Tag Archives: Automatic Garage Doors

November 21, 2009

automatic garage doors
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I don’t know whether it’s because I was born in the 70s or I am still a kid at heart but I still find automatic garage doors cool. Like something out of Star Trek the way they open when prompted seems like something out of the future. Well 30 odd years on and I now work in the garage door industry (standby for gasps of shock!). In all honesty I did stumble into the profession and it wasn’t due to having an obsession with them for if I had a job involving something I am obsessed with I would most certainly be a couch potato!

I thought it would be a good idea to write a bit on how an automatic garage door is installed. Now I realise that this my not be the most thrilling of subjects however if like me you have had to put up with a temperamental automatic garage door braking down on you it is well worth knowing a thing or two.

Now before I begin it is well worth noting that if you are to install an automatic garage door then it is advisable to get a professional  garage door supplier to install it for you otherwise you may find yourself trying to force the thing to open as it is chucking it down with rain…been there done that and it is not nice!

Well on we go, and I won’t go into too much detail really but rather just the basics. To go into too much detail will confuse/bore/make you want to blow your brains out…so I won’t go there!

So to install an automatic garage door you need to:

•  Attach the track to the drive unit. The drive unit houses the motor and the motor is the part that does all the smoke and mirrors magic for you.

•  You then need to connect the rest of the sections of the track together.

•  The next step is to attach a mounting bracket to the track’s end, and then attach that to the beam above the garage door opening.

•  Once the above has been done you need to attach the motor according to the manufacturers instructions (so do not throw away the instruction manual when you buy one!). This must be attached to a beam in the ceiling because of its weight.

•  Attach the wires from the ceiling motor to the wall switch.

•  Then install the infrared sensors in front of the garage door so that it can detect your movement and open

•  Lastly connect your garage door to the door opener.

•  And voila! You have your nice new spanking garage door up and running.

There are a lot more niggly things involved but this is the basics. Knowing these little bits may help you if ever need to fix your/your neighbours/your sisters garage door, and who knows it may even help you if you decide to enter the world of garage door installation!



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November 13, 2009
automatic garage doors
Bob Kirkright


When you decide to install custom garage doors, there really is little limit to how much they can be adjusted to fit your needs. Don’t be shy of making unusual requests: if the organization installing your doors is in any way competent, they should be able to accommodate needs far removed from the normal.

#Opening mechanisms

Almost any way of opening a garage door can be automated – you don’t need to stick to the classic ‘up and over’ mechanism used in older automatic garage doors. Let’s look through some of the choices that are open to you.

The standard ‘up and over’ mechanism is a good basis for a custom garage door. Because it is so widespread, it is possible to find doors with this mechanism in almost any style imaginable (and, let’s face it, also in many styles that make you wonder if the designer was crazed or colour-blind).

Roller doors are a good choice if you do not have much space in front of your garage door. This might be the case in inner-city areas, for example, or in other areas where your garage is squeezed into an awkward position. In automatic garage doors with a roller mechanism, the door will simply roll itself up into a small space, allowing you to pass underneath it. It will not need any space in front of the garage. One aspect to note with these doors is that, despite the temptation, they should generally not be left in a half-open position. The mechanisms are not designed to hold in a position other than ‘open’ or ‘closed’, and they may end up being strained and wearing out quickly if you try to make them do this. If you do have a need to leave the garage door half-open, you should enquire about custom garage doors with a mechanism designed to accommodate this need.

Sectional custom garage doors, opening vertically, can be a very impressive effect. They open inwards: this needs a larger garage with some spare space inside, but it is highly satisfying to drive home in the evening and see your garage door swinging inwards.

Another advantage of sectional garage doors is that they are great for people who spend some time in their garage. If your garage doubles as a home gym or a workshop, you probably want a custom garage door that can let some light in. Sectional doors are great for this, because you can open them partially and get a lot of light into the garage. Compare that to up-and-over or rolling automatic garage doors, which open from the bottom up and so will not let much sunlight in unless you open them fully.

#Options for garage doors

The garage door doesn’t need to be a plain facade – you can adapt it to your own wishes. If you would like to let light in, how about adding a window to your custom garage door setup? Windows can be included in sectional custom garage doors very easily. Remember that windows in your custom garage door are a feature reasonably easy to add initially, but very hard to incorporate later. If you would like to let sunlight into your garage, the time to do it is when you first buy your custom garage door. It is much easier to cover up an unwanted window in custom garage doors than it is to add one which was never installed.

And what about the colours? There is no reason why you should stick with standard white automatic garage door, unless you have consciously decided that you like that style. Much better to investigate different colours – or you could be even more adventurous. Some homeowners have chosen to have pictures painted onto their garage doors, often to magnificent effect. Custom garage doors with custom designs are one of the few demonstrations that spray paint has more use than writing teenagers’ names under bridges!



