Garage door and garage door opener maintenance is critical when you don’t have elves standing by to help

In days gone by, there was a hinged-double-barn door. But, the Big Guy tries to keep up with advancements in technology. And, so, 30 or 40 years ago, he had an overhead garage door installed. Ten years later he updated that with an automatic garage door opener.

This made things much easier. It was a very good idea because, on that one night each year when he uses the garage door, he is very, very busy. He doesn’t have time to waste.

Imagine if you had to circumnavigate the globe, stopping at millions and millions of homes and, at each home, sliding down the chimney with toys for boys and girls to leave under the tree, and all in one night. Clearly, every second counts. Knowing that the door will open when called upon is vital.

Only using the door once each year means that there isn’t the usual wear and tear experienced by most garage doors and garage door openers that are going up and down with frequency throughout the year. However, the conditions by the Big Guy’s place more than make up for the disparity in use. In the winter, the temperature outside his place averages 40 degrees below zero. That’s cold – really, really cold. And then there are the extremes when it can get much colder.

These extremes are very hard on the mechanics of a garage door and garage door opener. The cold effects the lubricants that are used to protect and assist garage door hinges. Of course, the elf who maintains the garage door for the Big Guy uses a special lubricant designed to withstand such extreme lows. But, the cold still plays havoc on the garage door and garage door opener.

Then there is the wind and the snow. The wind often blows so hard up here that the snow seems to find the smallest crack to invade the interior of the Big Guy’s place. Another elf spends all his time identifying and sealing leaks. He is an expert in the installation of caulk and rubber weather stripping. But, the bitterly cold wind is so persistent that his work is never really done.

The good news is that, on that one night, while the Big Guy is loading toys in his Soaring Levitation  Express Delivery system (S.L.E.D), the garage door elves are checking the garage door and garage door opener and checking it twice. If there is a problem, once the Big Guy hooks up the Hooved Drive System and hits the button to open the garage door, the elves are standing by to quickly address any problem.

Few of us have garage doors and garage door openers that have to endure the kinds of temperatures that the Big Guy’s garage door and garage door opener endures. But, even fewer of us have garage door technicians standing by every time we use our garage doors. This makes it imperative that we do timely maintenance with our garage doors and garage door openers so they will work when we need them to work.

Of course, millions of boys and girls aren’t depending on our garage doors and garage door openers to work the way they are with the Big Guy and his garage door and garage door opener.

Army can interrupt garage door opener signals but Ingleside residents don’t have to worry

Lack of proper garage door maintenance is a far-more likely cause if you have problems

A story in a Savannah, GA, newspaper, from a few years ago, discussed a local problem for residents of the Ardsley Park area. Apparently, US Army radio signals were interfering with the operation of garage door openers for area residents.

The military installation to blame was the Hunter Army Airfield. They had upgraded equipment on a radio tower to produce a stronger signal. By chance, the signal transmits on the same frequency as garage door openers.

When the Army turned the transmitters on they started to receive calls from residents in Ardsley Park and as far north as Godonston and as far south as Bryan County. This means that the transmitter was making itself ‘heard,’ so to speak, for miles around. Of course, Hunter Army Airfield is 964 miles from Chicago. Once again, there’s nothing to worry about in Ingleside where your garage door opener will stop working because of the Army’s transmitter.

While military interference isn’t a real concern unless Great Lakes Naval Base adds a new and more powerful transmitter. Still, Great Lakes Naval Base is 20 miles away from Ingleside. But, there are other things that could interfere with the operation of your garage door opener.

You could kick a photosensor for your garage door opener out of position and cause a problem. Or, you could fail to properly maintain your garage door opener, and garage door, and you’ll have trouble.

In reality, it’s far more likely that a lack of maintenance will cause a problem with your Ingleside garage door opener than the US Army. But, you have far more control of avoiding a problem with your garage door opener in the prior case. If you do a good job of maintaining your garage door opener, it should work and keep working. And, if it doesn’t, you won’t be able to blame the U.S. military.

Hinges keep your garage door going up and down

Lubrication keeps your garage door hinges happy

Hinges play an important but almost invisible role in our lives. We don’t think about it but hinges are everywhere. You’ll almost never open a door to walk through a doorway without using several hinges. When you get in and out of the car, you’re using hinges. And, when you open or close your paneled garage door, you’re using as many as 15 hinges or more.

When you open a cabinet in the kitchen, you use hinges. When you open the door to the refrigerator, the washer, dryer or dishwasher, you’re using hinges. There are even hinges on many beer tappers – not all, but many.

Hinges help things pivot. They allow cabinets and doors to swing open. With beer tappers, well, they allow the beer to flow. With a garage door, hinges help the panels of your garage door to roll up and over the turn in the tracks on either side of the door, or down around the bend.

The thing with hinges is that most of them are made of metal and metal can rust. You don’t worry about your kitchen cabinet hinges rusting. They’re indoors and safely protected from the elements of the weather. But, garage door hinges, even though they’re on the inside of the garage door, are not insulated as completely from the elements.

Over time, garage door hinges will gain the brown patina of rust. Rust on the outside of a hinge isn’t such a big problem but there’s no guarantee that the rust won’t work its way inside the hinge. Inside the hinge, it’s metal against metal. A metal pin rotates inside of clasps on either side of the hinge. Rust buildup inside the hinge impedes that movement.

With enough rust, a hinge will cease to rotate. Your hinge will freeze up – lock up – stop working. At a certain point, the hinge is behind hope. Rust has won the battle and the only solution is to replace the hinge. Caught early enough, you can save a hinge by applying a liberal amount of an appropriate lubricant. That lubricant, however, isn’t just for repair of a rusty hinge; it also helps to protect a hinge before rust has a chance to take hold.

