If in your home you have a room above the garage, and many of today’s newly constructed homes do include a room above the garage, an insulated garage door makes perfect sense. A well insulated steel door will both help keep out the cold, and, because of the doors rigidity, it will have considerably less vibration when the door is raised or lowered.

Safety is another issue with garage doors, especially in homes where children are at play, running in and out of the garage. Legislation backed by the federal government requires all new garage doors to include safety additions like an automatic reverse. The automatic reverse functions exactly as it sounds: if something comes in contact with the edge of the garage door, then the door will quit its decent downwards and retract back up into the track. Also, new doors are equipped with a laser eye system, and this system, which is comprised of two small boxes placed on either side of the garage door that emit a light beam between them, to send a closing garage door back up into the tracks when the beam of light is broken.

Also, the newer garage doors, with their numerous designs, add significant curb appeal to any home. Newer window treatments for garage doors, for the homeowner who wants to add them, also add significant style to the home.

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The screw drive opener rides on a trolley that moves up and down a steel rod. The screw drive openers operate with much less force than other models. There are many advantages to the screw drive openers, and the main advantage is its simplicity. There are very few moving parts that the homeowner will need to maintain over the life of the opener.

Chain Drive openers are the most common and oldest of the garage door openers. The opener operates the door up and down by turning a chain (similar in appearance and operation to a bicycle chain) with one end of the chain connected to a part called the J-Arm, which is attached to the garage door itself, with the other end attached to the trolley. Chain drives are also the most economical garage door opener, and, while older chain drive garage door openers were loud, newer technology has quieted the starting and stopping motion of these openers.

Belt Drives are the quietest of the openers, and they operate in the same way as the chain drive openers. Instead of the chain, a belt is used. The belt drive has a sleek appearance, and, because the belt itself is made of a fiberglass, reinforced rubber, the vibrations caused from starting and stopping the garage door is greatly reduced.

All garage doors openers have pros and cons, and a homeowner should give preference to which opener fits both his lifestyle and his style.

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A common sign that the sensors need to be serviced or replaced occurs when the garage door will open properly by touching the wall switch, but when the switch is pressed to close the garage door, the door will start down the track a short distance and then retreat back into an open position. Holding down the switch may close a garage door with a faulty sensor, although the sensors will no longer prevent the door from closing upon someone or something.

Trouble Shooting

The garage can be a dusty place, and when dust covers the sensor it may not work properly. If the sensor appears dirty, wipe it clean with a clean cloth or paper towel. Another common problem with safety sensors is misalignment. The garage is a very busy place in any home, and these sensors can easily go unnoticed. If a person or object bumps the sensor, it may fall out of alignment. If one sensor is no longer pointed toward the matching sensor, it may need to be realigned. If any wires are showing around the sensor, or if the sensor appears to be damaged, you will need to call a professional to service the broken sensor.

Service

Bailey Garage Doors is proud to be one of Montana’s best garage door companies because of our reputation for quality. Our knowledgeable staff can fix any garage door issue you may have and our large inventory of parts can ensure that we have the part that you need.

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Choose Your Style and Material
There are a handful of different garage styles, and multiple different types of garage building materials. Why style is definitely your personal preference and should go along with the style of your home, consider the climate you live in and your budget when choosing material. Wood doors, for example, are stunning, but can be very expensive. If you live in a place where temperatures are known to change sporadically from hot to cold, then fiberglass doors might be the better option. Or, if you live in an area that’s prone to burglary or violent weather, then steel doors—which are incredibly strong—could offer you exactly what you’re looking for.

Consider Garage Door Safety
A garage door with added safety features can be key, especially if you have children at home who might be at risk of a garage door injury. The newest garage doors on the market are pinch-resistant, pushing fingers out of the way when closing; feature tamper-resistant brackets that reduce the risk of injury under tension; and come equipped with reversing features that will cause the garage door to open back up if something is in its way upon closing.

Don’t Forget About Insulation
You might assume that insulation in a garage door is a waste of money. But with the increasing focus on energy conservation and space maximization, choosing a garage door that provides adequate insulation may end up being important to you and your family—you could end up using your garage door as a place for social gathering or as a place for work., among other things When choosing insulation for your garage, look for the garage’s R-value. A higher R-value is indicative of more thermal insulation, i.e., a higher R-value is equal to less outside noise and increased warmth. Remember, just because a door looks thick does not mean that it has a high R-value.

Consult with a Professional to Learn More
If you still have questions about what kind of garage door is right for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to a garage door professional to learn more today.

