garage door Archives - Garage Tailors

Top Tips to Keep Your Garage Safe and Secure

December 12, 2019 by R. Scully

Always make your garage safe against burglars

How do you keep your garage safe? When considering home security, garage safety is often overlooked. This can become a problem because it is one of the most vulnerable home security areas. Items inside the garage – lawnmowers, cars, and power tools – are tempting to thieves. And once an intruder enters your garage, they can gain easier access to the rest of your home.

Are Your Garage Safety Measures Protecting Your Home and Family?

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Try these top tips to secure your garage.

Have a security system installed. A security system in your garage is your best line of defense. If an intruder tries to enter your garage when your system is activated, the alarm will sound, and emergency services will be dispatched.

When it comes to choosing the right security provider, there are many things to consider. Motion sensor detector can make your garage safe

Keep your windows obscured. Cover any windows in the garage with curtains or blinds so potential burglars can’t window shop. If that isn’t possible, apply an opaque or translucent film to the glass. This lets light in but prevents others from seeing inside.

Enhance your garage safety with motion detector lights. Upgrade your current light fixtures in and around the garage to motion detector lights. These detectors are infrared waves that will detect moving objects and body temperature. When warm objects, like cars, people, and animals are detected a light turns on and stays on for a predetermined time then shuts offs, unless motion is detected.

Things To Consider In Keeping Your Garage Safe

Safeguard the garage door. The door that leads into your home from the garage should be as secure as all your other external doors. You want to stop any possible intruders from making it any farther into your home if they do make it into your garage. Be sure that your garage door locks securely. This can be accomplished by adding a deadbolt, installing more than one lock, or using padlocks that require a programmed entry code.

Don’t leave your garage remote in the car. You can avoid giving an intruder easy access to your garage by taking the remote with you, whether you’re headed into the office or parked in the driveway for the night. Don’t leave your garage door opener remote in the car, even when it’s parked in the garage. You can purchase a small keychain remote to replace your big remote.

Utilize timers. When your garage door is inadvertently left open, it’s an open invitation for anyone to enter. To enforce your garage safety, install a timer that tells your garage door opener to close the door after a set amount of time.

Consider Inside Hazards As Well

Hang items securely on the wall. Get wall storage racks that let you hang – and secure – tools and other items so they don’t fall. Securely hanging items such garden tools means it won’t be a tripping hazard. If you have chemicals that could be harmful to kids or pets, get a cabinet or other garage storage options to keep it locked away.

So do you have sufficient garage safety measure in place? Find out how our garage storage options can help by communicating with one of our garage organization specialists. Call us today or visit our website to schedule a free in-home consultation. While on our site, be sure to check out our transformations page.

Winter Garage Door Maintenance

February 6, 2018 by Rick Scully

With all this snow, ice and fluctuating temperatures, our garages weather storms and thaws that take its toll on our homes. Especially, cold winter days affects the exterior areas of our home including the garage door and the mechanisms that allow it to continue to function flawlessly and effectively.

Neglecting the changing weather conditions will lead to unforeseen hiccups in the early morning work routines to get to work causing stress that we can all easily avoid. Here are some ways to prepare and avoid possible problems which an overnight winter freeze can cause for homeowners.

Replacing Broken Garage Door Springs

Broken garage door springs are a very common garage door repair. Garage doors with the adequate number of garage door springs installed for the size and weight of the garage door will last on average ten thousand cycles. One cycle is one opening followed by one closing of the garage door. If there are two vehicles leaving and entering the garage at different times of the day, these springs may last about 5 years. If you have a more hectic family lifestyle than two cycles per day, you may want to invest in extended lifespan torsion springs which cost more but can last up to 4x longer.

To assess whether the garage door springs may need replacement, take a look to see if there is rust on the springs. Rusty springs may mean that your garage door springs are on the way out. To prevent rust build up and maximize the life of the garage door springs, spray the springs down 3 to 4 times per year with WD-40. If there is already rust on the springs, you’ll want to test them further.

Garage Door Balance Check

A garage door balance check will help determine if the torsion springs are losing their effectiveness and will need replacement. The garage door balance check should be done once a year especially in the winter when springs are most likely to fail. The garage door balance check is easy to do.

To check door balance, lift the door halfway up and let it go. If the springs are in good working order, the door should sit completely still as it is let go. If the door drops or sags as it is let go, the torsion springs are showing wear and tear. It’s probably time to change the garage springs to avoid any issues.

