1. Read All Installation Instructions Carefully.

Installation's a big job, and if you're not up to the task, it's a good idea to hire a professional. If you decide to do it yourself, follow the instruction manual perfectly.

2. Read All Owners' Manuals.

Whether you install or don't install, read your owner's manual from front to back. There's emergency garage door information in there that can help prevent future problems.

3. Get The Springs Changed Routinely

4. Don't Mess With The Springs Yourself

Springs require regular maintenance, but they're very dangerous. They're made up of spring coils that are wound tightly. This means they're under lots of pressure. Serious injury could occur from improper handling.

5. Check Cables

From time to time, check your cables for visible wear. Most emergency situations are easily avoided by regular maintenance. Worn cables are a major source of trouble, including injuries.

6. Pay Attention To How It Runs

If there's anything funny about how it opens or closes, you've got a problem. Don't treat it lightly. This is a potential safety issue, so take care of it immediately. Even old doors should open and close smoothly.

7. Test Its Switch Sometimes

All garage doors have an emergency switch that keeps it from crushing whatever is underneath. Occasionally, you should put a small object under it and try to close it on it. It should stop before it hits the object. If not, you need repairs.

8. Lubricate

Like all parts that move on any machine, your garage door needs routine lubrication. It depends on the make and model, so follow the instruction manuals and keep a schedule.

9. Don't Operate It When Anything (Including People) Is Near It

Even though it's supposed to catch, garage doors malfunction just like anything else. In general, keep things and people that you love away from the door when opening and closing.

10. Kid-Proof

Keep the wall switch high enough so that little hands can't reach it, and keep the remote control safe. Make sure they understand it's not a toy and they should be careful around the garage door. Don't let them play Indiana Jones, sliding under the door just in the nick of time.

Follow these safety tips, and keep your machine properly maintained. Study your owners' manuals, be safe, and enjoy this addition to your home for many years to come.

In Kissimmee, garage doors & openers suppliers can help you add beauty and class to your home by offering garage doors whose quality, durability, and warranty are superior in the industry. To know more, visit http://www.garagedoorsfl.com

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Commercial or DIY(Do It Yourself)

Sounds simple, but what we are really talking about is quality. If you are looking for a long lasting garage door opener you immediately limit your choices in Sacramento. Why? Because you are not going to find one at your local hardware or big box store.

Sure there are great DIY models available, and frankly, most garage door companies will tell you either to pick one up at Home Depot or Lowes and they will install it. Or, they’ll just go ahead and purchase one from one of these stores and install it for you.

Abel Garage Door is different! We only sell commercial grade, professional quality garage door openers. Why? Because we back all of our work and we hate call backs. If you’re on a tight budget, we will help you to select the best value garage door opener from one of the big box stores and we will install it for you, while saving you money.

Here are a couple of things to look for when shopping for a garage door opener:

Quiet Functions
Chain-driven openers make more noise than the belt-driven ones. Since you are already willing to invest in this technology, why not go all out and go for belt-driven ones. The price difference is not really that great. Also, there are some integrated with durable belts to help it function for long years.

Can Detect Obstruction
It depends on how it can do it but it basically needs to detect if it is about to crash into something. Garage doors are heavy so it can cause problems and mishaps when it does not have a sensor. Companies use light beams to detect if something is obstructing its way and immediately opens up again.

½ Horsepower Or More
This motor power can typically hold average garage doors. Some still need to have a separate tool kit in order for it to work seamlessly on heavier doors. But basically, one integrated with this horsepower is already ideal as it is.

Keyless Wireless Pad
If you want total convenience, you have to get one with a keyless wireless pad. The good news is, there are lots of companies that offer wireless pads that can receive transmission from your garage even if it is made by a different manufacturing company.

Pick someone that is keyless and can let you change your code frequently so there would be no problem with radio scanner interference that may leak your code to burglars.

And if you need our input, feel free to give us a call, or send us an email, and we’ll get back to you ASAP.

Gone are the days of manually opening the garage door. Remote control garage door openers have been around for a while, but keep getting perfected. A simple device such as this, makes our lives so much more convenient. As we pull up to our homes, we can start opening the garage from the top of the street, so it is already open when we arrive, to pull right in. Abel Garage Doors has been providing garage door openers since 1981.

