The answer is YES!  Garage door springs are wound up very tight resulting in a lot of energy stored up in the spring.  Garage door springs are under constant pressure due to tension and a sudden failure can cause the spring to forcefully break apart.  Anyone standing close by could get hurt and can also damage your property in your garage. 

Why are Garage Door Springs Dangerous?

Most garage doors weigh between 350 to 400 pounds and are used several times throughout the day.  Garage door springs must be kept in good condition for them to operate correctly.  A broken garage door spring creates a severe issue for the garage door.  The garage door may fall shut or stop working completely.  If it falls, that’s a lot of weight suddenly coming down.

What Causes Your Springs to Break?

 Your garage door will have either a torsion spring or two extension springs.  The torsion spring is a very large spring located above your garage door.  Extension springs are two to four feet long and are located above the upper tracks on either side of the garage door.  If your garage door is especially humid, rust may form on the spring system unless you have galvanized springs that are protected from corrosion.  The most common reason for spring breakage or failure is due to wear and tear over a period of time.

Contact A1 Affordable Garage Door Repair if you need assistance with your garage door springs.  Only a professionally trained garage door technician should repair or replace garage door springs.  We service Dallas and Surrounding areas including Addison, Frisco, Mckinny, Allen and more.

Garage door maintenance is beneficial for the function and longevity of your garage door. Maintenance helps to ensure that all the parts of the garage door are in the best condition and to prevent malfunction and premature wear. What are some things that are inspected during garage door maintenance?

Inspect Garage Door as a Whole

A simple way to perform garage door maintenance is by inspecting the function of your garage door. You can perform this self-inspection as often as you want, but it is recommended to do it at least once per year.

When inspecting, look for abnormal function, such as rough movement or loud noise. Jerking movement and grinding sounds are not normal. Make sure that each part has no sign of wear. You should also check for dents and rust.  For insect and rodent prevention, you could also inspect the condition of the weatherstripping.

A good way to make sure that you don’t miss anything is to hire a professional garage door technician. Especially if you notice the function of the garage door is acting differently than normal.

Lubricate Parts

Many times, a garage door can make squeaky or grinding noises if the moving parts need lubrication, such as rollers and springs. If needed, use a silicone lubricant on rollers, springs, screws, and cables. Unlubricated parts can cause your garage door to wear out quicker, so it is good to address the issues before it turns into a bigger problem.

Tighten Loose Parts

It is easy to overlook this maintenance since loose parts may not appear to be loose at a glance. This is an important step to inspect though! Loose garage door parts can lead to an unexpected accident and can cause serious damage. When inspecting for loose parts, pay attention to bolts and brackets and tighten if necessary.

Inspect Rollers and Tracks

Rollers should be checked often because they receive heavy wear ‘n tear. Healthy rollers will show no sign of cracking or chipping. If your rollers are over 7 years old, you should schedule a garage door maintenance and repair appointment to get them replaced. The garage door tracks should not be bent or dented, which can result in a stuck garage door. Minor track maintenance may be an easy fix, but if you are inexperienced with garage door repairs, it should be fixed by a professional.

Checking the Garage Door Balance

Garage doors are under a lot of pressure and weight, so the door needs to be balanced. It can be hard to tell that a garage door is unbalanced by watching it open or close by the opener. To test the balance of your garage door, you should disconnect the garage door from the open by pulling on the cord attached t the opener. This will allow you to check the balance by manually opening the garage door. The garage door should stay in place if the springs are working properly.

Some minor maintenance, like lubricating parts, might be able to be completed on your own. Though it is always recommended to leave major maintenance to a garage door technician. They are trained and experienced in how a garage door works and know how to safely perform maintenances and repairs. If your garage door is overdue for garage door maintenance, give us a call at A1 Affordable Garage Door Repair to schedule an appointment. Serving Dallas and surrounding areas like Lewisville, Grapevine, Prosper, Rowlett and more.

There are many reasons why your garage door can come off its rails or tracks.  It can be extremely dangerous if this happens.  Below is the most common reason for your garage door to come off its tracks. 

Your vehicle:

The most common reason for a garage door to come off its tracks is due to the homeowner’s vehicle.  Your car can be moving slowly and still do quite a bit of damage to your door.  When hit, the bottom section of the door takes the impact of the damage.  Depending on how hard the garage door was hit, your whole door system may be damaged.  This creates a very dangerous situation.  A few rollers may have come off the tracks resulting in your garage door being held up only with the lift cables.  Remember, your garage door can weigh 400 pounds or more.  Do not attempt to repair it yourself but call a garage door professional to come and do the repairs.

