You Asked, We Answered!
We understand that there is a lot to know about garage doors and openers. We value educating our customers and offering as much advice as we are able! Check out our frequently asked questions and in-depth answers below, organized by theme.
Maintenance FAQ
-
In general, a garage door should be fairly light to lift by hand. Garage doors are very heavy, and the springs are what do the lifting of the door. If the garage door is extremely heavy, it could be a sign that the springs either need to be re-tensioned or may be broken. If this problem is left untreated and you have an automatic garage door opener, this can cause severe damage to the opener because it is putting too much strain on it. The automatic garage door opener is intended only to gently assist the door in its opening and closing.
-
We recommend general maintenance to a garage door and its moving parts once per year. This should include lubrication to the rollers, hinges, bearings, spring, drums and any other moving parts. It is essential to use a silicone-based garage door lubricant to avoid problems. While doing maintenance, it is important to have the balancing of the door checked, the safety reversal system, and visually examine all components of the garage door and opener.
-
Is your garage door heavy, jerky, or noisy? You are probably in need of a tune-up! We recommend tuning up your garage door system once yearly to catch any potential problems and to keep your garage door operating like new.
-
A garage door tune-up will be preventive maintenance that will include lubrication of all moving parts on the garage door, tightening of hinges and bolts where necessary, checking the opener for proper safety reversal, inspecting the door for proper balancing, going over any potential issues that may pose a problem in the near future, and answering any questions our valued customers may have in order to help them maintain an optimally functioning garage door system! We recommend a tune-up on the garage door once a year, whether you are able to perform the tune-up on your own or if we come to do it for you!
-
We recommend lubricating the moving parts on your garage door once per year. You will need to make sure you have a silicone-based garage door lubricant. You will want to lubricate the rollers, hinges, spring system, tracking (rollers), drums, etc. Automatic garage door openers require lubrication much less frequently, roughly every 5 years or so to prevent excessive lubricant that may cause dripping. Please check out our FAQ about garage door opener lubricant for more details, as it may differ from what is used on a garage door.
-
Definitely have your garage door serviced anytime it needs a repair or something seems to not be working right! Other than that, we recommend general preventive maintenance once a year. Catching potential problems early on can save hundreds of dollars down the line!
-
Important!! You may use the brand WD-40 on your garage door but it will need to be a specific silicone-based lubricant such as WD-40 Specialist Silicone Quick-Drying. A couple of other options are Blaster Garage Door Lubricant and 3-IN-ONE Professional Garage Door Lube. A garage door opener may be different, check out the FAQs below for more information.
-
To lubricate the moving parts on a garage door such as the tracking, the rollers, hinges, spring, drums, bearings, you will need a special silicone-based garage door lubricant. Examples of lubricants will include 3-IN-ONE Professional Garage Door Lube, WD-40 Specialist Silicone Quick-Drying, and Blaster Garage Door Lubricant. If you do not use a silicone based garage door lubricant, dust and particles may clump up inhibiting the door to roll smoothly.
-
Lubricant for the automatic garage door opener may be different than for the garage door! If you have a screw drive garage door opener, you will want to use a low-temp grease such as Lubriplate Low-Temp Multipurpose, Low Temperature Grease. On chain drive and belt drive openers, you will want to use this same low-temp grease for the rail itself where the trolley rides, and the regular silicone-based garage door spray for the chain or belt. Note! Garage Door openers do not need lubrication very often, about every five to eight years to prevent build up and dripping onto the garage door and other places.
Repairs
-
Depending on the garage door problem you are having and your level of experience, you may be able to do a visual diagnosis and make minor adjustments. If your remotes are not working, you may replace the batteries to see if that is the problem or make adjustments to the safety sensor alignment if your door is reversing. You may take a look at the system to see if the spring is broken or the door is off its tracking. We highly recommend having a professional to come to perform any major repairs on the garage door unless very experienced. Garage doors carry quite a bit of torque and pressure and can be very dangerous to work on.
-
The cost of a garage door repair will vary widely depending on what the problem is. You may just need a general tune-up, a minor adjustment, a replacement of one part or several parts, or you may need an entire new garage door or opener. It is best to have a technician come to the home to assess your problem and give you all the options before moving forward. Some common parts that may need replacing will be: torsion springs, extension springs, cables, drums, bearing plates, rollers, garage door opener gears, sprockets, limits, trolley, etc.