Have you ever opened a door with rusty hinges? What was it like? You had to apply substantial additional force to get the door to move, didn’t you? The same is true with a garage door; if the hinges are rusty your garage door opener has to work like the Dickens to get your garage door to open. It puts a lot of strain on the garage door opener and all its components.

With rusty hinges, you can expect your garage door opener to wear out sooner. You can expect parts of your garage door opener system to break. The solution is lubrication. Lubrication is an extremely cost-effective way to extend the life of your garage door and garage door opener. Lubrication is the elixir of life for your garage door hinges.

Photosensors keep an eye out to open your garage door

Their eyes are locked but it’s not exactly romantic. On either side of your garage door, just above the ground, you’ll find them mounted on the backside of the tracks that guide your garage door on its journeys up and down. These are photosensors and their eyes are locked on one another for a very good reason.

Photosensors represent a safety feature provided with your garage door and garage door opener. Not only are they gazing into each-others eyes, they are ready to respond if anyone interrupts their gaze.

Running between the photosensors is an infra-red beam, similar to the infra-red beam you probably saw in one-or-more episodes of Mission Impossible. With the infra-red beams in the movies, as well as employed for actual security systems, if the gaze of the beam is broken, an alarm begins to ring, steel doors slam shut so the perpetrators can’t get away.

The infra-red beam between the photosensors at the bottom of your garage door generally don’t operate the same kind of equipment. Nothing nearly as exciting will happen if the beam between the garage door photosensors is broken. Instead of an alarm, the door simply stops.

When the infra-red beam between garage door photosensors is interrupted, the power to the motor of your garage door opener is cutoff. The motor stops running the garage door stops moving.

The purpose of the photosensors and their infra-red beam is to ensure that the door doesn’t come down on your car or other toys or equipment in the way of the door. It’s also to ensure that the garage door doesn’t come down on you or a loved one.

Even if it isn’t a loved one who is saved by your photosensors and their infra-red beam, the safety is a great feature with your garage door and garage door opener to protect friends who come to visit, too. The federal government agrees. The feds actually mandate garage door companies to install safety features, such as photo sensors, when your garage door and/or garage door opener is installed.

It’s not as exciting a security system as the one built around the Crown Jewels of England, but it is effective for keeping your garage door operating properly.

Lubrication is a friend to your Lake Zurich garage door and garage door opener

Rust has a rich texture that is warm and appealing in many decorative applications. It’s rustic. It’s unique. It’s suggestive of age and endurance. Rust, however, is the enemy of most garage doors, unless you have a heavy, rusted-iron garage that serves a decorative purpose as well as providing a way to close your Lake Zurich garage door.

Rust, in most of its forms, is an inhibitor of the smooth operation of equipment, and that includes your garage door.

Have you looked at the tracks on either side of your Lake Zurich garage door lately? Originally, if the technician who installed your garage door knew what they were doing, those tracks were well lubricated. This ensured that the rollers attached to your garage door panels had a path they could easily roll in while going up and down.

You also want lubricated rollers. These are constructed of pins, that fit into tubes on the inside of the garage door panels, and roller bearings that ride in the track. From the bearings to the pins, lubrication is essential.

Other parts of the garage door that beg for lubrication are the hinges. These are not asked to rotate the way the rollers do but they can still add a creak to your door’s operation and make the garage door opener work harder. Even if your muscles are called upon as the ‘garage door opener,’ lubricated hinges will make the job easier.

Whether your garage door opener operates with a chain drive or a screw drive, lubrication is an absolute necessity. The same holds true of garage door pulleys. Even the torsion spring can do with a good lubrication, from time to time.

Lubrication inhibits the rust that would inhibit the smooth operation of the garage door. It quiets – seriously quiets – the operation of your garage door. And, while lubrication reduces the strain on your Lake Zurich garage door opener, it also extends the life of your garage door, garage door parts, and your garage door opener.

What parts of your Spring Grove garage door are most likely to break?

If you maintain your Spring Grove garage door properly, you can expect to receive years and years of service without major issues. But, mechanical items, such as garage doors and garage door openers, do break. It’s a matter of time and use. The way to delay the inevitable garage breakage is to properly maintain your garage door.

What parts of your garage door are liable to break? Let’s say you’re leaving your Spring Grove home to do some shopping and, halfway up, the door jams. What would cause that problem?

There are a number of possible answers to that question. So, let’s take a look at the parts of a garage door system that break most often:

• The garage door opener breaks: There is a small electrical motor inside that garage door opener. There are springs, bearings, and gears. Sometimes, there is also a drive belt. Eventually, the garage door opener, or one of its parts, will break. However, if you lubricate the garage door hinges and bearings, you can reduce the load on the garage door opener and extend its life.
• Garage door cables break: The cables that lift your garage door are about 1/8th-inch thick. They carry a heavy load and they are used often. It’s a darn good thing they’re made of aircraft-quality cable, the wear and tear will take its toll and they can break. Once again, lightening the load by greasing hinges and bearings will help.
• Garage door rollers can break: The rollers are found traveling up and down the tracks on both sides of the garage door. A good-quality set of rollers will last a long time, especially if you lubricate them with sufficient frequency. Unfortunately, the rollers that come with garage doors are often of inferior quality.
• Garage door springs break: These springs are under so much tension that only a qualified garage door technician should work with them. People have lost fingers, hands and lives trying to replace their garage door springs when they didn’t have the experience required for the job. A spring under that much tension WILL break, eventually. Once again (I know – this is getting redundant), lubricating hinges and bearings will lighten the load on the springs.
• Garage door hinges can break: Garage door hinges can break by coming apart. They can also fail by rusting in place so they won’t turn as designed. You guessed it – lubricating them and they’ll last a lot longer (and all those other parts will appreciate it).

