Appearance

Owners of classic cars, sports cars, or those who tend to service their own vehicles tend to consider highly of the appearance of their floor compared to the average garage owner. Whether it be for photos, videos, or simply to impress visitors, there are a wide range of flooring options to cater your specific needs. 

The most customizable option for your flooring to enhance the appearance would be tiling. Tiles for your garage floor can include any solid color or pattern you desire. Our friends at Garage Flooring LLC provide options here. (insert link)

When your priority is appearance, you may sacrifice durability as most tiling options are not as durable or stain resistant as other material. 

Durability

Should you be using your garage frequently and not just for excess storage, durability should be taken into consideration. Durability would include the ability to respond well to normal wear and tear including various weather conditions.

According to Express Flooring, the most durable option would be concrete flooring, polished if possible. This option does have the best response to wear and tear and changing weather conditions. We highly recommend this option if you are in an area that experiences extreme temperatures (both high and low) or experiences a lot of precipitation (both rain and snow). 

The drawback here would be appearance as options are limited and not as sleek as some of the custom tiling options. 

Stain Resistance

Owning an older car has its benefits whether it’s the lower monthly payments, having no payments at all, inexpensive maintenance, etc, but you may notice small fluid leakage from either the A/C unit, power steering, or exhaust from time to time. If this is the case, you will want to make sure your flooring is both stain resistant and easy to clean.

Epoxy flooring typically offers the best stain resistance and is able to be cleaned easily. Routine maintenance is required for this option including cleaning stains immediately. Cleaning products that are intended for epoxy flooring specifically are a must as normal soap-based cleaners can leave an ugly haze that is difficult to remove. 

You may experience more wear and tear than polished concrete flooring, but with routine maintenance, you should be able to maximize the life of the floor. Customization is limited, but possible depending on the provider. 

Recap

Appearance, durability, and resistance to stains are all considerations you should have when choosing your garage flooring. Options include tiling, polished concrete, and epoxy with each having their own benefits and drawbacks. Your number 1 question may be the cost associated with each option. We chose not to dive deep on those as each can vary drastically depending on which provider you choose for the material as well as who you choose for install. 

The post Garage Flooring – Which Is Best For Me?  appeared first on Today Garage Door Services | Serving Chandler, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Arizona.

If you’re finding yourself with a garage door that has power but isn’t working, we’ve got you!  We will visit several reasons for why this might be happening, what to check, and most have solutions you can do yourself. 

Check All Sensors

Make sure the lights are on

This will tell us whether the sensors are receiving power or not. If the lights are on, check the wiring to make sure none are frayed or covered in dust as this can cause issues with the connection. If they are not lit up, that means that you might have a bigger issue at hand. Give us a call and we can come out to restore power to your garage door. 

Make sure all sensors are clear

While this sounds fairly obvious, some garage door sensors will pick up random items you wouldn’t think are in the way. If you feel like all of the sensors are clear of potential items blocking them and you’re still having trouble, you can clean the front of the sensors with a damp paper towel to remove any dust that may be causing an issue. 

Check the light color

Most garage door sensors will display either a red, green, yellow (or amber/orange).  Both green, red or a combination of the two means the sensors are properly powered and whatever color is displayed varies based on the manufacturer of the sensor.

Yellow, amber, or orange sensor lights indicate the garage door sensors are not aligned or something is in the way. If this is the case, give us a call to come out and get them re-aligned or rewired if needed!

Check Garage Door Wall Console and Remote

If you haven’t already, check to see if BOTH your remote and the wall console (button that is mounted inside) are out of order, potentially need new batteries or replacement. Occasionally, one or the other may or may not be working, so it’s important to check both the garage door wall console and the garage door remote together.

Garage Remote not working, but the wall console is?

First you should look to replace the batteries in the garage remote and if that doesn’t solve the issue, it may be time to replace the remote. Your make and model should be on the back of the overhead motor to help guide you. From there, find a remote that’s “universal” and in the description, verify it pairs with your specific garage motor. MOST garage door openers are in stock at major retailers such as Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon, etc. 

