Garage Door FAQs

What are the benefits of an insulated garage door?

A garage door opening represents a large opening in your home’s thermal barrier. Insulated doors will help to reduce the amount of outside temperatures that enters your garage, thus reducing the amount of energy required to cool or heat your home. Insulated doors also reduce noise from the exterior of your home.

What maintenance is suggested for my garage or overhead door?

While we suggest a certified professional undertake any major repairs, there are some steps you can take to maintain your door. They are:

• Periodically lubricate your garage or overhead door track. Call us to determine the best methods for lubricating your specific door.
• Clean the frame’s weather stripping with vinyl cleaner and lubricate it once every other month with an appropriate product to keep the stripping pliable.
• Inspect the rollers every six months and replace any that are worn or broken, or call us and have us replace them.
• If you have painted door, periodically paint the exterior to help protect it from the elements.

Garage Door Springs

Garage door torsion springs are rated by cycle life, with 10,000 cycles ( a cycle being one opening and one closing action) the industry standard minimum. Upgrades are available to around 100,000 cycles. The average spring breaks about every 7 to 12 years. If a garage door has two or more springs and one breaks, all springs should be replaced to maintain proper balance.

Garage Door Failure

The leading causes of garage door failure and/or replacement include lack of maintenance and being hit by vehicles. A proper maintenance schedule for a garage door includes lubrication of the rollers, bearings, pulleys, and springs once a year; washing painted steel surfaces several times a year; painting or refinishing wood surfaces as necessary; and making proper adjustments to the counter balance system as necessary to maintain door balance. A properly balanced garage door should be able to be stopped mid-travel without drifting down or up when operated manually.