But it’s not always easy to figure out which bulb to get. Here is a look at how to determine the proper LED for your opener.

LED Is Better

LED bulbs have several advantages over other types of lights, including:

• They last about 25,000 hours.
• They last about 25 percent longer than compact fluorescents.
• They don’t interfere with the communication signals from the opener to the remote.
• They are more energy efficient than incandescents.
• They give off little heat.
• They don’t need to warm up and go on immediately.

The Right LED for Your Garage Door

Each manufacturer has its own specifications when it comes to garage door lights. It is critical that you follow these recommendations. If you select the wrong one, the light might interfere with signals between the remote and the opener.

Find the documentation that came with your door. Or check the manufacturer and model, then look it up online. This will show the LED bulbs that are compatible with your specific model of garage door opener.

As an example, the maker of LiftMaster, Craftsman and Chamberlain garage door specifies these types of bulbs for its lines of openers.

• Phillips bulb #425256, 40 watts
• EcoSmart #ECS A19CW 60W E120, 60 watts
• EcoSmart #ECS GP19 W27 40WE FR 120 DG 2PK, 40 watt
• CREE #BA19-04527OMF-12DE26-2U100, 40 watt
• 3M #RRA19B4, 60 watt
• Sylvania #72554, 60 watt
• FEIT #BPAG800DM-LED, 60 watt
• FEIT #R20_DM_LED, 45 watt

Confused? Ask an Expert!

Changing a light bulb really can be confusing, especially when it comes to your garage door opener. You can save time by checking with a garage door expert.

A skilled technician can come by and look at your opener. He can change the bulb and explain the type you need to get in the future.

This is a good time to schedule an inspection of your entire garage door system. Inspections and early detection of problems can save you frustration, time and money.

Please contact Bailey Doors today for all of your garage door needs.

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An outdoor extension cord, a hose, and a little bit of creativity will work wonders for your second garage and allow you to do pretty much anything with your second garage that you wish you could do with any extra space! If you’re not sure why you would want a second garage or what in the world to do with one you already have, here are 5 uses for your second garage that will make both garages more useful and enjoyable!

• Hobby Room

Even if you don’t have a hobby yet, finding ways to use your second garage as a hobby room will give you some ideas on how you can more enjoyably pass your free time. You can create a canning kitchen, woodshop, sewing room, auto shop, or even a home brewery! Grab a few outdoor extension cords if your second garage doesn’t have electricity. Visit your local Habitat for Humanity store or hardware store for a cheap utility sink, and use your hose, with a nozzle attachment and a sprayer, for the water supply. You never know, a second garage for hobbies may even end up being your new workplace when those hobbies turn into a home business!

• Second Garage Home Office

Even if you don’t work at home, a second garage home office is the perfect area for paying bills and catching up on mail, or just for spending some much-needed time alone time reading and journaling. Buy some cheap indoor/outdoor carpet for your second garage office, get one of those old tables, a chair, and maybe even a dresser to use as a filing cabinet out of your primary garage, and voila! You have a home office!

• Party Room

Many of us already use our primary garages for our man-caves (or woman-caves!).  We host informal weeknight gatherings among a few friends in our garages, rather than indoors, to keep the house clean, wave at and recruit passing neighbors to the party, or just to get away from the kids. Keep your party room temperature controlled by buying a portable fireplace or heater, or by placing a window air conditioning unit in the garage. If your Homeowners Association doesn’t allow window units in your neighborhood, place one on some garage shelving with a bucket underneath to catch the drip!

• Getting Around HOA Restrictions

Homeowners Associations can be very restrictive. If you want a vegetable garden, but your homeowner’s association won’t allow it, create one in your second garage! Artificial ultraviolet light, heat sources, and a do-it-yourself hydroponic system can give you fresh vegetables and herbs year-round! Or, if your HOA doesn’t allow backyard clothes lines, hang clothes to dry in a second garage. Buy some cheap clothespins and clothesline from your local Dollar Store and a heat source or fan, then hang clothes to dry by attaching the clothesline to the walls. You can cut your electric bill by as much as a third when you hang your clothes to dry!

