IDENTIFYING GARAGE DOOR SPRING ISSUES

You’d be surprised just how many people don’t know where their garage door springs are located, or what exactly they do. As long as the garage door opens and closes as it should; that is all that they seem to care about. It’s when they start experiencing spring issues that people get concerned. HR Garage Door Repair decided to make this post to help local residents become better informed about their springs. Read this page and you’ll know more about garage door spring problems and their solutions than most other local Highlands Ranch, CO residents.

What your springs do

If you ask folks on the street what opens their garage door they will usually say “the opener” and they would partially right. We are so used to coming home and pushing the remote button to open our garages. In reality, it’s our springs that do the heavy lifting and lowering of these massive doors. Garage door springs come in two main varieties. Extension springs are the older version and are located on either side of your garage door. They run parallel to your horizontal tracks. They contain more parts than torsion springs and tend to wear out sooner. They are also more dangerous than torsion springs. If you’ve heard of people being hurt or even killed by their garage door springs it was most likely their extension springs as these have been known to fly off with tremendous speed when they break. Their force and power can even propel them through a car windshield. Yikes!

Torsion springs are newer and have fewer parts. Good thing, too. You know what they say about fewer parts; fewer things that can go wrong. These are located above the garage door and they differ from extension springs in that they turn and don’t fully expand like their extension counterparts. They are a little more expensive to buy than extension springs but they last up to 20, 000 cycles instead of the usual 10,000 for extension springs.

Can I replace my own springs?

Probably not; springs can be tricky to install correctly and safely. While you don’t need a PHD in garage door mechanics to do this job, some experience, training and tools would help. 99% of most people lack this and that’s why our Highlands Ranch, CO garage door repair pros advise against it. Besides, how much is your time worth? Do you really want to spend hours trying to learn how to remove your damaged springs and then install new ones? Are you willing to risk warranty voidance, property damage AND bodily injury just to save a dollar or two? Proper torsion or extension spring repair doesn’t have to be expensive or a hassle. All you need is access to the right Highlands Ranch, CO repair shop that specializes in spring service. Of course you are always welcome to call HR Garage Door Repair but there are dozens of garage door specialty shops throughout the Denver metro area that can help you get your home or business garage door springs installed, repaired, replaced or serviced.

How do I know if the problem is my springs?

Our Highlands Ranch, CO garage door experts get asked this question a lot. People want to know how to identify spring issues and distinguish them from opener problems or something else that might go wrong. Try this test. If you suspect that your garage door springs are not working correctly, and you’ve already eliminated your remote as the culprit, try pulling down on the emergency release and disconnecting your garage door from the opener system. Of course you’ll want the garage door to be in the DOWN position first. If you are not quite sure how to do this, there are dozens of helpful videos on YouTube that can show you how, step by step.

Now try raising your garage door manually and notice how difficult or smooth the ascent of your door is. A smooth manual lift usually indicates that your springs are in good shape. Conversely a jagged or difficult manual lift usually indicates some spring damage or at least that one of them is off balance.

Symptoms of spring issues

You may not need to try the above test. Often times, there are sure-fire signs that you are having garage door spring issues. See if any of these indicators apply to your situation.

Did you notice that your closed garage door looks tilted to one side?

Did you try and raise your garage door but it only went up about half a foot and then it stopped?

Did you tap the opener button inside the garage in an attempt to lift the door and nothing happened? Is your car trapped inside the garage now?

Did you notice your garage door lifting very slowly and then all of a sudden it got back to normal and started to rise rapidly?

Did you hear a very loud snap or bang sound in your garage? Did you check and nothing seemed out of place or wrong until you tried using your garage door?

Does your garage door seem crooked or lopsided when moving up or down?

When your garage door rises, does it seem like one side is doing all the pulling, and the other is just hanging on?

Fix garage door spring issues early!

If your Highlands Ranch, CO garage door springs are having issues, you’ll need to have them serviced early on. Spring damage is one of those things where the longer you wait, the worse the problem gets. Our advice is to call in the pros. There are dozens of expert garage door repair shops in the metro area (including ours) and most offer same day service, mobile convenience and even 24-hour emergency help. Prices for spring repair, installation or replacement can vary so it’s best to shop around and get free price quotes. Remember; don’t let your spring damage continue while you hunt for that perfect garage door repair shop. You need your garage door to work AND be safe and the best way to do that is do have a good set of correctly working garage door springs!