-
Changing the rollers on your garage door can drastically change the way the garage door functions. It can eliminate jerkiness, allow it to roll smoothly, and eliminate a lot of noise. Steel ball bearing rollers with a nylon coating will be the most optimal for the garage door. Rollers will wear down over time and should be changed occasionally. Many builders grade garage doors come stock with plastic or lesser grade metal rollers and wear down faster over time.
-
This all depends on the situation and your preference. Some reasons you may choose to purchase a new opener instead of repair an existing one: your garage door opener is nearing the end of its lifecycle and a repair may not extend its life much, the cost of repair is close to or greater than a new opener, you need a stronger motor, you need a quieter motor, you are looking to have certain features that your previous garage door opener does not have such as wifi capabilities, HomeLink programming to your vehicle, battery back up, motion activated light sensors.
Springs
-
If you have a broken spring on your garage door, it will need to be replaced. Unfortunately, it is not common practice to repair a broken spring. For torsion springs (above the door): if your door is heavy, this may be a sign that the spring does not have the proper tension on it. It is possible to have a professional add tension to the spring to re-balance the door and system. It should be noted, however, that the loss in tension may be a sign that the spring is near the end of its lifecycle. If you add tension to a spring in this state, it may break soon after, or many times even in the process of the winding! Extension springs (sides of the door): these springs cannot have tension added to them. Option is to replace. We always recommend hiring a professional to perform these repairs as the springs carry an enormous amount of pressure and torque and the repair process can result in serious injury if not trained properly.
-
For a professionally trained technician, a garage door spring replacement can be fairly quick. While a spring replacement can take anywhere from about 20 minutes to an hour and a half, the average replacement time is about 30 – 45 minutes
-
We highly recommend hiring a professional to re-tension or change your spring for you vs doing it yourself, unless you are very experienced with this specific type of work. There are particular tools you will need to do the work, and the garage door springs and accompanied parts in the system carry a tremendous amount of torque and pressure. Serious injury may result during the process. Aside from the safety concern, each and every garage door is unique in the spring or combination of springs that it needs. Does the door have a torsion spring system? An extension spring set up? A Wayne Dalton Torque Master system? Within each of those systems there will be specific springs that the door takes that will all be dependent on size, weight, and manufacturer of the door. The correct springs MUST be put on the door for proper balancing and functioning. Our technicians will come stocked with most standard springs and will make sure the door is properly balanced at the end of the repair. There are many other components to the balancing aside from the springs themselves.
-
If you have a two spring system but only one of the springs is broken, we generally recommend changing both at the same time. The reason for this is that the springs were most likely installed at the same time and have the same lifecycle. If one spring has broken, it is likely the second one is close behind it. If we have to come out to change the other spring at another time, additional charges will be incurred vs doing both the first time.
-
Two springs will always be better than one on a garage door. In fact, most high-end leading manufacturers’ double car garage doors will come stock with two torsion springs instead of one. If the door has two (or more) springs on the door, it may last longer, as they are sharing the work. If one spring breaks, the second one will be there to help temporarily. If you have extension springs on the side of the door, there will always be at least two (one on either side). Some very large, heavy doors will come with more than two springs! If you have one spring on your garage door and would like to have two instead, our technicians can make this change and ensure the proper combination of springs is put on.
-
The most common garage door spring setups are either extension springs or torsion springs, although there are others such as a Wayne Dalton Torque Master system. Extension springs are located alongside the horizontal tracking on the side of the garage door, and torsion springs are located above the garage door connected to a torsion tube. In general, we do recommend a torsion spring system over an extension spring system. Torsion springs are generally rated to last much longer than extension springs. Where a torsion spring may last 15,000-20,000 cycles, an extension spring may be closer to 10,000 cycles. Most high-quality leading door manufacturers will come stock with a heavy-duty torsion spring system. Safety: when a torsion spring breaks, it will remain on the torsion tube. In contrast, when an extension spring breaks, unless it has a safety cable running through it, it may fly off into the garage which can be very dangerous.