Wall console is not working, but the remote is?

This may be as simple as an unplugged wire or dust accumulation, or as complex as needing to redo the wiring from the overhead garage door motor and the console. 

To see if it’s a DIY situation, remove the cover over the mount and check for any unplugged wires and blow out all the dust. Once completed, try working the door. 

Verify there is light behind the plastic. If so and it’s not working, it’s likely a wiring issue, and if not, the issue likely lies with the overhead motor which we’d recommend giving us a call for the repair.

Inspect The Overhead Motor

If all else has failed, it’s probably time to check your garage door motor. There are a few things to check with the motor so be sure to check each of them before moving on. 

Check the garage door motor lights

First thing first, make sure the lights are on. This will determine if the motor is receiving power in the first place. If those lights aren’t on, it’s probably a bigger issue. You can check the other steps below but we can also come out on a service call to identify the cause of the power loss whether it’s a motor issue or the electrical wiring in the actual garage.

Unplug and replug the motor

Next, try unplugging the motor for 10 seconds, replug, and wait ~30 seconds before trying again. A simple recycle may be all it needs as simple as it might sound. 

Check the garage door motor wiring

We don’t recommend doing this due to safety issues but the last check you can do is the wiring in the motor. Safely remove the cover on the motor to reveal the wires. Similar to the wall console, inspect the wiring and make sure none are compromised and blow out all dust. 

Hopefully this article was helpful. Whether you identified the problem and can’t repair it yourself or still unsure, just submit a request below or give us a call at 480.256.9929.

The post Garage Door Has Power, But Isn’t Working? appeared first on Today Garage Door Services | Serving Chandler, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Arizona.

How do I know if my garage door seal is damaged or old?

Checking your seals on a monthly basis is highly recommended, especially when the weather is hard to predict. Below, are 3 ways to check if your seal may need to be replaced:

• Turn your interior garage light on and roll the garage door down all the way. From the outside, look in (through the seal). If you see the inside light, it’s time to replace your seal. 

• Roll your garage door down all the way and lightly spray your hose at the bottom of the door. Check inside and see if there is any seepage. 

• Roll your garage door up and run your hand across the seal. It should be completely flat with no holes or cracks. 

What happens if I don’t replace a damaged/old seal? 

Defective seals can cause various complications. Below, we listed the 3 major complications resulting from a bad seal: 

Increased Condensation

Condensation most certainly will make its way through an old or damaged seal. Signs may include cloudy windows, moist feeling inside, musty/fishy smell, or in extreme cases, even small pools of water may form at the base of the seal. 

Dust/Debris Accumulation

Large cracks or missing chunks of the seal can allow water, dust, small rocks, or even small animals to come through the bottom of the the garage; each causing their own unique situations. 

Temperature Changes

With a damaged/old seal, your interior temperature of your garage will be closer to that of the outdoors, than that of your house. Garage door seals do in incredible job at regulating the temperature and saves you hundreds of $ yearly on your electric bill. 

My garage door seal needs to be replaced, can I replace it myself?

Short answer, yes, but we recommend against it. There are many steps involved and tools needed to complete this replacement (see here for a how to). Should you skip a step or not have the right tool, you could experience any of the above issues. 

Short answer, yes, but we recommend against it. There are many steps involved and tools needed to complete this replacement (see here for a how to). Should you skip a step or not have the right tool, you could experience any of the above issues. 

The post The Importance of Garage Door Seals appeared first on Today Garage Door Services | Serving Chandler, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Arizona.

We will go through a couple exterior garage door components given various weather conditions to assist you in deciding if it’s time for an upgrade, replacement, or install. 

Garage Door Seals

There are different seals you can use for your garage door depending on what your goal is: keep the heat out? Leave no residue behind? Save as much $ as possible? The 4 major seals are the Brush, Bulb, Vinyl, and Rubber bottom. 

