Our standard, is our competitors' upgrade!
Hello, I'm Greg, owner of Abel Garage Door. Here are some the most frequently asked questions from our customers.
If you do not see the questions or answers you are looking for, please call me at (916)-344-5700, or fill out the form below. I will do my best to respond quickly. For quickest response, please call me.
Windows can be placed in any section of the door layout. Abel Garage recommends window placement in the top or second to the top door section for the most natural lighting and security.
Standard headroom applications require 12" to 18" of space between the bottom of the opening header and the unobstructed ceiling. However, Abel Garage Door specializes in custom-built applications. A variety of special track options is available and makes it possible for many unusual garages to be fitted with doors. By using low-headroom track, it is possible to install a door with a garage door opener in an area that has as little as 9-1/2" of headroom.
Other special track applications include:
A garage door opening represents a large opening in your home’s thermal barrier. Along with the tax credit incentives to promote a healthier and more energy-efficient environment, an insulated garage door will help to reduce the amount of outside temperature that enters your garage, thus reducing the amount of energy required to cool or heat your home. Insulated doors also reduce noise from the exterior of your home.
A Carriage House door is a type of garage door that replicates the look of doors found on carriage houses in the early 19th and 20th Century. Abel Garage Door distributes a variety of Clopay carriage house designs made from three different materials, steel, wood and wood composite. These Clopay garage doors look like they swing open, but they actually move up and over your car.
Each homeowner has unique needs for a new garage door based on the desired styling, the level of care & maintenance required, the energy efficiency and the location of the garage in one’s home. Steps to determine which garage door best suits you are:
While we suggest a certified professional undertake any major repairs, there are some steps you can take to maintain your door. They are:
A “cycle” is one full opening and closing action. Garage door torsion springs are rated by cycle life, with 10,000 cycles as the industry standard minimum. Upgrades are available to around 100,000 cycles. The average spring breaks about every 7 to 12 years with average usage for the recommended product. If a garage door has two or more springs and one breaks, all springs should be replaced to maintain proper balance.
The leading causes of garage door failure and/or replacement include lack of maintenance and being hit by vehicles. A proper maintenance schedule for a garage door includes lubrication of the rollers, bearings, pulleys, and springs once a year; washing painted steel surfaces several times a year; painting or refinishing wood surfaces as necessary; and making proper adjustments to the counter balance system as necessary to maintain door balance. A properly balanced garage door should be able to be stopped mid-travel without drifting down or up when operated manually.
This is the area between garage door sections. People have been injured by attempting to close a door by placing their fingers in an open section joint and pulling down on the door. Some garage doors are now being equipped with finger-protected section joints that won't allow you to place your fingers in the joint. As a safety precaution, however, never attempt to place your fingers in the section joint.
The corner brackets are the two brackets that are attached to the lower left and lower right corners of the door. The cables that lift your garage door are typically attached to these brackets. Since these cables are under high tension, the brackets could fly dangerously when disconnected. Only an experienced technician should service these brackets.
Garage doors are typically balanced either by torsion springs or extension springs. Extension springs are generally mounted just above the horizontal track, perpendicular to the closed garage door. They provide lifting power by stretching.
If an extension spring breaks, broken spring parts can cause injury by flying around the garage. However, a safety cable, installed inside each extension spring, can contain the spring and prevent injury. If you have extension springs but do not have a safety cable, call us for a safety inspection. Only an experienced technician should service garage door springs.
Garage doors are typically balanced either by torsion springs or extension springs. Torsion springs are usually mounted above a closed door, parallel and horizontal to the top section of the door. They provide lifting power for the door by winding and unwinding while the door is opened and closed.
The torsion spring is under high tension and requires special tools for adjustment. Because of the high tension, the torsion spring, and any part associated with the counterbalance system, should be adjusted only by a professional. These parts include: the springs, the cables, the corner brackets attached to the cables, the cable drums, and the center bearing bracket that holds the torsion spring shaft.
A garage door opener is a separate product from a garage door. Openers are electric motorized devices that open and close garage doors. Most garage door openers include an internal reversing mechanism that causes the door to reverse when it hits an obstruction. However, garage door openers with inadequate or poorly maintained reversing mechanisms have caused injury and even death to children who are caught underneath motor-operated garage doors.
The sensitivity of these internal reversing mechanisms can fall out of proper adjustment so that the door will not reverse when it hits an obstruction. You should check your reversing mechanism monthly by setting a block of wood or a full roll of paper towels on the floor in the path of a descending door. If the door does not reverse after contacting the obstruction, call a Fawley to examine and repair your door system.
A lift handle is a handle attached to the door that allows you to manually open or close a door. A pull rope performs the same function and is usually attached to the bottom bracket in the lower corner of the door.
The lift handles and pull ropes are intended for use with a door that is opened and closed by hand. But when an opener is attached to the door, the pull rope should be removed. Otherwise, they can snag or hook on people or loose clothing while the door is being opened by the operator. If you have a power outage and need to manually close your motor-operated door, don't close the door by placing your fingers between the door sections.
Photoelectric eyes are sensors that are mounted about 5 to 6 inches off the floor on both sides of a garage door. These sensors operate with a garage door opener and send an invisible beam across the door opening. If that beam is broken while a motorized door is closing, the garage door opener will cause the door to reverse direction to the fully open position.
A sensing edge is attached to the bottom edge of a garage door. When this sensor contacts an obstruction during the closing of the door, the opener will cause the door to reverse direction to the fully open position.
A federal law requires that all residential garage door openers sold in the United States since 1993 must include an additional protection against entrapment, such as photoelectric eyes or a sensing edge. The law also requires that, if these sensors become inoperative, the opener will not function. Your garage door opener can be dangerous if it does not have these safety devices.
Garage door openers are usually operated by a wall-mounted push button, a hand-held remote control, or a keyless entry pad that requires you to enter a numerical code. Small children have been seriously injured by playing with the remote controls of motor-operated garage doors. Running under a closing door can be a deadly game. Do not let children play with or use the push button or any remote controls for your door. Keep all such controls out of the reach of children.
If your garage door does not operate, the door is a potential hazard. Do not try to fix on your own, instead contact a professionally trained garage door dealer. Another reason to replace a garage door is to enhance your home’s curb appeal. According to the 2010 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report, garage door replacement is the #2 remodeling project in regards to return on investment. The report states that replacing your garage door will return 84% of the cost at the time of home sale. Lastly, your current garage door may be fading, sagging and just in need of a replacement. If you have a wood garage door that needs re-painting, replacing it with a new pre-painted steel garage door may be a better value. Painting a garage door adds significant weight to a door which may affect the spring and the performance of the garage door and opener.
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