Aricle source here: IDENTIFYING GARAGE DOOR SPRING ISSUES

DOES YOUR GARAGE DOOR HAVE A MIND OF ITS OWN?

WHEN YOUR GARAGE DOOR OPENER GIVES YOU TROUBLE, HERE’S WHAT TO DO!

 

If your garage door opens and closes at random, there are a few reasons this could be happening:

1. Check the transmitter. It could be stuck under something that unintentionally pressed the remote control mechanism. In other words, somewhere, a button is stuck. The transmitter could be sitting under items left in your car, or under something else you forgot nearby. If the LED light by the learn button is flashing continuously, then your garage door opener is receiving a steady signal from the remote control. (The learn button is located above the antenna wire hanging from the motor head, or it’s under a light cover. It’s either green, purple, yellow, red, or orange.) Take out the battery in your remotes, and if the light stops flashing, then a stuck button is the culprit.
2. Test the transmitter frequency; a neighbor’s remote might have been accidentally programmed to the same exact frequency as your opener. You’ll have to erase the remote control from the memory of your garage door opener. Then reprogram your remote controls and any keyless entries.
3. If neither of these is the problem, you could have a short in the wall-mounted door control, which means unwanted signals are being sent to the garage door opener or logic board.

Does the garage door opener activate by itself while the wall-mounted door control panel wires are disconnected? Then you’ll likely need to replace your receiver logic board.

If the opener does not activate by itself while the wall-mounted door control panel is disconnected, it’s probably time to replace the wires to your wall-mounted door control panel.

Additional Problems You Can Handle Yourself

Are you noticing any other garage door issues? When your garage door goes out of whack, there are numerous causes for the problems you’re experiencing.

What if your garage door won’t open using the remote? There are several possibilities for this. 1. You may be out of range from the garage door. 2. You need to charge or replace your batteries. 3. The garage door motor’s antenna is damaged, or blocked from the signal. 4. Your remote has to be reprogrammed.

Does the garage door opener run, but the garage door still won’t move? In case of a power outage, your garage door opener has a disconnect switch, which means you can open or shut the garage door manually. This switch is typically attached to a rope or knob, which can sometimes come unhooked. Close or open the garage door all the way, and then securely reattach the hook. Now, using the transmitter, it should be functioning normally.

What if the garage door won’t close? The photo eye sensor is probably out of alignment. Your garage door has a small photo eye on either side. Between the two eyes is an invisible laser beam, which, when broken, keeps your door from closing. Check to make sure the photo eyes aren’t misaligned or grimy.

Does the garage door opener run for a few seconds, and then turn off? This may happen with older garage doors. The door is shut, and the door motor tries to lift the door, yet it won’t budge. First, check the springs. If that isn’t the issue, then inspect the track for any grime or tiny obstacles. If neither of these is the problem, check whether your garage door has a built-in lock that’s inadvertently engaging.

If your garage door goes down all the way, but then opens up again, the open-and-close limit settings of your garage door opener are likely out of order. The settings instruct the garage door opener how far the garage door has to move before being fully shut. If it’s set too high, the door will touch the ground before the opener judges that it should, assuming your door is hitting something in its path; then it will automatically reverse, to stop from smashing it. Read the operator’s manual to reset the open-and-close limits.

Complicated Issues Requiring Professional Attention

Does your garage door close part way, then open again? A garage door is designed with a reversing mechanism to keep it from crushing objects in its path. The reversing instruction is triggered by any items that are blocking the garage door’s path ~ a garbage can, a box, or a bicycle, for example. Another possibility is that you have a buildup of debris on the tracks ~ dirt, gum, or any tiny object ~ which stops the rollers from moving. Repair will require a garage door technician’s expertise.

Does your garage door slam down fast with a loud bang? Then you probably have a broken spring, so it isn’t properly offsetting the weight of the door. Or, the cables might be broken. Either way, this is dangerous, so consult with a professional garage door repair specialist in Highlands Ranch.

