Garage Maintenance 101: When to Replace Garage Door Cables

A garage door is a complex mechanism that includes several components essential for opening and closing the door in a controlled manner. A broken garage door can seriously disrupt a homeowner’s life, not to mention the safety and security risk. To avoid this scenario, homeowners should replace broken or worn garage door cables as soon they notice wear or damage.

The trick is knowing when the door cables and springs need further assistance. Keep reading to learn when to replace garage door cables.

What do the garage door cables do?

The garage door’s mechanism includes cables and high-tension springs responsible for the seamless movement of the door. The cables and springs operate in unison to counterbalance the door’s weight. The springs are powerful enough to control the lifting and the shutting of the door, while the cables ensure their safe operation.

What can go wrong with the garage door cables?

The garage door cables are heavy-duty, but they are under pressure. Over time, the cables or the springs can break due to normal wear and tear. Regardless of the door’s quality, this is bound to happen at some point, and it’s the most common reason garage doors might fail.

Another common issue with the garage door cables is fraying. Frayed cables can be hazardous and cause a wide range of problems.

When to replace garage door cables

Ideally, homeowners should replace the garage door cables before they give out. Regularly inspecting the door can help with identifying potential issues. When checking the door, pay attention to:

If the cables and springs aren’t replaced in time, they can break.

Homeowners will typically hear a loud popping noise when a spring breaks. The cable then acts as a safeguard, allowing the spring to slide down and not injure a person or cause damage.

However, if the garage door cable breaks, the door will become unbalanced, a safety hazard. Some indications of a snapped cable are crooked or shaking garage doors.

How long do garage door cables last?

On average, garage door cables should last from eight to 15 years. Several factors affect cable longevity:

How to replace garage door cables

Cables form an integral part of the garage door mechanism. Any replacement or repair of such large and significant mechanism parts calls for a certified and skilled garage door technician.

If the door cables snap, it’s best to avoid using the door until the technician arrives. A reliable garage door repair company should have a 24-hour emergency service, assuring a quick response time.

A professional technician will determine which cable broke, remove it, and install a new one. They will also inspect the garage door thoroughly and identify other issues or safety hazards that might have occurred.

Get professional garage door maintenance

Identifying worn cables or springs might be challenging for the untrained eye so homeowners can rely on garage door repair companies for regular maintenance. It’s crucial that homeowners keep the cables in good working condition, and having a standard maintenance plan is the best way to go about it.

What Causes a Garage Door to Go Off Track?

A garage door that has come off its track is much more than a nuisance. It could be a safety hazard as the door could fall off entirely. A faulty door can cause significant property damage or injury to anyone in the vicinity. Understanding what may cause a garage door to experience this issue could help prevent a malfunction.

Here are some common reasons why a garage door may come off-track.

Car impact

Hitting the garage door with a car is a common reason for the door coming off its track. Backing out or driving into the garage without paying enough attention could result in an accident that damages the garage door. Even a gentle knock can affect the integrity of the rail.

Low-quality track

Tracks need to be sturdy enough to support the garage door’s weight. Rails made from inferior materials can buckle, causing the rail to become misaligned. Tracks should be made of at least 14-gauge steel and fastened correctly. A licensed garage door technician can ensure that the door mechanism is up to standard.

Cable break

Each side of the garage door has a lift cable that facilitates opening and closing the door. The cable lifts wind around drums with grooves for it to sit on. A misalignment of the cord causes the door to sag on one side. The extra weight placed on the door mechanism will cause it to come off the track.

Rollers break

Rollers glide along the length of the rail, enabling the door to open and shut smoothly. If even one roller breaks, the door’s weight can shift, straining the remaining rollers. The longer this strain continues, the higher the likelihood of door misalignment.

Damaged door

A garage door that has warped or bent in some sections can come off its track. A bent door forces the rollers to pull away from the rail, straining the rest of the mechanism and resulting in misalignment.

Wear and tear

The garage door’s constant up and down movement can cause wear and tear. Nuts, springs, cables, and other components weaken over time with usage. Loose hardware can cause structural failures in parts of the door that make it come off track. It’s essential to carry out routine maintenance to replace vulnerable parts before more extensive damage occurs.

Maintenance routine

The components of a garage door mechanism work together to facilitate the closing and opening of the unit. Lubricating rollers and checking nuts and bolts could go a long way to ensuring the door’s longevity. 

For proper garage door maintenance, it’s advisable to call in a licensed technician to ensure that all components are in prime condition.

