Even if your garage door is already insulated and has seals or weather-stripping around its edges, it’s important to double-check your garage door when winter arrives. Insulation degrades over time, and garage door seals and weather-stripping lose their ability to keep out cold air and moisture.

Inspect the Garage Door Springs:

• Disable your garage door opener before performing this task; you do this by pulling on the emergency cord.
• Then open the garage door manually.
• If you found this easy to do with one hand, then the springs are in great working order. If it was difficult to open, you will want to determine the cause.
• Do not try to fix this yourself as it can cause serious injury; Call us for all installations, repairs, and adjustments to your garage door torsion springs.

Take A Look At the Weather Stripping:

You want to make sure that the weather-stripping on the outside of your garage door frame is adequately functioning. Garage door seals and weather-stripping can be used to close those gaps in order to insulate your garage more effectively.

If you notice any damage or stripping itself has hardened because of heat exposure, you will want to replace it. The cracks will allow wind, cold air, snow, ice and rain to seep into the garage, where they can wreak havoc.

Metal Parts Need To Be Lubricated:

You will want to give each of the metal parts of your door proper lubrication prior to winter’s arrival. This includes the springs, track, and rollers.

• To begin, take a dry cloth and remove any old lubricant from past applications, as well as any dust that might be present. A lubricant that is oil-based, such as 10W-30 motor oil, is recommended.
• Apply the lubricant sparingly, and wipe away any of the excesses with a cloth.
• Avoid using products like WD-40. Those products are degreasers and not lubricants, so they would not work well on your garage door. Stay away from using grease, particularly on the tracks.

Whether you’re looking to increase up your home’s resale value or your home’s style. Our Wayne Dalton Garage Doors has a magical touch when it comes to transforming homes!

Carriage House Steel garage doors offer old-world style while maintaining the integrity of the classically American architecture.

Designer Fiberglass resembles the warmth and appeal of wood garage doors without the high maintenance they require.

Contemporary Aluminum garage doors offer sleek and eye-catching designs.

Designer Steel features tall section heights and a full-section embossment design for a dramatic look that is sure to catch the eyes of neighbors, friends and anyone walking by.

Classic Steel garage doors can be designed to match virtually any architectural style. In addition to various window designs and colored glass options.

Also, Good lighting is essential, often overlooked, element of curb appeal. Adequate and attractive lighting helps make a house seem warm and inviting. Like most homeowners, the garage door may be your primary entryway into the house, so making sure that it’s well-lit not only improves curb appeal, but it also makes it easier and safer for your own family coming home in the evenings.

Install Accessories

Don’t be afraid to dress up the garage entryway a little. You may want to consider installing decorative hinges and handles in order to make the door stand out and look a little more elegant. These small details can make a big difference in what your home looks like from the curb.

It’s also easy to accessorize around the garage door. For example, you may want to position potted plants on either side of the opening or install decorative stonework to walls on either side of the door.

While garages primarily protect your vehicle and belongings, they’re also your home’s first impression. Next time you stand inside your garage, keep your eyes and ears peeled. You may notice tell-tale signs of damage that can easily be fixed, or it might be time for a new garage door entirely.

A Garage Door Checklist:

• Listen for noise: is your garage door making a squeaking, rattling, or grinding sound?
• Look for damage: are your garage doors scratched, broken, or rusted? Does the wood appear warped or cracked?
• Check the security: is your locking mechanism no longer working?
• Evaluate safety: does your door seem to fall heavily while closing? Does it continue closing when objects are underneath it (instead of auto-reversing like it’s supposed to), putting you or your valuables in harm’s way?

If you answered “yes” to any of the checklist questions above, it might be time for a new garage door. Not only will a new door improve your home’s safety and security, but it will also boost your curb appeal, potentially save you money on your energy bills, and increase your property value.

Common Problems that can be Fixed

So what has caused you to ask yourself, do I need a new garage door? Several issues are common for garage door owners, and that is repairable if a professional is consulted. Let’s explore a few of them.

Door Suddenly Stops Working:

First and foremost, always check the remote batteries before you call anyone. Sometimes in the stress of an early morning commute with a non-functioning garage door, even the most mindful homeowner will forget to check the batteries and then feel the embarrassment of knowing that the only thing wrong was a couple of dead AAs.

