Finding the right garage door for your home

Deciding on a new garage door for your home is an important choice. Whether your garage door faces the front, road, alley, or side of the home, choosing a garage door that adds curb appeal and an enhanced look to the home is something you will want to decide on. Garage doors come in a variety of styles, colors, prices, and materials, sometimes making the decision  difficult for the average homeowner, so we have put together a few points to consider when choosing the right garage door for your home.

• First, decide on the budget you are looking to spend on your new garage door. This will help in narrowing down the options affordable to you. Feel free to get quotes from several garage door companies and compare pricing. When doing this, just make sure you are comparing the exact model and make of the door since there are a huge variety of doors available. Doors normally come in a non-insulated or insulated option. Remember to ask about the price difference between the two. This will help you to get more value for your money.

• Consider the maintenance that will be needed to correctly maintain the garage door. Some doors require more maintenance throughout the year. It is recommended that all doors get a yearly maintenance and tune up to ensure the door is working properly. This is usually a minimal fee by a garage door company. While wood doors really add an elegant look to a home, they require the most maintenance. These doors have to be painted and stained, while a steel garage door would not require any exterior maintenance.

• Choose a style of garage door that fits with your home's exterior look. For example, a traditional home may look great with a raised panel steel door or stamped garage door, while a contemporary home may look good with a flush panel garage door. Carriage style garage doors usually compliment rustic or country styles homes nicely. If you decide to add windows to your garage door, remember to ask about window inserts. They come in a variety of designs to give your garage door that extra look for a small price.

 

 

• Colors will depend on the style of door you choose. Certain doors will come in selected colors. When deciding what color is best for your home, look at the exterior to match. For example, if you have bricks or stone, you may want to correspond the garage door color to bring out a hue in the bricks. If you want a garage door that really stands out, go with a color that contrasts with your home. If you are wanting to stay with a quieter look, go with a color that matches the trim of the home.

In all, when it's time to select a new garage door, whether to replace an existing one or a new construction, working with a professional can help you make the best choice.

Don't be afraid to ask questions and rely on expert advice. Garage door technicians can meet you at your home to discuss what needs and styles would work best for you and your budget. Color samples and brochures with different styles and options can be brought out ahead of time so that you may envision the look of your new garage door. You may also look on the company website to get an idea of what you are looking for.

So whether you like to do your homework first or work hand in hand with a garage door professional, resources are available to you to make sure you are on the right track to finding your perfect garage door.

At Garage Doors Repairs & Installations, we are always happy to help.

Check us out at http://www.garagedoorsrepairsinstallations.com/doors.html or call us at 214-612-8375 and we would be happy answer any questions you may have,

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Broken Garage Door Spring

How to identify a faulty garage door spring

How often do you use your garage door? Even if you open and close it only when you're leaving for work or coming home, that's a total of approximately 500 times per year. All that wear and tear puts a lot of strain on your garage door springs, which act to counterbalance the door and hold it in place. If one of these springs breaks, you are stuck ... literally ... until you can get it replaced. Worse, malfunctioning springs are dangerous to cars and, scarier still, to humans.

About Garage Door Springs

Springs maintain the equilibrium of your garage door, and are essential for its proper functioning and security. There are two types. Torsion springs, either singly or in sets of two, are used to hold a wide and/or heavy garage door (weighing 350-1000 pounds) in place. They are located on the wall directly above the door. Extension springs are used for smaller garage doors (usually 9' x 7' or less, or under 350 pounds) which are relatively lightweight. They are installed as pairs, one on each side of the door track.

The repair or replacement of a garage door spring is a complex task, which requires a great deal of expertise. If not done correctly, it will be hazardous to the safety of anyone using the door. The cost to replace garage door springs runs about $175-225, including labor, but will vary according to the size of your garage, the type of door, and your location.

Clues Your Spring May Be Faulty

Here are common signs that one of your garage door springs is faulty:

Your garage door does not open or close in response to the automatic opener, even though there is no mechanical fault in the device itself. NOTE: If this happens, do not try repeatedly to use your opener, because you may end up damaging it irreparably.

The door stops unexpectedly in the middle of opening.

The door looks like it is hanging crookedly.

There is a visible worn area or separation in the spring.

The spring appears elongated and irregular, and has lost its tension.

If you hit the door with your vehicle, this can cause the spring to fail.

Normal Lifespan

The expected lifespan of a torsion garage door spring is rated in terms of cycles. A cycle consists of a complete action of opening and closing. According to industry standard, the minimum life must be 10,000 cycles, but better quality springs may last as long as 100,000 cycles. This means that replacement of your garage door springs should be necessary after approximately 7-12 years, due to metal fatigue resulting from normal wear and tear.

Regular Maintenance

As with any piece of mechanical equipment, proper maintenance will both help garage door springs function and extend their lifespan. The springs, as well as the pulleys, bearings, and rollers, should be treated once or twice a year with a light silicone lubricant. Inspect them regularly for signs of wear.

When you need to replace your garage door springs, make sure that the correct size for your door's weight is installed. This will ensure smooth opening and closing, while it avoids damaging the opener. Even if only one of a pair of springs is broken, both should be replaced to ensure balanced tension. What's more, the two springs will have approximately the same lifespan, meaning that the other could break at any moment.

