Need help with your automatic garage door? Is your garage door not opening? Garage door malfunctions happen. Sometimes problems seem to come at the worst of time. If you need to get your garage door fixed as soon as possible you can contact A1 Garage Doors today to schedule a garage door specialist appointment.

Here are some of our most common automatic garage door problems:

Garage Door is Stuck When Opening or Closing—

If your garage door gets stuck when you are opening or closing, it may be that the metal rollers need to be lubricated. When the metal rollers are not lubricated well enough, they will not be able to properly roll. Another reason for a stuck garage door may be caused by a clogged, dirty track, which prevents the rollers from continuing rolling on the track.

Garage Door is Not Opening or Closing—

When an automatic garage door fails to open or close, it can sometimes be due to an issue with the keypad, or your remote may need to be reprogrammed. You could always try to reprogram on your own, if that doesn’t work it is best to schedule a professional to search out and fix the issue.

Garage Door Slamming Down When Closing—

The extension springs on your garage door may be pulled too taut, which causes the door to slam closed. If the springs are too tight, they will not extend the proper length. Worn out springs must be replaced to prevent further damage.

Whatever the problem is with your garage door, our specialist at A1 Garage Doors will have the solution to your problem. Our Garage Door Repair Specialists are ready to help alleviate your issue quickly and efficiently. Whether it is a minor repair or a full repair, we can successfully get it completed for you. Call us today to schedule an appointment. We service the Entire Dfw Metroplex including Frisco

When a garage door doesn’t work or lift the garage anymore it may it may need a broken spring repair. This is one of the most dangerous jobs and should not be done by an untrained homeowner.

We have heard many terrible stories relating to a homeowner trying to fix the broken spring. I will spare you the details because some of it is pretty nasty, but you can get the picture.

There are two types of garage door springs that you may find on your garage door. The first are extension springs. These springs are located on each side of the door. The Second style is torsion springs. These are located above the garage door. These springs are the most dangerous and difficult to handle if you aren’t properly trained. Torsion spring repairs require a professional to have it taken care of.

How you can tell if you have a broken spring? Most of the time the garage door will not open or only opens 2-3 inches and then stops. The garage door opener is not made to be able to lift the weight of the garage door when a you have a broken garage door spring. Most of the time you will see a gap in the coil or the cable dangling loose from the sides of the garage door.

Broken springs will need to be replaced and they are best replaced in twos. Many times if you observe that your garage door isn’t working and the springs aren’t broken, then there’s a good chance that a cable might be broken or has come loose.

The other type of broken spring may be from a Wayne Dalton garage door that has a large tube above the garage door. Inside that tube is a spring. It can not be seen with the naked eye, however the garage door may be very hard to lift or very sluggish going up. We highly recommend doing a torsion conversion as not many companies carry the correct size spring or have the tool to make the adjustment to the torsion tube to rewind the spring.

A torsion conversion may be more costly up front because there are many parts to the top of the garage door that will need to be replaced, however the torsion springs last a lot longer than the small spring inside of the torsion tube.

Garage Door Broken spring repair is our specialty and A1 Affordable Garage Door Services can handle all broken garage door springs, torsion conversions and offer lifetime torsion springs.

A1 Affordable Garage Door Repair Services Dallas and surrounding areas including Melissa, Murphy, Princeton and more.

A1 Affordable Garage Door Services is an Authorized LiftMaster Garage Door Opener Dealer. Our showroom in Plano has several on display that actually work. Here you can test drive a garage door opener!

Lets get into what the differences are of the two beltdrive garage door openers we offer our customers.

Depending on the horsepower your looking for either 1/2 hp or 3/4 hp LiftMaster offers the best in beltdrive garage door openers. Both are very quiet and were made for rooms above the garage. This is so the garage door opener won’t wake up the kids, guests or whoever’s bedroom is above the garage.

Sometimes a garage door opener just needs minor repair. However if your in the market for a new beltdrive we have listed two belt drives below.

