Is Your Garage Door Lock Disabled?

Did you know your garage door has an outdoor lock? You probably see it every day, yet rarely will ever need to use it. Garage doors generally come with a manual lock that you can use to secure your garage if you don’t have an electronic garage door opener or it is not working. Day in and day out, you open and close your garage door with no problems as long as that manual lock is disabled. But what happens if you accidentally manually lock the door and then try to use your opener?

If you engage your garage door opener when the door is manually locked, you could damage your garage door, the opener or both. You may think that this would never happen but it actually happens quite frequently. The manual lock is used during a power outage or maybe the kids were playing with it – whatever the cause, when you go to use your opener, that powerful force pulls against a door firmly locked, often causing expensive damages. So what can you do to prevent this?

There are ways to permanently disable your manual lock or make it difficult to accidentally engage. One method that garage door service companies use is installing a lock rod that will prevent the manual lock from being used unless the rod is removed. This simple fix can prevent hundreds of dollars or more of damage to your garage door system in the event your garage door is ever locked on accident.

If you are unsure of how to disable your manual garage door lock, call your local garage door service company. They can help you disable or add a lock rod to your door to prevent any future problems.

Garage Door Summer Safety Tips

If you drive through any neighborhood during the summertime, you’ll see many garage doors open with kids and adults going in and out. It is easy to forget that a garage door is a few hundred pound piece of equipment when it easily goes up and down with a push of a button. While a properly maintained garage door is designed with safety in mind, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure that your garage door is safe for everyone in your family. Here are some safety tips:

–          Educate your kids on garage door safety. Make sure your kids know that the garage door is not a toy to make go up and down. Garage door openers should be high enough that toddlers cannot reach the button, and bigger kids should let adults operate the door.

–          Make sure safety features are working. Most garage door openers have a safety mechanism that stops it from closing on an object. Test this feature by putting a box or other object under the door and try to close the door. It should stop before it hits the item. If it does not, you need to have the safety feature repaired or realigned.

–          Have a safety inspection and tune-up. A good way to ensure your spring and other equipment that control the movement of your garage door are working properly is to have a tune-up performed. Your local garage service company can inspect your equipment, then lubricate the opener, tighten bolts and replace hardware as needed to ensure your garage door is in good working order.  This can prevent any equipment failures or unexpected spring breaks that could cause a serious injury.

Posted on behalf of Habpro
Dacula, GA 30019
(770) 985-3355

 

Spring Inspection for Your Garage Doors

How did your garage door hold up over the winter? Many areas of the country experienced rough winters, with cold temperatures and blistery storms that ravaged the outside of homes. Garage doors are often exposed to rougher elements than the rest of the home due to the temperature fluctuations they endure, with one side warm and the other cold as internal heating battles exterior chill. After a hard winter, it’s time to give your garage door a thorough inspection to check for any damage or necessary repairs.

  • Look for cracks. Cracks are one of the most common issues for wooden garage doors. Especially in freezing temperatures, movement or even a slight impact can start a crack. If you find a crack in a panel, often you can just replace the panel instead of the whole door.
  • Check your rails and hardware. Inspect your rails and other hardware for your door, looking for dents, rust and loose nuts or bolts. It’s very common for a vehicle to slide into the railings of the garage door during icy weather, which can compromise the door.
  • Safety inspection. Make sure your safety features are working correctly. Put an object, like a cardboard box, under your garage door and try to close the door. If the electronic eyes are working correctly, the door should not close. If it smashes the object, your lasers may not be working or are not aligned properly.

If you find any problems, make sure to call in your local garage door service as soon as possible. Garage doors are used even more during the summer, so have all repairs completed in the interest of household safety. While your garage door expert is on the premises, have them tune-up your garage door opener to make sure the spring and other mechanisms are working properly.

Posted on behalf of Habpro
Dacula, GA 30019
(770) 985-3355

Troubleshooting a Garage Door That Does Not Close

One of the most common and frustrating problems with automated garage doors is when they refuse to close. This usually happens at the worst possible time, when you are already running late for work or have an important appointment. You cannot leave your home with your garage door wide open, so what do you do? Here are a few of the most common causes of this frustrating issue, so the next time it happens you can troubleshoot the problem.

  • Sensors. As a safety feature, automated garage doors use photo-sensors to ensure nothing is under the door before it closes. However, if these sensors get dirty or are not aligned, they can prevent the door from closing when no obstacles are present. These sensors are located on either side of the garage door. If you don’t have time to fix the issue when it occurs, you can usually override this feature by using the wall unit, holding the button until the door closes.
  • Vacation or lock-out mode. Many garage door openers have a vacation or lock-out mode that can accidentally be triggered. These switches will disable the remote, meant to keep out intruders. If this is the problem, you should be able to close the door by using the wall unit. The vacation or lock-out option should also be located on the wall unit and can be turned off to allow the remote to work.
  • Remote issue. A faulty garage door remote is another common culprit when doors refuse to close. The batteries may need to be replaced, or you could be facing another remote-related issue. Once again, you should still be able to use the wall unit until the remote can be evaluated and repaired.

