Garage Door FAQ’s
Do Garage Doors Require Maintenance?
We recommend you have your garage door inspected annually. Make sure the company that installs your door gives you a thorough evaluation and performs routine maintenance as needed. Find out how to extend the life of your garage door with these helpful maintenance tips.
Do I need to replace the whole door or can I replace a section of my door?
It is possible in many cases to replace a section of your garage door depending upon the damage involved to the garage door system.
Will a garage door and opener work in a garage with a low ceiling?
Yes. A minimum of 4 ½ inches of headroom space is required for a residential door. Your system will need a low headroom extension track or a low headroom torsion rear track. Slightly more headroom is needed, about 6 ½ inches minimum for a garage door opener.
What Kind of Garage Door Opener Accessories are there?
There is a broad range of opener accessories from remote controls to wireless keypads depending on the model you choose. Find out more…
Double Garage Door vs. 2 Single Garage Doors?
- Less cold air escapes when have 2 singles because you only open 1 at a time
- Same price for both these types of doors
- If there is a mechanical failure – there’s another option if you have 2 single doors
- 2 Single doors brings less attention to the garage
What are Torsion Springs?
Torsion springs are tightly would coils of metal above the garage door. They counterbalance the weight of the door, and the stress they are under as a result of being wound so tight make it easier for the door to be raised. When repairing or replacing your garage door, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE TORSION SPRINGS. The enormous pressure they are under can, if handled improperly can whip out and seriously injure or kill you.
Can I paint my steel garage door?
It is possible to paint a steel garage door. Most come with baked-on paint which lasts a very long time, but if you don’t like the color or are trying to cover up damage, make sure you use latex paint. Oil paint will bubble and eventually peel off.
What does a high-wind rating mean in regards to a garage door?
Because garage doors are so large, they are common victims of wind damage. There are areas around the United States that are especially prone to high winds and have building codes that follow accordingly. Usually, these are places that are susceptible to hurricanes or other storms. Your building department or city hall can tell you what is required to resist wind damage in your area.
What are heavy-duty wind-load garage doors and why might I need them?
There are reinforced garage doors are available to reinforce your garage doors before a strong storm or hurricane. There are “add-on” reinforcement and “Storm Ready” models. “Add on” are the garage doors that have to be installed and then removed afterwards to resume normal operation. Other models, “Storm Ready” require no advance set-up since the garage door is built with added reinforcement and is engaged by simply locking it. This type of door is most useful in the event of a sudden violent storm or high winds.
Research the wind load requirements for your geographic region to make sure your garage door meets them. Or have a garage door professional inspect it.
Is it true that one garage door opener remote can open any garage door?
Different garage door openers operate on different frequencies. However, some of these frequencies overlap and garage door opener remotes that operate on one frequency will open a door if it happens to be one that operates on the same frequency. However, there are opener remotes that use multiple frequencies and are marketed as replacements for lost remotes. They will open most doors. However, you can purchase a cycling opener which changes your frequency every time you open and close the door and responds only to your remote. This garage door opener is an example of a cycling opener.
Can a door equipped with a garage door opener still be manually locked?
As long as the door itself still has a lock on it, it can be manually locked. However, there are a number of doors that you can purchase with no locks and only one handle. It is specially designed to be used with a garage door opener.
What are headroom, backroom, and sideroom?
These are all dimensions in your garage. Headroom is length from the top of the garage door to the ceiling. Backroom refers to the length of the garage past the door when it is full raised. Sideroom refers to the space from the garage door to the wall on either side. See more garage door terms here.