So you are in the market for an automatic garage door opener? When such things were introduced long ago and far away, my dad would jokingly impress the neighbors by telling them that, not only did he have a garage door opener, but that it was voice activated. As they exclaimed in amazement (this being decades before anything was voice activated; nobody had even invented "The Clapper" yet). He would then turn to me and say, "Go open the garage door", and everybody but me had a good chuckle. Well, like a growing number of people, I am no longer a garage door opener. I have a modern Genie unit doing service in my garage. I consider my self to be of at least moderate ability as a do-it-yourselfer, and after giving the matter some research and frank thought, I tackled the garage door opener installation myself. Each and every box containing such a unit is carefully packed with garage door opener parts and a manual pertaining to its installation and operation. I will not presume to substitute my knowledge or experience for that found in the manual specific to the unit you may choose. Rather, I will just point out some things you may care to consider before you even choose a unit or start installing one. Take a look at your garage door repair Arcadia CA. Is it an ancient behemoth or one of the relatively lightly built units made in recent years? If the former, be sure to advise the salesman you are dealing with, as you may require a heavier duty unit than what he may assume. Test the operation of your door. If you raise it to chest height, does it plunge heavily to the floor? If so, beware. This is a serious indication that your door is out of balance on its mounting springs. Garage door springs of all descriptions are fraught with at least some risk, the single 'torsion spring' type being particularly so. Dual springs on the sides of your doors are less dangerous, but they are also under considerable tension, and if you do not find instruction on how to adjust them, you are probably better off to consult an expert. Also check that the door goes up and down smoothly. If it does not, your rails may be out of adjustment. If the springs are not properly adjusted or the rails are out of alignment, you will risk imposing an unacceptable load on your garage door opener, leading to premature failure, if not a potential disaster. If your door passes these tests and you are confident in your abilities, by all means go ahead and give installing the opener a try. Begin by inventorying the parts and reading and comprehending the manual completely. If you find yourself scratching your head about the installation, call customer service and see if they can illuminate you. Speaking of illumination, an automatic garage door opener is made 'automatic' by the operation of electricity. Although the electrical components of these units tend to be simple and/or low voltage, if you do not 'get it', consult with or even hire someone who does. The low voltage components of a modern opener are critical to its safe operation, even if they present a low risk of serious shock. Article Source
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If you have a car, chances are that you have a garage as well. Garage doors are an integral part of every garage. Normally, the doors go through a lot of wear and tear. Aside from this, they have to face frequent bumps, especially if the car owner is a novice. Therefore, you may want to take care of your garage doors. Below are some expert tips to help you perform a garage door repair.
How Can You Inspect The Door? If you want to have an idea of how difficult and costly your garage door repair Bloomfield CT, maintenance will be, you may want to carry a thorough inspection. Below are a few tips to help you do the inspection the right way. · Degree of damage First of all, you should take a look at the door and get a general idea of how much damage is done. The damage may be minor or major. There is no need to mention that major repairs will cost a good deal of time. · The design of the door Each door is designed differently, and that is the reason the repair method will also be different. So, make sure you are familiar with the design of your door. · Type of material For making garage doors, manufacturers use a variety of materials. So, make sure you know the material used for making your garage door. Tips To Cut Down On The Repair Cost Now that you know how to inspect the door, you may want to find out ways to cut down on the repair costs. What you need to do is keep in mind a few guidelines that will help you reduce the costs as well as help you make the door last longer. · Clean the tracks Often, dust and debris gets accumulated in the tracks. As a result, the door may not work as it should. So, you should clean the tracks. This will put less pressure on the tracks increasing their lifespan. · Reset the alignment Regular use of the doors can cause misalignment of the door sensors. Based on the sensor type, you will get an alert. You can do the realignment with ease. You may also want to remove the dirt and obstructions that may be causing problems. · Fix the loose parts With the passage of time, the garage bolts, nuts and springs may come loose, which makes the doors unstable. If you leave this issue unresolved, you may have a lot of issues down the road. Therefore, check the door on a regular basis for any loose blots, nuts and springs and tighten them if you can. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9330807 5/16/2019 0 Comments Learn The Pros And Cons Of Key less Entry Garage Door Openers In Thousand Oaks CAA key less entry garage door opener for a residence refers to a gadget that uses hi/lo frequencies to operate the garage door without the use of a remote. This is done through dialing codes which open & close the overhead sections. This technology has been embraced by quite a majority of people. They have always installed this on the exterior (rather than the interior) walls of their garages. However, despite the extended popularity, it is not an exaggeration to say that everything with positive aspects must also have some disadvantages on the other side of the equation. Let's get started, shall we? Positive Aspects This system is very convenient. This is due to the fact that it saves effort and time that one would have required to open and shut the door of a garage. This system only entails dialing codes and the door automatically opens up. The next point is that this opener is cheap to use. This is because opening a door with this system does not require any special training. Instead, using this gadget to open the garage door only requires one to have the codes in order that the doors can be opened. Another gain is that this type of technology has a lot of enhanced security. This means that any one who wishes to open the garage door repair Thousands Oaks CA must have the codes or some password unlike in the case of keys, where some people can equally manufacture their own master keys. Last but not least, easy and affordable maintenance can also not go unmentioned as one of the advantages of using a key pad opener. When using this gadget, one is only required to keep changing the batteries should they run short of power. Changing them keep them working thus easy maintenance. Not So Positive Aspects On the other hand, in as much as the key pad system of opening the garage is seen to be very advantageous, it is also important to highlight a bit about the disadvantages. Some of these include: This system is only useful when there is electricity. This therefore means that whenever there is a black out, every user of this technology is bound to suffer. In fact, many at times, their vehicles can sometimes be left outside, something that put them at risk of being stolen or vandalized. The next point is that this system is not a hundred percent safe. This is because one can always be compelled to produce a code or password by a determined person who intends to cause harm or damage in one way or another. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7498467 The garage door is practically the largest moving object in a home. It therefore calls for proper care and maintenance if at all it is to serve its intended purpose effectively. The maintenance will also add longevity and reliability to the doors. There are very good companies that offer repair services. The companies will simply take care of any repairs that are needed. These companies also offer other garage door services such as new door installation and installation of garage door openers. When you find a good company, you can enjoy all the services that you need with your door without moving from one company to another. Garage door problems can result from different reasons. The spring and rollers for instance, can break or snap as a result of age. The doors can also get squeaky and unstable over a period of frequent use hence requiring repairs. It is also common to run into the door by accident or incidents where the doors get stuck and won't move. The repairs will therefore accommodate different needs, including he repairs and replacements of door essentials such as cables, rollers and springs. How are the repairs done? The professionals will start by examining the garage door to really identify the source of the problem that you are facing. They then will recommend the best solutions since there might be need to replace some parts. If you are working with a good repair company, you will be provided the hardware options that you need to have the problem solved. The door issues are usually not that extensive unless you are having the entire door replaced. You therefore can expect the repairs to be completed in a couple of hours depending on the extent of the damage and the labor that is needed to have it running. When going for new garage door installations, the options are numerous. The companies offer anything from traditional overhead doors to powder coated doors and steel or wood carriage door styles. These are options for residential settings. For commercial settings, they will offer rolling steel, sectional doors, dock equipment, counter shutters and access systems. During the repairs, therefore, you can have any other garage door enhancements done to make your life much easier. You can for instance, have door openers installed to offer you keyless entry through transmitters and receivers. Finding the Best Repair Services The simplest way of choosing a good repair company is by looking at the services that it has for you. A good and professional company will not offer the repairs alone. With the knowledge it is supposed to have on garage doors, it should be in a position to offer you other services including installing new doors or installation of openers and other services associated with doors. Through the services, you can tell how much of the company knows hence you will find it easy to trust it in delivering quality services relating to your specific needs. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8603895 If you want to invest into one of the most practical custom garage doors, the up and over model might be exactly what you are looking for. This type of door is accessible to a large number of customers because the price is lower and fitting is made easier with an efficient mechanism. Any garage door service company would recommend these models if you have enough space to fit them. They are suitable for any type of home and car, with different colors and patterns. They can be operated both manually and automatically, just by pressing the remote control and enjoying this really comfortable user experience. Here are some advantages of deciding to invest into up and over custom garage doors: • By choosing these doors you choose safety, comfort and quality; • The originality of these doors and the tasteful decorative aspects go with different architectures of houses; • This type of door is also very quiet; • There are various colors you could choose from, including but not limited to white, brown, gray, green; • Cassette and horizontal lines are just two of the models you will be able to choose from right after you decide to choose the services offered by a garage door service company. In terms of maintenance, the doors