If you are confident that you don’t just need new batteries, make sure to call a professional. A service person with a lot of experience will be able to look at the problem and quickly diagnose the issue, saving you precious time.

Heavy-Door-Issue:

If your door feels heavy, it is likely that your springs have started to wear down and are no longer capable of bearing the weight that they once did. Luckily, a worn spring is generally a quick and affordable fix.

A repair person will come and replace your springs — always making sure to replace both simultaneously to maintain balance in your door — and soon be on their way.

A Single Panel is Damaged:

If you do have physical damage to your door, regardless of the cause, you want to get it repaired quickly and cost-effective.

The key is to repair a damaged panel when the damage is limited to just that single panel. Most factories manufactured doors also supply individual panels to service dealers, so swapping out a panel is a pretty painless fix.

However, if you need to replace a couple of panels, it isn’t any cheaper than replacing the whole door.

The Garage Door is Sagging:

When your door is closed only halfway, does it look like one side is lower than the other? That’s the tell-tale sign of an imbalanced garage door. While it might just look funny, it is also a sign that your door is putting increased wear and tear on the lifting mechanism.

It is likely that only one spring has begun to wear. That means that one side of your door is heavier than the other, putting uneven stress on your lift motor. Luckily, rebalancing your door is a simple fix and requires a similar procedure to replacing your springs. By replacing both springs and then rehanging your door, a service person will restore the important balance of your door and ensure that it will wear evenly moving forward.

Winter has to be the worst season for a garage door to get stuck open or your automatic opener decided to quit right before a rainstorm. Count on Over the Top Garage Door Service for a complete garage door tune-up service this winter, and ensure your home is ready for the cold months ahead. The 14 point inspection and door adjustment can save you time, money and frustration before the cold weather comes.

Our Recent Garage Door Installation in Albuquerque’s North East Heights

The cool winter climate takes a toll on the operation of garage doors. Many homeowners experience more garage door problems in winter than in any other season. As winter approaches, there is the need to tune-up your garage door so that it remains in perfect conditions during the cold winter months.

Tips to help you prepare your garage door for winter

Insulate Your Garage Door:

Insulating your garage door is one of the essential winter tune-up tasks in preparing your garage door for the cold climate. The garage door is most likely the largest door in your home and it contributes significantly to the indoor temperature. An insulated garage door is very efficient during winter. It reduces your heating bill and maintains a warm temperature inside your home. Proper insulation also ensures the temperature remains stable in the garage.

Keep the Garage Door Well Lubricated:

Cool winter weather dries out the lubrication on rollers and hinges and this is the cause of most of the common garage door opening and closing problems and noisy operation experienced by homeowners during winter. Applying a metal lubricant to the rollers, hinges, tracks, springs, garage door trips, and other moving parts every two or three months will ensure the garage door operates without problems during the winter months. You should also apply a Silicone-based lubricant to the weather stripping to keep the door functioning properly.

Inspect & Replace the Rollers:

The rollers, whether steel or nylon, need to be inspected twice a year and replaced every seven years or so, and even more if you use your garage door many times a day. Worn chipped or cracked rollers should be replaced as soon as possible. You do this by removing and reinstalling any roller brackets that are not directly attached to the cable system.

Replace the Weather Stripping:

If the rubber weather seal strip on the bottom of your door is brittle or cracked, replace it right away to keep the elements out of your house. There are many different styles of bottom rubber, depending on the manufacturer of the door. Call your local garage door professional to find the right type of rubber for your door.

Simple Tips Summer Garage Door Prep & Maintenance

The garage door is like many things in the home, you ignore until something goes wrong. How many times do you open the garage door a day? Yet, one day the garage will not open or close, come off the tracks and crash onto the hood of your car or family member. Like dusting and vacuuming, preserve your door with annual maintenance.

Cleaning:

Cleaning is an important part of summer garage door prep. It is easy for dust and debris to sneak into your garage over time. Get rid of winter dirt before summer comes. Also, bring the summer toys and equipment out and move winter and seasonal items back to storage.

In addition to cleaning your interior garage door, you should clean your garage door. Use water and mild dishwashing detergent to clean the surface of steel and aluminum garage doors. As you clean, be aware of potential garage problems like rust and rotting.

