A wooden garage door adds an extra level of visual appeal to the exterior of your house. The beauty of the wood is sophisticated and eye-catching, which makes it a popular choice. If you are wondering how to keep that rich wood color, there are few simple routine maintenances that you can follow.

How To Care for Your Wooden Garage Door

1. Clean the Wood

Cleaning your wooden garage door accomplishes two benefits: It makes wooden garage doors look their best, and it makes any damage visible for the homeowner to address. The purpose is to clean the top layer of the wooden garage door (exterior and interior) without removing the finish. You will want to avoid any aggressive scrubbing.

To clean a wooden garage door, it does not require any expensive cleaners to get the job done. You can simply use a common household item—dish soap and water with a soft cloth or sponge (avoid any abrasive scrubbers). Dish soap works great because it is designed to break up oil, which helps to fight any grime and dirt.

If your garage door is due for a new finish, you can clean it, allow it to completely dry, then apply a quality finish.

• Inspect the Wood

Inspecting your wooden garage door is often done when you clean it, but you can do it more frequently to ensure the condition of the wood. You should look for things such as rot, chips, and cracks. Also, be sure to check for termites or any other damage from pests. 

If you discover any damage to the wood, get the problem addressed soon to help preserve its quality. Have termites? Call a pest control. Have rot or cracks? Call a garage door professional.

• Lubricate the Parts

Taking care of wooden garage doors can also require mechanical maintenance. The garage door parts need just as much care as the wood exterior. If your garage door is screeching when it is in motion, look into buying a silicone lubricant at your local hardware store. Be careful to not over-lubricate the parts, read the directions to ensure the proper application. Over oiling can cause more harm than good.

If your Wooden garage door needs repair or Mainteance Contact us at A1 Affordable Garage Doors Repairs. Serving Plano and Surroudning Areas like Frisco, Mckinney, Melissa and more!

A relaxing day at the swimming pool is a great way to stay cool and refreshed in this HOT Texas summer heat. I’m sure you’re wondering why I am talking about pools especially from a garage door repair company.  It’s simple, pool chemicals rust garage doors, torsion springs and any hardware that is on your garage door and garage door opener not to mention your car (if you park inside the garage). The high concentration of chemicals keeps your pool clean from bacteria, but is also strong enough to corrode substances such as steel and copper. Read More→

A broken garage door spring is a major inconvenience. It can leave your vehicle trapped out of the garage or even trapped inside your garage. If you have a broken spring, you already know the inconvenience that it brings, but do you know what your next step should be?

Don’t Attempt a Repair

When you have a broken garage door spring, you should not try to open the door manually. Garage doors are extremely heavy without the function of all the required springs to support the weight. Opening a garage door with broken springs can damage your garage door opener and the garage door itself.

Unless you have professional experience with garage doors and the necessary special tools, you should never attempt to replace your garage door springs. It is not a simple DIY project. Injury can occur if you have no experience due to the tension of the springs and the weight of your garage door. If a garage door is not installed correctly or has the wrong part, it may result in further damage to your door.

Hire a Professional

Garage door professionals are trained for all types of situations and have the experience and knowledge to properly fix and install garage parts. There are two types of garage doors springs: tension and extension. A professional can supply you will the quality springs that meet the requirements for the specific length, weight, and type of your garage door.

You can trust that a professional will get the job completed thoroughly and efficiently, which saves you time and helps avoid making mistakes or being liable to injury from doing it yourself.

Give your local garage door professionals at A1 Affordable Garage Doors Repair a call if you are experiencing the inconvenience of broken garage door springs. We are here to service all your garage door installs, repairs, and maintenances.

We service Plano and Surrouding Areas Like Addison, Frisco, Carrollton, McKinney and More.

Garage door springs are responsible for lifting the weight of your garage door. Indeed, a very important job! They work to counterbalance the weight, which allows your garage door opener to work with ease. There is much tension behind garage door springs; the most tension is when the garage door is in a closed position. It is no surprise for garage door springs to become faulty or break, but do you know what can cause it? Here are some reasons to consider when it comes to a broken garage door spring:

1. General Wear ‘N Tear

You most likely could have guessed that garage door springs most commonly break due to age and wear.  An old garage door has a lot of use on it. The repetitive motion of opening and closing causes the springs to lose their strength over time. High-quality garage door springs should last at least 14 years, and can even last for as long as 20 years. Although it is not uncommon to hear of garage door springs that only last for 5-10 years.

• Deterioration

Corrosion can lead to garage door spring failure. If you have ever experienced the effects of rust, this will come as no surprise that the coils are liable to deterioration. Corroded coils increase in friction when they wind, which results in a faulty garage door spring. Deterioration is usually due to excessive moisture and strong chemicals.  If you perform regular maintenance like lubrication of the springs, corrosion could be prevented.