Garage Door Cable Repairs

If the garage door doesn’t work, it may mean the garage door cable is broken. The garage cable or sometimes called aircraft cable is used to prevent the garage door spring from flying off like a bullet if it were to snap. The cable is located near the bottom corner of the door and loops up to the top of the door where it counterbalances the tension of the spring. The cable itself is under a lot of tension so it’s not advisable for the average person to try to replace it.

Instead, prevent damage to vehicles and belongings or injury to family members by checking the cable and preventing a cable failure. To check garage door cables, do a visual inspection and look for corrosion, rust, or fraying garage door cables. If any of these signs appear, call in a specialist to replace the cables.

Have Smooth Running Garage Door Rollers

Garage door rollers make sure the garage door rolls up smoothly and quietly. They either have open ball bearings or enclosed ones. If they have open bearings, then they should be lubricated 3 – 4 times per year to ensure long lasting rollers.

If you see that there is damage to either the rubber or nylon parts of the rollers then it’s time to replace the rollers. Other signs that the garage door rollers need replacement include wiggling of the rollers in the track as the door rolls up or down. Or, if you see the roller is locked and / or you hear grinding of the door as it opens or closes, the rollers are in need of replacement.

When the Garage Door is Frozen Shut

Each year, the weather stripping should be checked for cracks, breaks and pliability to assure that it is doing its job. Not only does it help save energy and keep the garage and vehicles warm for an easy to start to the day, but it also prevents the garage door from becoming stuck.

If on an icy morning, the garage door has becomes frozen shut and you have checked that the door is not damaged in some other way, check to make sure it is unlocked. Then, use the release cord to manually open the door. If the garage door will not open with some moderate effort, then you may need to use a hair dryer or heat gun and alternatively, hot water to melt the ice below the garage door.

On days, where you suspect an overnight freeze, be sure to apply some rock salt around the base of the garage door. Also, it’s a good idea to apply WD-40 to the weather stripping along the bottom edge of the door to improve your chances of avoiding a garage door being frozen shut.

The Annual Garage Door Check Up

If you garage door is functioning well, an annual garage door checkup is the best way to ensure that all the parts are operating well and to replace or repair parts before they malfunction. You can take all these steps yourself or call a professional service such as Aurora Overhead Doors Inc. to do the repairs safely.

Garage Door Challenges of Winter

February 7, 2017 by Rick Scully

The garage door has been rattling off and on for the last few weeks. Now, on a cold winter morning with ice and snow everywhere, the garage door refuses to open. It’s time to call the office, get alternative transportation for the kids and someone to help get the door moving again for the next day.

To get out of a pinch like this one, there are garage door services to help. Even better, with a few minutes of inspection and some care tips, we can all elude a troublesome morning because of a malfunctioning garage door.

Worn Out Moving Parts of a Garage Door

If we think about it, the garage door opens and closes almost daily and mostly, twice daily. Worn out parts is a natural part of the life of a garage door. Listening and paying attention for squeaking, rumbling and other sounds from the garage door is a way to remain alert to potential issues. Following up with a visual inspection of the moving parts while the door is opening and closing allows us to find and replace worn parts before they prevent the garage door from opening or closing.

The moving parts to inspect are the rollers, hinges, bearings and latches. Replacing these worn out parts will keep the garage door operational and running smoothly all year around. By getting parts replaced along with regular checkups of the garage door, any problems will be prevented without disrepair.

Clear and Properly Aligned Tracks

If the garage door sounds persist, it may be the garage door tracks. The place to start is checking for impediments in the door tracks such as leaves, gravel, dirt and salt. Impediments can cause premature wear and tear to parts such as rollers and other parts.

If the tracks are clear and the sound is a rubbing sound, it could be the door tracks are not aligned. This may be due to something as simple as a loose screw. If that’s not the case, then err on the side of caution by calling in overhead door professionals to assure the tracks get aligned properly. A garage door which is properly balanced and with garage door tracks aligned will reduce wear and tear on the parts to ensure long lasting and problem free garage door ownership.

When it comes to a balanced garage door and properly align garage door tracks, leave it to the trained professionals for peace of mind.