Tracks that are bent or out of alignment:

As we mentioned earlier, your garage door can be up to 400 pounds and the horizontal tracks are bearing almost all of the door’s weight.  Horizontal tracks that are made from low gauge steel can cause the tracks to break or bend with the smallest impact.  14-gauge steel the best recommended steel for the tracks.  Horizontal tracks that are old can bend and break due to wear and tear over the years.

Rollers are worn out:

The more the merrier when it comes to rollers.  Request rollers with at least 10 ball bearings.  Your garage door must be equipped with the right rollers for your garage door.  Short stem rollers are used on single garage doors while the long stem is used on double garage doors.  If one of your rollers breaks, good chance your garage door will still operate but it adds additional stress to the other rollers resulting in a possible bend to the horizontal tracks.

Broken Lift Cables:

A typical garage door will have two lift cables located on each side of the door.  If you have an older opener, the door may become out of line due to roller damage or an impact resulting in the cables not winding correctly around the drum.  Eventually, this will lead to unraveling and breakage under the stress.  Due to the weight of the garage door being to one side the results are the rollers coming off their tracks or possibly breaking. 

If you ever need a Garage door repair call the experts at A1 Affordable Garage Door Services. serving Dallas and surrounding areas like Melissa, Frisco, Flower Mound, and more!

Having a garage is a very convenient homeowner feature but it can be stressful if it malfunctions and fails to work. Garage doors can get stuck and lock you in or out of your garage. Here are some things to check for if your garage door is stuck:

Check Garage Door Opener and Remote

To check a garage door opener, disengage the door from the opener. If it still doesn’t open, this is an indication that there is a problem with your opener. Two simple tasks that you can check are to make sure the opener is plugged in and the circuit isn’t tripped. A tripped circuit can indicate an electrical issue and should be inspected and resolved by a professional.

If your opener is fine, next you should check the batteries in your garage door remote. Dead batteries can often get overlooked when a garage door is not opening. Replace the batteries to see if that solves the issues. You may need to read the instructions or bring your battery to a battery shop to find the correct replacement.

Check for Broken Garage Door Springs

Still trying to identify why your garage door is stuck? Now it is time to start checking the garage door components. Start by checking the garage door springs. Garage door springs are a commonly replaced part on garage doors. Look to see if the springs above or along the side of your garage door are gapping or sagging along the cables or torsion bar.

Never attempt to replace garage door springs yourself. Garage door springs replacement is very dangerous and should be left to a garage door repair specialist.

Inspect Garage Door Tracks

After checking the garage door springs, then you check the tracks along with your garage door. Check for bends, dents, and dirt. Tracks can get debris build-up on them and clog the tracks or there could be a part that needs fresh lubricant. If the tracks are not clogged, unlubricated, or bent, then the garage door should be inspected and resolved by a professional to address the problem.

Contact a Professional

Still don’t know why your garage door is stuck? Contact your local garage door specialist at A1 Affordable Garage Doors to help repair your stuck garage door. We have experienced garage door technicians who are ready to inspect and repair your garage door problems. We are happy to help replace your garage door tracks, springs, or repair any garage door issues. Don’t delay. Get your garage door back to working properly and conveniently. Serving Dallas and surrounding areas like Frisco, Plano, Addison and more!

Below are a few ways to rest assured that the garage door team you are investing in is the best garage door company for your garage door repairs or upgrade on your garage door.

Check Reviews and Testimonials:

Search online for reviews on garage door dealerships.  Start with high average ratings.  Reviews and feedback from previous customers are a powerful way to get a sense of the business’s overall reputation.  It’s common for a company to have a few negative reviews.  If the major amount of reviews is positive, you can still learn from the negative comments.  Most companies stand by their work and will work with their customers to fix any issues that may occur.

Word of Mouth:

Ask family and friends for suggestions.  If you notice a garage door installation or repair in your neighborhood, ask your neighbors what they thought of the service they received.   

Ask for References:

References can give you a clear picture of how the company treated the client from the start of the project until the completion.  Ask questions like:  Was the garage door technician friendly, polite, and on time?  Did the final bill end up costing more than what was quoted at the start of the repairs?  Did the repairs last?  Did you get additional quotes from other garage door repair companies? 

Make Some Calls:

Is the company responsive?  Are they polite and thorough? Is there a physical address? (You can verify using Google Maps and Google Street View) Do they have a website you can go to? Are they willing to give you a free estimate?  Your ultimate decision should be based on their responsiveness, reputation, kindness, thoroughness, and pricing.    

Check with “The Better Business Bureau”

The role of the Better Business Bureau is to help consumers to identify and fight scams and find businesses that they can trust. The Better Business Bureau will be able to tell you about any complaints filed against the business.