Call our qualified and skilled technicians today to ensure your door is safe and working properly. We are available 24/7 for any questions you may have. Garage Doors Repairs & Installations 214-612-8375. www.garagedoorsrepairsinstallations.com
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Connect your garage door opener to your iphone or android.

Liftmaster has done it again bringing home automation to your iphone or android smart phones. This sleek new product converts most garage door openers to the new technology of today.

Liftmaster 821LM Universal Smartphone Controller

Two easy installs is all it takes to get you up and running. The Wi-Fi hub mounts near the garage door opener and plugs into an outlet and the door sensor mounts directly onto the back on the garage door. See pictures below:

Although, these are installed on a Liftmaster garage door opener, it is a universal product that can be used on most other brands of garage door openers. The MyQ technology allows you to control your garage door from your smart phone, tablet, or computer. Here's how it works. Alerts will be received as an email or a pop up on your mobile device to let you know if the garage door opens or closes. If you forget to close the door when leaving home, you will be alerted and can then close it straight from your phone or tablet. It is a downloaded app that works in conjunction with the installed equipment to bring the technology to your wherever you are. It can control up to two doors for homes with separate garage doors, although, it will require an extra door sensor to be purchased for the second door.

Technology, Weather Can Lead To Garage Door Problems

Technology, Weather Can Lead To Garage Door Problems... Check out why the MyQ app from Liftmaster may be a good option. It will ensure the garage door is closed and will alert you if it opens. So have peace of mind with the Liftmaster MyQ system. Call us today for any questions 214-612-8375 or www.garagedoorsrepairsinstallations.com

My Q example on phone below:

Are you ready for the cold weather? Winterize your garage door today!

Are you ready for the cold weather? Winterize your garage door today!

Winter is almost here, and you need to consider how safe your garage door is and if it will leave you locked out on a freezing, cold day. It is recommended that at least twice a year, a routine preventative maintenance is done on your garage door and garage door opener. This will help assure you are ready for the elements that Winter may bring. Nothing is more of a hassle than having your garage door stuck in the open or close position in the freezing cold weather!  The good news is with a few preventative maintenance tips you will keep your garage door operating all Winter long. Below are a few helpful tips to help get ensure your garage door is working as it should and can beat the colder weather.

1. Check the weather stripping on the garage door. This is the vinyl stripping around the top and sides of your garage door. Make sure that it is not dried out, cracking, chipped, or missing any parts. If so, contact a garage door professional to have it replaced at a low cost to you. This helps to seal the door when closed against any wind that may enter on the edges of the garage door.
2. Inspect your garage door rollers for any signs of damage. They should roll freely in the tracks and should not stick for any reason. If they look to be getting stuck or dragging on the track, they may need to be changed out. Grease in the tracks will thicken with colder weather and may cause the door to stick when the rollers are going up and down the tracks. This is also a fairly low cost repair that can be done by a professional garage door technician.
3. As I stated above, hardened grease can cause the door to stick. This will also put a strain on your garage door opener, causing it to work much harder to lift that garage door. You can help this by wiping down any old grease or debris in the tracks. Doing this will save you strain on the garage door motor and having to replace it down the line.
4. Make sure the cables are tight on each pulley. If you find that they are not, contact a garage door company for immediate service. This can be very dangerous and should not be done by you. The cables are tensioned by the springs and one wrong move could cause the spring to snap and hurt anyone around! Broken garage door springs occur more often in the Winter or colder weather. Continuing to operate your garage door on a broken spring will wear out the opener motor very quickly and will require the opener to be replaced, as well. Because the spring is the most vital part of your garage door system, it should be repaired or replaced by a professional only. Once again, this is very dangerous to do.
5. Just do a quick overall inspection on the garage door and garage door opener. If anything looks damaged, missing, or just suspicious call a professional garage door company to help you out.

Once you have completed your severe weather check, you can sit back and relax and enjoy a Winter of trouble free garage door operation. Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding your garage door maintenance or other issues that may arise. Our direct number is 214-612-8375 or visit us online at garagedoorsrepairinstallations.com
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Broken Garage Door? Swapping out the panels only vs. A whole new garage door.

If money is a little tight and your garage door is broken, you can save a few hundred dollars by just replacing the sections or panels only. This is an example of a garage door that we swapped out only the panels. As you can see, everything still works fine.

Accidents can happen. Let's say you hit the garage door with your car, your panels are cracking, or the panels start to bend. When any of these things happen, the first thing you think is "I need a new garage door".

While this may be true, why replace tracks, springs, and rollers when the only thing that is damaged is panels? The panels can come in a variety of colors and styles, insulated, non-insulated, or double steel. Changing the panels only will save you a couple of hundred dollars! Ask your service technician if this is an option for you. Feel free to comment with any questions you may have or contact us at garagedoorsrepairsinstallations.com

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Cedar Overlay Doors

Here are a couple of Cedar Overlay Garage Doors we just installed today, look at the sunshine glaring down on them.

http://www.garagedoorsrepairsinstallations.com/solid-wood-garage-doors.html