Brush Seals

Brush seals are great for keeping dust out and light rainfall. Minimal sealing capabilities which may cause your HVAC to run harder to keep your garage cool.

Bulb Seals

Seals in the cold and keeps out the heat better than a standard rubber seal. Prone to crack under extreme constant heat.

Vinyl Seals

Great for high heat, stable weather conditions. High winds, debris may crack this causing issue.

Rubber Seals

Most common, least expensive. Likely need to be replaced regularly, but inexpensive. Less protection than bulb style.

Windows

Should your garage have windows, they definitely can be impacted by weather. According to Glass Genius the thickness can vary as it “depends  on the user’s preferences, weather conditions, and type of glass. However, the standard single-pane tempered replacement glass for garage door windows could be 1/8”, 3/16”, and 1/4” in thickness”. Here in the valley, we really only get severe weather part of the year and the hail is rarely large enough to break glass. We would recommend either the 3/16” or ¼” thickness to ensure they don’t shatter. Other weather conditions such as extreme heat, blowing dust, rain, etc. should not affect the windows if they’re installed properly.

Garage Door Material

The climate here in Arizona can also affect your garage door differently depending on the style of door you have.

Steel Doors

Steel is great for the weather here in the valley as it’s durable and has the most curb appeal. Couple drawbacks: dents from hail, scratches from blowing debris, may have poor insulation, especially with an old weather strip.

Wood Doors

Wood is most certainly the most cost effective option. These really are only recommended in specific climates as they swell during monsoon season and will crack when they dry out.

Fiberglass or Aluminum Doors

If you need a door that responds to weather well, but don’t want to spend the money on a steel door, fiberglass or aluminum may be an option. Couple things to consider as these can crack under intense heat (make sure they aren’t facing direct sunlight throughout the. Also, the paint will fade quicker on these doors vs the wood or steel doors.

Garage Door Frame

The outside frame of your door also can be affected by weather. Frames are usually wood (most common), aluminum or steel and each has their pros and cons. 

Wood Frame

Most visibly, the paint of your door frame wil fade with the amount of sunlight we receive here in the valley. Standing water is the most damaging element here in the valley. It’s paramount to ensure your gutters are consistently clear and make sure no debris is around the door that could pool water.

Wood is the most common frame material as it’s cost effective and easy to repair/replace.

Aluminum Frame

Most garages here in the valley do not utilize aluminum considering the lack of moisture. However, these may be added for aesthetic purposes. Aluminum tends to scratch and dent easily, so it’s important to be extra cautious when pulling in and make sure any branches are trimmed near the door.

Rarely is aluminum recommended here in Arizona. If you want an alternative to a wood frame, it would just be worth it to upgrade to a steel frame. 

Steel Frame

By far the most durable and has the most curb appeal. They are usually scratch resistant and sturdy upon light impacts (touch when pulling in, light hail, small branches, etc). Rust and corrosion can occur overtime, but considering the lack of rainfall/moisture, you won’t likely see any issues for quite some time. 

Steel is by far the most costly option, but by far the most attractive and most durable. If you are concerned with saturation, value curb appeal, or have extra room in your budget, steel framing would be your best bet! 

The post How Does Weather Affect My Garage Door?  appeared first on Today Garage Door Services | Serving Chandler, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Arizona.

Below will be the steps you should take to identify where the squeak is coming from and what to do in each given case.

Check and make sure the door is opening evenly 

First you’ll want to manually release the door which you can learn how to do with this quick guide on how to open your garage door manually.

This is very important to point out to determine how severe the issue may be. Should there be a squeaking noise associated with an uneven door, please call us ASAP for a repair. This may be a result of the supporting brackets or springs and they may be about to break which can launch projectiles which can be very dangerous.

Check the track

Check to make sure the rollers can travel freely up and down without hesitation and the door can sit flush along the ground. There might be a few things that could stop this from happening whether it be a bent track or something inside the track causing it to not roll as it should.