Inspection:

Once your garage door is clean, schedule maintenance or inspection of your garage door or inspect your door yourself. An inspection will provide the security of knowing your garage and garage door are functioning well.

Inspect Rollers:

A door with defunct rollers operates like a car with a flat tire – it’s wobbly, uneven, and annoying. Check your garage door rollers to see if they’re corroded, chipped, or sticking to the sleeve they’re contained in. Sometimes they’ll need to be replaced. At other times, simply lubing them up will remedy the noise stickiness.

Check Springs:

Springs are dangerous; both when they break and when DIY maintenance is involved. Check both springs to look for signs of wear, fragility, or rust. Just lubing them up can repair some issues. Springs will wear out, but proper maintenance lengthens their use.

Check the Track:

The track is the road to your garage door. Making sure it’s intact is an important part of garage door maintenance. Make sure there’s no debris impeding the path of the rollers and that the track isn’t cracking or defective in some way.

Inspect Bolts, Hinges, Cables:

The bolts, hinges, and cables of your garage door should also be checked for any impending defects. A bolt simply breaking off is rare, but it happens. Cables can lose tension and hinges can come unscrewed, so give it all a well-detailed glance.

We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite garage doors that not only add sophisticated style but also help boost the value of your home; As homeowners can expect up to a 97 percent ROI for their garage door replacements.

For nearly 70 years, the classic steel garage door has been a staple look for homes in Albuquerque, NM. The Classic Steel Garage Doors deliver Wayne Dalton’s legendary performance and durability at our most affordable price.

Classic Steel Garage Doors

The elegance of Clean & Classic Designs

Wayne Dalton’s Classic Steel Garage Doors are built for performance and affordability. Often chosen by homeowners for their insulation value and safety features, these doors are also available in a variety of designs with window and hardware options to add to your home’s style and curb appeal. These beautiful and affordable steel doors are available with classic raised panels, wainscot inspired design or contemporary long panels.

Carriage House Steel Garage Doors

Harmonious Blend of Elegance & Strengh

Providing the perfect blend of historical beauty and practicality, carriage house garage doors bring the old charm factor to your home. Accented with decorative black wrought iron hardware and windows, your garage door will look like a swing-out barn door but function like a standard sectional garage door for modern convenience. Carriage House Steel Collection is available in a wide array of stained and painted finishes.

Designer Fiberglass Garage Doors

Elegantly Designed to Withstand any Climate!

Not only are Designer Fiberglass Garage Doors energy efficient, durable, quiet, safe, and beautifully designed, but they also give you the look and feel of real wood. Constructed to achieve the most natural-looking wood texture, Fiberglass garage doors blend flawlessly with their subtle yet beautiful lumber look. The Model 9800 is as close as you can get to the warmth and beauty of wood, but without the warping, cracking or rotting of real wood.

Modern Glass

A Unique Solution for your Extraordinary Home!

With the look of different glass styles, like frosted and tinted glass, modern glass garage doors allow natural light into your home and blends your outdoor and indoor living areas. Full-view garage doors make a bold statement and have a niche-appeal to homeowners and designers alike. If you’re looking for a sleek and trendy style, you’ve found it here.

If you want to save money on garage door repair services, annual maintenance is the best way to avoid unexpected garage door problems. Upon inspecting your garage door, our professional garage door technicians can determine if your door needs repairs,  a complete replacement, or just need new parts.

Common Garage Door Repairs

It won’t Open or Close:

Sensor obstruction is one of the most common causes of garage door issues. Door sensors, or photo eyes, which are usually found at the base of your door’s track, can be prone to faulty wiring, misaligned sensors and more.

Before you call a professional, be sure to double-check that nothing is in the way of the sensors or blocking the door. Sometimes if a box or item is in the way of the sensors, your door will not open. However, if your door is clear of obstructions and still won’t open, be sure to call a garage door repair expert.

Slow Response Time:

Observe how long it takes for your door to respond to your commands. Typically, it must begin to open or close within a second or two after you pressed the opener. It must then open or close smoothly without any delay. If you observe any delay in the operation, it might indicate that something is wrong with your door or the opener.

