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What You Need To Consider When Choosing A Garage Door

Your property is one of the most, if not the most valuable possessions you'll ever own. So it's safe to say that investing in maintenance, upgrading and up-keep of your home is basically an investment, as it will, even if you choose to sell later on, raise the market price of your property. We all want our houses to look great, both from the inside and outside, and one of the important elements adding to the look of your house is your garage door. Not only is it one of the most visual components of your home, it is also possibly the largest moving part of it, so it pays off to keep it in good condition. Frequent maintenance inspections and improvements have to be carried out in order to keep your garage door looking good, and most important of all, in working order. Garage doors are something that can be used, sometimes up to ten or fifteen times each day. Having it unmaintained isn't just a headache, but it could also be harmful to you, your cars or your family in garage door repair santa monica.

So, you have just relocated into your dream home. The only thing about the whole house that you absolutely can't stand is the pale, monotonous garage door. It has been neglected by the previous owners and is barely functioning. You have to buy and put in a new one. Now, this may be a great thing, or it can be a real pain. Choosing the right door is vital. You have to ensure that the one you select will match your garage while operating effectively, not to mention that the style of the door should suit the style of your home. But, more importantly, you have to take a look at garage doors prices.

The state the overall economy has compelled individuals to reduce costs wherever possible. Sure, you need to find affordable garage doors prices, but steer clear of going too low, as the cost of the doors often reveal the quality, strength and durability of the doors. When selecting a door, look at the quality, overall flexibility and durability of the materials the door is constructed of. The door must not flex or bend when put under pressure, since this indicates it might very easily break and may not last very long. For example, doors built entirely from wood would obviously not be as strong as doors reinforced with metal or steel or any other type of strong materials. Some stores even have displays of garage doors available. If this is the case, request if they could demonstrate how the door works to you.

There are mainly two types of garage doors available: a lifting door and a rolling door. The rolling door is used a lot more than the lifting door. Have a look at how these doors function and then decide based on which one you believe would be most suitable to your garage and home: and don't forget to have a look at the garage doors prices. If you're unsure about buying the perfect door, speak to a handy-man or even a professional that will help you in finding the correct door at the right price!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5933969

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How To Find The Best Company For Garage Door Repair And Installation

The success of any garage door repair project depends on the extent of damage. However, it also relies heavily on the company you hire to undertake the task. A licensed and reputed company with a team of trained and experienced professionals under its belt has the capability to handle and solve almost any problem that might arise pertaining to your garage door. Hence, choosing the best company for garage door repairs and installation is important.

Another reason why you might want to spend time looking for the right company is to avoid events of shoddy work, grossly expensive prices and unneeded repairs. Here's a short list of tips to save yourself from the trap of unethical repair companies.

1. Use recommendations -

The search for a service provider starts with looking up the yellow pages and local and online classified directories for professionals offering garage door repairs and installation services. It is the right way to go about it. You can also ask friends and relatives to recommend service providers if they have recently had a garage door replaced or repaired in garage door repair castro valley.

2. Get multiple bids on the project -

Most homeowners, in the hurry to get a door fixed, settle for the first repair and installation firm they come across. It is advisable to get multiple bids before you can award a project to a contractor. It enables you to compare and get the best price on the project. Getting multiple bids is no longer a hassle as you can get it easily on the phone or a company website in a matter of a single day.

3. Licensure -

If you want a quality job in exchange of the money paid, it is necessary to choose a professional with relevant qualifications and training. A valid licensing certificate is a good proof of a person's skill and training in the field.

4. Check the company's reviews -

A good reputation is also a good criterion to make a choice of a garage door repair company, but one should not rely on it completely. Most individuals and companies are registered with business bureaus who review them periodically based on customer reviews and complaints. You can look up the business bureau website in your state. You can also read past customer testimonials for a company or an individual. Technicians and companies who provide quality services often attract positive reviews from customers.

5. Experience in the industry -

When choosing a company to handle garage door repair and installation for you, it is important to ask how long they have been in the business. A company that has been in the business for long is adept at handling all types of issues as they are well-versed in traditional methods as well as trained in the latest technology.

6. A Genuine Selling Effort -

The manner in which the company handles your problem is another way to judge their genuineness. Usually a good technician will come, inspect the problem, rectify it and take his charges and leave. Before he leaves, he may or may not advise the homeowner on replacing certain parts based on his experience and his inspection. However, he leaves the decision to the homeowners. On the contrary, there are repairmen who will force customers to buy unnecessary parts or undertake unneeded repairs.