Check the rollers

Most common cause of intense squeaking is old or damaged rollers. We addressed these in our “common issues” blog and if you need more information, it’s worth a read. Typically these can last between 2-20 years depending on the material.

Plastic Rollers are typically the #1 suspect, however any type of roller can have issues. Plastic rollers tend to only last a couple years and can wear unevenly, crack, and eventually break into pieces. Steel rollers also grind, metal on metal, towards the end of their life cycles. Some steel rollers come equipped with ball bearings which last a little longer than not having bearings, but at the end they can stick together making the door feel stuck/not open evenly. Nylon rollers can last between 1-2 decades and towards the end, it’s a gradual decline. As long as the track is even and not bent, they should wear out relatively at the same time and just become increasingly more difficult to open and close, but not necessarily squeaking. 

When manually raising your door up and down, you should be able to identify which type of rollers you have, and which roller(s) in particular are to blame. Please give us a call and have this information handy and we can get these replaced for you! 

Check the drums

The drums located above the left and right side of the door can be the source of the squeaking. “Cable Chatter” is the term used when the drums aren’t properly installed or are worn down, which will make a grinding and or squeaking noise.

The end bearings connected to the drum can also be the source of the squeaking. These may need to be lubricated, which typically a simple white lithium grease silicone spray will do the trick (as long as they’re not broken). Really any “garage door lubricant” will suffice. 

Check the hinges

Another source of the squeak may be the hinges. Similar to the bearings, these need to be lubricated. Typically these have a lifespan of 10-15 years, so if you’re close to this duration, you may need to have these replaced.

Check the motor

Lastly, there could be an issue with the rail and trolley that’s causing the noise. Both the rail and trolley require lubrication to function properly. We highly advise giving us a call to ensure the proper motor components are lubricated as you could potentially damage the motor if not done properly. 

There are a couple other components inside the motor that could be having issues and if you notice the squeak is not the rail or trolley, give us a call before opening up the motor yourself. Many motors covers can be difficult to close back up and have many screws, wires, etc. that may or may not need to be addressed. 

Overall, a squeaky garage door might not seem like that big of a deal since it’s only a “noise” to you but it could mean that there is a larger issue at hand, so don’t just ignore the noise, get it fixed today.

The post Why is my Garage Door Squeaky? appeared first on Today Garage Door Services | Serving Chandler, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Arizona.

Whether it be the actual monetary cost you incur, should the job not be sufficient, and there are also physical costs and the cost of time. Injury, low quality, and unnecessary time lost are three of the main reasons DIY is not worth it when it comes to garage door repair, service, or installation and we will walk you through all 3 below.

Risk of Injury

Obvious, but true. The #1 reason to avoid DIY is the physical risk you can put yourself in. The springs are under intense pressure and will explode if not released properly and the rollers can break into small shards if too much pressure is pushed on them. In addition, if you try and bend the metal track in place without proper equipment, you can end up with a severe cut on your hand. 

Even if you manage to fix your issue yourself, the disposal of old parts can be dangerous. Doors and tracks in particular are very sharp and can slice deep into any part of your body. If you have little to no experience with garage door repair, give us a call and spare yourself! 

The most horrific injury can occur when the garage is not dismounted properly, crushing you instantly. Doors can weigh upwards of 300 pounds and if the proper precautions are not taken, it will free fall from the track. Save yourself from physical injury and give us a call! 

Quality of Work

Hate to break it to you, but chances are if you haven’t done a garage door repair/install before, there will be some sort of issue that will need to be fixed. Let’s say you end up saving a couple hundred $ between parts and labor; that’s great! But if it’s not 100%  perfect, there’s a chance for a break, bend, or total collapse which will now turn your savings into double to triple the amount you would have paid to call a professional from the start. 

