Author Archives: 1st United Door Technologies
SpOOky Garage Doors
It’s a garage makeover more than likely to frighten off unwanted attention from trick or treaters.
An inventive artist has created a Halloween-inspired collection of garage covers, including designs of the grim reaper and Dracula’s gothic den. The amazing 3-D images by Thomas Sassenbach give the impression that all manner of spooky spectacles have taken residence in their owner’s garage next to the usual discarded paint cans and DIY equipment.
One of the creations gives the illusion of a giant pumpkin lurking under the garage shutters, while another tricks passers-by into thinking an eerie ghost is guarding the space for the owner’s family vehicle. Another design is guaranteed to ward off unwanted attention from garage thieves or trick or treaters, as it shows a terrifying image of the grim reaper armed with a giant scythe inside the garage.
Mr Sassenbach’s garage door covers, which are made from weather-resistant tarpaulin and can be attached to doors with velcro. The 47-year-old artist said they are more than likely to give your neighbors a scare. He said: ‘I wanted to bring a sense of fun and style to garages and so I came up with head-turning designs. ‘The photo tarpaulins for the garage door are a [more]
Problem Solved: “The garage door won’t close all the way”
Often times when your Garage Door won’t close all the way, your first instinct is to call somebody to fix it. But there are a few things you can check to save yourself some time and money.
The first thing you will want to inspect is the limit switch. The Limit switch regulates how far open and closed the garage door opener moves the garage door. The limit switch can be adjusted with a screw driver.
Here’s some instructions on adjusting the limit switch and further explanations:
The garage door opener has two mechanisms that control the opening and closing of the garage door. One is the safety reverse mechanism that will stop the door operation in the event something obstructs the door. The opener also uses limit switches to determine how far to open and close the garage door.
When the garage door does not open all the way or does not seal to the floor when closed, you can reset the limit switches. Resetting the limit switches is not difficult and requires only one tool.
1. Place a step ladder under the garage door opener motor. Locate the limit switch screws on your unit. Most switches are on the back of the motor [more]
The Original All Steel Carriage House Garage Door
The Original STEELHOUSE Door is an innovative “Modern Carriage Door“, manufactured entirely of steel.
The Original STEELHOUSE™ garage doors have two-sided steel insulated facing boards that are textured, roll formed and laminated to steel backers and then mechanically fastened and bonded to a 23 gauge steel section. Four-inch wide, two-sided steel insulated boards are bonded with epoxy cement and mechanically fastened to ensure positive attachment to the face of the door. All Original STEELHOUSE Doors come standard with CFC-free polystyrene insulation.
A “Reinforced Integral Truss System” (RITS™) gives the Original STEELHOUSE doors strength and rigidity that is unmatched by similar products. In addition to their distinctive style and curb appeal, the Original STEELHOUSE patented doors are half the weight and cost of wooden doors. Virtually maintenance-free, the Original STEELHOUSE doors will not warp, crack, or split. Quite simply, it doesn’t get better than that.
From a base of nine models and over 15 designer top sections, Original STEELHOUSE Doors offer more than 200 unique configurations to ensure diversity from one home to the next and from one subdivision to the next. Homeowners, builders, architects and municipalities alike, are using Original STEELHOUSE Doors to bring a fresh, handsome appearance to neighborhoods across [more]
Want a Smooth Operating Garage Door?
With regular care and occasional professional maintenance, your commercial or residential garage door will work smoothly. However, you may find yourself in a situation where you cannot properly open or close your garage door. There are a number of different reasons why your garage door may not be operating properly. Here are a few tips to help you identify the source of the problem:
Problems Closing
Faulty Garage Door Sensors: One of the most common reasons garage doors have trouble closing is that the safety sensor’s beam is obstructed. Make sure there is nothing under the garage door and that the sensors are pointing directly at each other.
Door Closes, then Reverses: If your door begins to close, but stops and reverses, then you may have to adjust the door’s sensitivity settings. Your garage door opener is designed with a safety feature that reverses the door if there is too much resistance under the door. Bumps in the door track may set off the sensor.