If your garage door track is out of alignment, this is also a serious problem. When the metal track isn’t aligned, the garage door won’t move at all. Look for any gaps between the rollers and the rail, or see if there are any bends in the rails. The substantial weight of your garage door will worsen these issues over time, so don’t put it off and allow your garage door to become dangerous. Hire a professional.

If your garage door still won’t open, a spring, or both springs, are likely broken and must be fixed or replaced. If so, then it’s time to call a garage door expert.

PLEASE, NEVER TRY adjusting your garage door yourself, unless you’re an engineer! If you don’t have your garage door correctly serviced, the garage door springs actually can cause serious injury, and even death. The garage door bottom brackets, cables, and drums probably also need adjustment. Don’t take any unnecessary risks. Unless you already know what you’re doing, your best bet is to hire a local professional. If you live anywhere in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, consider a reputable garage door technician you can count on, such as a mobile garage door repair specialist on staff at HR Garage Door Repair.

Aricle source here: DOES YOUR GARAGE DOOR HAVE A MIND OF ITS OWN?

What To Do When A Garage Door Won’t Open Or Close With Remote

Garage door openers were designed to bring convenience to all people who use them. The remote control that goes along with the opener system sends a signal to the opener when a person pushes the open/close button, and the opener then gets the signal from the transmitter thanks to a built-in radio receiver. The motor then begins to run and the garage door either opens or closes. Clearly, this technology beats having to physically strain oneself to do the job the old-fashioned way.

In places like Highlands Ranch, CO, people love being able to open their garage door and get inside quickly, especially in the middle of winter, thanks to the convenience of their remote control. In some parts of the country, it can get cold. It can also rain excessively. Some days, on the other hand, are just so hot that the thought of having to bend down to physically lift open your garage door might make you want to pass out. So, what are you supposed to do when suddenly, the garage door will not open or close with the remote control? What are you supposed to do when you lose the convenience that the opener system was meant to provide? The team at HR Garage Door Repair has offered some advice, and it would be useful to anyone, anywhere, who owns a garage door that opens and closes by means of a garage door remote control.

Here is what to do when a garage door doesn’t respond to its remote control:

1. Check the batteries. If the transmitter batteries are dead, then the garage door will not be able to receive a signal from the transmitter, so it will not know to open or close. This is a very basic fix, but often times, people fail to check to see if the problem is simply a dead battery.
2. If the remote control seems to work when you are inside of the garage, but it won’t work when you are outside of the garage, then check the condition of the antenna wire which is on the garage door opener. If the antenna is fully in-tact, then you know it isn’t the problem, but if it is hanging down or otherwise not in the position that it should be in, adjust it. This just might solve the problem.
3. Make sure that there isn’t any interference from other wireless devices that might be being used in your general location. You can make the antenna longer by finding the antenna mount point. An extender just might be the solution if this is the issue causing the garage door to fail to respond to the remote control.
4. If you are having difficulty opening the garage door from the outside of the garage, and the problem isn’t the antenna wire as previously mentioned, then consider a universal garage door opener receiver and how it might help you. A universal garage door opener receiver is beneficial because it is able to make the range of your remote even better. With a system like this, you should be able to open and close your garage door from as far as 100 yards away.

If your garage door doesn’t open or close when you use your remote control, and none of these fixes solve the problem, then think about how it might help you to get in touch with a garage door repair and installation professional. No matter where you are, whether that is Highlands Ranch, Colorado or elsewhere in the country, you are sure to be able to find a local business that can provide the assistance that you need. Request a free price quote to get an idea of what you will be spending – this is something that most reputable technicians will be able to offer.

The garage door opener system and its remote control make your life easier. But if they are beginning to cause problems, try the basic steps mentioned to troubleshoot the issue. If all else fails, get in touch with an expert. You will likely be impressed with the rates that they offer, especially if you end up calling a local company.

Interested in a new opener?