Even if you know for certain you can successfully repair/service your garage, it still might be worth it to have a professional come out as you can’t put a price on peace of mind or safety. You can view our gallery of work here. We guarantee quality and we guarantee fair pricing. 

Time Needed and Spent

Not everyone has a whole day set aside to attempt to fix something they haven’t fixed before. Between shopping for parts for a few hours, waiting on delivery for a week or two, researching “how to” videos for maybe an hour, and actually completing the work which will likely take a couple hours, you’re likely asking yourself “why didn’t I just call Today Garage Door Services?” 

We typically can get most repairs/installs done within 30-60 mins with a few exceptions. As mentioned above, you likely would spend 3-4x the time to do it yourself, just to save a couple $. In addition, not all jobs can wait for you to have parts delivered. There are a laundry list of issues we’re equipped to help you with. You can see a list here.

The last thing we want is to come out and fix an issue you tried to fix. . If you’re even remotely hesitant about servicing your garage door, give us a call! 

Overall, we hope you contact us the next time you’re considering your garage door repair, service, or installation as a “DIY” situation. The risks far outweigh the reward as we outlined above. Call us today to save your physical well being, and have quality work being done in a fraction of the time! 

The post What to Consider When Tackling Garage Repairs Yourself appeared first on Today Garage Door Services | Serving Chandler, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Arizona.

In these “How We Fixed It” series, we go over projects that we worked on. We’ll discuss the initial diagnosis of the problem, what might have caused it, and how we fixed it. With these project examples, we want to showcase why it’s important to fix small issues early, why you shouldn’t work on your garage door without having experience, and how we can help fix whatever garage door issue you might be having.

Initial Diagnosis and Review

We were recently called to Surprise, Arizona to help a customer with a double car garage door that wouldn’t work, it was completely dead weight. When looking over the garage door we found that the single spring was broken and without that spring in working order, the garage door had no counterbalance to allow it to open as it should.

The homeowner wasn’t fully aware of what the issue was with their garage door before it completely fell off (like it’s seen in the images above) so they kept trying to open the door. As we’ve talked about, this normally causes additional issues and in this case it did. Since they continued to try and open the door, in result they ripped out the top strut and bent the door.

Potential Causes

While the reason for the door being bent and the top strut being ripped out is due to the constant try to open the door, the garage door spring being broken could be a few reasons.

Garage door springs are something that need to be replaced over time. They are constantly under pressure and strain when you open and close your garage door causing them to wear down. The more they wear down, the more they wear down, the higher the probability that they’ll break which makes the door become dead weight due to the motor not being able to pull up the full weight.

Learn When To Replace Springs

How We Fixed It

Since doing the initial diagnosis, we realized that the panels didn’t need to be completely replaced (saving a lot of money). There were a few things that needed to be replaced though.

We started with replacing the broken single spring with a pair of high cycle springs. This will help counterbalance the weight of the door so that it can easily be opened and closed without putting a lot of strain on the motor.

We then replaced the bent strut that was broken when trying to open the door without a spring with a new strut. We also added an additional one to the lower part of the top panel.

Last but not least, we reinforced the operator bracket and replaced the rollers with new ones so that the “friction” of the door isn’t causing other parts to work harder than needed.

All in all, we were able to get the door back in working condition and save the customer a lot of money by reinforcing and not needing to replace panels. Another successful garage door repair done. If you’re in need of repairs to your garage door, you can click the button below and we’ll give you a free estimate on whatever repairs you need!

Get A Free Estimate

The post Broken Garage Door Single Spring: How We Fixed It Series appeared first on Today Garage Door Services | Serving Chandler, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Arizona.

Garage Door Sensors Are Obstructed or Malfunctioning

First thing to look at if your garage door isn’t closing all the way is the sensors. Might seem obvious but sometimes the smallest thing might be catching these sensors and not allowing the door to fully close. 

Now assuming that everything is clear, this doesn’t mean the sensor isn’t the problem. If one or both of the sensors aren’t receiving power or emitting their signal properly your garage door likely won’t close all the way. You can look to see if there is any small fix to help with these two things but they are a bit more technical. 

