Garage Door Spring Replacement

January 3rd, 2014 Posted in Garage Door Spring Replacement
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Typical garage doors can weigh up to 300 pounds or more, depending upon the size as well as the material used in the door.  All garage doors use springs to support the weight of the door and the springs are tightened and loosened as the garage door undergoes tens of thousands of opening and closing cycles.  Basically the springs exert a force equal to the weight of a garage door, making the door effectively weighing nothing when the door is opened.  Although very durable, eventually these springs will wear out and break from use.   When this happens, it is still possible to open the door, however you will be lifting the full weight of the door. 

Garage doors use either torsion springs or extension springs to support the weight of the door.  Although they do the same thing the springs are located in different places, with torsion springs being located at the top of the garage door, while extension springs are located on the sides of the door.  

Replacement of either type of spring should be done by a licensed and insured garage door contractor for a number of reasons.  The main reason is because of safety.  Garage door springs are under a great deal of tension during and after the installation process.  The correct installation is required in order to avoid serious injury or even death.  In addition, often there are specialized tools required to add tension to the spring once installed.  A qualified and highly trained technician will be able to install these springs quickly economically and most importantly safely!

Posted on behalf of Legacy Garage Doors

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Garage Door Replacement

January 3rd, 2014 Posted in New Garage Doors
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While garage doors have a relatively long life span, they will eventually need to be replaced due as a result of damage, wearing out or appearance.  Twenty years ago, garage door styles were fairly limited, as was the materials that that were used to manufacture the door.  Often the only way to get a garage door that was architecturally compatible with the style of the home was to purchase an expensive custom door, as mass produced, cost effective and architecturally correct garage doors were not available in the marketplace. In addition, in the past, many doors were made of inferior materials that did not weather well. 

Today, the major manufacturers of garage doors offer dozens of different door styles from classic doors with or without glass panels to carriage style doors.   New garage doors are now available with flush, recessed or raised panels, depending upon the style of the home that the door is going to be used on. 

In addition, doors are now available that are either non-insulated or insulated for colder climates.  The materials available include steel, faux wood, real wood, as well as other composite materials.  The door panels can be either smooth or have a simulated wood grain molded into the door panel.  The doors can be either painted or stained, adding more possibilities to the overall appearance of the home. 

Most doors are now available in a variety of widths and heights as well.  In short, never before have so many options been available.  A qualified garage door contractor can assist in determining the perfect replacement garage door for your home at a very reasonable price!

Posted on behalf of Legacy Garage Doors

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Garage Door Safety

January 3rd, 2014 Posted in Garage Door Repairs
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Garage doors are very safe and while accidents are relatively rare, the accidents that do occur are generally the result of improper installation and improper inspection and maintenance of the garage door.  The installation and maintenance of garage doors should always be performed by a licensed and insured garage door contractor. 

Often safety issues can occur if the door is not properly installed.  Common installation issues occur when framing that holds the door track is not properly secured to the structure of the home.  Other installation issues include improper tension on torsion or extension springs, which assist in opening of the door, as well as holding it open. 

The lack of inspections and routine garage door maintenance leads to many garage door safety issues.  Once of the most common issues is related to a garage door opener not being able to reverse the closing process, if an obstacle gets in the way while the door is closing.  Typically, these obstacles could be either a child or a pet, which could be crushed by the door while it is closing.   Older openers do not have this reverse feature, but new openers are required by law to have this feature. 

As a part of any maintenance inspection, the proper operation of this feature must be verified.  Other safety issues occur when untrained homeowners attempt to perform maintenance on items without the proper training and tools.  It is important to keep in mind that significant personal injury or death is possible if a 300-pound garage door is not installed and maintained properly.

Posted on behalf of Legacy Garage Doors

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Routine Garage Door Maintenance

January 3rd, 2014 Posted in Garage Door Repairs
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As with most other item in the home, garage doors need periodic inspection and maintenance in order for the door to perform properly and safely.  The best way to make sure that these inspections are made and the maintenance is performed is to have a qualified, licensed and insured garage door contractor make these inspections at least two times per year.  In many cases, the inspections and preventative garage door maintenance will allow potential issues to be identified early and corrected before they fail.  Periodic inspection and maintenance services are quick and economical as well! 

During the inspections and maintenance visits, the technician will operate the door with and without the opener to listen for any unusual noises.  While they are operating the door they will also be conducting a visual inspection of the door, door parts, track, springs, cables, pulleys, and rollers.  The next thing that will be checked is the door balance.  Here the technician will verify that the door springs are working properly by lifting the door and making sure that the door remains fully open.

If the garage door has an opener, the technician will verify that the reversing mechanism is working properly.  As a part of this part of the inspection, the technician will verify the proper alignment of the photo eyes and examine the amount of force being applied by the opener to close the door.  The final part of the inspection will be a lubrication of the moving parts on the door and in some cases the moving components on the opener.  If issues are discovered during the inspection, the technician will be able to make the necessary corrections on the spot.  Periodic inspection of maintenance is the key to keeping garage doors operating properly and safely!

Posted on behalf of Legacy Garage Doors

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