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October 21, 2009
automatic garage doors
Olly Fallon


Automatic Garage Doors are generally assumed to be a non essential luxury for only the most financially well off people. In the past this was the case however there have been many more lower quality products hitting the market driving down prices.

The obvious benefits to owning  automatic garage doors is the sheer convenience of being able to drive straight into your garage without leaving the car. Often manual garage doors are not used for their intended purpose due to them being heavy to operate. On top of this, who really wants to be standing around outside on a dark winter’s night whilst it is pouring with rain?

Enhanced security is often provided by the higher quality roller automatic garage doors. When closed the doors lock tightly shut and the slats or panels then create an extremely strong barrier making it nearly impossible to gain entry.  As well as this additional security to your property, the fact that you do not have to stand around outside on a dark night offers you the personal security of remaining in your vehicle until you are safely indoors. Courtesy lights are a handy addition and worth ensuring your automatic garage doors has them included. They light up the area giving you clear access as well as increased personal security.

Price fluctuates a lot nowadays with these automatic garage doors. Mainly this is down to the quality of the materials being used. Lower quality doors tend to be a lot less robust and are subject to rusting and other corrosion which can quickly lead to the doors looking shabby and old. Higher quality doors use aluminium which is not only extremely tough and durable but is also rust free. On top of this higher end automatic doors come with more functionality for convenience and safety.

The hidden benefit of buying an automatic garage door is that it can be seen to be an investment to you property. As these doors are still perceived to be relatively exclusive your property can be seen as a much more stylish buy that one with a standard manual garage door. It is not uncommon to find that, when you come to selling, the cost of the garage door is covered many times over in the price.



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October 13, 2009
automatic garage doors
Jenny Pilley


The front of a home gives the initial impression to passersby or visitors. It is just as important to care for the outside of your home as well as the inside to keep it looking fresh and new.

One aspect that many homes have that makes a difference to it’s front appearance, is a garage. Regardless of what a person uses their garage for whether to store their cars or as an storage area for their home, it can still look the part with quality garage doors from companies in Newport, South Wales.

Garage doors from Newport specialists are available in a large variety of colours and styles so homeowners can find garage doors to match the existing image of their home. However, like many exterior furnishings, garage doors are prone to weathering and can often swell and cause difficulty in the closing and opening smoothly.

Automatic garage doors may also need repairs after constant wear and tear of being open and closed. However, garage door Newport in South Wales area available to get your garage doors working normally.

Suppliers and installers of garage doors will have the right accessories to replace and fix your existing garage doors so you don’t have to find the right part yourself and arrange for someone to come out.

Specialists understand the importance of finding the right company to carry out repairs. It is a difficult and dangerous task to replace an automated garage door yourself, so it is always advised to hire a company that are more than accommodating for any garage door problem.

So if you are having problems with your automated garage door or gate and need professional help, then look for those companies that specialise in repairs and maintenance of garage doors in the Newport and Cardiff areas to rest assured you receive a quality service.



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August 5, 2009
door
Bob Kirkright


Automatic garage doors offer a lot of advantages over manual garage doors. Unless you have some very particular reason to choose the manual option, you are almost certainly better off with automatic doors.

#Installation

The only real difficulty with an automatic garage door is the installation. But installation only needs to happen once, and you can mostly leave it to the professionals. Whether you are starting from scratch, or converting a manual door into an automatic garage door, installation will take very little of your time and money.

Naturally, if you decide to go it alone and install garage doors by yourself, things will take a little more time. For most people, I wouldn’t advise trying to install automatic garage doors by yourself. It is possible, but what is a quick job for the experts will take amateurs many days of work. The sheer size of the garage door makes the installation tricky, and you could easily end up spraining your muscles as you try to manhandle an automatic garage door into place.

#Maintenance

Automatic garage doors do require slightly more maintenance than manual garage doors, but this need not be much of a burden, and a good automatic garage door is a sturdy beast, on the whole. The appropriate techniques will vary between different doors, so be sure to ask about maintenance when your automatic garage door is being installed.

Automatic garage doors should be resistant to most weather damage, and to water damage, but in some cases non-water chemicals within rain will cause a little corrosion to metal doors. This problem can be avoided by very occasionally wiping down your automatic garage door. Use water with a little soap in it to achieve the best effects. Different treatment will be required for automatic garage doors made of wood. The ideal method will depend on whether your doors are wood or wood-effect, and what type of wood they are. It is advisable to check the manufacturer’s instructions when you buy the doors.

It is quite important to keep your automatic garage doors well-lubricated. This will increase their working life, and it will also make the doors operate more quickly and with less noise.

Good maintenance of your automatic doors is crucial to keeping them operating safely. Springs and balancing are particularly important in this. A door which is poorly balanced may fail to stop and reverse on contact with an object, which means it could injure somebody who fell in its path.

