Tag Archives: garage door opener
Phone Conversation: “My garage door is frozen!”
Homeowner: My garage door is stuck from the Winter’s cold? What can I do to unstuck it?
Garage Door Dealer: Can you see ice at the bottom of the door?
Homeowner: Ah, yes.
Garage Door Dealer: Well then your garage doors weather seal is probably frozen to the concrete. This happens when the bottom of the door sits in water or wet snow that eventually freezes when the temperature dips.
Homeowner: So what do I do?
Garage Door Dealer: Well, to get the door unstuck, break off the ice or use warm water to melt the ice. Then raise your garage door and clean and dry the area to prevent the door from refreezing when you’ve finished.
Homeowner: That sounds simple. I tried to force my door open and break the ice.
Garage Door Dealer: That could rip your weather seal and then water, snow and cold air could get into your garage. Then you’d have to replace the weather seal.
Homeowner: I don’t want to do that. Well thank you for your information.
Garage Door Dealer: Just one more idea. Think about waxing your door with the same wax they use on cars. This can be a great way to prevent ice from sticking to your [more]
Cleaning and Preventative Maintenance
Make your garage door last longer and operate efficiently
On a busy day your garage door may open and close 20 times, so routine maintenance is a must to keep it in good working order. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Regular garage door cleaning and maintenance will guarantee a great look and longer life of your door.
Appearance
Clean your garage door regularly with mild soap (like dishwashing detergent) and a soft bristle brush. Avoid using abrasive cleaners and very strong liquid cleaners which could damage the paint or cause delaminating. If you have a steel garage door, you can revive its luster by applying a car wax as it will protect against acid rain and dust. It is best to avoid waxing in direct sunlight to achieve better results. If there’s exposed wood, be sure to paint it.
Exterior Weather-Stripping
Clean the weather stripping around the frame and bottom edge with a good all-purpose cleaner. Lubricate it every 2 or 3 months with a Silicone-based lubricant to keep the stripping pliable. Never use a petroleum-based lubricant on weather-stripping as it will dry up and crack. It is important to let your weather-strip hang 1/2″ below the door base [more]
June is Garage Door Safety Month
Top 10 Garage Door and Opener Safety and Security Tips
The International Door Association and the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association have designated June as Garage Door Safety Month.
First United Door Technologies will be working to increase public awareness, throughout the month, of the possible hazards of garage doors and automatic opener systems, and the need for periodic inspection and maintenance to keep them safe.
It’s important that the public is aware of garage door safety and that safety checks should be done to insure it’s in proper working order by using these ten garage door safety and security tips.
Make sure garage door opener control button is out of the reach of small children.
Do not let children play with garage door remote controls.
Consult the owner’s manual and learn how to use the garage door’s emergency release feature.
Visually inspect the garage door each month. Look at springs, cables, rollers and pulleys for signs of wear. Do not attempt to remove, adjust or repair these parts or anything attached to them. A trained door repairman must make adjustments to these parts, which are under high tension.
Test the garage door opener’s reversing mechanism monthly by placing a 2 x 4 board or a roll [more]
Ready Your Garage Door for the Winter
The garage door is the main access point to the home for more than 70 percent of homeowners, and as the Winter weather approaches, it’s important for homeowners to ensure the operation and safety of your household’s main point of entry.
First United Door provides some helpful tips to ensure your garage doors are ready for Winter.
Weather Stripping
Check the weather stripping around the garage door to ensure it is keeping out the cold air, and replace any damaged or missing seals.Clean the weather stripping with a good all-purpose cleaner. Lubricate it every 2 or 3 months with a SILICONE-based lubricant. Never use a petroleum-based lubricant on weather stripping as it will dry up and crack. Don’t forget the weather strip between your door panels. It is important to let your weather strip hang 1/2″ below the door base when you readjust your perimeter weather stripping. If the weather stripping is too tight, the door will not function properly. So if your weather stripping has lost its flexibility, it is best to replace it.
Maintaining the Hardware
Older garage doors can malfunction in the cold weather, so garage door maintenance and inspections are even more important during the Winter months. Metal parts of a [more]
June is Garage Door Safety Month
Increasing Garage Door Safety Awareness
The International Door Association (IDA) and the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) have designated June as Garage Door Safety Month. Both associations and their affiliated manufacturers will be working to increase public awareness of the possible hazards of garage doors and automatic opener systems, and the need for periodic inspection and maintenance to keep them safe.
Just as your customers want their garage door system to operate properly every time they need it, they also want it to operate safely at all times.
The garage door is typically the largest moving object in your home. Properly maintained and operated, a garage door and its operating system allow them, their families and their vehicles convenient access to and from their home. They also provide security and protect against the elements. Newer, insulated garage doors even help save energy.
But moving garage doors can also cause serious injury. While there are some garage door system maintenance chores that your customers can – and should – perform on a regular basis, there are other tasks (including garage door installation and garage door spring replacement) that are best left to you, the dealer.