With products ranging from replacement remote control garage door openers to wireless and wiredkeypads, drivers can find any part they need. When using any remote control product, we want reliability. What good is it to us, or how much convenience does it offer, if it only works some of the time? When choosing Garage Door Openers.com stocks major brands such as Genie, Sears Craftsman, Stanley, Linear, Multicode, Chamberlain, Liftmaster, Allister, Pulsar, Skylink or other major brands specific to your product. With low costs and same day installation 95% of the time, customers are ensured a long lasting product, delivered quickly and without hassle.

Garage door openers are either belt drive, chain driven or direct drive with an average speed of 7 inches/drop per second. There are faster openers that open at double the speed – 14 inches/drop per second. All automatic garage door openers are mandated to contain a sensor beam to detect a person or object in the way of a closing garage door, which then causes the door to stop losing and reverse back to open. They are also required to have a manual emergency release cord, a time reversing feature, automatic lights and a force adjustment feature. Safety is an important aspect to anything that automatically closes or opens, and a garage door is no exception.

With remote control garage door openers, it is important to have a rolling radio signal code to prevent thieves from capturing the code and breaking in. The ease of opening the garage should not be an invitation for burglar to come in. When approaching home, do open your garage door too soon and when you are not in sight of the garage. Look around the area and garage before pulling in and look in your rear view mirror as you come to a stop. Keep the door to your home from inside the garage locked. And, before you close the garage door, look around the car on both sides to make sure an intruder has not entered the garage undetected behind you. These are safety precautions everyone should be aware of to protect their home and family.

1. Lower your Labor Costs – Fire your high priced technicians and replace them with less experienced and lower skilled employees. Or just, reduce the number of people you have working for you.
2. Reduce your materials cost – Look for cheaper sources of materials. And if you’re really desperate, find sources of used parts and use them in your repairs.
3. Reduce your margins – It’s one thing to make a little less, knowing that your customers are less willing to spend money. It is a totally different story, when you reduce your price to break even! Companies that do this are on the brink of going out of business.

There are no SECRETS! And the old adage remains the same: “If it sounds too good to be true, it is.”

Frankly, I’m a little pissed off at what some of my competitors are doing out there. I find it totally unacceptable when companies make promises they don’t back up. For example, many offer a coupon advertising a service call for $29.95  This is ridiculous! On average, in any given market, it takes a minimum of 30 minutes travel time to get to a customer. Round trip that’s an hour. Combine that with fuel cost and wear and tear on the vehicle cost. The break even amount of a service call is on average $20  THAT DOES NOT include the time it takes once you are on the job.

Bottom line: Consumers Beware - You are GUARANTEED you will be pressured once the technician arrives with additional fees and services.

Another trick used quite frequently by less than desirable companies: Being too greedy or incompetent by telling customers that the only way to fix their door is to replace it with a new one.

In servicing thousands of garage doors over our 28 years, most doors can be repaired for less money than it takes for a replacement. We have the ability to replace the hinges, springs, and cables on a door for less than a couple of hundred dollars. And if through our inspection of the door, we find that the costs will exceed $200, then we have a choice to make.

Important rule of thumb: If the repair on the garage door costs more than $200, you are $200 away from a new door(A new door installed is about $400)

Now I realize this is a blanket statement, but for most doors, repairs are typically limited to replacing a couple of hinges, the cable and maybe even a bearing or two. And if you really had to, replacing a panel on the door. The costs here are still less than a couple of hundred dollars.

I also understand, replacing an old door with a new one is always better, but let’s get real! Repairs almost always cost half of what a new door costs. When we’re all trying to save money, we get the most out of our money with a repair and a can of paint.

Here’s the last tip: Most garage door openers can be repaired to function like new. All too often, other companies are looking for the quick buck. If the opener is broken…sell them a new one! I personally, don’t like to buy a new one if I can fix it!  If I had money to burn, sure I’d buy a new one but times are tough. We are here to help!

These are just a couple of the ways to save money on garage door and opener repair. We believe in educating our customers to make informed decisions to get the most for their hard earned money.

Abel Garage Door has been servicing the Sacramento Metropolitan market for over 28 years. We know what it is like to struggle in tough economic times. We’ve done it before and we are doing it now. We strive to provide the most cost effective and value for every service we provide. We know survival is guaranteed to those that provide top quality service at an affordable price.