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A garage door should receive a tune-up at least once a year, and although that seems like a difficult task it becomes easier as long as you follow these simple steps.

Look for Problem Spots
The first step in your garage door tune-up is to look for any obvious problem spots in your garage door system. Rollers should be in working order, the seal around the door should be pliable and the door itself should not be dented or warped. Any parts that are overly worn or damaged should be replaced.

It is also important to disconnect the power to the garage door opener before looking over your garage door system. The last thing you want is to have your garage door to open while you’re working.

Lubricate the Roller
If you have metal rollers, they can be easily lubricated with WD-40. If you have vinyl or rubber rollers, you will have to use another lubricant since WD-40 can damage non-metal components.

Re-Align Locking Bars
Misaligned locking bars are common and can prevent the garage door from sliding into the slots on the door track and locking into place. If the locking bars are misaligned, loosen the screws on the guide brackets that hold the locking bars in place and tap them gently into place with a hammer until they are aligned with the slots. Tighten the screws when you’re finished.

Inspect and Clean Moving Parts
Your garage door has several moving parts, which is why it is subject to so much wear and tear. Loose bolts and screws will all need to be tightened, and any gummy parts will need to be removed and soaked in mineral spirits. To make sure all parts that are removed are put back in the right place, try to only remove one part at a time.

Lubricate Chains and Springs
The chains of a garage door system can be lubricated with white lithium grease, while the springs will require a silicone-based spray. The springs are under a lot of tension and can pose a safety hazard, so don’t be afraid to contact a professional to inspect or replace them safely.

For more information on garage door repairs or any of your garage door repairs, please follow us on Facebook or Twitter or feel free to contact us!

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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 Lacks a Safety Reversal Feature

Garage door openers made since 1993 have included a safety reversal feature that will raise a lowering garage door if anything gets in the way of it. Some garage door openers will stop and go into reverse if the door meets any resistance, while newer openers go into reverse if an infrared beam along the floor is broken. Both of these features are designed to stop a garage door from crushing someone or something that might get in its way. A garage door opener that lacks this feature should be replaced, especially if you have small children or pets. Then again, any garage door opener that doesn’t have a safety reversal feature was built before 1993 and is more than old enough to warrant a replacement anyway.

It’s Too Loud

Older garage doors were opened and closed with a chain drive. This worked well enough, but it was also very loud. On the other hand, newer garage door openers use a screw drive or a belt drive, both of which are much quieter than older chain drives. Even newer chain drives are usually quieter than what came before.

If you find that you cannot open your garage door without disturbing everyone in your house, you might want to consider a replacement. A noisy garage door opener might technically be working just fine, but a quieter mechanism will always be a more welcome option.

It’s Insecure

Older garage door openers were notorious for their lack of security. Yes, you did need a control or a keypad to operate a garage door opener, but they relied on one code that could be broken by a savvy criminal with the right device. Once the code to a garage door opener was cracked, it could be opened easily. Newer garage door openers rely on a rolling code that resets itself so that only a device calibrated to the opener will work. You should invest in a newer garage door opener for this reason alone, especially if you have the option of using a numeric keypad for some extra security.

Contact Bailey Doors today for all of your Garage Doors and Garage Door Opener needs!

The post Here Are Some Good Reasons To Replace Your Old Garage Door Opener appeared first on Bailey Garage Doors Belgrade MT.

Garage doors are opened daily, and, unlike the rest of our home, when the garage door is opened anyone with a view from the street is aware of the things we keep in the garage. People often forget to close the garage door when they leave, or maybe they have a forgetful teenager to blame, either way, keeping that door closed is paramount to prevent any crimes of opportunity from taking place. Your garage door technician can install a timer that will close your garage door for you after a predetermined amount of time. This will not forgo the safety mechanism put in place on the garage door like the garage door safety sensors, which prevent any accidental closure on people or objects (assuming that the safety sensors are working correctly). The timer has an override option if you wish for the door to remain open while you work, clean, etc.

When you are going on vacation, you should unplug your garage door opener. And, with the opener unplugged, you can put a padlock on the latch or run a metal bolt through a hole in the track to ensure that the door will not be opened from the outside.

Another thing that many people forget about is the garage door opener on the visor of their vehicle. That opener is hidden behind just a pane of glass. Remember to take the opener in the house with you, especially removing it from the vehicle if you are on vacation and the vehicle is going to be parked outside of the home.

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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.

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