Don’t forget to make sure you are aware of the various types of opener systems which are available, while we are discussing garage door openers. You might opt for a belt drive opener system because of its fairly low noise level. The belt that helps this system to operate gets rid of noises and vibrations that come along with other types of openers. A professional can answer any questions about this type of system, but you should know that the belt is generally made using rubber, polyurethane or fiberglass.

Chain drive opener systems, on the other hand, are one of the older ones that exist. They run the door along a track and use a chain, similar to what you would see in a bicycle, to push the trolley. The noise tends to be a bit louder from this type of system, which some people don’t like, but others actually appreciate because they want to know when the garage door is being opened and closed. They like to be warned when someone is about to come in or out of their garage. This could be beneficial for someone with teenagers, as they could be made aware if someone is trying to sneak out through the garage.

Screw drive opener systems take advantage of a trolley that rides on a rod, and it rotates to move the door so it opens or closes smoothly. There are less parts to maintain so if you are looking for something that is low maintenance, you might opt for a screw drive opener system for your home.

Hopefully the information offered by HR Garage Door Repair has been helpful for you. Best of luck in troubleshooting your garage door issues!

Aricle source here: What To Do When A Garage Door Won’t Open Or Close With Remote

Learn More Us! Watch Our Video!

Video Source

When your garage door will no longer open, there is likely an issue involving your garage door opener. The garage door opener is what enables the doors to function. Turn to Highland Ranch Garage Door Repair and we’ll have help by your side in a hurry. We know how upsetting such a situation can be and this is why we make sure that help is available to you around the clock. Our service technicians have the ability to assist with your garage door servicing needs regardless of the type of door you may have.

We work with wood, steel, fiberglass and aluminum doors most often. Let us be your first point of contact so that you can get back into your garage and move on with the rest of your day. When you call on Highland Ranch Garage Door Repair, you can be sure that we will always have all we need when we arrive to your home, to handle the job.

Routine maintenance is a good way to avoid the problems that many people experience with their garage door. With routine maintenance of your door our technician will lubricate the parts of your door that require it, evaluate your garage door springs and check the parts of your opener to ensure they are operating properly. All of this can help you avoid the misfortune of having your garage door malfunction.

Keep on using your garage as usual by allowing Highland Ranch Garage Door Repair to handle the maintenance of your garage door. We offer our services to you at a reasonable rate because we do not wish to hear about anything happening to you, which could have been avoided with a little forethought. Call Highland Ranch Garage Door Repair today and let us discuss our maintenance program with you in further detail (720) 310-1801.

Aricle source here: Learn More Us! Watch Our Video!

What to Do Before Contacting a Garage Door Repair Service

Unless you have a lot of disposable income, this article may not appeal to you. However, if you do not and you’re always interested in finding out how you might save a buck or two, perhaps you’ll keep reading. If you need help from a garage door service in Highlands Ranch, CO, such as, HR Garage Repair, try troubleshooting before contacting them. If you are the type of person who loves convenience, it is unlikely that you are going to allow yourself to be inconvenienced for too long. With a little patience and some forethought, you may be able to resolve the problem on your own without ever having to call a professional garage door service.

While we don’t usually recommend that you handle repairs on your own simply because of the moving parts associated with your garage door, there are some things that we feel pretty confident that can be done without any threat of harm. Take it all in stride. We are not suggesting that you make your garage door repairs a DIY project, we are merely suggesting some things you might want to try out yourself before resorting to contacting a service provider and spending money unnecessarily.

Locate the Problem

Even when it comes to troubleshooting your problem, you may need to use certain precautions. However, when it comes to your automatic garage door, there are just a host of things that can go wrong. The problem could result from your springs, tracks, rollers or a variety of other components associated with your garage door and the garage door opener. Prior to finding a resolution for your problem, you need to know what the problem is.

Here is a simple troubleshooting technique. Lower your garage door and keep an eye on it as it is lowering.

The Door Shakes: If it shakes, you might have a problem with the rollers.

Noises: Is it making any type of strange noises? This can be due to a number of different problems. You need to make sure you know exactly where the noise is coming from before a solution can be applied.

Will Not Close or Open Completely: If you are noticing that your door will not go all the way to the ground or it doesn’t open up all the way, this indicates a problem with your garage door opener. Unfortunately, when the problems involves the automatic opener, this is a problem that needs to be addressed by a service professional.