LiftMaster 8550W Beltdrive Garage Door Opener

Benefits of the 8550W beltdrive are listed below:

• 3/4 hp Quiet DC Motor
• Security+ 2.0 – safeguards garage access by sending a new code with every click
• Posilock – Electronically protects against forced openings.
• Alert-2-close – Signals when a door is being closed by MyQ
• Motion detector – Lights the way automatically
• Timer-to-close – can be programmed to close the door after a set amount of time
• The Protector System – Invisible light beam auto-reverses the door if there is an obstruction
• Belt Drive System and Quiet DC Motor- Provides smooth operation and long lasting service
• Soft Start/Stop – for smooth operation
• Integrated Battery Backup – Ensures garage access even when the power’s out
• Built in WIFI – for easiest way to connect the garage
• MyQ Mobile App – Lets users receive alerts and control the opener from anywhere
• 6′ power cord

LiftMaster 8550W Beltdrive Warranty

Lifetime motor and belt, 5 year parts, 1 year battery back up and accessories.

LiftMaster 8355W beltdrive Garage Door Opener

• 1/2 hp AC Motor – is purposefully designed and built to last.
• Security+ 2.0 – safeguards garage access by sending a new code with every click
• Posilock – Electronically protects against forced openings.
• Alert-2-close – Signals when a door is being closed by MyQ
• The Protector System – Invisible light beam auto-reverses the door if there is an obstruction
• Belt Drive System – For quiet, maintenance free performance
• Built in WIFI – for easiest way to connect the garage
• Free MyQ Mobile App – Lets users receive alerts and control the opener from anywhere
• 4′ power cord

LiftMaster 8355W Beltdrive Warranty

Lifetime motor and belt, 1 year parts and accessories

As you can see there are a lot more features on the 3/4 hp LiftMaster 8550W beltdrive then the 1/2 hp LiftMaster 8355W beltdrive.

The newest LiftMaster garage door opener is the 85503 beltdrive with integrated camera.

A1 Affordable Garage Door Repair Serves all the Dallas Metro plex including Lewisville

An ORB (Operator Reinforcement Bracket) is a needed accessory that better connects your garage door to your garage door opener.

What is standard, and probably on your door right now, is a small ‘nose-piece’. This connects the tow-arm of your opener to the garage door itself. When you open or close your garage door, this nose-piece is the single point of stress. It is pulling up, or pushing down, on the garage door.

The problem with these nose-pieces is that they are undersized for their task. Too often this is the failing point of your door. Over time stress is placed in a very small area of the top of your door, causing it to flex, bend, and eventually split.

Splits in the panels of a garage door are the most severe of problems. This can cause the door to become nonoperational, and need replacement.

What Does an ORB Look Like?

To avoid this problem, and save your door, an ORB is recommended in place of the standard nose-piece. The ORB is a thick bracket, 21” long, that reinforces the entire top panel of the door, redistributing the stress of being pulled, and pushed by the opener across the entire length of the panel.

By having an ORB installed on your garage door, you avoid the possibility of your door splitting along the top panel. Or having the nose-piece rip out from your door completely.

Whether your door is new or older. Installing a single 8 x 7 or a large 18 x 8 garage door, an ORB is a quick, easy, and inexpensive option. Additionally, that will extend the life, make it run smoother, and operate more reliably.

Garage Door Parts Showroom Plano TX

We have many other parts for your garage door or opener located in our showroom. Our showroom is in Plano Texas. Our showroom also carries several gate operator parts and accessories.

We service all the Dallas Area including repairing garage doors in Lewisville Tx

When it comes to making a long-term decision about which new garage door opener to get, knowing the best products that are available is very important. Both Genie and LiftMaster garage door openers are companies that have been around for over 40 years, and their longevity in the market is proof that their reliability with customers is outstanding.

When deciding between the two, you must first decide what kind of opener, and at what price, works best for you. Genies reputation as the industry-leader really comes from their past models — those being the ones from the early to late ’90’s. These were great openers, many of which are still in garages today. However, after a company buy-out (Overhead bought Genie in 2002) the quality of Genie products has been in sharp decline.

Modern day Genies gargage door opners are less expensive than their predecessors, but the overall quality, noise-level, and life of their new products are not what they used to be.