These are a few of the most common reasons a garage door will not close. If the problem is not resolved, you may need to call your local garage door service company to inspect your garage door and opener to find and repair the issue.

Posted on behalf of Habpro
Dacula, GA 30019
(770) 985-3355

 

Do You Have Damaged Tracks On Your Garage Door?

One of the most easily damaged parts on your garage door is the tracks. Exposed in the interior of the garage door, these tracks often are hit by vehicles, bouncing balls and many other moving objects. Over time, these small dents can cause the tracks to weaken and become unstable. At some point, they may give way, endangering you, your vehicle or members of your family, plus causing damage to your garage door. 

Inspecting Your Garage Door Tracks

As part of your regular maintenance on your garage door, make sure to inspect the tracks. You should be looking for any dents or bends in the metal. You should also check the alignment of your door. Does your garage door move smoothly up and down through the tracks, or does it seems to hesitate at certain spots on the track? 

If you notice any problems, don’t try to repair the tracks yourself. Trying to pound out dents or realign the tracks on your own can be dangerous. Garage doors can weigh several hundred pounds; doing anything that could cause the door to crash down or come out of the tracks could put you or someone else in your family at risk of injury. 

Replacing Garage Door Tracks

If your garage door tracks seem to be damaged, call your local garage door service company to handle any needed garage door repairs. They can inspect your tracks and offer solutions to ensure they do not cause damage to your door or harm to your family. Most damaged tracks will need to be replaced, as they are not easily repaired. However, it is much less expensive to replace the tracks than purchase a new garage door or pay for injuries.

Posted on behalf of Habpro

Is Your Garage Door Ready For Winter?

There are many items on your to-do list to prepare for winter around your home, but one item which may sometimes be overlooked is your garage door. However, since you rely on your garage door to get you and your vehicle inside during the worst winter weather, it may be something you want to consider. Before the winter weather hits, now is the time to give your garage door a little pre-winter maintenance. 

Winter Maintenance For Your Garage Door

Having your garage door fail at any point can be inconvenient. During the winter, it can be downright dangerous. Winter conditions are when you need the safety of driving into your garage the most. It is also the time when a poorly maintained door is most likely to fail, due to changes in the temperature and other weather factors. Here are a few maintenance items to cover in order to ensure your door is ready for the colder months ahead. 

  • Lubrication. Your garage door is exposed to the outside weather every time it opens. This can let in moisture, which can rust and corrode the moving parts of your door. Lubrication can protect these parts from the moisture while ensuring your door can move easily and smoothly.
     
  • Springs. Most garage door springs last several years with regular maintenance. Most last around 10,000 cycles, so the lifespan will depend on how often you use your garage door. If your spring is more than three years old and is used heavily, it may be time to have it replaced. Never try to replace a garage door spring yourself; always hire a professional.
     
  • Check all components. Inspect the seals, rollers, tracks and all moving parts for any problems. It is easier to repair or replace these parts now than to have your garage door fail in the middle of a winter storm. 

The easiest way to ensure your garage door is ready for winter is to have an annual tune-up service performed by your local garage door service company. They can fully inspect your system and perform any garage door repairs or maintenance to avoid leaving you out in the cold this winter.

Posted on behalf of Habpro

Garage Door Maintenance

While it may seem that periodic painting is the only maintenance that garage doors require, nothing could be further from the truth.  Periodic inspection and maintenance of garage doors is required for the door to operate safely as designed.   Equally important is the regular inspection and maintenance of garage door openers. 

In general, inspection points on garage doors include checking the springs on the door to make sure the door is properly balanced, checking that bolts and screws are tight, checking rollers for signs of wear, checking track spacing and alignment, checking for wear on cables, checking for wear on springs, checking the condition of pulleys, checking on the condition of the attachment points for the cables and checking the spring mounting.  On doors with openers, the inspections include checking the limits of the garage door in the open and closed positions, checking the force settings and checking the mounting of the opener. 

Maintenance items on garage doors include lubrication of all moving parts, including the rollers and hinges.  Typical maintenance on garage door openers includes lubrication of the chain on chain driven garage door openers.  In addition, as a part of the maintenance process on both garage doors and garage door openers, the problem areas identified during the inspection process should be corrected as well. 