Metal Parts Need Lubricants

Many of the garage door parts are metal. Lubricants such as silicone based ones or grease help prevent friction between parts as well as expansion of metal which causes ill-fitting parts to rub together unnecessarily. Lubricants protect metals from freezing or freezing to other parts. With lubricants, metal parts continue to glide smoothly over each other even when frigid temperatures settle in. Assure lubricants are clean and the correct viscosity for the cold of winter and then again for the heat of summer.

Check with your local garage door expert for advice on lubricants which work best for the seasons experienced in your region.

Reduce Drafts with Fresh Weather-Stripping

The weather-stripping that runs along the bottom edge of the garage door serves to prevent cold air from rushing into the garage. If there are broken edges to the weather-stripping, the garage and house may be losing heat. This makes it more difficult to maintain a warm garage and home.

Weather stripping should be soft and pliable to effectively seal against water and cold. Brittle weather-stripping is more likely to lift and collect ice at the base of the door. Weather-stripping in good condition will also keep out insects and small rodents. Care for the weather-stripping of your garage door and it will protect your family and home.

If you’re handy, there are many YouTube videos and help by the local hardware store to show you how to replace the weather-stripping. Otherwise, request a weather-stripping replacement from a local handyman or garage door specialist.

Checking the Auto-Reverse Safety Features

Automatic garage doors come with a safety feature so loved ones will be protected from the closing mechanism should they be in the path of the garage door while the door is on its way down. The way to test if the safety features are still working properly is to place a piece of wood or a brick on the ground in the path of the garage door. Then, push the button to close the garage door. When the garage door presses against the wood or brick, it should release and return back to an open position. If your garage door is not doing this then there is something amiss.

If your garage door has photoelectric sensors, it might be the photo eye that is a problem. To test the photo eye, wave the handle of a broom or shovel in front the photo eye sensor while the garage door is closing. The door should reverse when the sensor beam is broken and return to an open door position. If this is not happening, start by wiping the front of the sensor to clean the path for the beam to appear.

If the path of the beam is clear, the next step is to make sure the sensor is pointed towards the sensor on the opposite side of the garage door opening. If not, the sensor may have been knocked out of place so a small adjustment may re-align it and make it activate again.

If any of these safety features continue to malfunction, it’s time to have your trained garage door professional troubleshoot the safety mechanisms so your family will remain unharmed.

General Care for a Garage Door

Overall, a semi-annual check of your door for wood chips, rust and fraying tension cables will help maintain your garage door for many years of use. While the handyman in the family can sand wood and rust from garage door parts, seek a professional if you find any fraying tension cables. Garage doors can be very heavy so a well-maintained door is important to its daily function and to your family’s well-being.

An ignored garage door can lead to a wide range nuisances, damage to vehicles and most importantly, endanger the safety of family members. If you believe there may be an issue, call your local professional today and make a semi-annual garage door inspection part of a garage maintenance routine.

Protect Your Garage Door during Winter Weather

December 15, 2015 by Rick Scully

Harsh Canadian winters are tough on roads and automobiles. The weather can also wreak havoc on your garage door. Ice and snow builds up beneath the garage door, freezing it shut. Metal components contract and seize up in extreme temperatures. Old lubricating grease hardens when temperatures drop, gumming up the tracks. While some issues cause minor inconveniences, others can lead to expensive damage to your garage door or garage opener.

Whether your garage is unfinished or you’ve invested in a snazzy garage renovation, you want to protect your home and the items stored inside your garage. Not all of the consequences of brutal winter weather can be avoided. However, a few preventive steps will greatly reduce the likelihood you’ll return home to the aggravation of a frozen garage door.

Inspect Your Garage Door Regularly

Like many elements of your home and car, your garage door should be inspected regularly. From inside, with the garage door closed, do a monthly inspection of the door and its moving components. Examine rollers, pulley, cables and springs for damage or excessive wear. Confirm that the mounting hardware is securely fastened.

If you see evidence of damage to cables or torsion springs, do not try to adjust them yourself. This can cause injury to you or severe damage to the garage door. Instead, consult a garage door professional who can take care of trickier maintenance and repair issues for you. If you don’t know one, a good garage renovation specialist can likely recommend one for you.

Get the Gunk Out

The moving parts of your garage door require lubricant to slide against one another easily each time the garage door is opened or closed. The grease used to lubricate garage door parts can thicken over time. Debris also tends to collect in the tracks and on the rollers, interfering with movement.