7. An estimate of the project -

A good company is one that will give an as accurate as possible estimate for the project handed out to them. Many quote a low price initially to hold on to a customer and overcharge at the end of the project. The technician or company should specify how they break up the cost of labor and parts. You should be aware of companies that charge unreasonably low prices and multiple discounts.

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Garage Door Tips and Information

Your garage door is one of the largest working components in most homes and need some TLC just like any working component in your home. Some problems can be fixed by the homeowner. May times the chain or drive shaft just needs to be oiled. We recommend spraying a good lubricant like Liquid Wrench as it is Silicon based lubricator.

Also make sure your sensors are properly aligned. This can cause the door to not open or shut properly. We have found on many of our service calls that the door is not closing or opening properly because of the sensor alignment or the remote has lost connection with the opener itself. You also want to make sure the track of the door is moving smoothly up and down as well and there is nothing that is in the path of the rollers.

Some problems with garage doors require a lot more attention and cannot be fixed by the homeowner. One of these fixes is the door springs themselves. These are one of the major components that go out in the functionality of a door. There are 2 types of springs; they are the Torsion Spring and the Extension Spring. Neither of these should be changed unless you are a trained professional. There can be serious dangers with trying to change these as a typical homeowner that is not properly trained.

They both have built up energy in the springs and we have seen some serious injuries come from not properly changing the springs. You should contact a professional to change your garage door spring. When a spring goes out you can flip the manual switch by pulling the cord and manually open and shut your garage door, but it is very heavy. Your spring is the most common problem with outages and it always seems to happen at the worst times. You could be running late to an appointment, going to the airport or just don't have the money to get it fixed. Check around for some specials from different companies, but be careful about some that have a really low price for replacement. Many times that is just for the cost of the spring and then they charge you labor on top of that. Ask questions before you hire the company to do the work.

We have installed many track home and custom home garage door services expert and we offer a lifetime warranty on all the parts. Look for a company that is offering some kind of warranty to install or fix your door. A trained professional will be able to install the tracks, opener, sensors and of course the panels depending on the type of door. There is a lot of information that can be found on the web as to specific problem you are having. We have recommended many clients to do a Google or Yahoo search, or recommended a specific article to show diagrams of what the actual problem could be. This way the consumer is educated on the problem and can decide if they want to fix themselves or hire a trained professional like us.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5328387

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The Quality Of Garage Door Hinges

Garage doors repair expert are breaking more than ever, and why is that? Is it because the doors are made cheaper? Or is it because there are just more people parking in garages these days? I am here to tell you that is both. Garage doors are made out of a cheaper metal and they are not as thick as they used to be.

The most common doors these days are 26 gauge, the cheapest on the market. Back in the good old days people used to park in the driveway or on the street, so most homes only had a carport. The garage springs are not made to last as long as they used to be in the 1970s and 80s. They are made of cheaper steel and like most materials, are made to break more. Even when you get down to the little parts such as garage door hinges, they're just not made of the same quality.

There are many types of garage door hinges, depending on what door you have. There are plastic hinges, metal hinges, and many other types of hinges on a garage door. Hopefully you have door that is a lower gauge. There is a role when it comes to gauges; the lower the gauge the, thicker the metal of the hinge.

When hinges get old and are worn out they tend to make the rollers go up crooked which will cause all kinds of obstacles for the door to roll smoothly. The best solution is to replace all the hinges on the left and right side which are the hinges of the rollers go in. The numbers of the garage door hinges on a normal 16 x 7 door would be the number one, two, and three hinge.

Some people have what is known as a Wayne Dalton hinge. These hinges were patented by Wayne Dalton and are not the best quality. You will be able to find the model 9100 hinges at nearly any home improvement store, and will see how they are not well constructed. If you own this model, I would recommend that you buy a few extra hinges and make sure to check them on an annual basis.

When the door goes cockeyed, we in the industry call this a "crash door". This is with one end of the door is slightly higher than the other end. This usually happens when one of the cables falls off of the drum and the other cable still has tension. It is not recommended to mess with the door at this point, be smart and call a professional.

Usually when a crash door occurs, we will need to replace a few of the hinges. Also, the garage door did not end up like that for any reason, most of the time it's because the tension on the spring has been lost. In most cases it is best to think about replacing the torsion spring on the garage door when this occurs. Just remember, when your door breaks and you need to replace the hinges, try to hire a professional to avoid any complications.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7690871

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How a Chain Drive Garage Door System Works

A chain drive garage door opening system lifts the doors by way of a trolley system. There are three different types of openers that do this, the others being belt and screw driven. The chain drive differs from these other system in many ways such as engineering, cost, availability and even how much noise it makes. It's important to understand how such a system works in case you want to perform future maintenance on it. Such knowledge could help save you money by avoiding having to call a garage door service professional.