#Control

Remote control is one of the biggest selling points for automatic garage doors. The ability to come home and open your garage without even getting out of your car makes the commute home just that little bit more pleasant. It’s certainly something you’ll appreciate when the weather is foul, and you don’t want to step out into the rain to wrestle with a cold door.

Remember that if you want to keep one remote control for your garage door permanently in your car, you will need another for operation at other times. Having a second remote control will make life much easier around the house, and can be a blessing if you lose the other control. It is also common to have a push-button control for the garage door as well, often on the inside of the garage. One way or another, somebody inside your garage should always be able to open your garage door.

Automatic garage doors typically have an additional manual locking/unlocking mechanism. This may not ever be used, but it is important for maintenance and safety reasons. In the event of a fire, for instance, you may need to use the garage door to escape your house. But electricity supply will likely be disrupted in such an eventuality, and so it is important that automatic doors have a ‘failsafe’ mode of manual operation.

#Aesthetics

Now here’s something you can take out of the equation entirely: the aesthetics. Automatic garage doors don’t have to look any different from manual garage doors, and in most cases there is no reason for them to. For some reason, the marketing types who try to sell you automatic garage doors seem to think you’ll be seduced by the sight of gleaming metal sliding into operation. If that appeals to your aesthetic sense and the design of your house and garden, then by all means go for this kind of look, but don’t let yourself be shoehorned into it, and certainly don’t think it’s the only option.

Many owners of automatic garage doors are proud of the way that they don’t look automatic. Just like in murder mysteries, where the ornate bookcase conceals the hidden door, so old-fashioned wood or wood-effect doors can be automated in much the same way as metal ones. Automatic doors don’t need to look modern to be modern.



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Automatic garage doors are a blessing for many citizens of Perth

July 22, 2009
door
Bob Kirkright

Automatic garage doors are a blessing for many citizens of Perth. Homeowners looking at investing in a garage door, Perth-based or not, will need to consider some of the following issues before making up their minds on what system to use.

#Safety features

When you’re installing any machinery in your home, you need to take care over safety. This is a good reason to avoid ‘fly by night’ operators who will install automatic garage doors without taking proper concern over safety. You need to find reliable workmen to install automatic doors in Perth without any risk of fire or damage.

The Government of the United States has a ‘consumer product safety committee’, which is responsible for investigating the safety of common consumer goods. They calculate that some 60 children have been killed by automatic garage doors in the past two decades, a rate of four per year.

Many automatic garage doors will be designed so as to stop moving if they are resisted. This feature helps to prevent damage to property – for instance if you park your car too close to your automatic garage door, you need the doors to stop before they put a scratch on your bonnet. It also prevents damage to the door mechanism itself – if it hits an immovable object it will stop, rather than grinding away until it wears out its motor. But most importantly, this feature means that if somebody somehow becomes trapped behind your automatic garage door, they run no risk of being hurt. This is therefore a legal requirement in some areas: automatic garage doors in Perth must automatically stop and reverse if they hit an object in their path.

#Garage doors and your children

Much of what’s above in the ’safety features’ section applies doubly if you have children, and triply if they’re young children. Automatic garage doors aren’t inherently dangerous – certainly not compared to a lot of other objects you’ll find around your home – but it is nonetheless important to minimise what risks there are. In general, I would advise most families with children to choose an automatic garage door over a manual garage door.

Mostly, this will be a matter of simple common sense. You’ll want to explain to your children that they should keep clear of the doors, and especially not get trapped behind them at a bad moment. It’s a good idea not to leave your garage door in a partially-open position, but only either fully open or fully closed. Leaving an automatic garage door partially open can tempt children to crawl under it. When they are thus trapped underneath, they can be injured by the garage door closing. Ensure that you don’t leave your automatic garage doors in this position, and you should not have any problems.

And don’t forget that the automatic garage door has a lot to offer a family with children. When you are trying to carry your toddler, her food, her toys, and all the other awkwardly-shaped possessions that children accumulate, you’re not in a position to easily open manual garage doors. Simplify the process to just pressing a button, and you can do it with the last finger that you have spare.

As your children get older, they’ll be able to operate automatic garage doors themselves.

#The interference problem

A rare problem to watch out for with automatic doors using remote controls is that of interference. It is possible that neighbours nearby with similar doors will cause interference, leading to intermittent problems opening your door. The same problem can occur even if there aren’t other doors nearby, since various other devices may use the same radio frequency as automatic garage doors (the 390-megahertz band). The most notable case of this was in Ottawa, Canada in 2005, when many automatic garage doors were disrupted by a strange radio signal.

#Aesthetics

Then you’ll need to consider what your garage door will look like. It’s easy to over-estimate the importance of this element. Yes, it matters what your garage door looks like – of course it does, since they’re often on display to your entire street. But most of the time, the choice between manual and automatic garage doors will have only a limited bearing on what visual options are open to you.

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