-
Yes! If you are looking to upgrade your extension spring system or have another type of system that is tough to find parts for, you may have a “torsion conversion” performed and change it to a standard torsion spring system that is simple to work on for many years to come.
-
The springs are what do the lifting of your garage door, therefore, the garage door should not be operated with a broken spring. If the door is able to still operate (many times it will not), there is potential it can be thrown off its tracking due to improper balancing. Secondly, because the springs are what lift the door, if one is broken, the door will suddenly be very heavy. If the automatic garage door opener lifts this heavy door, it can cause severe damage to the opener, resulting in replacement.
-
Operationally, when a garage door spring is broken, often times it will only raise a few inches. Visually, a broken spring will be snapped in two, not to be confused with a two spring system. Lastly, when a spring breaks, it makes a loud pop noise! If you are near the garage when it happens, you’ll know!
Automatic Opener
-
If you purchase a garage door opener elsewhere, we can install it for you! However, there are several factors to keep in mind. We carry manufacturers that are professional grade that are not sold at most retail stores or online in their full version. Many times when you purchase a garage door opener at a home improvement store or online it will either come with a pieced-together rail (to fit in the box) or no rail at all. If the price seems low, the reason could be that there is no rail! Our professional grade openers such as the Liftmaster Professional come with a solid steel rail that goes from the unit to the door for maximum strength, durability, and longevity. If you purchase a new opener and it does not come with a new rail, there is an extremely high chance that the motorhead will not match up with the rail that you currently have. Please note also that, all garage doors are not the same height. Your new opener will need to have a rail that is the same height as your garage door. Lastly, if you purchase an opener through the company that installs it, it is very likely that you will have a much longer warranty on the parts and labor (ie: 1 year vs 30 days)
-
The warranty on a garage door opener will vary from company to company. A professional grade opener such as Liftmaster Professional installed by a reputable dealer should carry about a 1 year warranty on parts and labor. If you choose to purchase an opener on your own and hire a company to install it, the warranty will generally be much less (ie: 30 days) or no warranty at all, depending on the company. Often times, manufacturers will offer extended warranties on certain parts in the opener itself as well.
-
Since the springs are what do the lifting of your garage door, garage door openers with ½ horsepower will be sufficient for most garage doors of standard size. We tend to steer away from the lesser 1/3 horsepower, and the more powerful ¾ horsepower or a DC motor is really only necessary if you have a larger or heavier door. A garage door opener is in place to gently assist the door in its operation, so as long as your springs and other lifting mechanisms are in proper working order, there is no need to over do it with the horsepower.
-
Our recommendation for garage door openers will always be to go with one that is professional grade such as LiftMaster Professional. They come with many upgrades such as a solid steel rail that make them a very durable, reliable option for homeowners. These types of garage door openers are sold through authorized garage door dealers and are not generally found in home improvement stores or online in their complete form (with a solid rail if a rail at all). These excellent openers will come with options such as wifi technology (ie: myQ® app), programming to the car for remote access (HomeLink), motion sensor light activation, battery backup, and more!
-
Chain drive and belt drive garage door openers are both excellent choices! If noise is important to you, the belt drives are known for being ultra quiet. While both units are known for durability and longevity, the chain drive may be a better choice if you have an extra heavy or large door. The chain drive will also be a little less costly than the belt drive.
-
In most cases, yes! With most new automobile models, they come stock with the Homelink programmable buttons in the car. Say goodbye to remote controls with this feature! Our technicians are able to program the Homelink buttons directly to the garage door opener. If you have multiple garage doors, you may program each button to open a different garage door.
-
Yes! With most of our new garage door openers, they come stock with wifi capabilities that allow you to monitor and control the functioning of your garage door opener through the free myQ app while at or away from the home. Check if your garage door is open or closed, open or close it with the click of a button, receive updates, error codes, health reports, and more!
-
This comes down to preference and we're here to offer clarity! Pros: With a battery backup, if you have a power outage, the opener will not turn off and wipe out all the codes, which will cause a need for reprogramming. Secondly, if you arrive home while the power is out, your garage door will still open. Lastly, the top of the line openers generally come with battery backup. Cons: slightly more expensive, and in time the battery may need to be replaced.