How to Plan Your Perfect Garage Addition

Garages have become one of the most essential and convenient rooms in modern households. Besides keeping the car safe from the elements, a garage hosts several household items and often serves as a workshop, game room, entertainment zone, or hang-out space. However, most people end up with a messy garage space with dirty and damaged floors, making it difficult to find things when needed amidst the clutter of boxes. Disorganized garages ruin the purpose of having an additional storage space in the first place. 

Fortunately, it is never too late to design your dream garage space and use it for the desired purpose. Here are a few ideas if you are planning a new garage addition or intend to facelift the existing one:

Plan the space around specific needs

Careful planning is the first step towards making your dream garage a reality. There are endless possibilities for a garage, and it is essential to determine how you will utilize your space. Usually, people use garages as a home office, gym, hobby room, playroom, entertainment room, store garden equipment, tools, bikes, sporting gear, and other occasionally used household belongings. For old garages, decluttering is critical to free up valuable space. Define the purpose and then design the room accordingly.

Consider proper storage solutions

Storage is among the primary purposes a garage serves. Therefore, it is vital to eliminate clutter and keep things organized. Consider efficient storage solutions while also leaving space for personal projects. Choose ceiling-mounted racks, shelves, slat walls, car lifts, cabinets, pegboards, and tool storage solutions made from sturdy materials, depending on the function of the garage. When choosing storage solutions, look for aesthetics, ease of access, and functionality. 

Do not overlook the flooring

Flooring is a vital aspect to consider when upgrading your garage. Most garages have concrete floors that develop cracks and oil and grease spots over time. Updating the flooring can completely transform the look of the garage. Pick a flooring material with a pattern and style that looks beautiful and is easy to clean and maintain. You can also consider durable, attractive, and customizable epoxy floor coating to enhance the beauty of concrete floors.

Choose the best garage door

A garage door significantly impacts your home’s curb appeal, value, and security. Replace the old and outdated garage door with a new one having advanced safety features and high R-value to avoid accidents and lower your utility bills. Choose from a myriad of garage door styles and complete it with an electric garage door opener for easy and smooth operation.

Insulation

Consider insulating the garage or installing a dedicated HVAC system to regulate the temperature and create a more comfortable space. An insulated garage cuts the energy use and keeps the utility bills under control. Also, drywall the garage and paint the walls and floors with high-quality paint to enhance the overall look.

Lighting

A dark and gloomy garage space is no fun at all. Brighten your garage with attractive lighting options or, if possible, allow more natural light into it. Use bright colors when repainting or add mirrors to make the space appear big and bright. Accessorize the garage to let it reflect your taste and style.

Contact a professional garage service company for assistance in creating your perfect garage.

Broken Garage Door Remote?

Is your garage door remote broken?

If the day arrives that you drive up to your garage door and it doesn’t respond to your door remote, we hope that you have the key for your front door, or someone else is home who can open the door for you. In any case, we have created a list of reasons the garage door won’t open or close to help you troubleshoot the possible issues. Here are some tips to help you get your garage door working again:

 

If the remote won’t close the door

 

If you try to use the garage door remote, and nothing moves, but the wall control still functions, it might be an issue with the eye sensors. So long as they’re lined up correctly and are clean, the light on the eye sensor ought to be glowing and not blinking.

If the door closes, but immediately goes back up, it could be a couple of things. The first is that there’s something in the way of the door closing. Another possibility is that the door’s open and close limits are incorrectly set. Your garage door works by identifying when it hits the ground. It will register that there’s a foreign object and stop. To get assistance with calibrating the limits, consult the owner’s manual.

If there’s an extra remote, try using that one too. If it doesn’t work, there are a few more things you can try.

Identify the power plug on the ceiling and investigate if the remote has been unplugged. It’s startlingly simple, and yet so often it is overlooked.

Next, look at the control pad. It may be locked, which will prevent the door from opening. Try unlocking it and see if that fixes the problem.

If only one of the remotes has failed, there are two possibilities. The first is that the battery needs to be replaced. The other is that it needs reprogramming. Since every garage door is programmed differently, you might need to consult your instructions or investigate online programming tips.

Signal interference

Occasionally, LED lights inside the garage can prevent a remote from working. The lights can block the signal from the remote to the antenna. In this situation, you may want to change the light bulbs to CFL. Also available are Genie LED bulbs that work without creating any interference.

Mysterious happenings

If your garage door opens and closes mysteriously without prompting, you might feel like there’s a ghost in your garage, someone else’s remote is on the same frequency, or that burglars have found a way to open the door. Usually, it isn’t as exciting as that. There might be a short circuit. It’s not as enthralling as the other situations, but it’s the most likely to occur.