You probably use the garage door and garage door opener in your Spring Grove garage more often than you think about. It can work so reliably that you’ll virtually forget it is there. Then, when it breaks, you’ll remember when you probably don’t have time to deal with a broken garage door. But, maintain it properly and you probably won’t have to think about it too much for quite some time.

Invitation to the wrong sort – Woodstock garage door stuck halfway open

It’s not convenient when your Woodstock garage door stops halfway up. In fact, it’s down-right inconvenient.

You’re in a hurry – places to go and things to do. You rush out to the garage and climb into the car while your mind runs through your to-do list for the 500th time. You hit the button for the remote garage door opener and you hear that familiar sound of the door going up. You start the car and, with your foot on the brake, you put the car in reverse. You’re ready to back out of the garage and … wait a minute. Something is wrong?

What’s wrong is that your garage door has stopped halfway up. If you back out now you’ll rip the garage door of the track and break the door panel into pieces, not to mention the damage to the springs and other parts of the garage door and garage door opener.

Woodstock is a great place to live – The Square, nice neighbors, not too far from work and things to see and do. But, you still wouldn’t want to leave your doors wide open. From time to time, someone may drive, or stroll, down your street who is not that nice. And if your garage door is stuck halfway open, that’s an invitation to the occasional nefarious character who might happen by.

If the garage door is stuck halfway open, you might try to fix it yourself. However, this will require working from a ladder and knowing how to identify the limit switch adjustment, for a start. Adjusting the ‘down’ adjustment may solve the problem. Then again, it may not.

You may have to go up and down the ladder several times to find the sweet spot where the garage door works again. In the process, you may overheat the motor in the garage door opener. This isn’t necessarily catastrophic – if you leave it alone for 15 minutes, or so, it should work again.

You can also lubricate the hinges and the bearings in the track. This is part of the standard process of garage door maintenance, but there’s no guarantee this will work either.

You can also look for debris that is blocking the door’s safety eyes. But, what you don’t want to do is walk away with your Woodstock garage door stuck halfway open.

Did Grayslake flooding damage your garage door?

Photo Courtesy of Kim Kreml with Planification Group

These flood waters filled the streets in Grayslake recently and
you can bet they damaged some of the garages and garage doors
in town, as well as other Grayslake property.

The flooding in Grayslake recently has created havoc, inconvenience and expense for many home and business owners in the area. Basements were flooded and, often, the water didn’t stop there. The clean up is a painful and, in many cases, the pain hasn’t stopped. Unfortunately, you may have more pain to face; you may discover that the flooding damaged your garage door, too.

If your garage door is made of wood, the wood panels may have soaked up the water and now they’re soft and enlarged. You may notice the panels separating. Sometimes, you’ll notice unpainted areas around the inner panels. This is a sign that the panels are coming apart. If this is the case, chances are, you’ll have to replace the damaged panels.

If your garage doors are made of vinyl, or some other water impervious material, you may not have to worry about having to replace panels. However, these panels are often insulated and the Grayslake flooding may have ruined the insulation in your garage door panels.

Another problem is the havoc the flood waters may have created with the garage door hinges and roller bearings. These are parts that should pivot or roll with ease. This is why garage door maintenance includes lubricating the hinges and roller bearings. But, following the flooding, you may find that your hinges and roller bearings are rusting.

Instead of pivoting or rolling with ease, the rust makes them hang up and fight against normal usage. As a result, your garage door may put substantial additional strain on the garage door opener motor, chain and springs. Though your garage door may open and close, in spite of rust in the hinges or roller bearings, with the motor and other parts working harder, those parts may experience excessive wear and could breakdown sooner.

The flood waters may also have damaged the sensors by the floor affecting the operation of your garage door (before you jump to this conclusion, however, make sure that the sensors and clean and properly adjusted).

The floods that hit Grayslake may have damaged your garage door. The flood waters may have damaged the insulation and walls of your garage, too. Whatever the case, while you’re determining how much damage the floods have done at your home or office, don’t neglect to look at the garage, too.

The amazing garage door opener – as much as you use your Wildwood garage door opener, you bet it needs maintenance

Have you ever stopped to think about how many times your Wildwood garage door will go up and down? If you park your car in the garage, which is one of the primary uses for a garage, you probably use the garage door opener at least twice each day. That’s up twice and down twice. But, on weekends, when you’re busy running to and from stores, taking the children to soccer and football practice, and to ballet lessons, you’ll use it more than that. Then, in the evening, up and down it goes, a couple more times, while you finally relax with dinner and a show.

If you and your spouse both use the garage, the normal up-and-down usage can easily double. Let’s say that, on average, you operate your garage door three times each day, taking into account weekends and everything. This is probably a modest number. Also, by operating the garage door, we mean one trip up and one trip down equals one full operation.

Using this, admittedly arbitrary formula, you’ll operate your garage door 1,095 times in a year. That’s 1,095 trips up and 1,095 trips down or 2,190 trips altogether.

Your garage door runs on wheels and bearings that fit inside tracks on either side of the door. A pulley and cable, torsion spring, hinges and a curved door arm are essential parts of your garage door and garage door opener. And the entire assembly is suspended from the ceiling and front wall of your garage.

Some garage door openers have direct-drive mechanisms. Others have belts. But, whatever the case, the operation of your garage door and garage door opener puts wear and strain on the system. To imagine that it doesn’t require maintenance runs counter to logic, the way a single leaf might fight its way into a gale-force wind.