Like the name indicates, a chain drive opener utilizes a chain that runs along a rail, attaching to the electric motor and a trolley to lift and lower the door. Your garage door is composed of a moderately complex system of pulleys and counter-balances that determine the amount of force which is exerted in opening the door. The motor only controls how far the door can be opened and closed. All of these functions are adjustable and need to be carefully appraised before doing any maintenance. The trolley is connected to an arm that is, in turn, connected to the top of the garage door. The chain drive pulls the trolley back, which moves the arm and garage door back and forth.

One advantage of the chain drive system is that it is basically a glorified pulley system, and it can be operated as such in the event of a power outage. The chain that moves your garage door is part of an assembly unit that is attached to springs. These springs ensure that the door stops in precise positions when open and close. The chain drive is connected to a series of gears and rollers to move the trolley to a general location. Smooth operation is determined by how it is set upon these gears, and its relative attachment to the trolley.

The chain drive is attached to the electric motor which is usually mounted to the roof towards the back of the garage. The chain is fitted around the drive socket on the motor that is powered by your home electricity. The chain is also fitted around and idler sprocket at the opposing end of the main track. This idler sprocket serves only to complete the loop. As the power motor turns the drive socket, the chain guides cables and pulleys onto rotors which facilitate the opening of your garage door. Chain drives, due to their overall simplicity, are among the cheapest available garage door openers and also among the longest lasting.

Eventually, though, the chain can loosen around the drive socket. This requires maintenance to ensure that your garage door remains balanced. This condition can also produce safety hazards like your door becoming stuck or falling. Periodic inspections and lubrication of your chain drive can go a long way toward preventing such a situation. It can also help to quell the noise that they produce, which is really their only drawback.

Proper understanding of the inner workings of your chain drive unit can save you time and money on costly repairs. It can also be helpful in preventing possible safety hazards. However, if you are not mechanically inclined to handle rotor and pulley systems on your own, I implore you to call a professional garage door service provider [http://www.garage-doors-las-vegas.com/]. Technicians [http://www.garage-doors-las-vegas.com/services.html] can usually help you to troubleshoot the problems you're facing over the phone, without charging you. If you encounter the need for a full replacement unit to be installed, they can help you with that as well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5346984

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About a Garage Door Remote

A garage door opener remote is used to open the garage door opener from a distance, making your life a lot easier by sparing you the trouble of opening and shutting the garage gate manually. You can use it to open the garage gate both from the inside and outside of the garage. The remote has made life a lot easier. Now you do not have to get out of your car, open the garage door, get back inside the car, park it inside the garage and then go back to shut the garage gate. All you now have to do is simply open the door with the click of a button from inside the car.

Most garage door remotes come with either a single button or multiple buttons. A single button is basically for switching the opener on to open the door and vice versa. Some remotes with multiple buttons provide you with some other options as well for instance if you would like to select a specific opening speed, or if you would turn on the garage lights from inside the car or in case of multiple garage doors and openers, each button on the remote would send signals to the particular door opener to activate it. Some garage door remotes are like keypads to facilitate punching in a confirmation code before opening the door.

Garage remotes usually operate on radio signals and people have shown some security concerns related to radio signals frequency. A garage door remote can be used to activate some other door opener which works on the same frequency. To overcome this problem, most of the garage door remotes and openers now come with a specific code. If the code that you punch on your garage door remote or the code that is transmitted through its radio frequency does not match with your garage gate opener's, then it will not respond and the gate will not open, thereby reducing the security threats considerably.

A sensor can also be installed as a garage door remote. The sensor in your car would transmit signals to the sensor in the opener and activate it. By doing so, you would not have to worry about losing your remote at all.

These remotes are very important equipments that you cannot afford to lose unless you want to be stuck inside or outside the house for sometime. It can be extremely frustrating and annoying when you have to go somewhere and are in a hurry but have to fumble around in your pockets or around the car looking for the garage gate remote. Often you or other family members can accidentally lose the remote. This is especially true for houses with small kids, who more than often misplace the remotes like a lot of other stuff. For such cases, it is very important that you keep a spare remote with you.

Such remotes are very easy to find in the market and even if you cannot find the same remote model as your opener, they can still be modified to match the frequency of your garage gate opener. Universal remotes are also available in the market which can be used to open all sorts of door openers inside your house. In that case, if you have three or four door openers inside the house or your commercial building, you will not have to keep track of all the remotes but can instead operate all openers through one universal garage door remote.

