Curb Appeal Contracting Solutions, Inc. » maintenance

Garage Door Maintenance for Atlanta Home Owners

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:37:51 +0000

Spring is here, and everyone is ready to spruce up their home. Atlanta can be a difficult place for allergy sufferers to tackle large outdoor projects this time of year. Many home owners use this as a great time to catch up on some indoor spring cleaning. We’re all accustomed to hearing about checking the batteries in our smoke detectors to make sure our homes and families are protected, but did you know that most manufacturers recommend checking for safe operation of your garage door and opener once a month? Read on a for an general overview of the recommended monthly safety checks for your garage door.

1. Springs, Rollers, Cables, and Tracks

Visually inspect the springs, rollers, cables and tracks for any sign of wear or damage. Cables should appear taut and with no fraying. Springs should be one continuous coil with no breaks or gaps. All rollers should be able to travel freely inside the tracks. Tracks should be free of any obstructions. Springs and cables are under extreme pressure, as they take most of the weight of the door. Only a professional should attempt cable or spring repair or replacement.

2. Lubrication

This step is the easiest way to keep your garage door running smoothly and quietly. We recommend using a spray lubricant on all moving parts of your door, avoiding any plastic parts. Manufacturer recommendations can vary, and most garage door manuals will offer specific guideline for your garage door or opener.

3. Garage Door Balance

Garage doors can be quite hefty, with some tipping the scales at hundreds of pounds. All garage doors have a spring system to counter-balance that weight and make it functional. To check for proper balance, start with the garage door in the closed position. Disengage the opener by pulling the emergency release. You should then be able to easily lift your garage door. If it’s difficult or heavy to lift, your garage door opener could be receiving unnecessary wear and tear. We recommend scheduling a service call as soon as it’s convenient if yours feels heavy.

Always consult your owner’s manual for your garage door and opener for manufacturer specific instructions on maintaining your system. Most companies offer online resources for finding the appropriate manual for your model. We also offer service plans and reasonably priced repair and maintenance services. For more information about our garage door services in the metro Atlanta area, please contact us online, or call us at 678-714-7393.

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Why Won’t The Garage Door Go Up? — 3 Most Frequently Asked Troubleshooting Questions.

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:52:27 +0000

We receive plenty of questions from homeowners here in metro Atlanta, GA about their garage doors and openers. While there can be wide variety of questions, most revolve around the following three issues.

1. Why does it reverse back up instead of closing?

Most likely, your safety eyes are out of alignment, or something is blocking the path of the garage door. The safety sensors/eyes need a clear line of sight between each other in order for the opener to travel downward. They’re usually black, and attached at the base of the tracks. Each should have a small LED light that remains lit when both sensors are properly aligned. If bumped out of place, they can be adjusted by hand so that they are pointing at each other again. It’s fairly common for the lenses on the safety eyes to become obscured by dirt or other debris, as well. Take a look at this post for more troubleshooting advice on garage door openers.

2. Why is it so heavy?

Garage doors are generally at least 8′ wide and 7′ high. That amount of material can really tip the scales, making it the largest moving piece of machinery in your home. That’s why there are springs and a counter balance system to take all that weight, and make it manageable. Remember manual keylocks, and doing things by hand? Openers don’t (or shouldn’t) pull any more weight than a person would when doing that job. That being said, springs can relax over time, making things heavier. Stripped gears, which are a very common repair, are caused by this type of problem. It’s generally a good idea to do some maintenance about once a year. Have a professional check for proper spring tension, and adjust them if needed.

3. Why won’t it go up? / Why is it stuck in the down position?

Take a look at the springs located on the wall above the garage door. There should be no break, or separation in the coils. Springs generally last for about 7 years, depending on the amount of daily usage. Again, these provide the force for balancing out all that weight. When one breaks, it can make things too heavy to lift, causing it to seem stuck in place. If one of yours is broken, you’ll probably need to call a pro. If you’ve seen no separation in the coils, try pulling the emergency release. This will allow manual operation, without the motor. It may be that they’ve relaxed to the point that the opener can’t lift the weight anymore.

Hopefully, some of your questions have been answered. If you still have issues that weren’t covered here, you may want to take a look at our blog. We also have links available for manufacturer sites. Most manufacturers will offer online access to owner’s manuals. Manuals for your model product are the best source for learning how to safely troubleshoot, and maintain your system.

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Top 5 Ways To Extend The Life Of Your Garage Door

admin — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:39:12 +0000

Your garage door is most likely the largest moving piece of machinery in your home. Some of them weigh in at several hundred pounds. Replacement costs can be high, especially when coupled with a new opener. Take a look at the following five things you can do to ensure yours lasts as long as possible.

1. Get Professional Service.

Just once year, have a professional come to perform some simple maintenance on your system. It should cost less than $100 to have a company adjust both the opener and spring system if needed. In addition to any work done on the springs and opener, this type of service will typically include a check for wear and tear, as well. Some companies provide the option of a service plan, which can help reduce the cost. The springs are the heart of the counter balance system, and can relax over time. An improperly balanced spring system can damage the opener, and pose a safety hazard.

2. Lubricate

Some aerosol type spray on the moving parts will do the trick. Not only will regular sprays reduce wear and tear, but it can make everything a little quieter, as well. Pay attention to the tracks, rollers, hinges, etc. While your there, give everything a quick once over to check for wear, making sure nothing is loose, no cables are frayed, etc.

3. Know Your Opener

They are fairly simple mechanisms and don’t require many tools for maintenance. Some may need to have the chain or belt tightened occasionally. Check your manual for these types of maintenance procedures, as well as how often to lubricate the moving parts. Other settings a homeowner should be familiar with are the sensitivity (sometimes called a force setting) settings. This feature of the motor controls how much force will be applied to open or close the door. The owner’s manual will have instructions on how to achieve a good setting. Close attention is needed, as this will affect how safely everything operates.

4. Keep It Clean

It may sound pretty basic, but keeping the area around the opening free of debris, and other items can solve major problems before they start. A rake, baseball bat, or other similar item can cause serious damage if caught in the path of the door or hardware. Spiders also love to build webs inside the lens openings of safety sensors. Make sure yours are free of any obstructions or debris.

5. Keep It Painted

If you’ve got wood on the exterior of your home you already know it needs to be painted or sealed against the elements in some way, but don’t forget about the garage door. Rot or insect related damage is a common cause for repairs. The bottom section is the most commonly afflicted part. In severe cases, this can cause a safety hazard since the bottom section is under pressure from the counter balance system. Make sure to keep yours properly sealed.

That may seem like quite a bit to follow through on, but in reality it can save you time and money. This is a case where an ounce of prevention is worth more than pound of cure. Maintaining your garage door and opener costs very little compared to the hundreds of dollars it would take to replace them.

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