In spite of this obvious common sense, some of your neighbors may allow their garage doors and garage door openers to go for years without any maintenance. These people might tell say: “Maintenance? What maintenance? My garage door and garage door opener don’t need no stinkin’ maintenance.”

OK. But, the next time you’re in their Wildwood garage, take a look at their garage doors and garage door openers. Look at the tracks, the roller bearings, the hinges. In fact, give the entire garage door and garage door opener a thorough overview. Now, compare it to your well-maintained garage door and garage door opener.

After comparing the two, which garage door and garage door opener do you think will fail first? And, who is more likely to need the services of a garage door repair service?

Tips for not hitting the garage with your car

It’s late and you’re in a hurry. You jump in the car and start backing out. Suddenly, you hear a scrapping noise and realize you’ve rubbed the car against the garage door opening. You pull forward again and, with your heart in your throat, jump out to survey the damage.

There it is – a big scrape along the side of the car. Just when you’re thinking how bad this is – how much it will cost to fix your car – you notice that the you’ve also damaged the opening around the garage door.

Of course, this has happened many, many times before. Drivers have hit the side of the garage door opening, they’ve hit the garage door before it was all the way up, whether pulling in or out, they’ve hit objects in the garage and they’ve pulled too far forward running the car into the back wall of the garage. But, what can you do to avoid these kinds of problems?

Avoid pulling into the garage door. The best defense to avoid hitting the garage door before it is opened is patience. Of course, when you’re in a hurry, it’s sometimes difficult to remember to be patient. When leaving the garage, you can make a habit of waiting until the garage door is all the way up before you start the car.

You can also mount a small bump on the ground outside of the garage so you know when the front or back of the car is approaching the point where either bumper intersects with the path of the garage door. Park the car one way and hold a level upright at the point closest to the garage door but short of the path of the garage door. Mark that spot on the ground. Then turn the car around and do the same thing. Glue or mount the bump on the pavement at the furthest of these two points from the door.

To avoid scrapping the side of the door while coming in or out, you can mount a piece of pipe-insulation foam so that it extends into the garage from both sides. Mount a short piece of pipe off the wall beside the garage door opening perpendicular to the floor and facing the garage door opening but keep it back further than the opening. Then, pull the car into the garage door opening so that it is as close to centered as possible. Measure from both sides and attach a piece of foam insulation on the pipe on both sides so they just touch the car. You might even wrap some reflective tape on the insulation so you’ll see them easier in the dark.

To keep from hitting the back wall of the garage, pull the car in to the distance you usually park. On a piece of string, hang a tennis ball so that it just touches the windshield. You should then notice hitting the ball when pulling into the garage and know that it’s time to stop.

Another simple tip is to use your headlights when you’re in the garage or pulling into the garage. The better you can see around you the less chance you’ll hit something.

Why won’t your Spring Grove garage door opener open the garage door?

That garage door opener in your Spring Grove garage is a wonderful convenience. It’s pouring rain. No problem. You press the button, pull into the garage and stay perfectly dry. It’s freezing cold, the wind is blowing and, once again, a press of the button and you’re out of the garage. Another press of the button and the garage door closes behind you. But, if the garage door opener fails to work, a convenience becomes an aggravation.

Good garage door maintenance is the best way to ensure that your Spring Grove garage door opener continues to operate properly. But, even with good maintenance, your garage door opener can break down leaving the garage door stuck – leaving you climbing in and out of your car to operate the garage door manually, no matter the weather.

When your garage door opener stops working there are a number of potential problems that could be responsible. Here is a list of several problems you should consider as the potential culprit behind the problem of a garage door opener that won’t open the garage door:

• Your remote control isn’t operating correctly.
• Something is in the way and blocking the garage door.
• The garage door opener isn’t receiving electricity to operate.
• The garage door opener photo eye is blocked. 
• You have a snapped or loose cable.
• Some of the garage door opener settings need adjustment.
• The manual disconnect hasn’t re-engaged.
• The garage door has come off its track.
• The torsion spring is broken.
• The garage door is locked.

With a little effort, you may be able to remedy some of these problems. For instance, if the door is locked, or if something is blocking the garage door, the problem with your garage door opener is easily solved. However, some of these other problems require and garage door professional’s expertise to effect a proper repair of your garage door opener. In fact, if you aren’t a trained professional, it’s even potentially dangerous to try to repair your own garage door.

On the one hand, performing unfamiliar work from a ladder can put you in harms way. But, the real problem is that garage doors rely on high-tension springs to operate effectively. If that tension is unloosed, you can lose a finger or worse. There is the possibility that you could be grievously injured, even killed, trying to fix a garage door and garage door opener if you’re not trained to do so.

This is why it’s a good idea to call in a professional if your Spring Grove garage door opener won’t open your garage door. Take a look and make sure the problem isn’t something simple, such as something blocking the garage door, but take care before going too far trying to fix your garage door opener yourself.

Women and elderly need to take extra care before trusting garage door repairman

Finding a garage door repair company that will treat you right is not something you can take for granted. It’s the same with other companies that provide home construction and repair services for homeowners. It’s all the more troublesome if the homeowner(s) is elderly and/or a woman.

There are people in the business world who see women and elderly as easy pickings for overcharging for their services, or for providing services that aren’t really needed. For unscrupulous garage door repair companies, the elderly and women are opportunities they won’t resist.

Of course, not all elderly and women are as easily taken advantage of. In some cases, they are as knowledgeable about home repairs and the mechanics of their garage door as any other average homeowner. But, the nefarious garage door repair contractor may bring their preconceived notions to the door when they come to call.