If your garage door remote doesn’t work anymore, or the door has stopped working, consider these suggestions. If you can’t get your garage door working on your own, call us. We would be more than happy to help.

 

Arizona Garage Door & Repair offers professional, affordable garage door tune-up, repair, and replacement services for Phoenix Valley area residents. Same day and emergency service! Call 602-600-6069 today!

Avoiding Garage Door Injuries

For every home, a garage door serves more purpose than one, making lives easy and convenient. Homeowners often don’t pay heed to the fact that garage doors can be unsafe if not used carefully. The fact that they cause around 30,000 injuries and several casualties every year is enough to consider them as a hazard. A garage door is one of the heftiest moving objects in a home, weighing over a hundred pounds; therefore, it is essential to be conscious of its dangers. Most garage door injuries occur either due to the carelessness and thoughtless actions of the victim or the malfunctioning of the door.

It is vital to not only be aware of the potential dangers posed by a garage door but also the ways to avoid it, helping to ensure the safety of yourself and the family.

Moving garage door

Though modern garage doors come with sensors and other technologically advanced features that make them a lot safer, injuries caused by a lowering garage door are still very prevalent. It can happen when you try to run underneath the garage door while it opens or closes, or some component or feature of the door malfunctions. Either way, it can seriously injure you and the fellow passengers and damage the car.

The best way to avoid it is to stay away and never duck under the door when it operates. Educate family members, especially children, about the operating techniques, precautionary measures, and the potential danger or injury that may occur if they are careless with the garage door. Also, get the door regularly inspected by a garage door service and repair specialist to ensure that all the parts are working.

Fingers getting caught in the sections

It is another common cause of garage door injury, which is easily avoidable. Getting the fingers caught in the tracks is not only painful but can also result in broken bones and amputation, owing to the heavy weight of the door.

To avoid accidental trapping, keep both fingers and toes away from an opening or closing garage door.

Being locked in

A garage door has many components that aid in its smooth operation. If the door’s springs are old, outdated, loose, or cracked, it will lead to total operation failure, leaving you locked in the garage. If you stay stuck for long in an unattached garage, it can cause dehydration and other problems.

Get a professional to regularly inspect the springs and repair or replace them as needed to ensure the springs are in good condition.

Some of the other points that should be kept in mind to avoid injuries

Many garage door injuries can be easily avoided just by being a little cautious. Make sure that the door is installed correctly, and call a professional to carry out regular garage door maintenance.

Spring Cleaning? Don’t Forget the Garage!

spring cleaning

Now that spring is showing off its brilliant colors, we can finally turn our thoughts to giving the house a good, deep cleaning. Spring cleaning though is not just for the interior of a house. There is also the garage to consider. With a few simple organization ideas, spring cleaning the garage in a manner that allows it to stay neat and tidy is not only possible, it’s very much doable.

Purge the Clutter

Garages are often one of the most neglected areas of a home. This spring, trash the junk and host a yard sale or donate those items that haven’t seen the light of day in years, as well as those you have too much of. If you have non-perishable food taking space in your garage, consider donating it to St. Mary’s Food Bank, and receive a free service call from Arizona Garage Door & Repair. Now is also a good time to properly dispose of hazardous materials, such as old paint, car batteries and electronics.

Scrub the Door

Be honest: When was the last time you gave your garage door a good cleaning? A clean, well-maintained garage door can do wonders for optimizing your property’s curb appeal, as well as its value. On that note, grab a wet cloth and get to work on both sides of the door, paying special attention to any lingering dirt and grime. One cup dish detergent to five gallons’ warm water works wonderfully. Rinse and allow to dry. While you’re at it, you may also want to consider scrubbing the garage floor.

Maximize the Space

Now that you’ve separated your trash from your treasures, and have a clean slate to work with, the real fun can begin. First, it’s a good idea to figure out how much room your car(s) require and then work with what’s left by creating zones throughout your garage for different storage needs – automotive, yard tools, sport/camping equipment, holiday décor, etc. Frequently used items should be kept within reach.

Consider vertical storage options to optimize space. Hang bicycles and use overhead storage racks for items that only need to be accessed once a year. Tools are best stored on the wall using peg board. It is recommended that you store items in clear boxes with labels for ease of reference down the line. You can label the shelves too. This will free up valuable floor space.

Inspect Your Garage Door

To ensure your garage door functions smoothly and safely all year long, it’s important to have it routinely inspected and maintained by a garage door repair professional, who services your area. A professional will expertly adjust the door’s vital components, lubricate moving parts, tighten all hardware, tracks and hinges, and test to make sure the safety sensors are working properly, as well as troubleshoot other issues.