Problems Opening
Opener Runs but Door Doesn’t Move: If the garage door opener is running, but the door does not move, then the door may not be connected to the track. Check the emergency rope to see if it has been pulled by [more]
When is it Time to Replace The Garage Door?
Garage doors are designed to last many long years. Products are available to help maintain the operation and beauty of garage entries, with a bit of annual maintenance. Many homeowners only think to replace garage doors when something happens that makes it necessary, such as being hit with a car or lawnmower.
Even without accidental damage, garage doors do suffer wear and tear over time, especially from the elements. Waiting too long to replace worn out doors and openers can create a serious safety hazard. Doors and openers that are worn cease to operate properly, and accidents can occur.
Energy efficiency is yet another reason to upgrade existing garage doors. Over time, the seals that help stop air loss around the garage doors weaken and wear out. Once these seals become too worn, air loss begins to occur, which creates an expensive power concern. For old doors that do not have insulation, replacing them with new, well insulated doors is an investment in energy conservation that can pay for itself in energy savings over the life of the door.
Signs to look for that a garage door is at the end of its useful life include lack of insulation and modern safety features, [more]
Breaking the Code
A key point of entry into your home for thieves is the garage, and if you own an older type garage door opener, your home could be vulnerable.
The weakness of these units is the frequencies that operate them, using something called “fixed codes”. Fixed codes were initially developed years ago to combat a shared frequency problem. If a homeowner wanted to change the frequency, all he or she had to do was preset a digital code by switching eight to 12 “Dip Switches” on the receiver and transmitter. Whatever number sequence selected for the receiver (garage door motor) had to be the same for the transmitter (remote).
Multi-Code System
With this multi-code system, garages were secure again. Or were they?
Now a new problem developed. Burglars were scanning these frequencies with something called a “code grabber”. Criminals were able to defeat the multi-code system by grabbing codes from homeowners who were leaving their homes. There were basically two types of scanners. The first type scooped up the code when the homeowner pushed the garage door to either open or close it.
Once displayed on a screen, the criminal could immediately re-transmit the signal to open the door. The second type of scanner would [more]
Garage Door Keypad
A garage door keypad is used on the exterior part of the doors.
It allows you to use a code to unclose the door automatically. It is a safe and convenient way of ensuring that the things you keep in your garage remain safe. When you are choosing a garage door keypad, you can select a wireless or wired one.
To use it, you need to get a suitable location to fix it on the exterior part of your garage. The installation process varies if you are using the wireless keyless entry. Once you have installed it, it needs to be programmed. To do this, you need to refer to the manual to find out the buttons that you are required to press. When you are programming the keypad, you have three options that you can work with. You can program it using its remote, motor or keypad. When you are programming the keypad, check if it requires a 4-digit code or whether you need to enter six digits.
There are some common problems that are associated with wireless keyless entry keypads. In most cases, the door refuses to open. The problem can be the keypad or the garage door itself can be [more]
Extend the Life of Your Garage Door
The better you maintain and clean your garage door, the longer it will last. The best way to get the most out of your garage door is to maintain it regularly and when you notice a problem, to address it immediately before further damage can occur.
You can easily perform garage door system safety and maintenance tasks yourself. For starters, perform a monthly visual inspection. Stand inside the garage with the garage door closed and look over the door springs, cables, rollers, pulleys and mounting hardware, such as hinges, for signs of wear or damage. Look for cable wear or fraying. Is the mounting hardware becoming loose? If something doesn’t look quite right or doesn’t sound quite right it could be the symptom of a more serious issue. Have the garage door system inspected by a trained service technician.
Then go outside and visually inspect the surface of your garage door. Is it dirty? Are there chips in the paint? Protecting your garage door surface, whether it is a metal or wooden door, helps to ensure your door’s longevity. Begin by cleaning your garage doors with a mild detergent and a soft car brush. Some people remember to clean their doors whenever [more]