• Avoiding Maintenance

Regular maintenance can positively affect your garage door. Not to say that regular garage door maintenance can completely prevent garage door springs from breaking. All springs break eventually. Although like we mentioned, lubricating garage door springs can help prevent them from rusting. Checking all parts of your garage door is a great way to prevent issues from premature failure. To prolong the life of your garage door, be careful to not avoid the importance of maintenance.

If you suspect that your garage door springs are wearing out or on their last winding, contact us at A1 Affordable Garage Door Repair before it becomes a hazard or inconvenience. We can inspect all of your garage door components to ensure the condition is optimal and safe for your whole household.

We service Plano and Surrouding Areas Like Addison, Frisco, Carrollton and More.

An off-track garage door is a relatively common problem for garage doors. Regardless of how common it is, it is a major inconvenience in our busy and fast-paced lives. Nobody wants to have their vehicle stuck inside or even outside their garage.

A malfunctioning garage door should be addressed soon to prevent any further damage. A good way to prevent serious damage is to disengage the garage door from the opener by pulling the center rope connect to the opener. Once the opener is disengaged from the garage door, you can now safely and successfully open and close your garage door manually.

Why is My Garage Door Off Track?

Damaged Tracks

If your tracks appear to be dented or damaged, that may be the blame for your garage door issue. Tracks can get dents from garbage cans and vehicles ramming into the side of them. When tracks are severely damaged, it is usually best to replace them, instead of attempting to bend them back in place. 

Loose Tracks or Parts

Commonly, the tracks can separate from the wall of your garage, resulting in a malfunctioning garage door and off-track rollers.  Loose parts, such as bolts, hinges, and screws can also affect the function of your garage door. In some cases, it is as easy as using a ratchet or wrench to tighten loose parts, if you have the experience or knowledge of garage doors repairs.

Rollers are Misaligned

Sometimes the tracks themselves don’t have the problem, but rather, the problem is the rollers that move along the tracks. Do your tracks look like they are in great condition? Your rollers may be misaligned.

Dirty or Faulty Rollers

Rollers can wear out or accumulate grime over time. Garage door rollers are overlooked when it comes to cleaning, so it is no surprise for dirt and debris to affect their function. If your rollers look dirty and grimy, you can try cleaning them with an all-purpose household cleaner. If the rollers are faulty due to a lack of lubrication, you can use a spray silicone lubricant on them to improve their function.

Some of these issues can be fixed by yourself, if it is an easy fix and you understand what to look for, but many issues are best to leave to a garage door professional. If you are still clueless as to why your garage door is off track or malfunctioning, you can contact the professionals at A1 Affordable Garage Doors repair to help resolve the issue. Our professionals are experienced and trained to fix, install, and maintenance all different types of garage doors. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment. We service most of Dallas and Surrounding areas including Lowry Crossing, McKinney, and Rowlett.

What constitutes a broken garage door? There are so many moving parts that can break on a garage door that https://www.repairgaragedoors.com/2021/is-my-broken-garage-door-worth-fixing/sometimes it’s better to replace it. Sometimes it’s better to repair it.

The biggest factors on whether to repair a broken garage door or replace it may be age, could be how well its been cared for or when it’s time to update your home.

The garage door is the largest moving wall in a home that has recently become the front door. With a family the garage door opens and closes several times a day. With all those working parts its important to maintain the garage door just like a homeowner maintains the HVAC.

Garages are big storage areas and in Texas most fill there garages full of power tools, lawn mowers, bicycles and so much more. Cars tend to stay outside parked in the driveway or on the street. However, if you park your car inside the garage you may want to protect the “things” inside it.

10 questions to ask yourself before replacing or repairing a broken garage door

1. Does The Garage Door Have Damage?

What kind of damage do you see on a garage door? Inspecting your garage door thoroughly is really important. Not only looking closely on the inside for any kind of splits in the steel or dents on the panels from someone hitting the garage door. Once a split in the steel door is seen it won’t be long before it caves in on top of a car. Splits are like a paper clip, if bent back and forth many times a small split starts and then just breaks off completely. A garage door is not much different. As the panels open and close on a daily basis once a split starts then all of a sudden it splits completely. If this happens the sections may land on top of your car if it is parked inside the garage.

2. What is a Garage Door Spring?

A garage door spring is a long coil or two coils above the garage door. They are one of the most important parts of the garage door. The garage door springs are what carries all the weight of the garage door. When they are working properly, the garage door will be balanced and not put any undo wear and tear on the garage door opener.