of galvanized steel should be washed with warm water and detergent, while the arms should be lubricated with grease. On the other hand, those made from wood must be treated with various solutions for wood preservation. The operating principle for up and over doors is related to the existence of several small springs, so that even if one of them breaks, the door can still work. Also most models present a system against finger trapping. To operate the door from the inside you will need to pull the tab located near the side handle to unlock the door, turn the knob to the left and lift the door by pushing the handle at the bottom. They are generally really easy to use, safe and durable, with a very good quality-price ratio. Garage door service companies also recommend you to take into account that during strong winds and other special weather conditions your door may bend, being made of metal sheets. What is more, if you have a small garage these doors may not be the most appropriate option because they occupy more space and could even strike the objects nearby. Although sectional custom garage doors are technically advanced and present many advantages, up and over models are cheaper and have a fairly higher demand. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6987073 When it comes to garage door motors, the saying 'Local is lekker' certainly fits the bill. It doesn't matter what motor you buy, eventually it will need a repair, and when that time comes you want to have purchased a motor with good backup support, and long-term sales of parts and spares. Cheap Chinese imports are constantly on the market, their lower prices may be attractive, but when no spares are available for a simple problem, it means buying a whole new machine. The truth is that all garage door motors have parts made in China, but there are more well-established companies that assemble their motors here in South Africa, and/or have offices in most major cities. So do your homework, or call us to find out more about the good, the bad, and the ugly. Battery Backup: Let's face it, we've all been left stranded in some way or form by our friends at Eskom, and the truth is that load shedding is here to stay, on and off, for the foreseeable future. So what can you do to ensure you don't get trapped in or out of your garage? The first option, and a necessity with any automated door installation, is to have an emergency release mechanism installed. An emergency release mechanism is mounted into the curtain of the door, with a key hole facing outwards. A steel cable is then run from this mechanism to the motors emergency release leaver. When the power goes out, you'll need to insert your key into the mechanism, give it a twist, and a pull, and this will in turn pull the steel cable and release the door from the motor. Although emergency release mechanisms are highly effective, they still require you to leave the comfort of your car or home in order to unlock the door, and then you will have to physically lift the door by hand. This can be problematic if the door is very heavy, and if it doesn't want to stay in the open position, you'll need someone else to hold the door open while you move your car. The second option is to have some sort of battery backup system powering your garage door motor. This allows you to stay comfortable and safe in your car or home, but still able to access your garage during power outages. Just like gate motors, your garage door motor will need to automatically switch between 220v and 24v, and have the ability to charge your batteries while 220v is on. Unfortunately not all motors are designed to work off 24v, and all older model motors will fall into this category. Motors like the Digi 2, Gemini, Brano, Alladin, or the Pro Alpha 2000 are all 220v motors, and are therefore not compatible with 24v battery backup. Advanced UPS systems with the use of inverters can be utilized for these motors, but the expense of these systems are far too high to warrant going this direction. So unless you have a battery, charger, auto switch, and inverter setup currently running other devices in your house, then the only other option is to purchase a new model 24v garage door motor. Modern 24v motors actually have a higher power rating than older 220v motors, they also have built-in battery protectors, auto switch functionality, auto close option, extensive sensitivity settings, and auto charging. Not to mention a one year warranty, and most come with two new remotes. Contact us today to learn more about battery backup in garage door motors, and to find out about our free door service when purchasing a new 24v battery backup motor. Which motor do I use for which door? The various types of garage doors work in different ways, so the manner in which they open and close is important to consider when deciding which motor you get, and how it is set up. Roll Up Doors: Require either a vertically mounted motor such as the Digi 2, or a shaft mounted motor such as the ET Blue Roll Up Motor. As mentioned above, the Digi 2 cannot accommodate conventional battery backup, but it's a strong and reliable motor, and can even be used to operate two roll up doors simultaneously. Using a strong wormdrive mechanism much like a cork screw, this tried and tested motor has managed to outlast the competition, and I have even come across a few that are pushing on 20 years in operation. The shaft mounted motors can only operate one door at time, and are not suited to large double size roll up doors, or very old stiff doors. However when used with new doors or those in good working condition, shaft mounted motors like the ET Blue Roll Up can give many years of battery assisted, silent, and smooth operation. An added bonus is that this motor comes with two very good quality remotes. Sectional Garage Doors: Sectional garage doors vary greatly from door to door. However, regardless of the size of the door, or materials used, every door should open smoothly, and without too much effort. Steps should be taken to check the door, and fix any issues before a motor is installed. This will ensure your motor is not put under too