Vital Garage Door Problems That Must Be Resolved Quickly
Some garage door problems can impact a home in dramatic ways. By resolving these problems quickly, you’ll avoid situations that can lead to high energy costs and theft. Garage Door Issues That Impact Utility Costs and Security When a garage door opens automatically while no one is around, any air that has cooled the space will escape. As a result, energy costs will rise until the door is closed manually. Besides the higher bill, a faulty garage door that functions on its own can also cause garage security problems. If this happens consistently, a thief may try to access a garage after carefully monitoring the operating patterns. The best way to avoid these situations is by seeking Henderson garage repair services whenever the most common signs are noticed. Typical Problems Most garage operational problems occur when electronic issues develop on the circuit board that powers a garage door opener. However, if a circuit board is in good condition, a mechanical issue is probably affecting how the hardware functions. The most common mechanical problems are a defective wall button and a faulty remote. In some cases, a door will also open without notice when the wiring that powers a wall button is damaged. Radio Frequency Issues Although radio frequency problems don’t cause many problems in typical residential areas, a homeowner should still investigate. If someone else has a garage door that’s programmed with the same code, a nearby door will open each time the neighbor uses the equipment. In order to resolve this problem, a garage door technician must modify the code or fix the hardware.
How to Choose the Best Type of Non-Vehicle Door for Your New Garage
In addition to the door that allows cars to come in and out of a garage, the structure also has one or more doors for people to use. Discover which types of doors would be best for your home’s newly installed garage. Three Great Features for the Non-Vehicle Doors of Your Garage When you are planning a garage installation in Las Vegas, you may spend a lot of time carefully considering what type of garage door to install so that your vehicles can enter and exit the structure. It is also important to consider the features of the “people doors.” These are the doors that allow you to go in and out of the garage without having to open the big door used by the cars. Locks Make sure that the people door for your newly installed garage can accommodate sturdy locks. A deadbolt lock provides an added layer of safety for you and your family. It is especially important to have a deadbolt lock installed onto the garage’s people door if you have an attached garage and that door leads into your house. Even if a burglar gets into the garage, locking the deadbolt could stop the burglar from getting into the house. Energy Efficiency For an attached garage, energy efficiency is an important consideration. If the garage is not air conditioned, a lot of heat can build up in the space. That heat can leak into your home, taxing the central air conditioning system. Consider an insulated door leading into your house. The insulated door reduces unwanted air exchange between your home’s living spaces and the garage storage area. Weather Resistance Detached garages typically have at least one people door for egress. Attached garages may also have an additional people door to the backyard. This door needs to be weatherproof so that it can resist extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, precipitation and wind. A steel-reinforced door is a good choice. These durable doors can also resist a burglar’s attempt to kick the door in and gain entry to the items stored in your garage.
Understanding the Costs of a New Garage Door
Knowing more about the average costs of a garage door will help you decide which type of garage door would best fit into your budget. Budgeting for a New Garage Door If you’re looking to purchase a new garage door in Las Vegas, you should be aware of the potential costs associated with each type of door. There are four basic types of garage doors: aluminum, steel, wood and composite wood, and each material comes with a different price tag. Knowing more about the costs associated with these doors will allow you to make an informed purchase when the time comes. Aluminum Door Costs Aluminum is resistant to rust and it’s one of the lighter types of doors available for you to purchase. It’s also among the most inexpensive of door types, with an average price of $1,200 to $2,000 for a 16 x 7-foot door. These prices can oscillate depending on the type of aluminum your door is made from. Modern aluminum doors are sturdier and somewhat more expensive than older ones due to their use of heavy-duty extruded frames. Steel Door Costs Steel doors are the most common among homeowners due to the large variety of options. There’s a range of colors, price options, and insulation types available to you when selecting a steel door. The price range for a standard 16 x 7-foot door can vary wildly, as these doors run the gamut from single-layer doors with no insulation to three-layer doors with an insulation thickness of 2 inches. The average costs can run you anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000. Expect the price to be on the higher end of the scale if you add features to the door. Wood and Composite Wood Door Costs Wood is the most aesthetically appealing material available, which also makes it one of the more expensive. Wood doors offer a natural look and have the most flexibility with regards to customization of the base design. This type of door generally requires more maintenance as well. Expect average costs to range from $2,000 to $4,000. Composite wood doors look like real wood, but they’re much less expensive. This material is moisture-resistant, so maintenance is kept to the minimum. Costs can average from $1,000 to $2,000.