It Makes a Loud Noise:

A noisy garage door is the result of loose hardware, worn rollers, or the garage door opener itself. There are simple fixes but to avoid the last minute urgent need of a garage door repair expert, it is better to keep your ears open to the noise coming from the garage door that seems unusual to you.

The door is off the Tracks:

If your door is visibly off its tracks, it can cause your door to malfunction and become stuck. This tends to happen to old garage doors or doors that have sustained damage over the years. There is not much that you can do from home to alleviate this situation, as it may require specific parts and other necessary equipment.

Uneven Garage Door Sections:

Garage doors have a tendency to sag over time if they are not properly maintained. When the door is closed, you’ll see large gaps under the ends of the door.

It is advisable to check and test the balance of your garage door at least once a month. This involves disconnecting the opener from the door and manually operating it. When you bring the door at about midway and leave it there, it must not continue to rise or fall. If it does, there must be something wrong with the tension spring or other parts of your door.

Seal up any spaces and Cracks:

• Does your garage door close firmly on the ground? Are there any gaps in your garage window or even the dryer hose vents to the outside space?
• Carefully examine the weather stripping at the bottom of your garage door to ensure that it is not worn off or damaged.
• Go to your garage with a discerning eye to figure out where the pests are getting in, and seal up those spaces.
• Walk around the outside as well, sealing up any cracks by using caulking to fill any gaps or holes near your windows and doors. Ensure that you do a thorough job to avoid further infestation.
• It alone will make a significant difference in the number of insects and other pests in your garage.

The outside and yard:

• Look at what do you have stored adjacent to your garage. If you keep the recycling bins or a pile of yard waste near the house, this could attract insects that eventually wander into your garage.
• Pull any mulch away from the outside wall, and if you have to store anything outdoors until garbage day, keep it away from the house.
• Another consideration is water pooling near the outside wall of the garage. *t could attract wildlife that might decide to move in your garage or even attic.

Declutter:

• Clutter and also dust make pests feel right at home. Spiders, snakes, and other creepy-crawlies tend to want to hide in tiny little nooks and crannies. The typical garage offers many such spaces! Cleaned your garage and get everything organized. You might consider keeping a can of insect spray nearby in case you find a happy family of six- or eight-legged critters.
• If you have reason to believe that you might find a snake, wear boots and gloves. If you find rodent droppings, clean them up with care, as they could harbor illness.

We’ve put together the top garage door safety tips to keep your family safe and to prevent garage door related accidents.

Don’t Race Against your Garage Door:

Many of us have a tendency to race the garage door as it closes or opens. Although modern garage doors have sensors that stop the door from closing when there’s something in its path, some of the older garage doors do not. Prevent injuries and teach your children to stay away from moving doors.

Photo Eye Sensor Check:

Photo eye sensors act as a safety measure on your garage door by preventing the garage door from closing if there’s anything in the way. The sensors are located on either side of your garage door, and it’s essential to test them regularly and check that they’re still functioning properly.

To check your photo eye sensors, place an object in the path of the garage door before closing it. If the garage door does not stop and automatically reverse to the opening position, this means that the photo eye sensors are either malfunctioning and require repair/servicing or they are broken and need to be replaced.

Make your Garage Kid Friendly:

Educate your little ones to stay away from garage doors when the doors are in operation. Keep the garage door opener keypads and remotes out of kids’ reach, and do not allow children to play with the controls. Also ensure that children do not place their fingers between door hinges as this can be extremely dangerous.

Check Springs for Wear and Tear:

One of the common reasons why garage doors malfunction is because of a broken spring. The springs leverage the opening and closing of the doors by balancing the door’s weight. The average lifespan of a garage door is about six to ten years; however, ensuring that your springs are in good condition and performing routine checks will extend the life of your garage door. Worn out or broken springs can be hazardous, resulting in garage doors slamming shut or failing to open.

We always recommend that you call a professional to repair a broken spring. Attempting to fix a broken spring on your own can be dangerous and can cause injuries and further damage to the door.

Preventive Maintenance:

Preventative Maintenance is an essential element for your garage door functioning at its best condition. In fact, regular maintenance and check-ups can extend the life of your garage door. An annual visit from a trained technician will help ensure your door remains trouble-free year-round.