At A1 Affordable Garage Door, we offer experienced and trained technicians who are dedicated to giving you the best in customer service. We are also an accredited A+ member of the BBB  Call us today for a free estimate.

Serving Dallas and surrounding areas like Lewisville, Grapevine, Prosper, Rowlett and more.

When any garage door remote stops working, it’s usually an annoyance, but a garage door remote especially can be a pretty big inconvenience. Nobody wants to have to get out of their car and manually open a garage door after a long day of work. If you’re here to troubleshoot an unresponsive garage remote, give the following a try before contacting our experts for further assistance.

Refresh the Batteries

By far, the most likely reason for a garage door remote to stop working is that it has completely used up its batteries. Your best bet is to install some fresh batteries and see if that fixes your problem. The battery panel of most garage door remotes can be found on the back. Note that some may need to be accessed with a screwdriver. When you remove the old batteries, take a second to check the contacts at each end. Should they look dirty or corroded, clean the contacts and give the original batteries one more try against the cleaned contacts. If they still don’t work, dispose of the old batteries, and try a fresh set of batteries.

Reprogram

If swapping the batteries doesn’t work, it’s possible the remote needs to be reprogrammed to work with your garage door. Look for steps to reprogram in your garage door user manual or search online to find instructions on the website of the manufacturer. One of the most common combinations for reprogramming a remote is to press the “programming” or “learn” button and the open button on the remote. Hold until you see the light on the garage door opener begin to flash, and then press the open button one more time. This may resolve your remote issues.

Replace

It is possible, if the above steps prove unsuccessful, that your remote might be beyond saving. If your garage door will still open by use of the button mounted inside of your garage but your remote refuses to work despite brand new batteries and a recent reprogramming, then it may be time to purchase a replacement. First, find the model number of the opener, typically listed on the opener itself. Next, your local garage door company can help you locate a replacement remote. When your replacement arrives, you can program the new remote to connect to your garage door by trying the steps above or by following the directions included in the new remote’s user manual.

Whenever garage door issues arise and you find yourself in need of a professional, contact our expert team at A1 Affordable Garage Door Repair and Services. Serving all of Dallas and surrounding areas like Addison, McKinney, Melissa, Frisco and more.

Garage door safety guidelines are important for the whole family, including family pets. Garage doors are powerful machinery and should be operated with safety guidelines in mind. Here are some safety guidelines for pet owners with garage doors:

Never Allow Your Pet to Go Under a Moving Garage Door—

A garage door is very heavy and it is not worth it for you or your pet to go underneath it while it is moving. Humans and animals should never go under a moving garage door! Make sure you and your pet wait for the garage door to completely stop before entering or exiting. This guideline should be applied to all your family members and guest.

Avoid Leaving Your Garage Door Cracked for Your Pet—

This is a very common habit, but it is best to avoid leaving your garage door cracked for your pets to freely roam in and out. Just like you should never go under an open garage door, your pets should never go under a propped garage door.

Most residential garage doors work with a spring system, but over time the tension of the spring can wear out. This habit could result in a major injury or even be fatal. So, if the garage door is the best entry/exit for your home, consider getting a pet door installed on your garage door. Pet doors are safe and eliminate the risks of the garage door slamming shut from worn springs.

Give Rules and Boundaries for Your Pets in Your Garage—

 Having a pet is like another child, you have to have set rules and boundaries for what you will and will not allow. Never allow them to chew on the garage door cables. Garage door cables are under extreme tension and could snap and injure your pet in the process of chewing on them. If your pet struggles with this, don’t allow your pet in your garage without supervision and provide them with many chew toys.

Keep Up with Regular Garage Door Maintenance for Your and Your Pets Safety—

Regular garage door maintenance is just as important as all of these guidelines, if not the most important. If your garage door is malfunctioning, there is an increased risk of your garage door causing injury or damage. A garage door should receive regular maintenance to ensure they are working properly.

If your garage door needs maintenance, you can trust us at A1 Affordable Garage Doors to ensure the safety of your garage door. Serving Dallas and surrounding areas like McKinney, Frisco, Addison and more.

 Check to Make Sure Your Garage Door Isn’t Locked:  A locked garage door won’t budge no matter what you do.  It takes about 2 seconds to check the lock.  A lot of homeowners lock their garage doors to detract intruders and it also keeps the garage door from opening accidentally.  So, make sure your garage door is unlocked.

Try to Open the Garage Door Manually:  If your garage door is unlocked and still stuck, you may have to attempt to open it manually.  First, pull the red emergency release cable.  The release cable is located overhead at the front of the garage door.  When you pull the cable, this should disengage the opener and allow you to lift and close the garage door by hand.  If the garage door does not open after disengaging the garage door opener, then this points to a problem with the garage door opener.  Make sure your garage door is plugged into an outlet or check the circuit breaker.  If it’s reading off, then you may have an electrical issue.  Call a garage door professional to come by and repair it.   