Tracks are Misaligned

Even the smallest bend, dent, or misalignment with your garage door tracks can stop it from closing properly. These are of course what guide your garage door up and down so if you have an issue on either side, you might need to get them fixed. 

While an option might be trying to hammer the dent out or fix them yourself, we highly recommend NOT doing this. The more you try to fix the issue with a “simple solution” the more damage can be caused and your door might not open or close at all if more track damage happens. 

Worn-Out or Damaged Rollers

While looking at the tracks, you can also check your garage door rollers. At times, these can either be extremely worn-out causing them to not roll freely or if they are damaged in anyway, it causes the door to not roll on the tracks the way it should. 

These small rollers play a big part in how your garage door operates so it’s important to have clean and working rollers. The more you let a somewhat damaged roller go along the tracks, the more damage you’ll likely cause to the tracks as well and you’ll need to get them both fixed instead of just a small roller.

Loose or Broken Cables

If you’re wondering what helps lift and lower your garage door, it’s the cables. These are what “pull” your garage door up and down, allowing for a smooth open and close. Over time these cables can become very worn out causing them to fray, become loose, and ultimately break completely. 

Without these cables, your door just won’t work. If they are frayed or loose, the operation of your door is certainly going to be compromised and could be the reason your door isn’t closing all the way. 

Springs are Damaged or Worn-Out

We’ve talked about the garage door springs and how to notice if they need to be replaced but this could certainly be one of the reasons your garage door isn’t closing all the way. These springs help counterbalance the garage door, which is pretty heavy. 

If you choose to skip replacing or repairing your garage door springs, not only could you garage door not close all the way, the more you use it, the more damage you’re causing to the springs, the cables, and the motor. All things that you don’t want to completely go out. 

Electrical Problems

Now this could be a wide variety of issues. We already mentioned the sensors and how this could be the cause but there are two other electrical aspects that might be the issue. 

The first one being your garage door opener. If you opener is malfunctioning, well it’s probably causing issues with the door opening and closing correctly. It might be a simple fix but at times, there are more issues than just replaced batteries. 

The other electrical aspect is the motor. The motor is a very important piece to the garage door closing all the way and overall, operating as it should. Whether it’s because your motor has been working overdrive due to other issues or it’s just old, replacing this is something you shouldn’t do on your own. If you install a new motor incorrectly, just like many other issues, it’ll cause more problems with other parts of your garage door and lead to more needed repairs. 

Now these aren’t the only causes of a garage door not closing all the way but they are some of the more popular ones. You’ll want to give a quick look at all of these areas on your garage door to see if you can spot the issue. 

If you can’t spot the potential cause or have and need help with repairs, we’re here to help. We’ve assisted many residents fix their garage door, making sure it closes all the way, and get back the security to their garage that they deserve. 

The post Why Isn’t My Garage Door Closing All the Way appeared first on Today Garage Door Services | Serving Chandler, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Arizona.

You might be aware that your garage door has springs but most people don’t really understand what the true purpose of garage door springs actually are. 

Overall, the idea around garage door springs is that they counterbalance your garage door so that it is “lighter” than what it truly is. If you think about the true weight of garage doors, roughly up to as much as 400+ pounds, that would be extremely tough to lift manually and if you have an automatic garage, the garage motor would quickly be out of operation if it had to always lift the true weight of the garage door. 

The scientific side is that garage door springs either store or release energy to help with this counterbalance but with that, the real purpose is to keep your garage door operating smoothly and safely. With those two things in mind, we’ll dive a bit into when you might need to get your garage door springs replaced because if you wait too long, it could turn into an unsafe situation or put more strain on other parts of your garage door, like the motor than they can withstand. 

Types of Garage Door Springs

First let’s start off with the two main types of garage door springs, torsion and extension springs, and then we’ll get into what to look for in each of them to see if you need to get them replaced. 