-
Many of the professional grade garage door openers offer stock and optional features such as:
HD camera with night vision and two way audio for communication
LED lighting
Wifi capabilities for remote controlling through the free myQ app
Battery backup
Programming to the vehicle with Homelink
Amazon Key: allows you to have groceries and packages securely delivered into the garage when away from the home.
Ultra quiet belt drive openers
New Garage Door
-
At O’Brien, we install only the highest quality garage doors! There is an enormous range in quality when it comes to garage doors on the market today. The high-end manufacturers that we carry, such as C.H.I., DoorLink, and Amarr, are leading in the industry when it comes to durability, longevity, and strength. What makes these companies stand apart from the rest? They will use high quality steel, the superior dual torsion spring system (double doors), steel ball bearing rollers with a nylon coating, commercial grade steel hardware and tracking for all of the “bones” of the door, high quality paint finishes, and quality insulation.
-
When purchasing a garage door, you will need to consider the size, panel design, color, windows, insulation type, decorative hardware, and if you need a new automatic garage door opener. Check out our step-by-step guide to choosing a garage door here!
-
In certain cases, you may use your existing tracks for a new garage door, if you are installing the same type of door and your tracking is in good condition. However, it is normally common practice to change the tracks with a new door. High quality garage doors will come stock with heavy duty tracking and may be a better option than what was previously on the door.
-
There are many factors that will determine how many years a garage door will last: the material of the door (ie wood or metal?), the quality of the door and all of the moving parts, how well the door is maintained, how often the door is used, if it has ever been damaged. If you have a wood door it will require re-sanding, re-staining, re-sealing regularly to keep it in top notch condition. In contrast, a steel door is virtually maintenance free. Choose a garage door by the leading manufacturers in durability, longevity, and strength for a garage door that will stand the test of time!
-
There are 3 things to consider when choosing construction type. Pros to insulation: Functionality and durability. Are you trying to keep your garage temperature controlled? Insulation is an excellent way to achieve this! You will, however, need to have an insulated garage to really make a difference. Insulated garage doors will also be more durable than non-insulated. Because of their multi-layer construction, they will be thicker and sturdier. The only con to be mentioned to purchasing an insulated door vs non-insulated is cost. Again, because of their multi-layer construction, insulated doors will be more costly than non-insulated doors. If you are looking for a garage door on a budget and temperature control and durability are not your top priority, non-insulated may be the way to go.
-
The three most common construction types of garage doors will be non-insulated, two layer insulated, and three layer insulated. Non-insulated will be a standard hollow back construction type with one layer of steel. The two layer will be a layer of steel with a high grade insulated backing. Our most popular garage door, the three layer insulated door, has a layer of steel in front, a layer of high grade insulation behind it, and another layer of steel covering the back. This door is the most durable of the three options and will have the highest r-value for maximum temperature control. Although this high end door is enough in most cases, we do have even higher r-values and options upon request.
-
This comes down to preference! Although windows will add some cost to the garage door, they can be absolutely stunning, allowing light into the garage, adding beauty to the door and changing the appearance of the home’s curb appeal. Our windows come in a variety of decorative styles and options for functionality such as obscure glass for privacy and insulated glass for added temperature control.
-
The most favored material for garage doors on the market today is steel. Premium garage doors come stock with commercial grade steel for the door itself and all the moving parts as well. Some other types of materials for garage doors are wood (most commonly wood overlay), full view glass (a combination of glass with aluminum supports), and fiberglass. If you love the look of wood doors but prefer to avoid the high cost and unavoidable maintenance over the years, there are an abundance of options to choose from with faux wood garage doors when it comes to style, color, windows, etc.
-
There are many styles when it comes to garage doors. Our most common styles are the traditional raised panel (short panel with squares that go across or long panel with rectangles that go across) and bead board or carriage house (comes in short and long panel designs as well.) There are also so many more options to choose from such as recessed panel, stamped shaker, shoreline, full view glass, overlay carriage house, flush panel, planks, etc. And within those, an array of insulation types, window options, decorative hardware, color choices, and more! Reach out to our door building customer service team today to begin working with a representative to build the exact door that meets your needs!