We place our customers first.

We are fully licensed, bonded and insured. We are open 7 days a week from 7am to 7pm with emergency service available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

It goes up, it goes down. But a new garage door can do a lot more than that. Here are a dozen reasons why you need a new garage door and garage door opener.

1. New garage doors can increase the value of your home.
   An online survey says that 71% of homeowners who recently replaced their garage door believe it increased the value of their home. When nationwide real estate agents were shown “before” and “after” photos of houses upgraded with new, stylish garage doors, they increased the list price of the home anywhere from 1 to 4 percent. That means a $2,000+ investment in a garage door could increase the sale value of your home by as much as $7,000 if you’re selling a $175,000 home. Look at some dramatic “before and after” photos at GarageWowNow.com, and you’ll see the difference a new garage door can make.
2. New garage doors can put money back in your pocket.
   The Federal Government’s Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 extends tax credits for energy efficient home improvements. This includes qualifying insulated garage doors. That means that adding a new garage door in 2009 can save you money by helping to lower home energy consumption and costs AND it will help pay for itself this year through the tax credit incentive, worth up to $500.
3. New garage doors help you Lower The Door On Crime.
   According to statistics compiled by metropolitan police departments, approximately 50 percent of all residential burglaries can be traced to an open or an unsecured garage door. How many times have you gone in your house after working in your yard or carrying groceries out of your car and left the garage door open? The garage door industry suggests that you Lower the Door on Crime in 2009 by making it a practice to always close and secure your garage door to protect the valuables in both your home and your garage.  

   If you’re looking for helpful security devices to remind you to close your door, you can purchase an open garage door indicator that can be affixed to your door. When a garage door is left open, a warning light will indicate “open door.” Homeowners can sleep easy, knowing their garage doors are closed and their families are safe.

4. New garage door openers have built-in safety features.
   Photoelectric eyes – mounted about six inches above the floor – cast an invisible beam across the door opening and provide extra protection against entrapment. If a door is closing and a child or pet runs underneath the door, the beam breaks, causing the door to automatically reverse.
5. New garage doors can work even during power outages.
   A popular accessory sold with new garage door openers is a battery back-up system that allows you to use your opener several times, even after the loss of power to your home. It’s a wonderful feature that prevents you from being trapped outside in a storm.
6. New garage doors are today’s front door.
   A nationwide survey of consumers said that 71 percent of homeowners use their garage door openers to get into their homes every day, even more often than the front entry door. The key to the front door is now the garage door’s remote control and keypad. Yesterday’s latchkey kids are today’s keypad kids.
7. New garage doors can help you keep your house clean.
   With a keyless entry pad mounted outside your garage door, why traipse dirt in through the front door when you can enter through the garage? You can leave muddy shoes or boots and drenched coats in the garage and keep your house cleaner.
8. New garage doors can be a fashion statement.
   People are becoming more style conscious when replacing their garage door. On many American homes, the garage door claims a third of the facade, so it’s a snap to quickly makeover the look of your whole house. You can easily increase curb appeal when you choose from hundreds of different looks in elegant and stylish carriage house, contemporary or raised panel doors.
9. New garage doors can express your individuality.
   Housing developments have their advantages, but individuality usually isn’t one of them. In homes that are more than five years old, chances are your door is a solid-colored, raised-panel door that looks like every other garage door. Choose a fashionable contemporary or carriage house garage door, and your house instantly stands out from the crowd. Check them out for yourself by viewing the “Garage Door Styles” page at GarageWowNow.com. Wow!
10. New garage doors can protect your family from powerful winds.
    Reinforced garage doors are now available to help your home stand up to brutal winds. Researchers studying the wind effects of devastating storms know that garage doors are often the entry point for severe damage. A new strong garage door is an integral part of maintaining the structural integrity of your home.
11. New garage doors can help accessorize your life.
    Garage door opener accessories abound. Many new garage door openers switch on lights in your home as you’re pulling up the driveway. Some alert you if you left the garage door open. Some door openers are activated only by your fingerprint. You can even make a fashion statement with your garage door remote by customizing it to match your car’s interior.
12. New garage doors should be installed by a professional.
    Don’t try to install the door yourself. It’s a complex and dangerous task. Garage door springs are under extreme pressure and, if not handled properly, can release with enough power to seriously harm or kill someone. Specific tools and training are needed; therefore, it’s highly recommended that you have a professional who can do the job in just a few hours and haul the old door away. The cost of installation is well worth it. Find a professional near you at GarageWowNow.com’s “Your Local Garage Door Professionals” page.