3. How Can I tell If My Garage Door Spring is Broken?

Most of the time the garage door may not open or may only open a few inches. If you see a gap between the coils you definitely have a broken spring. Another way to tell is if there is only one torsion spring the cables (wires) on the side may be loose or dangling. The garage door at this point will be dead weight on the ground whereas most individuals will not be able to lift the garage door to get cars out. Call a professional – Do Not Try To Repair Yourself!

4. Why Do Garage Door Springs Break in Cold or Hot Weather?

All garage door springs have a cycle life, meaning how many times a garage door opens and closes on a daily basis. It is a man made product and if not lubricated and adjusted with an annual tune-up, the extreme hot 100+ degrees and extreme cold 40 degrees and below the torsion springs are under a lot more pressure as metal expands and contracts. When the springs expand and contract eventually they will break. You may hear a very loud noise and wonder what just happened. Go into the garage and don’t see anything until you try to open the garage door.

Most builders install a single spring on the garage door and the cycle life may be 8,000-10,000 cycles. So how many cycles will you get out of the torsion springs? That really depends on how often the garage door gets opened and closed on a daily basis. On average a single torsion spring may get between 5 – 7 years before it breaks. When it breaks it will most likely be at an inopportune time.

5. What other Garage Door Parts Break?

Other common garage door parts that break are hinges, rollers and center stiles. Builder grade hinges tend to be very thin a ripe or split easily. If this happens and you want to repair yourself make sure you know which hinges it is as each hinge has a number on it #1, #2, #3. Each number is located on the garage door in different areas. A #1 hinge will not work in a number #3 hinge area on the sections.

Many builder grade rollers are 7BB (ball bearing) and may quickly fall apart meaning the stem comes apart or they just stop rolling. They also may wobble up and down the track. This puts a lot of undo wear on the garage door opener as well. A garage door should roll smoothly and quietly up and down the tracks. It shouldn’t sound like a freight train going thorough your home!

The center stile is located in the top section of the garage door. The tow arm or black J bar is connected to the center stile. When the garage door is not balanced properly an opener will pull on that piece and over time it may pull out of the garage door. There is a fix for that part and it’s called an ORB – operator reinforcement bracket. This is very common because builders do not put support struts on the top sections of a small garage door 8 x 7 or 9 x 7’s.

6. How Much Does a Broken Garage Door Cost to Repair?

Listed above are just a few of the problems with a broken garage door. If only a hinge needs to be replaced the cost is not more than $200. If it is a garage door spring the cost is going to be higher depending on the size and diameter of the torsion spring. (We always weigh the garage door to put the proper torsion springs on the garage door.)

When a garage door is old and has had several repairs done on it, it is probably time to replace the garage door.

7. How Much Does a New Garage Door Cost?

That is a great question, yet there are many variables that go into deciding the right door for your home. There are builder grade garage doors and better quality with better warranties. Many years ago there were only basically 4 designs to choose on the face of the garage door and 3 styles to choose from on the inside of the garage door.

Today, there is so many choices, designs, styles and window options, it can be very stressful trying to decide what would work better for your home. Sometimes the wife is looking for design and the husband is looking for function. At our showroom we have several different options to see, touch and feel. This is where we normally can make each couple happy.

Costs of the different designs and insulation will add to the bottom line. We highly recommend shopping in a garage door showroom so you can see exactly what you are wanting to order.

8. How Do I Maintain My New Garage Door?

Having an annual garage door and opener tune-up is critically to get the most life out of your new garage door. Some things a homeowner can do is inspect the door for any wear on the roller, hinges and make sure that all moving parts are lubricated with a garage door spray that is silicone free. WD-40 may be used however, it only last approximately 30 days so you will need to lubricate at least once a month.

We use a Garage Door Spray made specifically for garage doors and recommend using quarterly. If you lubricate at least on an annual basis to keep everything quiet and running smoothly, you will maintain the longevity of the garage door and parts.

9. Who Can I Contact To Shop For a New Garage Door?

There are many ways to shop for a new garage door, online, in a showroom or have a service technician out to your home and make recommendations on the right style for you.

At A1 Affordable Garage Door Repair all three options are available to the homeowner. A link is included to design your own garage door here. If you take a picture of your home and upload it, you can now play with any designs that suit your taste. When you find a garage door that matches your taste, style and location, simply click “email quote”. The design you choose will come directly to us thorough email. Then one of our garage door specialists will be happy to give you a firm quote.

10. Now It’s Time To Make Your Decision – Repair My Broken Garage Door or Replace It

There are many decisions to make on whether to repair or replace my broken garage door. Investing a little more now to replace the broken garage door may save you a lot of unexpected repairs in the future. Now it’s your decision to make.

We hope this has been helpful and would love to hear your comments or concerns. Fee free to email us anytime or better yet stop by our garage door showroom in Plano, Texas Mon – Fri 8:00-5:00 pm Sat 8:00 – 3:00 pm.