Torsion Garage Door Springs

These torsion springs are normally mounted above the garage door opening on a metal shaft. They are typically known to be a bit more durable than extension springs due to them having a more controlled motion with the stress of the tension being evenly distributed along the entire coil. 

Extension Garage Door Springs

Extension springs are typically mounted on either side of the garage door running parallel to the horizontal tracks of your garage door. They operate by stretching and contracting, rather than twisting like torsion springs, and this is what causes them to be a bit less durable and at risk of needing repair more frequently. 

Signs Garage Door Springs Need to be Replaced

There are some clear cuts signs that your springs need to be replaced like your door not opening at all but there are some other signs that you can spot that will help make sure that you don’t lose all operation of your garage door. 

Visible Wear and Tear

Just taking the time to look at your garage door springs every now and then can go a long way. You might not be able to spot small issues but there are some that are pretty obvious that you need to get your springs replaced. If you notice any of the following, make sure you get them replaced pretty soon or it’ll cause large problems pretty quickly. 

1. Rust or corrosion on the springs
2. Breakage of the spring 
3. Slack in cables that are connected to the springs

Garage Door Operating Poorly

With how important garage door springs are to the operation of the entire door, you can start to understand if you need to replace the springs by just noticing how your door is operating. 

The first is if your door is difficult to open either manually or automatically. If this is the case, the springs might be losing their tension and not performing as they used to when they were new. One way to spot this is to have your door sit at a partially open position, if it either goes up or down after this without you making that happen, it’s likely time to replace your garage door springs. 

The second is if your door is opening up too quickly or slowly. Similar to above, this likely means that the springs’ tension is lacking, and getting them replaced is probably best. If left too long, this could cause your door to not be able to be opened. 

The last one is if your garage door movement is uneven. When you open or close your garage door and it seems to be jerking or moving a bit uneven this is a sign that one of your springs is about to fail. Especially if you moved into a home that you’ve never replaced the garage door springs, you don’t know if one was replaced and the other wasn’t and if this was the case, that means the other might be failing. 

There are some other signs that you need to get them replaced but these are some that can be spotted and ultimately fixed. If you decide to wait because you don’t want to invest in new springs, you first might want to understand what happens if you do this. 

What Happens if you don’t Replace your Garage Door Springs

To start off in the best scenarios when you wait to get your garage door springs a bit too long, the other pieces of the whole garage door can experience more wear and strain than they should be.

Whether it’s the motor needing to have more “juice” behind it to open the door that is heavier than usual or the rollers and tracks bending or getting damaged because the door is closing too quickly, these all can lead to needing more repairs than just replacing the springs. 

The more serious side of this is that your door could suddenly collapse causing, at the least, that you’re unable to open your garage door and, at the most, it could land on someone or something that is in its way. The other serious impact of waiting to replace your garage door springs is that with all the tension they are under, they could suddenly break and turn into a projectile hitting someone or something causing some pretty high injury or damage. If this is the case, you likely need emergency replacements done.

Ultimately, getting your garage door springs might seem like a simple thing to push off but the longer you do, the higher the risk of injury or the higher dollar amount you’ll have to pay to get other parts of your garage door repaired. 

If you think you might be in need of replacing your garage door springs, reach out and we’ll come by to give you a free estimate and ultimately fix them if you’d like us to. We want to help keep your door operating and your family safe!

The post How to Know if my Garage Door Springs Need to be Replaced?  appeared first on Today Garage Door Services | Serving Chandler, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Arizona.

Garage Door Not Closing All The Way

We have all driven past a garage that looks like the one below where it seems to be tilted or others that just won’t fully close. There are multiple reasons your garage door won’t close all the way. 