NOTE: This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every safety precaution.

Always consult your manufacturer’s installation or instruction manual for safety information about your door model.

WARNING: Garage door springs, bottom brackets, red colored fasteners, cables and supports are under extreme tension, and can cause serious injury or death.

1. Replace Old Springs. Your garage door’s springs are arguably the most important and most dangerous part of your door. Springs wear out. When they break, injury can result. If you have an older garage door, have your springs inspected by our trained door systems technician and replaced if needed. If your door has two springs, have both replaced even if one is not broken. This will not only prevent any damage caused by the breaking of the second spring, but also keep your door working efficiently.

2. Check Your Door Cables. Visually inspect the cables that attach the spring system to the bottom brackets on both sides of the door. If these cables are frayed or worn, they are at risk of breaking, which can create a potentially hazardous situation. Due to the hazards associated with high spring tension, these cables should be replaced only by our trained door systems technician.

3. Squeaky Springs? Springs can squeak and be noisy. This is caused by normal use and does not necessarily indicate a problem. Before calling our trained door systems technician, coat the springs with a spray-on lubricant recommended especially for garage doors. If the noise persists, call a us for service.

4. A Do-It-Yourselfer, Eh? Most consumers choose to have their doors installed by our trained door systems technicians. We are trained in the challenging and time consuming task of door installation, and have tools and background to install your door properly. If you attempt the installation by yourself, be sure you are confident in your skills and training, and possess and use the right tools for the job. Before beginning, make sure you thoroughly read and understand the manufacturer’s installation instructions, and then meticulously follow those instructions.

5. Containment Cables for Extension Springs. If your garage door has extension springs, a containment cable should run through each spring and should be connected to the wall or ceiling at each end. When your garage door is closed, extension springs are under high tension. If a spring breaks, a potentially hazardous situation can result. A containment cable can keep that broken spring contained. If you have extension springs but do not have containment cables, call us for a safety inspection.

6. Struggling With Your Door? If your door does not go up and down smoothly and easily, you may have an unsafe condition. Even older door systems should operate smoothly and easily. If this operational difficulty continues when the door is manually operated, you may have a spring system that is out of balance. This can cause premature wear and tear on other important door components. Repairing or replacing spring systems can be hazardous, and should be accomplished only by our trained door systems technicians.

7. Watch Your Fingers! If your door lacks pinch-resistant joints, you should have lift handles or suitable gripping points on the inside and outside of the door. Even if your door has a motor operator, the door must occasionally be operated manually. Never place your fingers between the door sections. If you manually open or close the door, use the lift handles or gripping points!

8. Don’t Touch the Bottom Brackets! Since the bottom brackets on a garage door are connected to the door’s springs, these brackets are constantly under extreme tension. They should be adjusted only by our trained door systems technician.

9. Use the Old Track? When buying a replacement garage door, some homeowners are tempted to save a few dollars by putting the new door on the old track. However, your old track may not fit with your new door, depending on the thickness of your sections, the weight of the door, the headroom required, the location of the garage door operator, and other considerations. The track and sections work together as a system. For maximum performance and longer life, you should use the track that is designed and supplied for your specific door.

10. Regular Service. Your garage door is probably the largest, heaviest moving object in your home and is typically used every day. Over time, parts can wear out and break, creating potential hazards. Although you should conduct monthly safety checks and provide regular limited maintenance to your garage door system, an annual visit from our trained door systems technician can keep your door operating safely and smoothly for a long time.

11. Man the Manual. Keep the owner’s manuals for your door and operator near the door for easy reference. Every model of door and operator has specific safety instructions unique to that model. Where is your manual? For a replacement copy, contact the door or operator manufacturer.

CLEVELAND, OHIO – according to statistics compiled by metropolitan police departments, approximately 50 percent of all residential burglaries occur because a garage door is left open or is outdated and no longer secure.

The garage door industry is reminding homeowners in 2009 to make it a practice to keep their garage doors closed when not in use.