Enter, LiftMaster. LiftMaster has seen it’s garage openers go from good, to better, to best over the last 10 years. As Genies products have gotten cheaper in quality, LiftMaster has improved. With their new 8550W Belt Drive, LiftMaster can claim that they have the best opener on the market today. It’s whisper-quiet operation, durability, and built in features like battery back-ups and wi-fi, make LiftMaster the easy choice for almost any consumer.

Genies’ similar product, the 3024 belt drive, is similar in quietness. However this does not come with the same quality motor that LiftMaster has. Also, the Genie 3024, does not have built-in WI-FI capabilities, or a battery back-up system. Both of which place their model behind it’s competition.

Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or are looking for a professionally installed garage door opener, the best use for your money, both in the short-term and the long-term, is going to be LiftMaster. The professional line of garage door openers. 

There are many additional accessories to add to a garage door opener like outside keypad. If your trapped inside your garage, learn how to get out quickly. A1 Afforadable Garage Door Repair services Plano and Surrounding areas like Addison, Carrollton, McKinney and more.

Having a balanced garage door is crucial to the operation of your door. Similarly, having an unbalanced door can lead to many expensive problems including a worn out garage door opener.

For instance, a properly balanced door will stay — rest — wherever you leave it when moving the door disconnected from the opener. (i.e. if you raise your door halfway open, it will stay halfway open.) Likewise, an unbalanced door on the other hand will not stay where you leave it. It will fall to the floor.

How to Check For A Balanced Garage Door

What this means when the door is not balanced is that the springs have relaxed. (the ‘muscle’ that lifts the door up and down). Now they need to be re-tightened. Springs do relax over time this is normal. Usually every year or two they will need to be re-tightened.

Calling a garage door professional to tune-up your door will fix this problem.

• Leaving your door unbalanced can cause several severe problems. Relaxed springs can cause the cables on the sides of the door to slip off of their drums. This may lead to a door that is hanging cock-eyed and will require a professional to fix.
• Most importantly, having an unbalanced door can also cause the garage door opener to break pre-maturely. The gears in the opener are under greater strain when operating the door.
• New opener parts, or at the very least a new opener, will be required on openers that lift unbalanced doors for too long.
• A simple yearly tune-up on your garage door will assure that these problems don’t happen. In short, this will keep your door running properly year round.

Our Service Technicians cover many areas in the Plano, McKinney, Lucas and surrounding areas. Feel free to give us a call if your having a garage door problem.

A1 Affordable Garage Door Repair has a showroom located in Plano at the Northwest corner of Parker Rd and 75. In the Ruisseau Village shopping center between Hobbytown and Burlington Coat Factory.

Plano Garage Door Showroom for Parts

The Plano Showroom has functional garage doors and openers to see touch and feel. They have many garage door repair parts for the DIY’er to purchase. In addition, support struts, vertical tracks, garage door opener remotes are in stock always. DIY insulation kits and some gate operator parts are also available.

Just like any home maintenance, garage doors can break and need major repairs that cost big bucks. Unfortunately, garage door issues happen, such as broken springs, snapped cables, jammed doors, or bent tracks. There are small things you can do to avoid big garage door repairs. It is the little things that can count the most. Being smart now can save you later! Here are five ways to maintain your garage door.

Do you have a garage door maintenance checklist? Listed below are the 5 Smart Tips to Avoid When Making Garage Door Repairs at your home.

Seek quality garage door parts

It is tempting to buy cheap parts for your garage door to save you money, but the money you save could end up costing you more later. For optical function for your garage door, you should buy the best quality parts.

Also, it is important to make sure the part is the right match for your garage door. Every garage door is not the same, they vary in type, weight, and size, so the parts vary among each garage manufacturer.

Have a regular garage door maintenance schedule

Annual garage door maintenance is a smart preventive measure that can be effective in the long run. Many people believe it can benefit your garage door, but think it is more of a waste of money.

When you regularly schedule appointments for your garage door maintenance, it keeps your garage in good condition. Never doubt the effectiveness of regularly lubricated and adjusted garage doors.

Don’t fix a Garage Door Issue(s) yourself!

Although garage door repairs may look like a simple process, they are not as easy as it looks. It can be quite dangerous if it is done incorrectly.