Wiping Away Regular Grime From Your Garage Doors
Keeping your garage doors clear of everyday grime doesn’t have to require a lot of effort or even expensive cleaning materials. Cleaning Scuff Marks From a Garage Door If you own a home with garage doors in Las Vegas, then you know how fast dust, grime and scuffing can build up. The good news is that some light elbow grease or even a little bit of paint can get rid of the most stubborn stains. Cleaning Grim Buildup and Scuff Marks The easiest way to keep grime from building up on your garage doors is to spray them with a hose; once a week should do the trick. If your panels have mold or mildew, you can wipe them lightly with a disposable cloth after hosing. For scuff marks, dampen a cloth with a solution of a little household detergent mixed in warm water and rub the mark lightly using a circular motion. Don’t use a stronger agent, because it can remove paint from wood, vinyl and metal. Painting Over Stubborn Marks If you have stubborn marks that aren’t eliminated by gentle scrubbing and dish soap, spot painting can do the trick. You can paint wood, metal and even vinyl. With wood and metal, use a surface-appropriate primer, cover the marks, let the area dry and apply a latex-based paint over the spot. Keep the primed and painted areas as small as possible so that the new paint blends, and try to feather it as you brush. For vinyl garage door panels, use a vinyl touch-up kit. Polishing Handles and Other Hardware If you have brass hardware, then the aged look may work for it. For most other hardware, a mixture of water, detergent and ammonia should be enough to clean grime and stave off rust and corrosion. For stubborn stains, consider a cleaner that’s designed to eliminate lime on kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Cleaning and Replacing Weather Seals Weather sealing should be replaced as soon as it shows signs of wear, but you can help it last longer by wiping away the grease and other substances that can break it down. Applying a thin film of petroleum jelly can help with rubber that’s cracking slightly, but any signs of cracking indicate that it’s a good time to replace the stripping.
4 Alternative Uses for Your Las Vegas Garage [Infographic]
Let’s admit it, most of us Las Vegans have limited space when it comes to yards and house space. Want more space? Consider these 4 alternative uses for your Las Vegas garage. Also, to do these garage upgrades, it is important that your garage door is properly serviced and in good working order. Contact us today for Las Vegas garage repair and garage services.
3 Reasons Your Garage Door Isn’t Working

Having a thorough knowledge of the common issues that adversely affect a garage door may allow you to prevent these problems from developing in the future. Why Your Garage Door Won’t Operate Properly Both residential and commercial garage doors can stop working properly for any number of reasons. Identifying what’s causing the issue is essential to actually fixing the problem. Most problems require the assistance of a company that specializes in Las Vegas garage door repair. Here are some of the main reasons that your garage door may not be working properly. Misaligned Track One of the more common problems that occur with a garage door is a misaligned track. If this track is out of alignment, your door will be unable to move until the alignment issue has been fixed. This issue is typically noted by visual gaps between the rail and rollers. Sometimes the door may move slightly, while at other times the door won’t move at all. Don’t continue attempting to open it, as this can result in further damage. A garage door professional should tackle alignment issues. Broken Springs As is the case with practically all appliances, certain parts within a garage door will deteriorate in quality over time. This is due to continual opening and closing of the door. Over time, the torsion springs within the door may become broken, so your garage door won’t open at all. When these break, you’ll typically hear a loud bang. There are a total of two torsion springs within the door. When one is broken, the other will usually fail to open the door by itself. Thankfully, these springs are easy to replace with the assistance of a garage door professional. Dead Transmitter Batteries One of the easiest to fix issues with garage doors is when the transmitter batteries are dead. If these batteries are dead, the signal will be unable to be sent from the transmitter, which means that there will be no opening or closing the door by remote until they are replaced. You can determine if your transmitter requires more batteries by checking the wall transmitter. If the wall transmitter is working as it should, it’s a simple case of dead batteries.
