. If needed, you can tighten the brackets so that they hold the beams steadier. If you need help doing any of this you can watch any number of YouTube videos on the subject by simply searching for them online or you can call a local Kendall, FL garage door repair shop and they should be happy to assist you. Of course, you can always give our Kendall Garage Door Pros crew a call; we offer high quality repair, installation and service assistance for home and business garage doors including 24-hour emergency help and lots more.

Is it locked up?

Many garage door openers feature a lock button on the wall station inside the garage. It’s meant as a safety and security feature so that you can lock your garage door whenever activated. Doing this prevents anyone from opening or closing your garage door using a remote. This is usually used when the occupants are going on vacation or simply away for the weekend. On the same note, many people use garage door side locks to secure their garages. This lock slides into a hole in the vertical track and prevents your garage door from opening. Whether you set it and forgot or someone else in your household did, the end result is still the same; no garage door access!

Final tips for you to consider

These items are not so common, but you should know about them as they still happen from time to time. Here in Florida, we sometimes get power surges, lightning strikes and power loss. At times, these can destroy the circuitry in the powerhead and can move through the wires all the way to the photo electric safety eyes or even to the wall station. A lightning strike doesn’t have to be direct to your home in order for a surge to affect your electrical appliances including your garage door opener system. While your first thought might be to call an electrician, the smarter and more affordable choice is to call a full service, licensed garage door repair technician.

Aricle source here: Garage door won’t open or close with remote control

13 Ways to Improve Exterior Design and Color for Your Home Garage Door

Today, garage doors are designed to coordinate or match the entire aesthetics of the house. Some might find it silly asking, “Why do you have to? It’s just a garage door.” Well, unless your garage is hidden on the back of your house it is safe to say to hell with what it looks like. But if your garage is facing the street, it is much recommended that you style it accordingly to make it nice to look at – not only for your neighbors, guests or passersby but for yourself too. After all, you are the one who is going to see it often.

So if you’re thinking about how boring your garage door is, then you should definitely revamp it. Add something to make it nicer. Or change the color. Whatever it is, just do it. And here are some helpful tips on how to style your garage door accordingly.

1. Complement the color with the entire home’s color and shades.

Sure you want your garage door to be attractive but it does not mean it has to stand out too much. Since it is still part of your home, it should match with the house’s color palette. You don’t want a neon garage door amidst the neutral walls of your home.

2. Match the architecture and style of the house.

If the colors complement so should the architecture. If the house is made of wood, the garage door should also be made of wood or at least wood-like – if you prefer other materials.

3. Change into carriage style garage door.

Don’t want the usual aluminum doors? Try the carriage-like style of garage doors. A lot of homeowners have shifted to this because it adds to the homey feeling. It makes your garage blend in with the rest of the parts of the house especially if you have a wooden front door.

4. Add stylish yet matching handles and hinges.

This is very applicable if you have wooden garage doors. If you look through the internet, most of wooden doors have wrought-iron or steel handles and hinges. It makes your garage doors a lot more attractive and looking less like a barn.

5. Add windows.

Some opt for windows since it makes it less suffocating to look at and at the same it is functional. It lets some light in and you can see the outside of your garage or can see through it if you are on the other side.

6. Add light fixtures or sconces.

If you don’t have lightings near or above your garage doors you are waiting for an accident to happen. Lights are very important. And it wouldn’t hurt to have cute light fixtures. You can install them beside your garage doors or above them.

7. Add plants, trellis or vines.

If you like plants and flowers, why don’t you add some of it to your garage door as well? But be careful not to overdo it since you don’t want your garage to look like a cave or a garden. Some vines outlining your door or potted plants on the columns will do.

8. Add overhangs.

Some build overhangs above their garage doors as a design but it can also provide functionality – it can serve as a roof on rainy days. Also, if you don’t want a trellis but you like the idea of vines, you can suspend them in your overhang.

9. Instead of plain glass panels, try smoked glass.

Smoke glass has become a trend. It is chic and clean and very appealing to minimalist homeowners and those who have houses with modern architecture. And unlike the usual glass panels, it provides privacy.

10. Add stone veneers and bricks.

If you’re tired of your plain painted walls and columns, why not cover it with bricks. You can cover the entire frame with it or maybe just half of the column – the lower portion specifically.

11. Coat wooden doors with polyurethane.

For those who don’t know what polyurethane is, it a paint-like substance that is clear in color. Some designers paint wood with these to have a shiny finish. Not only that it increases attractiveness, it can also make your wooden doors a lot more durable.

12. Opt for arched doors.

Instead of the usual square or rectangular door, why not try curved top garage doors. It is very suitable to traditional house styles with its classic vibe.

13. Ornate plain aluminum or wood.

Who says aluminum garage doors are boring? You can always design them with shapes you like instead of the usual horizontal paneling. Also, if you don’t want plain painted woods, have them carved with design and shapes you want.

There are a lot of choices for homeowners out there. What’s important is that functionality and durability aren’t compromised with the design. Choose materials that are strong to avoid accidents or premature replacements and repairs. Just like the other parts of your house, the garage door also needs thorough planning and designing.

About the Author: Kristy Jones is a DIY type of gal with a lot of experiences in architecture, crafts and basic house renovations. She loves writing on her personal blog, biking, bonding with friends and, most especially decluttering things at home for fun. Currently, she’s working as an office staff at A Click Away Remotes. She just want to focus on the growth of her career.

Article Source: 13 Ways to Improve Exterior Design and Color for Your Home Garage Door

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