When air temperature dips considerably, the old grease and debris caught in the tracks tends to harden. This clogs the tracks and prevents normal operation of your garage door. To remove built-up gunk, use a damp cloth to remove debris and grease that has built up inside the tracks or on other parts.

Lubricate Your Garage Door

Once you’ve cleared away the hardened grease, get a good grade of silicone lubricant made for use with garage doors. For smooth, trouble-free operation during the winter, and year-round, all the moving parts of your garage door must stay lubricated. Spray rollers, bushings and hinges liberally with the lubricant. Then spray between the sections of the garage door to prevent them from sticking together during icy weather. Do not spray the spring, the chain, the bottom of the chain rail or the track.

Check periodically to ensure that all components are lubricated and operating optimally. Reapply lubricant, as needed. However, be careful not to lube components too much. Too much lubrication can interfere with the alignment of the rollers and lead to a buildup of gunky grease again.

Keep your silicone lubricant and any other household items out of the reach of pets and small children. A locked storage cabinet or high garage shelving are ideal for storing such household items.

Clean and Examine Weather Stripping

The weather stripping beneath your garage door plays an important role. It prevents water, snow, ice and debris from entering your garage. Frequent use of the garage door puts wear and tear on the weather seal. When the weather stripping is compromised, water and dust can get into the garage and damage items stored there. Ice and snow will also build up beneath the garage door if the weather stripping is worn or damaged. If this happens, you could return home from a long day of work one wintry evening to discover that your garage door is frozen to the ground.

Maintain your weather stripping to protect your garage door and the opening mechanism, which can be damaged when you try to raise a garage door that has been frozen shut. First, take a rag and wipe down the seal, inside and out. Then, thoroughly examine the weather stripping. Check for cracks, wear and missing pieces. Test the seal to ensure it is keeping cold air and moisture outside.

If your garage door weather stripping has been damaged, replacing it is an easy fix. Purchase a good garage door seal and install it after removing the old one. If you’d rather not tackle the job yourself, a garage door professional can handle the job for you.

For added protection in the event that moisture does get inside the garage, store items inside your garage above ground whenever possible. A good slatwall organization system, garage storage cabinets and overhead garage storage racks will keep your belongings high and dry if water or ice gets inside.

Five Essential Tips for Maintaining and Organizing Your Garage

December 16, 2014 by Rick Scully

As the year quickly draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to recap some of our favorite garage renovation tips from this past year.

Winterize Your Garage (and Everything in It)

If you haven’t already prepped your garage for winter, there’s no time like the present. Defend your garage, and home, against the harsh, cold weather by doing the following:

Replace the batteries in your garage door openers.
Check garage door weather stripping and replace, if needed.
Check all moving parts of the garage door. Get a pro to repair damaged or malfunctioning parts.
Lubricate garage door rollersand hinges to ensure smooth operation.
Test the garage door safety reverse sensor. If not functioning correctly, adjust the sensors or have them repaired.
Shut off water supply to exterior spigot.

Use Specialized Solutions for Your Unique Storage Needs

If your garage is stuffed to the gills, preventing you from parking your car(s) inside, specialized storage solutions could be the answer to your problems. Bulky items, like lawn mowers, snow plows, motorcycles and canoes take up considerable room in a garage. However, there are a variety of specialized garage storage solutions that can help. Here are a few:

Tire racks–Specialized tire storage racks come in a variety of configurations, allowing tires to be stored vertically or horizontally, on a wall or overhead.
Lawn mower racks or lifts – Riding and push mowers take up substantial garage space, making it difficult to park vehicles inside. Worse, vehicles can get scratched when the door is opened, or while the lawn mower is being moved.Lawn mower racks store push mowers off the ground, so additional items can be stored underneath. For a riding mower, a motorized lift will lift and lower the riding mower with the push of a button.
Motorcycle lifts – Motorcycles often hijack space needed for the snow blower, or to park a second vehicle. A professionally-installed motorcycle lift can safely store the bike off the ground, reserving premium garage floor space.
Kayak and paddle board racks – It can be tricky to find just the right place to store these seasonal items in your garage. If not properly stored, expensive paddle boards and kayaks are easily scratched or toppled. However, specialized kayak and paddle board racks provide safe, attractive storage for these items.Overhead, wall-mounted and freestanding racks are available. Many models can hold multiple boards/kayaks.
Overhead pulley systems – Canoes, truck caps and other heavy items which must be lowered onto a vehicle are excellent candidates for an overhead pulley system. Such a system allows users to lift and lower heavy items with minimal effort. Pulley systems are also available for single, double or multiple bicycle storage.