On the other hand, many homeowners are less than fully informed about the operation of their garage door, and garage door opener. Many don’t realize that a garage door and garage door opener require periodic maintenance and service; they don’t realize that timely service can extend the life and efficient operation of their garage door and garage door opener.

The point is that, for women and the elderly, extra scrutiny to choose a reputable garage door repair company is essential. If you are a woman or elderly, or if you know someone who is, here are some questions to ask before you, or they, hire a garage door repair company:

• How long has the company been in business?
• What is their reputation? Don’t just assume – do some research. Look online and see what other people say about the company. Find out if they belong to the Better Business Bureau (though this is not an ironclad guarantee you can trust them). Ask around and talk to people who have used them in the past.
• Ask someone at your city or village’s building department if they have any experience with this company and if they’re safe to work with.
• Get it in writing. Demand that they give you written documentation about what services they’ll provide and what it will cost. Also, get a copy of the warranty they offer. Be careful that they don’t hit you with unexpected up-charges. Have them show you what is needed.
• Check out their Website. Are they a real business with a Website and their logo on their trucks and the shirts worn by their garage door technicians? In other words, have they invested in their company?
• Write down all pertinent contact information. Take their picture with your cell phone and write down their vehicle’s license plate number. Keep in mind that someone with a nefarious garage door repair company is looking to collect your money and then disappear. Make it as hard as possible for them to do so.

Tracks are critical for trains and Fox Lake garage doors

Trains run on tracks (and they’re real hard to steer when they come off the tracks). Garage doors, such as the garage door on your Fox Lake garage, come off the tracks, too. And they’re impossible to steer when they come off the tracks.

On each side of a garage door is a channel – a track – that guides the garage door up and down when you want to open or close the garage door. The tracks not only guide the garage door, they keep it from falling out of the opening in the front of your garage.

While trains running through Fox Lake run on steel train wheels that rest on the tracks with lips that fit into the tracks, garage doors run on steel wheels that fit inside of the channel-shaped tracks. The wheels have bearings that allow them to spin as the garage door moves up and down. That’s essential since, without the bearings, the wheels would fight to turn and the garage door would drag up and down.

Instead of the 1/2hp motor on your garage door opener, you might need a 20hp motor to drag the garage up and down all the time. In other words, the track and wheels, with bearings, are designed to make it easy to raise and lower your garage door and to keep the garage door moving up and down easily.

Those bearings will last a long time. They’re designed to last a long time. But, even with superior design, they won’t remain in pristine condition forever. The wear and tear of raising and lowering the garage door again and again will take its toll.

Eventually, the bearings in the wheels that guide your garage door up and down will become so loose that the wheel will wobble uselessly or lockup so that the wheel no longer turns. In either case, this puts more strain on your garage door opener and all the parts that work together to raise and lower your garage door.

Is there anything you can do to extend the life of your garage door? Of course, there is. For starters, it pays to keep the tracks clear of debris.

Grass clippings, leaves, dirt, sand, gravel and other detritus can build up in the tracks. They limit the capacity of the wheels and tracks to smoothly and efficiently raise and lower the garage door. Using a broom to carefully brush the debris from the tracks will go a long way to keeping your Fox Lake garage door going up and down smoothly for the long haul.

The pull cord on your Lake Zurich garage door opener is garage door opener insurance

You’ve probably noticed that there is a cord, with a small handle, hanging down from your Lake Zurich garage door opener. Sometimes, it’s a yellow pull cord. Sometimes, it’s a white pull cord, or black. And, sometimes, it’s red-and-white striped. But, the color really doesn’t matter. What matters is that the cord is there when you need it.

When do you need the pull cord hanging down from your garage door opener? You need it if you don’t want to use the electric garage door opener or if you can’t use the electric garage door opener.

Without the pull cord, if there was a power outage or you otherwise didn’t have electricity running to the garage door opener, such as if the circuit breaker for the garage door opener was tripped, you would have trouble opening the garage door unless there was a redundant system – i.e., the pull cord.

The garage door opener could also break down. If so, until a garage door repair technician could arrive, without the pull cord, you’d have trouble opening the garage door.

If you need to open your Lake Zurich garage door without the benefit of your garage door opener, all you need to do is pull the pull cord to release the latch that disengages the garage door opener. You still have to lift the garage door manually but you won’t be fighting a losing battle with the garage door opener (if you’re really strong and could win that fight – don’t. You’ll damage the garage door and garage door opener).

Once you’ve pulled the pull cord, and disengaged the garage door opener, if you want to use the garage door opener again later, you have to re-engage it. To do so, pull the pull cord again and push the garage door all the way up until you hear it click.

Of course, if your Lake Zurich garage door opener does stop working, or the electricity stops short of the garage door opener, be sure to call a qualified garage door technician. And, if your pull cord comes off the garage door opener, you may also want to call an garage door technician to replace it so, if you need it, it’s there.

New garage door can have tremendous impact on Mundelein home’s curb appeal

Curb appeal is a critical factor when someone is selling their Mundelein home. If the home looks like a dump from the street, you won’t have too many people walking through with realtors. While there are many things you can do to improve a home’s curb appeal, replacing the garage door is one you may not have considered but that offers some serious bang for the buck.

In Mundelein, most garage doors are visible from the street. In such cases, it’s difficult to hide an old and worn garage door. If the garage door looks shabby, the entire house is liable to look that way for a prospective buyer who drives by.