“An open garage door is an open invitation to thieves,” says Chris Long, executive director of the International Door Association. “Thieves are also targeting remote controls that are not locked up in vehicles parked outside.”

Long says many Americans are now upgrading their garage doors to stylish new models that are now available. “Unfortunately, many homeowners are in the dangerous habit of leaving their garage doors open. If you’ve just bought a stylish new garage door, why not show it off and keep it closed?”

Today’s technologies enable new garage doors to provide greater security than the garage doors of yesteryear. Garage doors paired with open-door alert systems, miniature keyring remote controls and numerically coded or fingerprint keypad entry systems keep unwanted visitors out of your home and away from your family’s belongings.

GarageWowNow.com, a non-commercial, home improvement resource sponsored by the garage door industry, provides ways to improve home safety and security. in addition to explaining the advantages of installing today’s new garage door styles, the site also offers insight to the many garage door accessories that can keep a home safe.

OPEN-DOOR ALERT SYSTEMS

How many times have you gone in your house after working in your yard or carrying groceries out of your car and left the garage door open? New garage doors can be equipped with an open garage door monitor that can be affixed to your door system. When a garage door is left open, a warning light will indicate “open door” – a signal for you to close your garage door. Homeowners can sleep easy, knowing their garage doors are closed and their families are safe.

MINIATURE KEYRING REMOTE CONTROLS

Another tool for the security-minded homeowner is a miniature keyring remote control. Think about it. Leaving your garage door remote control opener in your car – whether it’s parked in your driveway or anywhere – is the same as leaving your house keys on your driver’s seat.

Crafty thieves are breaking into vehicles and grabbing the garage door remote and getting your home address from your car’s registration or insurance documents,” adds Long. “They then drive to your home and pull right in your garage.”

Long recommends replacing your visor-clip remote control with a handy miniature keyring remote control. Hooked onto your keychain, these remotes can easily be carried with you at all times.

KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEMS

One of the most popular garage door accessories is a keypad entry system mounted outside your garage door. With these devices, you can open your garage door with a simple swipe of your fingerprint or by entering a 4-digit code.

These tools keep out intruders while providing easy access only to the people who need it. Give your personal code only to family and trusted friends. Fingerprint controls can also be programmed for multiple fingerprints.

This is so important, let’s say it again: have your garage door installed and serviced by a professional. This is not a job for a DiY-er with minimal knowledge of the task at hand.

Why?

One word – safety.

For most Americans, a garage door is the largest moving object in the home. Garage doors are both large and extremely heavy. This means that not only are they incredibly difficult to lift, but install it wrong and it can come crashing down with unbelievable force.

The garage door springs that help the doors open are under extreme pressure and can release enough power to severely injure or even kill someone. Specific tools and training are needed when dealing with these springs.

“Installing a garage door system is complicated, and can be a dangerous task if not done properly. A professional door dealer will help you find the perfect door for your home, and install it correctly and safely,” said Chris Long, Managing Director, International Door Association.

There are plenty of other jobs around your place that are perfect for the weekend warrior, but installing a new garage door is not one of them. You want it installed correctly, functioning safely and smoothly, and you want it up right the first time. When deciding on a professional installer for your new garage door, here are some questions to ask:

1.    How much experience does the installer have? 
How long has the company been in business? If it’s a new company, do the owners have experience working in the door and operator industry? As a general rule, the more years, the better.
2.    Does the dealer have satisfied customers or reviews available? 
This may be the most important checkpoint. Does the door dealer have satisfied customers? Are you willingly given phone numbers so you can talk directly to past customers, or do you have access to letters of recommendation from customers?
3.    What type of insurance coverage does the dealer have? 
It is important that door dealers carry the proper insurance on their business and employees. Ask for a copy of the company’s certificate of insurance. If it doesn’t have one or hesitates to provide it, this could be a red flag.
4.    Does the dealer comply with codes and regulations? 
There are many requirements that apply to safety and the installation of a garage door system. Federal, state and local codes and regulations must be followed. Ask the dealer about how he or she complies with the codes in your city. Selecting the right door dealer is as simple as asking a few questions. Don’t hesitate to call two dealers and ask these same questions. They take only moments to answer, and yet they can help you find an honest, competent professional who can solve your garage door problem.