When you are a busy homeowner, maintaining your home to keep it in prime condition is part of the process. With many projects calling your name, it's easy to adopt the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy. Your garage door, which was designed to give you years of trouble-free service, may fall into this category unless you have a problem with the door itself or the opening system. However, ignoring your garage door repair services until it stops working is a big mistake. Safety issues can arise if the door is out of alignment, or it may be hiding a developing problem with the springs or drive mechanism. If you're not regularly checking it - and knowing what to look for - these issues can get overlooked and lead to accidents or costly repairs down the road. To make sure that your door is always safe and operating efficiently, the best approach is to obtain a maintenance agreement or yearly service contract on the door. Some garage door companies offer a lifetime maintenance agreement on new doors, but most have affordable yearly service contracts on existing doors available. Garage doors are much safer than they were in the past, but every year hospital emergency rooms see thousands of cases of homeowners who were crushed, suffered fractures, or lost limbs from failed attempts to repair their own garage door according to the Consumer Products Safety Council. Service technicians from a professional garage door company have the necessary training to handle repairs that can be dangerous for the average homeowner. Helpful Discounts Increase Savings As a yearly maintenance subscriber, you may have to pay for parts if it's time to replace springs, cables, panels, etc. but labor is often included in your contract. Many providers even offer discounts on parts to repair your existing door. Even if you need cosmetic repairs as a result of damage from vehicles, weather, or misguided basketballs, the technician can usually make them while he's onsite, which saves you both time and money. When it's time for a new door or a new opening system, you may see savings there as well, and since you already have a relationship with your garage door company, you can buy with confidence. 24/7, 365 Protection Having an annual service contract on your door also means that you have 24 hour emergency service at your fingertips. If your door malfunctions, leaving you unable to get into your garage or house, most companies will dispatch help, regardless of the time of day. Often the cost of an annual contract runs less than what one emergency visit costs. When you balance the small cost of an annual maintenance contract with the cost savings, time savings, and peace of mind you realize from keeping your door in good condition, it's easy to see why an annual contract makes good sense. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8341725
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Can you remember back in the day when you had to get out of your car and manually lift of your garage yourself? If not it might be because the first electronic door opener was invented in the late 1920's in Indiana by a guy named C.G. Johnson. This is not to say everyone had a garage door opener at the time however. The first simple remote control opener was very similar to the technology used to detonate bombs back in the Second World War. One problem the transmitter had was it would open other people's garages as well as their own. This was later fixed by using different codes and frequencies. Garage openers made it easy for people to access their garages, saved people time and energy and also made it possible to have an "unlock" feature for a door where before people had to manually lock and unlock a door if they wanted to protect something in their garage from strangers. Contrary to people's beliefs, the electronic motor is not what is responsible for the doors opening and closing. It is actually the springs of the door the counterbalance the weight of the door. When the tension builds up on the springs it allows the door to open and close with little effort. The electronic motor then moves the door up and down on the track by a chain. Obviously the door, when open, hangs above the car stall directly below the garage motor. There was a short period of time when the doors would fall off the tracks and wreck people's cars. Stronger tracks, more secure chains and pulleys helped solve this problem. Today there are more than ten large garage door opener manufacturers. It has turned into a large industry and is used in nearly every home across the US. Now days, you have many choices to your garage openers. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4194569 A garage door works perfectly only when all the components, mechanical and electrical, operate harmoniously. But years of regular use, local weather conditions and friction among moving parts decreases performance. Regular maintenance is necessary to keep it working in a pristine condition. So, homeowners should have some basic understanding of the door working mechanism. This way they can undertake successful 'Do-it-Yourself' garage projects. How to undertake Garage Door Maintenance A garage door is unlike any other door in your home. It's the largest electrically operated entrance to your home. Since it has both electrical and mechanical components, you should start by thoroughly reading the door's Instructions manual. It will help you get acquainted with all the basic components and their respective working mechanism. Afterwards, you can proceed to undertake some general door maintenance. Here are 6 Maintenance tips for homeowners: 1. Inspection: Take a close look at all the components of the door - big or small. Check the door opener, metal tracks, chain-belt or drive belt, dents in panels, electrical connections, rollers and bearings etc. Look for any signs of rust on metal parts or general wear and tear. If the metal tracks are not in proper alignment, use a carpenter's scale to align them in a straight line. 2. Lubricating Moving Parts: Door components need a friction-free surface for smooth operation. Use the ideal oil grade as recommended by the door manufacturer. Do not use WD-40 grade oil for lubrication. It attracts dirt/dust and causes damage to the components. Oil or grease the metal tracks in the rolling shutter doors. Other parts that need lubrication include chain, rollers, pulleys, hinges, screws etc. 3. Garage Door Opener Settings: Modern doors work via electronic openers that can be programmed by the user. A professional technician sets the default settings as considered suitable for the daily use. Do not temper with these settings unless you understand the operating instructions as detailed in the opener manual. 4. Minor dents in the Panels: Regular use causes dents to appear on flimsy panels. For example, light-weight aluminium door panels are known to get damages quickly. Homeowners can repair them quickly. Take a small hammer and large piece of cotton cloth. With the help of another person, place folded cloth on the dent surface and a hard-board on the other side. The board acts as a support for the panel. Remove the dent using subtle hammer movements. 5. Garage door Ventilation: Garages can get quiet hot in the summers and cold in the winters. Install a suitable ventilation fan to lower the humidity. Another option is to install a freestanding exhaust fan near a window. Insulated doors help in saving electrical energy and lower heating/cooling costs. 6. Door Insulation: Polystyrene panels are known to resist variations in temperature. Homeowners can add polystyrene foam in the hollow aluminium door panels. Also, the gap between the bottom of the door and garage floor should be plugged using a rubber or fiber strip. 7. Bonus Tip - Rust Prevention: Dirt and dust accumulation can lead to rusting. Initially, rust can be removed by simply washing the aluminum and steel doors with a mild household detergent. Use sandpaper to remove extreme rust. Sand the area thoroughly and apply zinc-rich primer. Now, apply a premium 100% latex paint on the affected area. Garage door maintenance by the homeowner can save hundreds of dollars in repairs. It is recommended that people maintain their doors to avoid costly replacement. However, serious repairs like opener replacement and garage door spring should be undertaken only by the professionals. These experts have years of experience in handling all types of doors and models. Call in a reputed garage door repair company for professional installation, repair or parts replacement. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7958919 |
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