The daily life of a common man has never been easier, with the breakthrough of such gadgets which continue to make daily chores more and more expedient.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5723904

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Choosing the Ideal Garage Door Mechanism

Your options on garage door repair mechanisms might not be as many as the choices for materials. However, choosing one that will befit your style and the available garage space you have may not be as easy as you think.

Retractable garage doors are named as such because the door panel retracts fully into the garage when it is open. These do not require cables in the lifting process. Rather, lifting arms with tensions springs are mounted on the sides, which open the door into the garage on horizontal steel runners using rollers at each corner of the panel as support. Parking too close is not possible because a large portion of the door swings toward the outside as it opens and slides away into the ceiling. Nevertheless, retractable types are popular because their mechanism is ideal for automatic control or operation. These doors are also generally available in all types of materials.

Canopy garage doors are the most common type when it comes to mechanisms. This type is built from a single rigid panel, which usually requires springs for counterbalance as it lifts open upwards and backwards. As the name suggests, it swings towards the outside as it opens and then slides upwards to the ceiling.

However, about a third of the door juts out of the garage to allow for more room inside. The canopy mechanism provides good width to drive through and it is the easiest to install. It is available in a wide range of materials. Canopy doors are generally the most affordable option. However, this mechanism can only be automated using a canopy bow arm converter.

Sectional garage doors are made up of several panels that are hinged horizontally. The sections slide up on vertical tracks and then slide into horizontal tracks adjacent to the garage ceiling. The main advantage this mechanism has above the "up and over" (retractable and canopy) types is that it does not swing outwards when opening or closing. This type has the ability to maximize the height and width of the drive through area, which is ideal if you have a large vehicle. Sectional type mainly comes in steel but specialized wooden versions are also available. The major drawback in this option is that it is usually more expensive than the others are.

Roller garage doors optimize the height and width of your garage because they do not take up a lot of space. This type is made of narrow horizontal slats that lets the door rise vertically and then roll up into the garage ceiling. This mechanism is ideal if you have a short driveway because you can park your car close to the garage door. The slats come in either aluminum or steel and the thickness of each will determine how big the resulting curtain roll will be when the door is open. This can be operated whether manually or automatically.

Side hinge doors are ideal for those who do not have inside clearance for the up and over types. This is divided into two parts and strong hinges at the sides attach each to the garage. This mechanism allows easy and fast access into the garage interior. Side hinge type comes in a choice of different materials like wood (timber), PVCu, GRP (Fiberglass), and steel. This can be easily automated by making use of an overhead door opener mechanism or a converter that attaches each wing to the electric operator.

It is true that mechanisms affect garage door prices. UK garage door stores and companies online, however, offer great deals that you can take advantage of.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4329273

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How to Replace - Garage Door Repair Rosenberg TX Extension Springs

When doing home maintenance of any kind, it's important to be aware of the risks. This is especially true when dealing with the springs on your garage door. Springs hold a lot of tension and if they are improperly dealt with they can cause serious injury to the repairman. However, if you're a disciple of Bob Villa or any of the do-it-yourself gurus and decided that you can handle the task, you want to make sure that you have the right tools and, more importantly, the right information. As a technician, I don't want anyone getting hurt on something as potentially rewarding and cost efficient as spring replacement. So I'm going to walk you through it step by step. But remember, if you feel uncomfortable at any point in the replacement of your springs, I implore you to walk away and hire someone qualified. Your safety and well-being are more important than the hundred bucks you'll spend on the job. First, you need to figure out what kind of springs you're replacing. Extension springs work independently of each other and run parallel to the track, helping to raise and lower the door. When the door is down, the springs extend and when it's up, they contract. Extension springs wear more quickly than other springs because they work independently of each other, wobbling back and forth while they work. Extension springs are the most common and they also have a great effect on how the different parts of your door unit wear down. To replace your extension springs you'll need some C-clamps (a couple of pairs of vice grips will do), a ladder, a socket wrench, an open-ended wrench and your new springs.

1) Lift your garage door completely open and engage the emergency release. This separates the opening arm from the lift system. But, for good measure, unplug your lifting device to make sure it can't engage while you're working. Attach the C-clamps to the track to hold your door in place.

2) Position your ladder under the track on one side of the garage door. Grab the lower part of the cable that runs over the pulley system on the end of the spring and pulls it toward the front of the garage. This should give you some slack on the cable where it hooks up to the upper part of the track.

3) With your free hand, unfasten the hook and cable clip on the end of the cable from the upper track. Then slowly release the cable and allow it to rest on the safety cable. The safety cable is the cable that runs directly through the middle of the spring. Unfastened the end of the spring cable from the cable clips and pull the cable off the pulley and away from the spring entirely.

