If you’re like most homeowners, you don’t think about your garage door until you have a problem. Sure, you’re in and out several times as you go to work, run errands, shuttle the kids to and from their activities, etc. We’ve been in this business long enough to share what the most common and frequently asked questions are by our customers. We wanted to pass this information along to our readers in case it can help you in the future!
My remote stopped working. What should I do?
If you’re talking about your handheld remote (also commonly referred to as a “clicker” or “opener”) that runs your garage door up and down, the first piece of advice we can give you is try replacing the battery. And it’s worth noting that The Door People at Overhead Door Company replaces these batteries for free, and recycles used batteries, so it’s worth stopping in to one of our locations: Mason City, IA; Olmsted County, MN; or Albert Lea, MN. Most garage door remotes use a battery that isn’t as common as our household batteries such as AA or AAA. So instead of paying for these at a store, come see us!
One other noteworthy item that makes it worth your trip to our location and showroom is we have the ability to see if your handheld remote is putting out an adequate signal that is used to communicate with your garage door operator (in other words, telling your door to open and close). If it isn’t putting out a signal, it can help us determine that you may have other issues going on with the handheld remote. The battery terminals may not be fitting well with the contact points, there could be dirt, rust or debris inside the remote, the buttons could be worn out, and more. If you stop in and want to purchase a new remote, one helpful piece of information to bring with you is what model of operator you have. We want to sell you and help you program a handheld remote that will be compatible with your operator.
My sixteen year old just backed into our garage door. What should I do?
Unfortunately, hitting the garage door is a common problem. And maybe it was your sixteen year old, or your spouse, or even you. It happens. Each scenario is different regarding the damage that occurs to your garage door and its track. The biggest thing is making sure nobody is hurt or gets hurt attempting to get the garage down, etc. Keep in mind that some garage door parts are under high tension, such as springs, and if you are not familiar with how parts and how the door operates, it is best to leave it to a professional. The Door People at Overhead Door Company prioritize getting your garage door operational, so you can keep your home secure and still get your vehicle in and out. In the meantime, we will assess what needs to be done to fix it. Depending on the damage, if only one section is bent, it may be possible to replace that section instead of the entire garage door. Keep in mind if more than one section is damaged, it may be more cost effective to replace the entire garage door. Each situation is different. What we’re here to tell you is that we can help.
I heard a loud bang when I tried to open my garage door. I’m not sure what happened.
This is by far the most common thing that breaks and happens to a garage door after use. Some people hear and even witness the spring break, and some do not. As we said earlier, garage door springs are under high tension and should not be tampered with unless it’s by an overhead door professional or someone who knows how the garage door and its moving parts work.
There are two kinds of springs that can be used with an overhead door, extension and torsion. Extension springs have been widely used in the past, but torsion springs are growing in popularity. Torsion springs are more sturdy and durable than extension springs. They last longer, can endure more lifts and operation cycles of opening and closing an overhead door. However, there are circumstances and situations when using extensions springs are necessary. For instance if there is low headroom in a garage, extension springs may be a better option. There are different types of springs within each category. Extension springs can be sectional garage door or one-piece garage door extension springs.
You do pay more for a torsion spring when compared to an extension spring. They do last longer and research shows closer to 15,000 to 20,000 lifts. Most people find that their door’s overall operation is smoother when using torsion springs compared to extension springs. The actual opening and closing process is more controlled, whereas some people experience a jerking motion with the opening and closing process using extension springs.
Putting this into everyday practical terms, if you average about two car trips per day, opening and closing the door a total of 4 times daily when you come and go, then that expected life becomes 2,500 days, or only about 7 years or less for an extension spring. At that rate, the life of the torsion spring would be approximately 13-14 years.
If you have torsion springs, there are usually two, one on each side. In our experience, if one spring breaks, we recommend replacing both because the second one has been through the same number amount of use and isn’t far off from breaking, too. That is the customer’s decision, but we want our readers to benefit from the knowledge we have.
If you need service on your garage door and would like to get that scheduled, complete the Service Request or give us a call.