Maximize Garage Storage

The specialty storage solutions outlined above lift bulky items and preserve essential floor space. However, a variety of smaller items also pilfer valuable space when stored at ground level. A wall organizer system is the key to maximizing garage storage space by storing items vertically. Once installed, a professional-grade garage wall organization system, like slatwall, has infinite configurability, thanks to corresponding accessories:

Baskets – Store balls, sports pads, household goods and other items in baskets. Create a separate basket for each task, sport or individual.
Hooks – Use hooks to hang a wide range of items from gardening tools to sporting equipment, like hockey gear and bicycles.
Shelving – Shelves fit into the grooves in slatwall, enabling heavy items to be stored securely. High shelving provides the perfect storage space for items that should be kept out of the reach of pets and children, like automotive fluids, household chemicals or flower pots.
Specialty hooks – Many professional-grade garage wall organization systems offer specialty hooks for items like golf equipment, skateboards, snowboards and more.

All hooks, baskets and shelves can easily be relocated, creating endless configuration possibilities.

Find a Way to Use “Unusable” Garage Space

One of the keys to maximizing storage space in your garage is to find clever ways to make use of “unusable” space. Look around your garage. Perhaps you have high ceilings, oddly configured corners, poorly placed appliances and other dead spaces that create storage challenges. However, a garage renovation specialist can find creative solutions for such challenges, like custom-built overhead platforms; custom-built or customizable cabinetry; custom-built slings for storing canoes and rooftop sports equipment carriers overhead; and other custom-built options.

Make Keeping the Garage Organized a Family Affair

Standing back and surveying a neat, organized garage almost makes the entire Saturday you spent cleaning it feel worthwhile. But what happens a week later, once the entire family goes back to using the garage as a dumping ground? The garage quickly returns to utter chaos. This often occurs because only one person in the family is charged with the responsibility of keeping it clean. Put an end to this cycle of chaos. Get the entire family invested in keeping the garage organized. If everyone contributes to the hard work of cleaning and organizing the garage, they are more likely to work toward keeping it that way.

Explore these and other garage renovation and organization topics to ring in the new year with a clean, organized garage that will stay that way.

Easy Garage Maintenance

July 19, 2011 by Rick Scully

Summertime is the perfect time to do a little maintenance on the garage.

Oil the rails on the garage door with a lubricant (such as WD-40) to make sure it runs smoothly.
Clear any spider webs from the electronic eye on the garage door.
If you need a new garage door, contact Aurora Overhead Doors for a quote.
If you use extension cords to connect your garage door power, consider having a receptacle installed in the ceiling. Extension cords are really only safe for temporary use.
Improve your lighting. Ask us about T8 fluorescent bulbs. They stand up to cold temperatures and provide lots of light.

Keep your things and your family safe. Change the code on your garage door periodically.

Also, kids are in an out of the garage this time of year looking for their toys and sports equipment, or even playing hide-and-go seek. Make sure dangerous tools and chemicals are locked away in cabinets and their toys are on low shelves or hanging on hooks within easy reach.

Any questions? Give us a call.

How to prevent garage and car doors from freezing

January 17, 2011 by Rick Scully

It’s a bitter cold day and you’re running late for work when you discover your garage door is frozen shut. In your haste, you’re forced to tug at the door manually, which aside from being hard work can actually damage the door’s rubber seal.

We specialize in garage storage, not garage doors, but this much we know: the solution to a frozen garage door is prevention.

Keep the area where your garage door meets your garage floor completely clear of snow and ice. Sprinkle a little table salt over the entire length of this meeting point to prevent the rubber seal from freezing to the ground in the event any moisture freezes over. One treatment won’t last all winter, so store a tub of table salt in your garage for easy access, and reapply salt from time to time.

While we’re on the subject of frozen doors, you may also want to spray your car doors and trunk hinges with WD-40. Using the WD-40 straw, give the locks a liberal dose, too. Reapply periodically. While this will minimize chances of freezing, it’s no guarantee, so keep a small bottle of de-icer on you at all times.

Best of luck!

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