Garage doors weigh a lot and have great pressure in the springs and cables, which can cause lots of damage to anything in its path. People, pets, children or even cars! For your safety it is best to leave DIY repairs to professionals who are trained and experience.

Pay attention to the little details

There are times that your garage door will send out signs that something is wrong. Some signs are as small as the way it sounds when you open or close it. Or it looks like it isn’t opening or closing as it normally does. Maybe a little sideways. Hinges may be torn or falling out.

If you sense that something isn’t right with your garage door don’t hesitate to reach out to the professionals!

Don’t delay Fixing minor garage door repairs

Life gets busy and sometimes that busyness can keep you from getting minor things repaired. When you fix the problem as soon as possible it saves you from bigger issues. Some minor repairs include rusty rollers, frayed garage door cables or the center stile in the top section pulls loose.

The moment you notice an issue Call an A1 Affordable Garage Door Repair professional to schedule an on-time appointment for the repair. Best to fix the problem now and not later. These are warning signs, if you listen to them it may save you hundreds of dollars now rather than later!

We Serve Most of the Dallas area including Lucas, Allen, Lavon Tx. If you need emergency service our service technicians and ready when you call!

Don’t forget to check your garage door openers too! They move the largest moving wall in your home anywhere from 2-4 times a day!

Do you have 5 Smart Tips to Avoid When Making Garage Door Repairs? Let me know what your tips are so we can share them with our homeowners!

“In addition to making my garage door and the opener work successfully, I have had my car for 5-6 years and could not figure out how to program the cars to the garage door opener. The technician accomplished this within seconds – I was amazed! :-)”
Joan E., Plano, TX 7-24-20

Every year our Garage Door Specialists search the internet or Pinterest to get inspired to decorate our Big Garage Door in our showroom.

Below is the inspiration. Three different ideas transpired into one. We spent one afternoon to get it all done. Sara was our leader in getting this put up quickly. It was not expensive as most of the supplies came from the Dollar Store and I think we only spent $10.00 total. The rest was all creativity and using the supplies we already had on hand from previous decorations.

We used clip magnets to hang the cardboard mantel and then stapled the green garland into the cardboard. Added a few bows and Christmas Stockings of all the people who work at A1 Affordable Garage Door Services.

The four Angels are representing the girls in the office that help you when you call to have your garage door repaired. The six gingerbread boys are representing the service technicians that come to your home to fix your garage door problem. This was very easy to make and we all had a lot of fun putting it together!

We didn’t want to add a lot of weight to the garage door so it would still function properly. Do you decorate your garage door for the holidays? Let us know what you think …. thumbs up or down!

Mice in your garage can be awful! They like a warm place to nest. When the weather starts to change the biggest and best shelter is the Garage (Attics too!). Why you ask? Because the garage is a very large area they can come and go without being detected easily. Holes at the bottom of garage doors in the corners are the most common area for them to enter.

Garages in North Texas are used as a big storage area with cardboard boxes, furniture and other household items. This is a prime location to live and “chew” electrical wiring, cardboard boxes, paper and other household items.

What’s in your Garage for Mice to chew on?

Mice are particularly common in the garage. If you find one in your garage, you’re likely to find more. When your garage door was open, it’s possible that it “snuck” in, but they probably found some other way in. Listed below are some preventive steps to help keep mice out of your garage.

Stay mice free in your garage:

• Tighten seals around access points. If there are openings leading from the outside of your house to the garage, you’re going to want to find a way to cover them up or reduce the opening width.

• Check the attic. Do you have mice in your attic? If so, they are likely to have an easy path between the garage and the attic. Sealing all access from the outside to your garage is not effective if the mice are already inside the attic.

• Another way out of your garage to drive pests is to make it less attractive. We have little reason to leave if mice go in search of food and find it.

• Check the rubber seal at the bottom of your garage door for damage or holes. It helps to seal the opening of your garage while keeping your door and the ground beneath each other from being damaged.
  
  This is one of the areas where rodents are often trying to “chew” through. If your garage seal is damaged or flat contact us at A1 Affordable Garage Door Services to get it fixed right away and help prevent mice and other critters from getting into your garage.
  
  *An added bonus is to put steel wool in each end of the bottomseal. Mice Do Not like to “chew” the steel wool!