Solutions to Common Problems

You can usually find the solution to common problems in the owner’s manual. In fact the owner’s manual will usually let you know when the services of a professional service provider are necessary.

Metal track problems: if you have noticed bumps and dents in the tracks of your garage door, you can resolve the problem by placing a wooden block on the area that is damaged. Tap the wood block with a hammer to straighten out the dents. Don’t apply too much pressure when hitting the block; you don’t want to cause additional damages to the track.

Misaligned Tracks: If you have discovered that your tracks are misaligned, this will require you to loosen the screws that connect the part of the track that appears to be out of alignment and simply tap the door back into the grooves. You can use a leveler to make sure it is straight before you begin using the door again. Continued use of your garage will only make the problem worse.

Direct Damage to the Door: This is often caused by someone running into the door or damages caused to your door due to rough weather, such as, hail damage. When you have run into your door several times, it is impossible for it still be in good condition. You will have undoubtedly caused some type of damage. In fact, your running into the garage door could be the reason it is out of track or has dents in it. In this case, you will not be able to hammer the dents out. The entire door may need to be replaced at this point.

It depends on the type of door that you have as to whether or not the damage is noticeable or not. If the door is on track and you still have problems with it, it is time to call in the experts of a garage door repair services in Highlands Ranch.

Calling in the Experts

We have already indicated certain reasons why you would need to contact a service professional to attend to some of your service needs. Here are a few more.

Problems with hinges, cables or springs: Since these things can become very dangerous to anyone working with them, including trained professionals, the only thing we would suggest that you do on your own is grease these parts and see if it fixes the problem. If you still have the same problem, call in the experts.

Please be aware that there are plenty of DIY instructions on YouTube and other places on the Internet that will tell you how to repair garage door springs. This is a good indication that this is a pretty common problem with garage doors. However, I would never suggest that you attempt to replace or repair garage door springs on your own. They have high-tension and can be deadly if not handled properly. Even in addition to harming yourself, you could harm anyone else who is in the garage at the time of your attempting to make the needed adjustments to your garage door springs.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that you should be observant before contacting a garage door service. There are some things that do not require the help of a professional. If you find that all you needed to do was replace the batteries in your wall remote to get your garage door working again and you have called on a professional garage door service, you might be pretty upset and frustrated. Take the time to inspect your garage on your own before calling in the experts.

Aricle source here: What to Do Before Contacting a Garage Door Repair Service

Garage door won’t stay open

Is your garage door having trouble staying open? Does it rise to the top but then starts coming back down again? Are you worried that it will suddenly slam down on you or your car? HR Garage Door Repair offers these simple tips to help you recognize this problem and deal with it smartly so that you can start enjoying safe and reliable garage door service as you did before.

Spring problems

Your Highlands Ranch, CO garage door is made of many parts and all must work properly and together in order for your home or business garage door to work safely and dependably. One of the most important components of your garage door package are your springs. You either have torsion or extension springs mounted on your garage door. They both do the amazing job of lifting and lowering your garage door whenever it’s used. Springs can last for over a decade; even with regular, daily use. Sometimes however, they break, snap or become damaged and this can lead to a bevy or garage door issues and problems.

Adjustment for your springs

One of the issues mentioned above is that once in a while your garage door springs may need adjustment. If they are not holding the weight of the garage door, then this is probably one of those times. HR Garage Door Repair does NOT recommend that you do your own spring repair, new installation or service. It’s much too risky as these tightly wound coils of metal are under tremendous pressure that can suddenly release upon you when they break. The force of a snapped spring can propel it right through a windshield so they are not to be taken lightly. Torsion springs tend to be more dangerous than extension springs but you really should rely on the professionals to help with any spring repair or service needed.

How to test your springs

One easy way to test the workings of your garage door springs is to manually disconnect the garage door from the opener. You do this by pulling the red knob at the end of the emergency cord. You are disconnecting the two so that you can manually lift the garage door from the closed position.