much strain, and will prolong it's life greatly. A variety of motors are available for sectional garage doors, but they all work in exactly the same way, unlike with roll up doors. Selecting the best combination of power, compatibility, features, price, and backup support, is our specialty. Tip Up Doors: Tip up doors operate in a manner that is a little awkward for motor installation. The motor shaft needs to be hung at an angle, sloping towards the ground. This allows for the natural action of the door while opening and closing, and ensures a smooth operation. Some of the older tip up doors operate with counter-weight mechanisms, instead of the more modern spring setup. These counter-weight doors cannot be automated, as the door needs to be pulled/pushed at different angles through its operation. It is however, possible to upgrade the door to a spring mechanism, and then automate the door as usual. Extra Height / Caravan Height Doors: Different length motor shafts are available for doors that are higher than usual. If you have an extra height door and need some advise on automation, why not give us a call and we'll come inspect, measure, and provide you with a free quote for your new motor. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9323930 12/27/2017 0 Comments How To Replace Garage DoorsIf you're a DIY junkie then you'll probably want to replace your garage doors by yourself. This is no easy task, but with the proper tools and decent knowledge of their functionality you should be able to pull it off. You'll need basic tools such as a drill, hammer, level, screwdrivers, locking pliers, and of course, a ladder. There are many different types of garage doors that are installed slightly differently - but in general, most garage doors still undergo the same procedure. The very first thing you will need to do is remove the old doors. To do that you first need to bring the door down and release the spring tension and detach the opener. Remember, this point, your garage door will become extremely heavy. Refer to your manual for proper instructions on how to release the spring. Always keep in mind that springs are very dangerous and the door is extremely heavy once the spring has been released. Once you've accomplished that, you can now unscrew the sections door and remove them one by one. Be careful as to not hurt yourself and remember that you should remove all hardware before installing your new door, don't try to install your new door on the old tracks. If you have never previously replaced (or seen someone replace) a garage door, I recommend watching a few educational videos to get an idea of what should be done. Then you can refer to your garage door's manual for further instructions. Make sure to go over the whole thing first before starting your project. You need to have a good overall idea of what you're going to do - don't guess act and then undo everything you've done. Make sure to install an electric opener and eye sensors - those are absolutely necessary, and if you have kids or pets, it's illegal not to have them. It's important not to cheap out on your garage door or else you'll start having minor issues that will soon turn into major problems. I recommend spending slightly more money for a durable brand instead of a cheap door that will get replaced after 6 months. You're expected to spend the whole day replacing your new doors. Yes, a professional can do it within 3 hours but you will always have the satisfaction of knowing that you were the one that installed the door all by yourself. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6315170 Where space permits, houses usually have garage doors. They last for a long time but due to accidents or regular wear-and-tear, it becomes necessary to have look for a replacement. But before you have your entire door replaced, consider checking first if you can remedy the problem with garage door panels. Garage panels only form a part of your actual door so replacing them will be cheaper. Your options While garage doors have more of a functional purpose, they are a major part of your house's exteriors so it's important for you to choose garage door panels accordingly. Your best bet still is to go to your original door's manufacturer to look for panels you can use. This way, you are assured that the panels will be compatible with your door. There are a range of styles available to you when it comes to panels so don't worry about finding one you can work with. Some of your options though include flush panels, long raised panels, short raised panels, and painted panels. If you want, you can use this time to add character to your garage door by installing a window panel. Panels are usually available in wood or steel. Installation You can easily install garage door panels on your own. Turn it into a home improvement project and involve the entire family. Not only will this make the work quicker but you also get to enjoy bonding time with everyone. To get you started on repairing those panels, make sure that your door opener is unplugged. After that, remove the strings to ensure that your door will not spring open while you are working. Close the door afterwards as you would, pulling it all the way down. To remove old panels, unscrew the panels you want to remove. All panels are attached to the track rollers and each other so if the panel you are removing is not at the top, then you're going to have to remove all panels before it by sliding them up. Slide out the panel you want to remove when all others are cleared to let it through. In putting back new garage panels, just do the reverse of what you did to remove the panels. Once all panels are in place, slide in the top panel back and attach everything. Open your door and then re-attach the spring. After that, you're done! Safety first However, if none in your family have the skills necessary, please be concerned about your safety first and let the professionals handle installation. A garage door panel is never enough of a reason to get hurt. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5938929 |
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