Top FAQs on Garage Doors and Openers
What Type of Opener Do I Need to Purchase?
There are 3 basic openers. the chain, screw, and belt drives. The belt drive is
the most quiet. When there is a bedroom above or near the garage and noise is a
factor, a belt drive is the best choice. However, the screw drive is built tough
for continuous strain over years of the garage door openers life.
Who Should I Buy the Garage Door Opener From?
An opener purchased from a hardware or retail store is for the "do-it-yourselfer".
There is no in-home warranty. A garage door opener purchased from a professional
garage door company is a bit different. Garage door openers from a professional
come with a solid rail to avoid buckling and bending over time. The average cost
of a new opener purchased from a hardware or retail store is between $200.00 and
$300.00, plus around $115.00 for installation. The average cost of an opener purchased
and installed through a professional garage door company is around $300.00 to $400.00.
Bottom Line....Hire a professional.
Should I Consider an Insulated Door?
If you're thinking about a new garage door, right now is the best time to get it
done! The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which changes several
provisions in the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 (HR 1424), entitles
homeowners a tax credit for qualified energy saving improvements they put in place
on their primary residence. Included in the approved products are qualified garage
doors. The following door models from C.H.I. qualify for the tax credit: 2216*/4216*/2217*/5216*/2290
Series/5300 Series**/5400 Series**/5500 Series**/5290 Series/2283/ 5283/2284/2285/4285/2286/2700
Series*/3216*/3212*/3285.
*The models noted with an asterisk qualify with and without insulated windows. All
other models qualify without windows only. **2" base sections only.
The tax credit equals 30% of the product price up to $1500. The credit applies to
the product purchase only and does not include labor. The maximum credit of $1500
is for any and all combined qualified products for the home including windows, entry
doors and garage doors. The qualified improvements must be installed on an existing
home between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010.
What Maintenance Should I Perform?
Visually inspect the cables that attach the spring system to the bottom brackets
on both sides of the door. If these cables are frayed, worn, or rusted on the bottom
brackets, they are in danger of breaking, which can cause injury. Due to the dangers
associated with high spring tension, only a trained professional should replace
these cables.
Check your springs. Every so often operate your door manually to make sure that
your spring is lifting the door weight properly. A 10-year-old child should be able
to lift the door easily. Do not attempt any repairs or adjustment to a spring, unless
you REALLY know what you're doing. A trained professional technician should perform
this work.
Doors SHOULD NOT BE NOISY! A noisy door is a problem waiting to happen. Doors should
be QUIET. Worn out roller bearings or bent tracks are signs of problems. If your
door is noisy, the rollers might need to be replaced on the door to preserve your
opener. Try to lubricate your rollers and hinges 3 to 4 times a year with a lithium-based
garage door lubricant. We don't like WD-40™ or grease on the door at all because
grease soon turns to grit as it picks up the particulates that float around in everyones
garage. Silicone-based lubricants, such as WD-40™, go on wet and stay wet, also
picking up particulates that get in the bearings and eat them up.
If, My Garage Door Has 2 Springs & 1 Breaks, Should I Replace Both?
YES. If your door has 2 springs, then they both should be replaced even if one is
not broken. All springs are made out of metal and the average torsion spring has
an expected lifespan of 10,000 cycles or 7-10 years. Every time a garage door cycles
up and down, these steel springs encounter tremendous force and stress. Eventually
with time and use, the steel weakens and will crack, causing the spring to break
and release all of its stored energy with a loud bang. When the first spring breaks,
the mate is likely to fail shortly afterwards as it's probably just as old and weak
as the first one. Therefore, any potential savings in parts by just replacing one
spring isn't worth the effort to repeat the work later. Additionally the use of
an old spring with a new spring can cause imbalance in the door operation.