Wood garage doors add a beautiful charm to your home. While there are many pros of getting a wooden garage door, there are also cons. Interested in the pros and cons of a wood garage door? We can help you decide if a wooden garage door is the best fit for you.

Wooden Garage Door Pros—

• They add beauty and value to your home. The stunning appeal of a wooden garage door is timeless.
• They are versatile, which makes them a perfect option for garages that are an unusual size.
• Wood garage doors are quality and fairly resistant to damage, such as scratches and dents.
• Wood is a natural insulator to extreme heat and loud sounds. Great choice if you live in a hot climate or around a noisy area.

Wooden Garage Door Cons—

• The weight of the wood causes the door to be heavy. Wooden garage doors typically require a heavy-duty garage door open.
• Wooden garage doors are an investment. They can cost more than traditional garage doors.
• They need extra maintenance to keep it looking fresh, such as painting and sanding.

If the initial investment and regular maintenance aren’t a concern for you, then a wood garage door should be a good fit for your home. Garage doors are made from more than one type of material, so if you are interested in knowing all the different types of materials you can contact us at A1 Affordable Garage Door to weigh all your options and get a quote for your new garage door. We service Plano and Surrounding areas including Addison, McKinney, Carrollton and More!

Unfortunately, garage doors do not last a lifetime. A quality garage door should last homeowners around two decades, but there are cases where it may need to be replaced sooner. Do you wonder if you need a new garage door installation? What are the signs to look for? Here are some aspects of your garage to consider:

What is the Age of Your Garage Door?

A garage door that is older than two decades is typically a good indication that it is time for a new garage door installation. Over the decades, garage doors have become lighter in weight and more energy efficient. New garage doors are better equipped to work with the latest technology to keep your home more secure and safe. As garage doors get older, they require more maintenance and repairs. Replacing an old garage door can prevent unnecessary repairs and add quality and value to your home.

Is your Garage Door Worn and Damaged?

Consider the condition of your garage door. If your garage door has major wear, such as serious cracks, warped edges, or rotting near the bottom, then now is certainly the time to get a new garage door installation. These signs are not good and should be addressed since worn garage doors can pose safety issues. When a garage door is damaged it can affect its function, come off the track, or get stuck.

Is your Garage Door Low-Quality?

A low-quality garage door typically does not last as long and often needs more repairs. To make homes more affordable, new home builders may add low-quality garage doors to their houses. Investing in a quality garage door not only makes your home more appealing and expensive-looking, but it may increase the total value of your home.

Does your garage door fall into the category of needing a new installation? Get scheduled with A1 Affordable Garage Door. We offer a variety of quality garage doors to choose from to add value to your home.  Call us today at 972-877-5774.

Serving the surrounding areas including Grapevine and McKinney .

The first thing to check when your garage door is not closing or partially closing is to see if there is something in the path of your garage door. Any object or even debris can make your garage door sensors prevent the door from closing. So, make sure there is no object in the way alerting the sensors. Check the tracks and other parts of the garage door. Nothing in the way? Keep reading to figure out the reason your garage door is not closing.

1. Problem with Garage Door Sensors

Faulty Sensors

The most common reason for a garage door not closing all the way is due to faulty sensors. Sensors are located at the bottom of your garage door at the same level on each side. They work by sending a sensor wave to each other to alert the garage door not to close when something breaks the signal wave. Sensors can become faulty over time, while can cause the sensors to think there is something in its path when there is nothing in the way. Sensors are relatively easy to replace.

Misaligned Sensors

As mentioned earlier, sensors are located directly across from each other, on either side of the garage, to emit a signal along the bottom of the garage door. Sometimes sensors are working properly, but are not aligned properly. Misalignment caused the sensors to act as if something is in the path of your garage door. If a sensor is bumped or moved out of correct placement, it can result in a misalignment. Usually, sensors will indicate they are misaligned by a blinking light. Sensor lights are solid light when properly aligned, and a blinking light when misaligned. This can be fixed by realigned the sensor to the appropriate placement.

• Damaged Garage Door Parts

Damaged Tracks, Cables, or Springs

If your door is not closing due to the sensors, there may be a problem with your tracks, cables, or springs. Check your tracks: are they damaged or blocked? Look for any bends and warps. Next, check your cables: are they worn or damaged? Lastly, check your springs, do you see a broken or damaged spring? Garage doors are complex, which is why we recommend seeking a professional for any of the parts that may need a garage door repair.

If you didn’t notice any issue with any of these parts, we recommend that you get a garage door professional scheduled to check it out. There might be an issue with your default garage door settings. Whatever the problem is the garage door professional at A1 Affordable Garage Doors Repair can find the problem and have the solution to all your garage door issues. We service Plano and Surrounding areas like Addison and McKinney.