As with any inspection and maintenance program, the goal is to identify and correct potential issues before they fail and make the door inoperable.  In addition, some of the potential problems associated with garage doors and garage door openers can be dangerous and cause bodily harm, due to the weight of the door and the tension on some of the components. 

Posted on behalf of Find Local Garage Door Service

Seven Common Garage Door Repairs

Your garage door may look simple, yet most modern garage doors include many parts and electronics which keep it moving up and down, several times a day. It only takes one of these elements to wear out or become damaged to cause a disruption in the entire garage door system. A malfunctioning garage door is a nuisance, and can even be a security issue. Here are seven common garage door issues which may have you speed dialing your garage door repair technician. 

  1. Broken cables. The cables that lift your garage door are essential for it to function. A broken cable or cable that has come detached from the pulley warrants a call to your garage door repair service. Due to safety issues, it is best not to try to fix a cable on your own.
     
  2. Remote opener. Often the problem is not the garage door or the opener, just the remote. A simple battery change may be all that is needed.
     
  3. Broken spring. Once a spring breaks on your garage door, you will need to have it replaced by a professional. It is not advised that anyone without the right tools and experience should try and do this on their own, as it’s one of the most dangerous garage door repairs for do-it-yourselfers.
     
  4. Broken door panel. It is very common for garage door panels to be hit by vehicles, hail or toys. While the door may still function, it is a security risk to leave a broken panel in your garage door.
     
  5. Bent track. Many tracks that control the movement of a garage door are made from lightweight metal, which is easily bent or dented. This can cause damage to your door and opening system, and should be fixed as soon as possible.
     
  6. Malfunctioning rollers. The rollers that move your garage door handle hundreds of pounds of weight every day. Once worn or broken, they can cause stress on your garage door system, making it harder to move easily or quietly.
     
  7. Garage door openers. Most garage door openers will last ten years or more, even with heavy use. However, like all electronics, they will eventually wear out and require repair.

Posted on behalf of Habpro

Broken Garage Door Panels- Repair or Replace?

Garage doors put up with plenty of abuse. They get hit by cars coming in and out of the driveway or garage; they are used as a backboard for bouncing balls; they are exposed to temperature extremes, sometimes all at once. However, there comes a point when the panels on your garage door may be not only aesthetically unpleasing, but an actual security or safety issue. If you have one or more panels on your garage door which require replacement, it may be time to consider an entire door replacement. 

New Panels Or A New Door?

If your garage door is fairly new, most likely you will only want to replace the panels, versus the entire door. However, if your door is several years old, it may make more sense to invest in a new door instead of only replacing a few of the panels. Some other considerations are the available features your current door may not have, including: 

  • Insulation. If your existing garage is not insulated, it may help lower your monthly energy bill to replace it with a new door.  With cooler weather right around the corner, now is the perfect time to get an insulated door to help reduce heating costs.
     
  • Wind resistance. Having a garage door with a high wind resistance is imperative in areas prone to hurricanes or high wind storms. Garage doors not braced for high winds can implode or buckle during a storm, putting the entire home in jeopardy of extensive damage.
     
  • Design. Regardless of how new your door is, if some panels are damaged it might be the perfect opportunity to replace your door with a new design. Carriage-style garage doors are extremely trendy right now, adding value and curb appeal to your home. 

Before only replacing panels on your garage door, compare the cost of the garage door repairs to the price of a new door. It may be worth a little extra to get an entire new door with some of the above amenities. 

Posted on behalf of Habpro

Put Safety First To Prevent Garage Door Injuries

Most people use their garage doors every day, not necessarily considering them a possible safety hazard. However, when not used correctly, or repairs are attempted without the right tools or knowledge, they can cause serious injury. Garage doors can weigh hundreds of pounds, plus contain many moving parts which can be dangerous if the proper safety precautions are not followed. 

Garage Door Safety Tips

Most garage doors have many safety features to protect users from injury, such as sensors to prevent closure on objects or people. However, like any device, it is possible for these features to malfunction, especially if they aren’t maintained. To keep your family and your home safe, it’s important to follow a few basic safety rules. 

  • Child safety. Children should be educated on garage door safety. These are not toys; children should not operate garage doors without adult supervision. Explain to kids to always beware of a closing garage door, and to stay away from the doorway until it is completely closed or open.
     
  • Maintenance. Simple maintenance can help prevent many injuries. An annual tune-up by your garage door service company can ensure all parts are working correctly, including your safety features.
     
  • Repairs. Many DIY homeowners have been seriously injured trying to handle garage door repairs on their own. Springs, cables and other load bearing parts should only be repaired or replaced by trained professionals. 

Putting safety first when it comes to garage doors can prevent injuries and protect you and your family from harm. Always be cautious when operating your garage door, and call in a professional for any major repairs or problems to ensure your safety.

Posted on behalf of Habpro