Consider the size of a garage door. Garage doors generally run 12X7 feet, 14X7 feet or 16X7 feet. That works out to 84 square feet, 98 square feet or 112 square feet. A ranch home may run from 50 X 10 feet. That’s 500 square feet. A 2-story home could be 900 square feet. With these dimensions, the size of the smaller garage door could range from 1/5th of the homes front-facing dimensions to more than 1/10th. Even with larger homes, a garage door represents a significant portion of the home’s street-side face.

As a percentage of that curb-side view, it’s imperative to consider the condition of the garage door when selling a home. But, why wait until you’re selling your home?

Many people will tell you that their home was never in better condition than the day they sold it, assuming they didn’t buy the home new. They live with conditions that require repairs. They live with siding that badly needs painting or windows that bind. And, they live with garage doors that look ‘rough’ – to say the least.

It would be nice to live with a garage door that enhances the home’s image, even if you’re not selling your home. But, if the garage door looks that bad, is it in good condition otherwise? Probably not.

If a Mundelein garage door looks worn, there’s a good chance that the springs, rollers, hinges, garage door opener and other parts of the garage door are in need of repair or replacement. In such a case, replacing a garage door gives you a garage door that looks good and operates efficiently.

Is your Crystal Lake garage waiting for transformation into your mancave?

Your wife has her sewing room in your Crystal Lake home. The kids have a play room. Downstairs, you have a laundry room, a family room and a workbench and storage area. But, what about your area? Where can you have your mancave?

Is your wife sympathetic to your plight? Even if she isn’t, if the garage has become the de-facto landing place for odds and ends and assorted junk, maybe this is where you can add your man cave. It will take some work, a little money and, most importantly, some thought.

This is where it all starts – with a plan. Ask yourself some questions, such as:

• How big is your garage?
• Is your garage attached to the house?
• What do you want to do in your mancave?

Once you’ve answered these questions, it’s time to design a mancave that will fit your garage and your goals. It’s time to answer more questions, such as these questions about the infrastructure of your mancave garage:

• If you’ll use your mancave year-round (of course, you will), how will you heat it? Will you cool it (AC)? Will you need to insulate – Walls? Ceiling? Subfloor?
• Will you need plumbing? A sink? A bathroom?
• What are your electrical requirements? Where will you need outlets? Do you have a circuit in your electrical panel that can meet the electrical requirements of your mancave?
• What will you do with that big hole – the garage door opening? 

The last of these questions is pregnant with possibilities. Some folks may want to enclose their mancave with a permanent wall, or maybe by building a sliding door into the opening. But, a garage door is a way to open your mancave to the great outdoors. You can even add a screen, such as a Lifestyle Screen, so that you can enjoy the great outdoors without allowing bugs and pests into your mancave.

Now, it’s time to for layout and interior design. Will you have a bar, a bathroom, a pool table, an entertainment center. Of course, you’ll have a big-screen television. Where will you place it and where will the sofa and recliner go?

What kind of a motif do you want? Are you into NASCAR, hunting and fishing, other sports? Your walls and ceiling are pallets where you can express your passion and create and environment that celebrates your interests. The possibilities are almost endless. Your wife may want to help but, don’t forget, it’s your mancave; make sure that, in the end, it is a reflection of you and your interests.

Will hackers hack your Lake Bluff garage door opener?

Hackers are hacking into computers all over, from the CIA’s computers to, potentially, that laptop computer of yours. They’re also hacking into smart phones. Word on the street is that they can hack into on-board computers in cars. Considering, it’s no wonder that they can also hack into your Lake Bluff garage door opener.

When a hacker hacks into your computer, they’re seeking your personal information, which can include anything from your social security number and other personal info to access of your bank account. Clearly, this is not a pleasant thing. It can turn out that it’s very costly whether they charge purchases to your accounts or they steal your identity. But, there is one thing that makes a hack into your garage potentially worse than all that. You and/or your family may be home when they come in through the garage.

Garage door opener hacking leads to cases of burglary where the burglars are present in your Lake Bluff home. Whatever the thieves’ intentions, that you might meet them, face to face in your home, is a distinct possibility. Things and money can be replaced. Your life and health – the lives and health of your loved ones – is not something you can so easily replace.

The good news is that not all garage door openers are equally susceptible to hacking. If your Lake Bluff garage has a ‘rolling code’ feature, your garage door opener is less susceptible to hacking. Garage door openers with ‘fixed code’ transmitters virtually offer open invitations to hackers.

Garage door openers with the ‘fixed code’ transmitter use an 8- to 12-digit code. That works out to, at most, 4,096 possible combinations of digits. This may sound like a lot; it’s not. With computer technology, a hacker can run through that many numeric combinations in short order.

A garage door opener with a ‘rolling code’ transmitter, on the other hand, works with billions of combinations that change every time you open your garage door, even though you don’t notice the change. Hackers are skilled in their illicit trade, but they’re not that good.

Selecting a garage door professional to install or maintain your Northern Illinois garage door

When your garage door or your garage door opener needs service in Northern Illinois, what factors do you need to consider before you select someone for repair or service?

As with most projects or purchases, three factors drive any Northern Illinois garage door or garage door opener project, whether an installation, repair or maintenance:

• Price/Cost
• Quality
• Time

Here is a look at these specific criteria, which you’ll want to keep in mind while choosing a garage door professional. If you have time constraints in terms of an installation or repair, that is a factor that can drive up the cost and, for some companies, create a challenge to provide all-around quality service.

Typically, shopping for the lowest cost can also leave you with the lowest quality. But, cost is almost always a factor you’ll seriously consider when having a new garage door, or garage door opener, installed, repaired or maintained:

Cost factors when choosing a garage door professional

Many Northern Illinois homeowners consider cost first when choosing a garage door professional. If you comparison shop based on costs, or take bids from multiple garage door professionals, there are a few factors you can expect to drive the price.