Check the Garage Door Batteries in the Remote:  Batteries typically last a long time, but they will eventually need to be replaced.  It makes it almost impossible to open the garage door with the remote.  A good indication that your batteries are dead is when you push the hard-wired garage button and the garage door opens but does not open when you push the remote.  Typically means the batteries are dead. 

Check the Garage Door Tracks:  Still having problems opening the garage door, the next step to take is to check the tracks.  Remove any dirt or debris using a damp cloth.  Next check for any damage such as warping, dents, or bumps.  If the tracks do appear to be damaged call your garage door professionals to repair the damage.

Check for Dirty Sensors:  If the sensors are dirty this will cause the garage door not to open properly.  Try wiping the sensors with a damp cloth.  If the garage door still does not open, call a garage door professional.

Check Garage Door Spring:  The spring is located above the top or sides of the garage door.  If it appears to sag on its torsion bar it is most likely broken.  Also, check to see if the safety cable has a gap in the middle.  If so, it’s a good indicator it is broken.  Call a garage door professional.

A1 Affordable Garage Doors are here for all your garage door needs.  We serve Dallas and surrounding areas like Addison, Carrollton, Farmers Branch and more.

Garage doors open and close numerous times throughout each year. With that usage, you are bound to experience a malfunction at one point or another. A garage door that only opens halfway is a common issue. Continue reading to help identify why your garage door is stopping halfway.

How to Identify Why a Garage Door is Opening Halfway?

First, close your garage door then pull the emergency release cord. The emergency release cord is the card hanging in the center of the garage near the garage opener.  By releasing the cord, it will disconnect the opener trolley from the garage door. Next, attempt to open the garage door manually, if it doesn’t open, then there is something wrong with the door. If it opens with no problem, then you most likely experiencing a problem with your garage opener.

Reasons Why My Garage Door Is Not Opening All the Way

There are a few reasons why a garage door opens only halfway:

Weather conditions; extreme heat or cold

Worn parts or mechanics

Warped railing

Broken springs or drums

Debris blockage

Extreme heat or cold can cause railing to contract or expand. Though it is not just limited to the railing, other parts of the garage can wear out or malfunction from the weather conditions.  Worn parts on a garage door may need to be replaced to fix the issue. If your garage door has a broken spring or damaged drum, it could be causing the garage door to open only halfway. Cables could be tangled or the railing could have a blockage.

There are several reasons why a garage door is stopping halfway. The best thing to do if you are experiencing a garage door that won’t open all the way is to reach out to a professional garage door technician. Have a garage issue? Give us a call at A1 Affordable Garage Door.

The springs are responsible for the majority of the function of opening and closing a garage door. Garage door springs are reliable and work hard, though there are times when they wear out and can break. It is important to know what to look out for when it comes to garage door springs wearing out.

Different Types of Garage Door Springs

For your garage door to work, it needs springs. Your garage door either has an extension spring or a torsion spring. Extension springs are located on both sides of the garage door. With the help of pulleys and cables, the extension springs work by extending and contracting. Torsion springs are horizontally located above the garage door on a steel shaft. They are tight springs with cable drums connected to both ends.

Springs are under a lot of tension, especially when the garage door is closed. It is most common for garage door springs to break while the door is closed. Although they can break while in the open position and cause major damage or injuries to anything in their path. Avoid walking under a garage door when the door is still opening.

Why Do Garage Door Springs Break?

There are three major reasons for a broken garage door spring: Wear, Rust, and No Maintenance.

Old and Worn Springs— If your springs are old and worn, they may be in their last days. Basic garage door springs are intended to last for around 10,000 cycles unless you have extended lifespan springs. If your springs have had several years of use, it could mean your springs are getting old. Your garage door may be due for maintenance.

No Garage Door Maintenance— Without regular garage door maintenance, you risk your parts getting worn out sooner. Maintenance helps keep your garage door functioning properly and get the most out of your garage door parts. If it has been a while since your last garage door inspection, schedule maintenance preventative with A1 Garage Doors. A professional garage door technician can advise you on how to keep up with maintenance in between inspections.

Rusty Springs— Rust is the enemy of metal. Just like rust can ruin other metal objects, it can greatly affect your garage door springs by shortening their lifespan. If you have old, rusty garage door springs, get them replaced to prevent them from breaking from corrosion.

Give us a call at A1 Affordable Garage Door Repair to get your garage door professional checked and repaired by one of our experienced garage door technicians.

We repair and replace garage door in Dallas and surrounding areas like Carrollton, Colleyville, Grapevine, Highland Village.