Does your garage door open smoothly and without a lot of effort? Or, did it catch and you almost had to force it to open? Once it was open all the way, did it stay there or start to descend again? If it is indeed your springs that are involved, HR Garage Door Repair  doesn’t recommend that you do much else except to connect your garage door back to the opener and call for a professional garage door repair shop to re-tension your set of springs.

Automatic reverse

Does your garage door open and then reverses itself a little later; all on its own? This is probably due to the close limit switch that needs adjusting. As your garage door motor lifts the door, it pushes against the limit switch which makes the motor stop once it reaches the correct height. If your garage door opens too far or not high enough it may start coming back down. You can correct this problem by adjusting the limit switch on the motor itself. If you need help with any of these instructions; be sure to refer to your garage door opener owner’s manual. It will have diagrams that offer step by step guidance and it may contain a toll free number for telephone help.

Consider your property

There’s a good reason that we say that. Are you living in a new development? Is the home or is the garage door still under warranty? You may want to contact the builder or developer as sometimes the homes are sold before being run through a series of inspections and performance checks.

Is your home a rental? Do you have a maintenance clause in your property management agreement or lease? Often, these say to contact the management office with any repairs needed over a certain dollar amount; say $30. If so, a spring adjustment will cost more than that and your landlord or property management company can use their in-house Highlands Ranch, CO garage door repair shop to do the service work. If your landlord asks for estimates you may want to collect some written ones from 3 or 4 shops. We recommend that you make a copy of these for your own files in case you want to use the particular shop for later repairs or service work.

Of course, HR Garage Door Repair can provide extension and torsion spring repairs, service or new installations. We invite you to call us for free estimates and for fast, same day appointments. Our Highlands Ranch, CO garage door experts are also affordable, honest, and give free estimates on request.

Previous owners or tenants

Sometimes you are “inheriting” garage door problems from previous tenants or residents of the house. This may sound odd at first, but it’s true. Whether you move into a rental or you buy a house, you are now dealing with the repairs or new additions made to the property by past residents. If they used poor quality or untrained service people and did shoddy work then the results will be evident to you in the form of a badly or non-working garage door.

More tips

Don’t forget to refer to your owner’s manual. Plenty of helpful information is to be found there including diagrams, part numbers and instructions for repairs, product re-orders and more. Look for any toll free telephone numbers for customer service or for parts and service. If you don’t have one or have lost it, you can usually find a copy online. Note the brand or manufacturer of the springs, opener unit or garage door and enter it into your favorite search engine along with the words “owner’s manual” and you should be able to pull up the latest PDF of it.

Aricle source here: Garage door won’t stay open

How to Install a Garage Door

Get step-by-step instructions on how to install a garage door. It's not as complicated as you might think.

INTRODUCTION

Remove the Old Door

Use the manufacturers' instructions to remove the old door. It mainly consists of carefully unlatching the door from the pulley system, then taking apart the panels of the door and unscrewing the tracks. Make sure to remove one panel at a time, or they could all fall in on you.

STEP 1

Measure, Attach Hinges and Handles

Measure the various areas where the door will be installed: door-opening height and width, headroom (from top of opening to ceiling), and back room (length of garage). For the headroom, you should have about 10" to 12" of space, depending on the spring system you're installing. For the back room, you should have the door height, plus another 18" or more of space.

With the proper measurements in hand, temporarily attach stops to both sides of the opening and make sure they are flush with the inside edge of the door jamb. Using the sawhorses, lay out the bottom piece of the new door, and attach any weather stripping (if necessary). Additionally, attach any hinges and lift handles to the piece.

STEP 2

Set the Bottom Piece Into Position

Insert the bottom piece into the door frame, and use a level to properly set the piece. Once the piece is in place, tap nails partway into each jamb. Slant or slightly bend the nails to secure them in place. Use the manufacturer's instructions to assemble the vertical, curved and horizontal pieces of the track and set aside.

STEP 3

Install the Remaining Panels

Install the second panel on top of the first one, hammering nails into the side jambs to hold it place. Install the hinges and repeat the process for however many panels are necessary. You will need to anchor each piece into the door jamb.

Read more: How to Install a Garage Door

Related artile: Five Must-Know Things about Garage Door Repair