1. Choose a contractor who is a true specialist: Or are you really just dealing with a handyman? When you go with a generalist, such as a handyman, you may tend to receive a lower price. With a garage door professional, someone who specializes in installing, repairing and maintaining garage doors and garage door openers, you may tend to pay a little more. But, in return, you’ll have access to their greater level of expertise. When someone specializes in something, they are more apt to know what they are doing. When it comes to garage doors and garage door openers, experiences and expertise may cost more but they bring greater value. And, keep in mind, will that handyman still be around the next time you need someone to service your garage door or garage door opener?
2. The quality of materials will also drive the cost: If your garage door professional is using the best materials, you can expect it to cost more. Using cheaper materials will offer a lower price but at a cost in quality. And, keep in mind, frequently something that costs less now costs more in the long run as it needs earlier replacement or may cause wear on other parts.

Quality considerations before you choose that garage door professional

Ultimately, quality drives satisfaction. Will you truly be happy with the workmanship or the product when your garage door, or garage door opener, is installed in your Northern Illinois garage? Will the job be done right? Did you get value for the time and money spent on your garage door or garage door opener? Getting the right service involves some key decisions.

1. Garage door specialists usually do the job right the first time: The professional installs and repairs garage doors six or seven days a week. The handyman comes across a garage door project every once in a while. To suggest the latter can do as good of a job as the prior is more than a little presumptuous. 
2. Reliable workmen: Do you really know the people you are letting into your home to do the work? Selecting someone with a proven work history, with a reliable reputation and a recognizable brand can give you peace of mind that the job will be done right. If someone shows up in an unmarked utility van, it may raise questions regarding the ability and trustworthiness of the person you’ve hired to install, repair or maintain your garage door or garage door opener. That name on the side of the vehicle provides traceable accountability. They can’t just disappear after they’ve completed the job.
3. Background checks: Whether this involves checking with the Better Business Bureau or reading reviews online, learn something about the garage door professional you are about to hire. Also, and this is vital, insist that they prove that they are insured. From running over your shrubs trying to get into your driveway, to falling off a ladder, it helps to know that you’re covered if something happens to your property or someone working on your property.
4. Better materials: A garage door professional who specializes in garage door and garage door opener installations, repairs and maintenance will, almost certainly, have a better understanding of quality materials and where to get them. They’ve witnessed, firsthand, equipment that wasn’t up to par. And they’ve also noticed when quality materials don’t require frequent replacement or repairs.

Time factors to consider when choosing a garage door professional

1. Experience and expertise: often translate to less time spent installing, repairing or maintaining your garage door and/or garage door opener. Doing something all the time helps you learn quicker and better ways to do the job. This can also translate to lower labor costs.
2. Location matters: In Northern Illinois, working with a professional close by helps. It's easier for them to stop by to evaluate and provide you with a bid. In emergencies, they’re also close by to respond more quickly when you need them.

Make a wise choice as a homeowner in Northern Illinois. Pick the garage door specialist best for you and your needs. But consider these factors as you make your decision about service for your garage door and garage door opener. Quality, time and cost are all factors that can contribute to your satisfaction, or detract from it if they’re in lower supply. All three need to be considered to ensure the greatest value in products and service.

Embracing Technology and how it can enhance your Fox Lake garage door opener

Cell phones can do almost everything, from giving you directions to turning on the lights when you’re not even home. Another thing they can do, and that you may want to consider using in your life, is to use your cell phone to open your Fox Lake garage door.

Major manufacturers of garage door openers now make their devices ready for this integration. Most have adapted this technology into their garage door openers since 1997.

If you have a garage door that is older, not to worry. It can be retrofitted to work with a smartphone app. However, by the time you factor in the cost and labor, retrofitting an older garage door opener can get pretty pricey. You might want to consider upgrading your Fox Lake garage door opener rather than retrofitting an older one. Compare the costs between the two but keep in mind the value of having a newer garage door opener rather than keeping an older one that is more likely to need repair or replacement.

There are several advantages to using an app rather than a garage door opener remote, including:

• Open the door remotely: even when you’re away from your Fox Lake home or business. If there is a reason you need to let someone in, but you can't be there, the app lets you control the garage door opener from miles and miles away. Say your spouse went out to the store before you left for work and now they’re locked out. You can activate the garage door opener from wherever you are.
• Connecting more devices: No need to get more clickers, just add the app to all the family phones and you all have access to the garage door opener.  That means your teenager who doesn't have a car but does have a bike, can activate the garage door opener and put his or her bike away instead of leaving it in the driveway.
• You have your phone with you: That means you can operate your garage door opener even if you’re not in your car, which is where you usually leave the garage door opener remote. This solves several issues, such as:
• leaving the garage door opener remote at the repair shop when you drop off the car for service
• leaving it in a rental car after you return it – a potentially major headache
• having it stolen from your car when you left the windows open or when someone otherwise breaks into your car
• Alerts: You can receive notifications to your phone when your garage door or your garage door opener need maintenance. This allows you to get service in a timely manner rather than waiting for something to break before you know it needs work. You’re also notified when your garage door is left open. You can then activate the garage door opener to close it for you from wherever you are, even if you’re out of state on business or vacation. It’s even possible to close your garage door when you're away from Fox Lake on another continent.

Some people express concern around security: “What if someone gets my phone? That means they can get into my house.” General cell phone safety and security are a concern that anyone should maintain. Guard and protect your smartphones, especially if you use them to shop or to perform remote operations at your home. But, using an app on your phone can prove safer than a clicker.