What to Expect From Your Garage Door Springs
Springs are subject to more wear and tear than any other part of a garage door, so it’s important to know how to care for them as well as knowing how long they should last. How Long Garage Door Springs Should Last Loud banging noises coming from the garage door during operation and garage doors that won’t open or shut are among the most common reasons that area homeowners call a professional for garage repair in Las Vegas. A common cause of these problems is usually in the springs. By knowing your springs, you can care for them and ensure that they’re replaced before they go. Spring Cycles Both torsion springs and extension springs – the two most common garage door spring types – are rated based on cycles. There’s a tremendous amount of force on these springs each time you open and close your doors. A common torsion spring will have a rating of about 10,000 cycles; a cycle is one full opening and closing of a garage door. Springs can also vary greatly in price, and that difference is usually influenced by the number of cycles that the hardware is rated for. Replacing Regularly and All at Once Once you know the cycle rating and you’ve estimated your garage door usage, you can figure out how long your springs should last. That information gives you the chance to replace them closer to the end of their expected life rather than after they’re worn. Be mindful that it’s usually advisable to replace pairs of springs at the same time so that there’s equal wear on both. Balancing and Maintenance Avoiding premature garage door repair is usually just a matter of oiling movable parts according to manufacturer recommendations, avoiding obstructions and ensuring proper spring balance. Most doors can be balance tested, and you should discontinue usage until optimal balance is achieved. Lifetime Springs Since springs must be replaced manually, lifetime springs are an option. You simply pay once, and the parts and labor for spring replacement are covered for the life of the current equipment. Spring replacement can also often be included in garage door service contracts. That can ease the burden on the homeowner, since he or she doesn’t have to estimate or track the expected spring life span.
Garage Door Panel Repair Is a Cost-Effective Option
Panels are among the areas of a garage door that are subject to the most abuse. Fortunately, damaged panels are usually pretty simple to repair. Repairing Rather Than Replacing a Garage Door Panel When homeowners call for garage door repair in Henderson, panel damage is among the most common reasons. After all, garage door panels take abuse from things like the weather, children playing kickball or the occasional bump from a preoccupied driver. The good news is that garage door dents and other damage are often relatively simple to correct. Wooden Panels While the downside of wood panels is the possibility of greater maintenance requirements, those same characteristics make these panels among the easiest to repair. Even when damage is severe, the broken panel can be cut, removed and replaced. This type of panel also gives you the option of adding windows and accessories like mail slots or knockers. Best of all, once the replacement panel is caulked, primed and painted, it will look almost like new. Metal Panels If your garage doors are made from a metal such as aluminum, all isn’t lost when you get a dent. In fact, professionals have a wide range of techniques at their disposal, and many of these methods don’t involve pounding out the dent as you might imagine. Often, a process that uses heat and cold can reduce the resistance of the metal enough to form it back into shape. Vinyl Panels The great thing about vinyl is that it’s highly unlikely to dent, crack or wear. The biggest potential issue is that it can tear if struck hard enough by a sharp object. This isn’t a common occurrence, but you do have options if it happens. You can try to patch it yourself, but professional vinyl repair often goes a step or more beyond what you’ll find with basic vinyl repair kits. Sectional replacement is also an option on some vinyl doors. Repairing as Option Number One When it comes to dents, dings, chips and the like, consider exploring the repair option first. Repairs can make a garage door like-new and save you money. Sometimes, you can even get warranties and other guarantees on the repairs.
The Advantages Each Type of Garage Door Drive Offers
Belt, chain and screw drives all make effective garage door openers, but each offers advantages that might make homeowners choose one over the others. How Garage Door Opener Chain, Screw and Belt Drives Differ There are usually three types of garage door openers Las Vegas homeowners have available to them: belt, chain or screw. These terms reference the type of mechanism that draws the garage doors open and pushes them shut. Each is an effective option, but a particular model may also provide certain benefits that you find more desirable. Chain-Driven Openers Chain drives are the original garage door opening mechanism. They continue to be an excellent option because they’re relatively inexpensive and simple to maintain. That means the total cost of ownership will generally be low, and any required repairs usually aren’t substantial. This is also the easiest type of drive for the average homeowner to repair himself or herself. The biggest potential downside to a chain drive is that these mechanisms can be quite loud. Belt-Driven Openers A belt drive is quite similar to a chain drive, except that it employs a rubber belt rather than a metal chain. The advantage here is that the rubber belt doesn’t make much noise, allowing quieter drive operation. These belts also require less maintenance than a chain. On the other hand, they wear over time, so routine replacements costs might add to the total cost of ownership. Screw-Driven Openers Garage doors with screw drives are the most technologically sophisticated. Their solid-steel, direct drive makes them quite powerful, and it eliminates the need for belts and chains. That means they’re durable and require less regular maintenance. Generally, they’re also more expensive up front and harder to fix, which can mean substantial repair costs when something does go wrong. The Right Choice for You As a general rule, a rubber belt is the ideal choice for the homeowner who desires quite operation. Chains require the least investment up front and provide a good all-around value. Screw drives are a more substantial investment but can offer the lowest total cost of ownership over time.