• Dog House

Why, yes, we do mean THAT kind of dog house – but also the other kind. If you’re frequently in the doghouse at home, a second garage is a great place for you to spend the night (and 9 out of 10 spouses agree!). A blowup mattress and a heating or air conditioning source can be a lot more comfortable than sleeping on the sofa within earshot of an angry spouse. Add a dog bed and some treats and toys for your furry friend, and you’ve even got a place for your preferred companion!

• Family Expansion

We know we said we only had 5 uses for your second garage, but this bonus idea is one of the best ideas for a second garage for married couples! Anyone who lives with a child knows how hard it can be to try to conceive a second, third, or fourth one when a kid is already in the house. Although you should never leave small children alone, turning your second garage into your family-making room will allow you the privacy you need to finally expand your family. We won’t get into specifics on this one!

Any of these ideas can applied to your primary garage as well, if you just move all your junk from the primary garage to the second garage. Also, think of ways you might use any type of additional space in your house. For the most part, a second garage is not only a cheaper option than adding a room, but a better one! Owning a second garage can be turned into an investment or anything you might dream of doing with extra space in your home. If you don’t have a second garage or can’t afford to build one, turn a backyard shed into one and start enjoying your second garage today!

Visit Bailey Garage Doors for all of your garage door needs!

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It’s common for garage doors to need regular maintenance, but even with a consistent maintenance schedule, the hardware on the garage door can become loose or begin to wear out.  Usually you will know the hardware is damaged or loose, because the garage door will shudder in its track, or it may even get stuck halfway up (a stuck garage door is also a symptom for other door problems).  Think of it as a garage door tune-up, and here are a few ways to do it.

First, with the garage door in the closed position (if someone might accidentally turn on the garage door while you are working on it, it may be wise to disconnect the garage door opener) tighten down all of the hardware.  Usually the hardware that causes the most trouble will be near the track, where the continual jarring of the door moving up and down may loosen it.  A socket set and a wrench should be the right tools for the job.  However, be sure, when you are tightening down the hardware, that you don’t over tighten any of the screws or bolts, because this could strip the threads.

If the door is especially noisy near the track, it may be time to replace the rollers and the hinges.  For most people this will be a job for professionals, and the garage door technicians at Bailey Garage Door can certainly handle this job.  If you choose to do this yourself, you can contact Bailey Garage Doors for the necessary hardware for the job.  Use caution if you are replacing the rollers, and only replace one roller at a time.  If your door has tension springs at the header, a job like this can be dangerous, and you should refer to a professional to do the job.  Mishandling tension springs could cost you serious injury.

Garage Doors like the kind found at Bailey’s can last for years if kept up with regular maintenance.  If you think that your garage door is having problems, and you have been unable to diagnose the problem yourself, call Bailey Garage Doors, and rely on the experience of their garage door technicians.

The post A Noisy or Shuddering Garage Door appeared first on Bailey Garage Doors Belgrade MT.

First of all, it’s important to give the garage door a look and listen test.  When you open and close the door are there any strange sounds?  Does the door move smoothly in its track?  If the door’s making a rubbing sound, try to locate the sound—eyes only, don’t put hands anywhere near the moving parts of a garage door!  Also, if the door comes jarringly up the track, check the track when the door is in a down position.  Both sides of the garage door’s moving parts—springs, cables, and pulleys—should look symmetrical.

It’s a common problem for a garage door to have problems with the springs.  Springs are under intense pressures and often, because of this, the springs can wear out or break over time.  A worn spring could cause the garage door to stick in its track, or open and close jarringly.  To check the springs, disable the garage door opener, and lift the garage door halfway up into its track.  If the door balances there, the springs are in good condition.  If the door doesn’t balance, it’s often the springs, and, because springs are a notoriously dangerous component to fix, it is important to call a professional.

It’s also important to keep the garage door and the moving components lubricated.  There should never be any lubricant applied to the track.  This can do more harm than it would do good.  The track can be wiped clean, but lubricant could cause the door to slip in its track.  Lubricants can be applied to all the moving parts of the garage door.  For Garage door opener models, like Screw and Chain Drive models, it is also important to lubricate this component.

Also, make sure that all of the safety components are working properly.  The safety sensors should be working appropriately: the sensors are lit with green lights and the door can be closed by pressing the garage door opener.

Visit Bailey Garage Doors for all of your garage door needs.

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