You have your phone password protected and clickers do not provide that kind of security; anyone can use them to open your garage door.

Whether embracing smartphone technology appeals to you or, maybe even scares you a little, integrating your garage door and your garage door opener with your smartphone is a good step. The convenience and safety the app can provide make it a smart choice.

Do I need to replace both springs on my McHenry garage door?

If one spring on your McHenry garage door breaks, is it necessary to replace both? That's the magic question. The answer is yes, and no. It's sort of a gamble. A garage door spring lasts as long as a spring lasts. Determining how much life remains can prove difficult.

Typically, the expected lifespan of a garage door spring is about five to eight years. If both springs are in that age window, then it’s likely a good idea you should replace both. If one garage door spring is newer, it may not need to replace it immediately. The fact that one garage door spring has worn out does not mean the other has worn out as well.

Garage door opener systems balance the load between the springs. When set up properly, this prevents excessive wear on a good spring if there is a bad spring. The wear on one does not mean wear on the other.

Makes good financial sense, too

Economics drive this decision. It may cost you less overall if you have them both springs replaced on your McHenry garage door at one time. Your garage door professional is already there so you are looking at the cost of parts and a little more labor to get the job done. If you wait and then have the other replaced a short time later, you’ll pay more for labor and more overall. This suggests that paying less now and is a better gamble. In most circumstances, doing both at the same time makes sense.

If you can't afford the extra cost now, or simply don't want to pay the extra cost at this time, it’s not the end of the world. Perhaps you are planning to sell your home soon and don't want to deal with the extra cost. Perhaps you rent the home and are incurring the cost of replacing the garage door springs yourself. These are situations where you may want to gamble on how soon you’ll have to replace the other garage door spring.

Hiring a qualified garage door technician to replace you springs helps make sure that the job is done right. Your garage door opener is a balanced system and getting the wrong spring, or setting them up improperly, can lead to more repair work and greater costs. Sure, it might save money now, but you’re gambling that your garage door opener will continue to balance the load between the two garage door springs for a long time. As mentioned earlier, you should expect five to eight years of life from your garage door springs.

Make sure the job is done right

Some garage door professionals in Northern Illinois like to use pre-cut springs. This allows the garage door technicians to get in and get out faster. Less time on the repair and less cost on the materials equate to a greater profit margin, even if they appear to give you a lower cost.

It may seem less expensive but shoddy work can cost more in the long run. It is easy to get the wrong spring for your garage door. Perhaps they decided which spring to use based on what they are removing. Perhaps they decided based on factory specs for your garage door opener. These are good guidelines but they do not guaranty that you’ll receive the right spring for your garage door.

The best approach is to weigh the door to determine the correct garage door springs. Your garage door opener is using that spring to counterbalance your door. The wrong spring will prove ineffective. Even if the factory specs define a certain garage door spring that does not mean it is the right one for your garage door. For instance, if the garage door is insulated, it will be heavier. Studs added for stability also increase the weight of the garage door.

These factors require different garage door springs than the original specs required. Using the proper garage door springs for your McHenry garage door means that your garage door opener can use less force to open and close your garage door.

Do you, as a homeowner, need to replace both springs at the same time? Maybe it’s smarter, but it's not mandatory. When you do replace springs on your garage door, insist that your garage door professional do the work correctly. It will extend the life out of your entire garage door system.

Should you replace the garage door opener and the garage door of your McHenry garage

Just because the garage door on your McHenry garage needs replacing doesn't mean that your garage door opener needs replacing as well. The same is true the other way around. The garage door and garage door opener are separate systems. Both need maintenance to ensure they work properly and that they can work together. But failure of one does not mean failure for both.

That said, if you are replacing one, it is worth evaluating the other. If the garage door is having trouble, how old is the garage door opener and what kind of shape is it in? If the garage door opener needs replacement is the garage door in good working order?

For some homeowners in McHenry, dealing with both at the same time makes good economic sense. You're already investing money into your garage, you already have the garage door professional on site. Is it worth spending a little more now to save some money in the future? The additional cost to do both often makes it worth having both the garage door and the garage door opener replaced at the same time.

When deciding whether to replace the garage door and the garage door opener together, here are some things to consider:

• Does the garage door move smoothly when opening and closing?
• Does the garage door make a lot of noise opening and closing?
• Does the garage door travel the full distance opening and closing?
• Is your garage door, or garage door opener, more than 15 years old?

Any of these could indicate that both the garage door and/or garage door opener need some work. Any one of these points could suggest that it's time to replace the garage door and/or the garage door opener. The age of the garage door and garage door opener increase the likelihood that they need replacement.

If you are considering upgrading your garage door opener system, it may make sense to replace your garage door, too. Newer technology may also make the decision more appealing. For instance, with newer systems, your smartphone may open and close your garage door, even if you're not home. Newer garage door opener systems may operate more quietly and may last longer than your current system.

A cold Northern Illinois winter may convince you to install an insulated garage door. Insulated garage doors weigh more than un-insulated garage doors. But, if you upgrade to an insulated garage door, you need to consider whether your garage door opener can handle the extra load.

As a McHenry homeowner, you need to feel comfortable with how much you are ready to spend. Perhaps the long-term economic choice doesn't fit your current budget. Perhaps you don't plan to stay in this home long enough to see the return on your investment of replacing both systems.

It may make sense to replace your garage door opener when you replace your garage door. It may not. It isn't necessary a question of whether it's a good idea. Homeowners in Northern Illinois can decide if the need or want to replace both the garage door and the garage door opener at the same time. Making the best choice is ultimately a personal decision.