Garage Door FAQ's
A: All our residential steel doors are already finish painted and ready for years of maintenance-free beauty. However, if you want to apply another color, clean the surface with a powder cleanser like Comet. Rinse the surface thoroughly and allow it to dry. Use an acrylic latex exterior paint and apply it with a brush. Before you start this project, call for a complete set of manufacturers painting instructions.
A: The sky is the limit with color, pick from 1,800 Sherman Williams colors or OptiFinish a process allows the sections to be painted after the sections are built, giving homeowners the unprecedented ability to customize the color of their garage door. We continue to offer the traditional colors of White, Brown, Hunter Green, Almond, Bronze, Grey and Clay.
A: All new Raynor® and Clopay® doors are virtually maintenance free. But here are a few easy maintenance tips that will keep your door looking great and operating dependably for many years.
- Twice a year, oil the torsion springs with a lightweight motor oil (the same motor oil you use in your car). Apply a small “pencil” line of oil lengthwise across the top of the springs, but don’t apply any oil within two inches of the plugs on both ends. (If your door has extension springs, no oil is needed.)
- Also, oil the tracks twice a year by placing a line of oil in the radius (the 18-24 inch curved portion) of the track. Then operate the door up and down; the oil in the tracks will lubricate the rollers. Don’t use grease; it just collects dirt. (Your hinges shouldn’t need lubrication, but if one is squeaking, apply a small amount of the same motor oil to the squeak area.)
- Occasionally wash the door’s exterior with soapy water. Washing keeps your door looking new, and it helps to prevent corrosive substances (like salt) from seeping into micro-cracks that develop in the steel surface.
A: In addition to the instructional information provide in your automobiles manual, Homelink® provides detailed instructions and even video to assist you in programming. Follow this link to get more details. www.homelink.com Or give our office a call, and we would be happy to assist.
- Injury: Installing a garage door is dangerous. Because of the extreme spring tension involved, many novices have been seriously injured or even killed by garage door accidents.
- Accuracy: Precision installation helps your door perform better and last longer.
- Time: It’s not uncommon for a novice to spend all day installing a door, while a professional can do it correctly and safely in two or three hours
- Improper installation could void your warranty.
For these reasons, we urge you to have a qualified door mechanic install your door, and call him again when your door needs repairs or adjustments. It’s money well spent.
- The prices of our doors will vary from dealer to dealer, depending on the local economy, shipping costs, and other market conditions.
- Each door model comes with dozens of possible sizes and options, each with a different price. If we posted prices, we would need to post hundreds of prices for all the possible options and sizes.
- With garage doors and other large, important purchases, it’s a mistake to focus your attention on the price only. Of critical importance is the long-term value of your investment. You don’t save any money when you buy a cheap door that gives you problems and must be replaced in a couple of years.
Instead, we encourage you to contact us for pricing of a specific door model and size, with the options you want for your door.
We will also offer literature at our main office 102 E Walnut. You can call and request a brochure or e-mail us and tell us (1) the literature you need (residential or commercial) and (2) your mailing address. We’ll send it out via email or US postal service within the next business day.
- 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 opener, and other considerations. Making adjustments to old track can end up costing you more money in extra installation time.
- The track and sections work together as a system. For maximum performance and long life, you should use the track that is designed for your specific door.
- If you end up replacing the track later, it will cost you much more to buy the track as a special part and pay for another service call.
- Close your door.
- If you have an opener, pull the emergency disconnect rope/handle so you can operate the door by hand.
- Lift the door manually. You should be able to lift it with one hand, smoothly, and with little resistance.
- The door should stay open by itself around three to four feet above the floor.
- If you have a hard time lifting the door, or if the door does not stay open by its self, the door is probably out of balance and needs adjustment.
A variety of problems can cause this, and if you try to fix it yourself, you could get hurt. We strongly recommend that you call your dealer to diagnose the problem and offer a solution. For more garage door safety information contact Childers Door Of Central Illinois.
Window FAQ’s
Tips
Before you shop for a new exterior entry door, ask yourself these questions. The answers will help you choose the perfect door for your home.
Door Types
What purpose will my door serve? Add beauty and architectural interest to my home’s exterior? Boost energy efficiency? Increase security?
Do I prefer a flush or paneled door?
What type of door finish do I like? Will the door be painted or stained?
