Struggling With Your Garage Door?

If your garage door does not go up and down smoothly and easily, you may have a potentially unsafe condition. Even older garage door systems should operate smoothly and easily. If you're struggling to open your door even when the door is manually operated, you may have a spring system that is out of balance. When a garage door is out of balance it can cause premature wear and tear on other important door parts. We've talked before about the dangers of repairing or replacing garage door spring systems (they can be hazardous) so please have the door looked at by a trained garage door technician.

Why is My Garage Door so Heavy?

Garage doors are usually the the largest moving piece of machinery in your home, with an average size of a two car door being 16′ wide and 7′ high. So it should be no surprise that; regardless of the type of material used, they will be heavy.

That’s why there are springs and a counter balance system to take all that weight, and make it easy for you or your Garage Door Openers to handle easily. However, springs do break and/or relax over time, making the doors feel heavier. The second problem with "heavy" doors involves your opener. Stripped gears are often caused by this type of problem.

If your springs are broken or nearing the end of their useful life; consider replacing them. Springs are rated on "cycles" (open & close) and most "Builders Grade" springs are rated at 10,000 cycles and will last (depending on use) about 3-5 years. Precision springs are powder coated spring rated at 33,000 cycles.

If your door is starting to feel heavy, it’s a good idea to have maintenance done about once a year. Have a professional check for proper spring tension, the condition of your entire system, and replace or adjust them if needed.

Winter means: Prepare Your Home for Power Outages

A recent study found that 93 percent of homeowners reported having experienced a power outage this year alone, with some outages lasting hours or even days. Everyone knows the family should prepare an emergency kit for storms and power outages and keep it in a central location - with items like flashlights, First Aid, Water etc....

But... How many remember the Garage??

Today, more than half of homeowners (55 percent) use the garage door as their front door, relying on an automatic garage door opener to gain access. However, during a power outage, you'll be faced with having to manually lift the garage door, creating security, safety and convenience concerns. Make sure you have backup options when the power goes out.

First - Know how to manually open and close your garage door during a power failure. Test your (and your families) ability to physically lift your garage door, your home’s heaviest and largest moving object. (Note: If the door seems excessively heavy it may need an adjustment from your Precision Professional).

To avoid being blocked from entering and exiting your garage during a power outage, check out a garage door opener with a battery backup system that continues to supply power to open and close your garage door for up to two days when the power has failed. These are available on number of garage door openers.

Finally, If snow is a problem... keep it brushed away from the base of the door prior to opening... that will insure smoother opening and less mess in the garage.