You have a responsibility to your customers to make sure [more]
Troubleshooting: Remote Control for Your Garage Door Opener
Believe it or not, technologies like garage door opener remote controls are supposed to make our lives easier. Unfortunately, there is nothing easy about having to open a garage door by hand in the middle of a freezing winter night because the remote for the opener won’t work. As technologies become more complex, there are more and more ways in which they can break down. Scan the list of problems below to find one that sounds familiar, then read the quick fix underneath it. Hopefully, it will help correct the error within the remote so that the garage will open and close without any issues.
The Garage Door Opener Remote Only Works Up Close
There are quite a few things that could cause this to happen. First, check the batteries within the remote itself to be sure they still carry a charge powerful enough to operate the remote. While replacing the batteries, be sure to clean the electrical contacts, since this may be another cause of a weak signal from the remote. If the remote is still only working up close it may be time to go talk to the neighbors. If a button is stuck on a neighbor’s remote, the signal can [more]
A good time for cleaning and some preventative garage door maintenance
On a busy day your garage door may open and close 20 times, so routine maintenance is a must to keep it in good working order. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Regular garage door cleaning and maintenance will guarantee a great look and longer life of your door.
Appearance
Clean your garage door regularly with mild soap (like dishwashing detergent) and a soft bristle brush. Avoid using abrasive cleaners and very strong liquid cleaners which could damage the paint or cause delaminating. If you have a steel garage door, you can revive its luster by applying a car wax as it will protect against acid rain and dust. It is best to avoid waxing in direct sunlight to achieve better results. If there’s exposed wood, be sure to paint it.
Exterior Weather-Stripping
Clean the weather stripping around the frame and bottom edge with a good all-purpose cleaner. Lubricate it every 2 or 3 months with a Silicone-based lubricant to keep the stripping pliable. Never use a petroleum-based lubricant on weather-stripping as it will dry up and crack. It is important to let your weather-strip hang 1/2″ below the door base when you readjust your perimeter weather-stripping. If the weather-stripping [more]
Garage Door Emergency Release Latch
Well you probably don’t think about the electricity cutting out in your home. If it happens to you, how can you get your garage door open?
No need to worry, there’s a solution to your problem.
Garage Door Openers have an “emergency release latch” mechanism that allows you to operate the garage door manually in the event you lose power.
The carriage is the part of the opener to which the door arm connects. The carriage locks around the opener trolley during normal operation. Once the power comes back on it is necessary to reengage a garage door opener to the door. The process is generally the same among all the garage door opener manufacturers.
To do this:
Locate the release mechanism. Somewhere along the track between the motor and the door should be the drive carriage and a release mechanism with a cord hanging down. Usually it will be closer to the door assuming it is closed. If the power is out and your garage is dark, you may need to use a flashlight to help you see.
Pull the handle to release the carriage. It may take a little force especially on an older opener that might be stuck. Pull all the way until it [more]
A Guide to Garage Door Openers
Garage doors are no longer the regular roll-top ones, which have to be
pushed up by hand. These days, garage door openers are provided with
various accessories to make opening easier. No matter how heavy the garage
door, it can be fitted with the right kind of opener. These openers ensure
utmost safety and security for garages under any conditions. They are also
provided with several options and in various designs to suit the exact
requirements of the user. The best thing is, they can be installed within 3-5
hours. A professional can install a garage door opener in one hour!
Garage door openers are of two kinds depending on the use: residential and
commercial. In the commercial range of garage door openers, the main
models are: Trolley, Jackshift, Hoist and the Slide models. While Trolley
openers are used for standard lifting on sectional doors, Jackshift is used for
grilles, rolling doors and shutters. Hoist operators are similar to Jackshifts
but they are also suitable for heavy duty industrial doors. The slide door
openers are meant for single and bi-parting slide doors and also for fire
doors.
The main step in purchasing a garage door opener is to determine the actual
drive system. Garage door openers are of three kinds depending on the drive
system: belt driven, chain [more]
Reduce the Noise Coming From Your Garage Door!
Every time the garage door opens and closes, a loud rumble comes right through the walls of your home. Can’t stand it? Here’s some advice to help you reduce noise generated by the up and down movement of your garage door.
1. An insulated garage door can significantly reduce the intrusion of street noise into the home – especially important when there are bedroom or other living areas above or adjacent to the garage. If your door isn’t already insulated, the insulation can be installed by professional installers for a minimal charge, but it is not difficult to mount the insulation yourself and kits are available at your local home improvement retailer. It is important to consider having your springs recalculated because of additional weight to the door.
2. Have the steel rollers on your garage door changed to nylon. With nylon rollers, you will obtain almost silent running on the tracks and there is no need for lubrication.
3. Another point to look at is your electric operator. Any belt-driven model is best because the motor of this model is insulated from the metal case and will cut vibrations. The rubber belt is also quieter than the steel chain.
4. A noise isolator [more]