Materials & Accessories
What construction material do I prefer? How much rain or sunshine will fall on the door? Will the door warp?
Do I want glass in the door? How about sidelights or transoms?
What hinges and hardware are needed? What kind of finish do I want for the hardware?
Insulation, Security, Light & Durability
How important is energy efficiency to me? How well insulated is the door?
Does the door have weather-stripping around the perimeter?
Does the door meet my home’s security needs?
What maintenance does the door require?
Other Important Questions
What’s my budget for the door? How will I finance the purchase?
How long does the warranty last? Exactly what does it cover?
A standard garage door is subject to conditions of operation and environment. Consequent failure of the product will occur if the following conditions exist:
- Never close the door where an obstruction exists within the opening.
- Never “ride” the door while it is operating.
- Never force the door to operate. If it does not operate smoothly, something is wrong.
- Lubricate all rollers, hinges, springs, locks and bearings once every 3 months with a high quality silicone spray. We do not recommend products like WD 140 or grease, as it will collect dirt and debris that could damage the door operation.
- CHECK for loose nuts and screws, and tighten accordingly.
- Have replaced all bent or worn tracks, brackets, hinges, rollers, or springs immediately.
- Have spring tension adjusted by an Authorized Garage Door dealer periodically to keep the door in balance.
- Maintain a good coat of paint on the wood sections.
- Wash your steel garage door sections with soap and water.
A garage door can be a very dangerous product. Correct operating procedures and service must be maintained. INSPECT your door and if any situation exists that you do not think is right, call Childers immediately. Safety cables are available for extension springs, and are highly recommended for your safety.
It specifically RECOMMENDED that you do not make adjustments to your garage door yourself.
Only trained personnel are equipped to handle the hazards of a garage door. Bodily harm or death can occur if not done properly and with the right tools.
A standards electric garage door operator is designed to replace manual operation and control of a door. If a door cannot be easily operated by hand, an operator is not the solution to the problem. It is not a winch and should never be used as one.
It is recommended that you have a TRAINED PERSON adjust and service your door prior to having an opener installed.
Follow the specific operational, maintenance, and testing procedures supplied by the company installing your automatic opener, or call Childers Door Service of Central Illinois, LLC to do it for you, because we do it right the first time!
BE CERTAIN THAT ALL MEANS OF CONTROLLING THE DOOR ARE KEPT INACCESSIBLE TO CHILDREN.
Common Garage Door Problems:
- Check batteries in remotes and keypads.
- Check breakers to garage.
- Garage door opener has no power coming out of the electrical outlet
- Garage door has a broken Torsion spring (above door), or a broken Extension spring (on side of door)
- Garage door has a broken or disconnected cable
- Garage door opener has some type of mechanical problem
The #1 most common reason:
- The photo sensors safety beams are out of alignment, malfunctioning or something may be blocking them.
- Possible Suggestions to fix Problem:
- Move any object(s) that are near, around or in front of photo sensors that may interfering with the safety beam.
- Make sure the photo sensor LED lights are lit according to your manufacturer’s instructions. (Garage door sensors usually have a red/amber or green lights).
If you find that nothing is blocking the safety beam, the LED lights are lit or you cannot get the lights to go on, contact our office.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DISCONNECT THE PHOTO SENSORS; LAW REQUIRES THEM AND YOUR GARAGE DOOR OPENER WILL NOT WORK WITHOUT THEM!
UL 325 - Residential garage door operators are subject to the safety requirements of the Standard for Door, Drapery, Gate, Louver, and Window Operators and Systems, American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/UL 325. The first edition of ANSI/UL 325 was published in April 1973, with the first UL Listed residential garage door operator established in that same year. The inherent primary entrapment protection reacts upon direct contact of an obstruction. In addition, UL 325 and U.S. federal law have required the system to incorporate a supplementary detection means since 1993. To relieve a pinned person or pet under a partially open door, UL 325 now requires a door starting from a partially open position to stop and then raise a minimum of 2 inches when an obstruction is detected. This is intended to assure that the door will not further pin an individual as well as provide sufficient clearance to release the pinned individual. Once the door stops at its preset distance (2 or more inches), and the obstruction is removed and no longer detected, normal operation is restored. The door operator is subsequently capable of repeating this safety function should the need arise.
If you believe that one of the above listed reasons is your problem please contact our office and we can schedule a time for one of our technicians to go out and repair your garage door and/or garage door opener.