4) Look at both ends of the safety cable and determine which end would be easier for you to detach. This cable usually attaches to an eye bolt on the rear track hanger and to the front wall with a lag bolt which goes through a loop. Go ahead and disconnect whichever end you can and pull the cable completely out of the spring.

5) Next, you have to detach the extension spring from the rear track hanger. One end of the spring hooks over an eye bolt hook so you have to move the end of the spring away from the hook on the bolt. Get your socket wrench and fit it over the bolt securing the pulley to the U-bracket on the end of the spring. Loosen the nut on the other side with a wrench and detach the pulley from the spring. Good job, now they're off.

6) Getting the new ones back on actually isn't as hard. Start by placing the U-bracket on the end of the spring and positioning the pulley into the open end of the U-bracket. Line up the middle hole of the pulley with the holes on the end of the bracket.

7) Then insert the retaining bolt through one side of the bracket and the pulley. Thread a retaining nut on the end of the bolt and tighten it with a wrench and a socket wrench. Hook the opposite end of the spring on the eye bolt hook to the rear track bracket. Make sure the bolt head on the pulley is pointing toward the garage door track

8) Now insert the safety cable through the spring and reconnect it to either the rear track hanger or the front wall. It should be the place that you disconnected it.

9) Take the garage door cable and put the end between the front spring pulley and U-bracket from the top of the pulley. Slide the cable through the bottom of the pulley and toward the door. Make sure the cable that the cable is on top of the pulley on the front of the track, then thread the end of it the middle and one end hole on the cable clip. Then place the S-hook on the other end of the cable clip.

10) You need to stretch the spring slightly, so pull the end of the cable with one hand and it hold it while you insert the S-hook into the middle hole on the top front of the upper track. Remove the slack from the cable clip and spring by adjusting the cable in the cable clip. Once there's no slack, tie off the cable in the clip to hold it snug. To tie off the cable, insert the end through a hole and loop it through the next. Then loop it back around through the first hole and pull it tight.That's it! You've negotiated the first garage door repair Rosenberg TX extension spring replacement. Just follow the same steps on the other side of your garage door. You should always replace both springs at the same time to decrease the chance of your door going out of balance and to reduce the chance of spring breakage. Before you kick everything back into gear, do a balance check while you've still got your door disengaged. Once you're completely done, remove the C-clamps from your garage door tracks, plug your lift system back in and press the wall clicker to re-engage the opener arm to the lift system.

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The History of Garage Doors

As automobiles were invented and came into consumer market, there became a need to safely store them. At the time, outbuildings were a type of unattached garages that kept the horse and buggy. The original outbuilding held the transportation and all transportation related tools. So, consumers naturally begin storing automobiles right next to their horse and buggy in the same outbuilding. High society was the main consumers in the early 1900's and they didn't appreciate their shiny new car smelling like horse manure. A new solution was necessary to keep them happy.

The first garages were one level heated buildings that resembled an enclosed parking lot. Each parking space could be rented for $15-$20 a month. The building normally housed about 100 parking spaces. The garages were publicly and privately owned. The owner would keep the garage clean for the consumers and it was adequate for what consumers needed. There were problems though, $15-$20 was a lot of money for storage, it wasn't very convenient, and around 1910 there became too many cars for the garage's to accommodate.

In 1912, an architect created "a new type of outbuilding". The garage, which comes from the French word garer- to shelter or protect, was invented. The first garage door was essentially a barn door. It was a double door attached to the garage with strap hinges that opened outward. They had the appearance of a basic shed and were subjected to heavy wear and tear. The hinges got rusty and squeaked and the screws would bend and eventually fall out. Snow made it difficult to open and close the doors as well.

Improvement was needed again. Sliding tracks for doors was then invented to solve one problem. But, that led to a new problem. The garage door would take up less space if the doors could remain within the area of the garage so that they could be moved sideways on a sliding track, across the front of the garage. For that to happen, the garage had to be at least double the width of the door.

So the next invention was created. The garage door repair was developed so that it was cut into sections and hinged together at internals. This allowed it to fold around a corner and the garage to be only slightly wider than the garage door. But, there had to be an even better way. In 1921, C.G. Johnson developed the overhead garage door. It lifted upwards and folded parallel to the garage ceiling. He saw a further need in the market and in 1926 C.G. Johnson invented the electric door opener. Consumers that couldn't lift a heavy wooden door now could have an electric system lift the door for them.

Improvements were made in the 1950's by Emanuel Mullet's company called Wayne-Dalton. His company introduced new technology for garage door openers, pinch-resistant doors, tamper-resistant bottom brackets, and many other innovations. Garage doors continued to improve with the discovery of new materials to make them with, better insulation, and safer garage door openers.

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