Issue with the sensors

Normally this is an easier fix than the rest but often if an issue with the sensors, it’s something you should likely get fixed because the “obvious” reasons are easy to spot pretty early. To see if the issue with the garage door sensor is the cause of your garage door not opening, check if the sensor is dirty, misaligned, or blocked

Broken or Blocked Tracks & Rollers

Your garage door tracks and rollers are what allow you garage door to easily go up and down seamlessly. Now it’s pretty rare for items to block these but it is possible, that’s the easier fix. Normally this issues is due to bent or broken tracks or rollers that are broken. To see if this is the issue with your garage door not opening, check for blockage, bent, or broken tracks and rollers

Glitchy or Broken Garage Door Motor

This issue is the harder one to “realize” but is normally our second thought (besides checking the sensors) when our garage door won’t open. There are some clear signs when you need your garage door motor replaced or repaired. 

1. Motor making strange noises
2. Garage door only works sometimes (and still doesn’t close fully) 
3. Garage door operates slower than normal (and still doesn’t close fully)

While your garage door not closing is a common occurrence, we normally DO NOT recommend trying to fix it yourself and it can be a tough fix that can only cause more issues. 

We recommend trying to find what might be the cause if possible and then submit a request or give us a call and we can come out ASAP to help get your garage door opening and closing as it should. Appointments usually take 45 minutes – 1hr.

Broken Garage Door Springs

Broken garage door springs happen regularly as most springs have a designated lifespan, which is normally isn’t something you’re working hard to keep track of. Per our friends at Banko Overhead Doors in Florida, they normally last around 10,000 cycles or 3-5 years but there are many varying factors that can impact how long your garage door springs will last. 

When it comes to your garage door springs, we do not recommend waiting until it’s too late. To make sure you don’t run into any overnight headaches with your garage door, we highly recommend a yearly inspection if you are unsure of the age or condition of your springs. In addition, if your overhead spring looks any of the examples below, give us a call or submit a request ASAP! Our garage door spring repair/replacement usually takes ~30 mins.

Damaged Roller

Similar to the garage door springs, each roller has its own lifespan. When purchasing rollers, we recommend purchasing the rollers in complete sets to ensure they are all on relatively the same timeline. This doesn’t mean you won’t have issues at different times but it’ll help limit this as much as possible. To determine which rollers you may have and the life expectancy, here is a quick blog that goes through the different types of rollers.

If you’re questioning the age of your rollers or think they might be the cause of your garage door issues, we can come out and complete the replacement ASAP! Just put in a request or give us a call, it normally takes us ~25 minutes to replace your garage door rollers. 

Car Drove into Your Garage Door 

The number one fear of homeowners when it comes to their garage is having someone (or themselves) drive or back into their garage. While not normally thought of as a common occurrence, it’s not as uncommon as you would think considering we get at least 5 calls a week for someone hitting their door since even the slightest bump can make your garage door stop working correctly. Multiple issues can arise after your close garage door is hit including a cracked door, scratched paint, bent frames, broken hinges, and more. 

Should your door look like any of the below, it’s likely time for a complete garage door replacement. The positive side of this inconvenience is you can expect us to be in and out within 2 hours for a complete garage door replacement and we can install a wide range of garage door sizes and styles. 

Unresponsive Electrical Equipment 

If everything looks spick and span and none of the above issues seem to be they reason your garage door isn’t operating correctly, it may be an issue with some of your electrical equipment. 

If you already followed the manual to reset your motor and replaced your garage door remote batteries, we suggest you submit a request and or give us a call because fixing the electrical equipment for you garage door is a tough DIY project that normally leads to more issues if you don’t have a background with these items. Our electrical equipment repairs/replacements usually only take 30 minutes or less. 

We know that having a garage door that isn’t operating correctly can be a headache and a major inconvenience if you have a car stuck in the garage. If you’re having a tough time figuring out what the issue may be, take a look at our garage door FAQs or reach out to us and we can help diagnose the problem as well as fix it if it’s something you don’t want to deal with. 

The post What’re the Most Common Garage Door Issues (and what should you do)?  appeared first on Today Garage Door Services | Serving Chandler, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Arizona.