The garage door industry is full of companies that do the job the right way and truly care about their customers, but there are scams in the industry that you want to try to avoid.

When your garage door breaks, you want it fixed quickly, but you do not want to overpay for the repairs. How can you avoid the scams ?

1. Referrals from family and friends who have used a company and received good service.
2. Community blogs and newsletters.
3. Use yelp reviews and reviews on other social media sites.
4. BBB reviews
5. When considering a company, check and see if their company has a physical address and if that address really exists.
6. Ask if they have a showroom that you can come to.

When the technician arrives:

1. Is the technician driving a company vehicle ?
2. Is the technician wearing a company uniform and or name badge ?
3. Have the technician explain why a part needs to be replaced. If they try to scare you by saying your garage door might fall on you without this part being replaced, they might be selling you parts you do not need. They should be able to explain manufacturer recommendations for when to replace the parts.
4. Have technician explain how the part works in the overall garage door system.
5. Be clear on the parts and labor warranty and ask if the warranty is in writing.
6. Make sure you will receive a detailed receipt showing all parts replaced.

At the end of the day your garage door company should want to be sure you are satisfied with the work that was performed and that the garage door and or opener are functioning properly. If you ask the appropriate questions and do research on the company, you should be able to find a company that will repair your door and or opener properly, at a fair price and provide a good warranty on the work they perform.

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Many people look at garage doors and do not consider the impact your garage door has on your home. In a recent study posted at www.costvsvalue.com, they reported that adding an upscale garage door returned the largest percentage on investment at 85% of any of the 10 remodel projects they studied. The study cited that 10 of the top 13 projects were on the exterior of the home, leading to the conclusion that drive up appeal makes a difference in recouping project costs when you sale your home.

When considering an upscale garage door, it is important to consider insulation as well as design and color of the garage door. The color and style of the garage door will help with the curb appeal of the home, but having an insulated garage door will address the more practical energy efficiency of the home.

Design and color options on a garage door are almost limitless. You can chose a basic garage door in short or long panel design in the basic colors of white, almond, sandstone, desert tan and chocolate. This is just the basic plain garage door. You can have this door with or without insulation and even in a steel back or three layer design. You can chose to add windows and window inserts which add to the drive up appeal, but may not suit your needs or desires. These are just basic designs and while they are very fine doors and perform the garage doors designed task, they may not add that architectural feature you want, and may not provide the return on investment that an upscale garage door will.

When considering upscale garage door designs it is important to match it to the design of your home. You may want a very modern look with straight lines and smooth panels and you may want a custom color that enhances the other design elements of your home. You may want a door with windows on every panel these are all available. If you want a classic look we have many options as well. There are many classic window designs and many colors including wood and wood look options. You may want the carriage house look with handles and hinges. There are a vast number of options available to you.

When considering a new garage door you should also consider an insulated garage door as an option. Insulation can be a simple two layer design that provides a small amount of R value or you can choose a steel back or three layer design that offers greater R values. Steel back doors start at 1 ⅜ inches thick and go up from there. The steel back/three layer design utilizes a layer of steel on the outside then a layer of styrofoam or polystyrene and then another layer of steel on the inside. These steel back/ three layer garage doors offer greater R value than non-insulated or two layer garage door. Steel back/ three layer garage doors are also stronger and more durable than 1 or 2 layer garage doors.

Garages with insulated garage doors still get cold, but not as cold as garages without insulated garage doors. Some estimates suggest that if it is 20 degrees outside and you have an uninsulated garage door the temperature in the garage would be around 30 degrees, but with and insulated garage door the temperature would be around 42 degrees. This can make a huge difference, especially in colder climates. Insulated doors also help to create a barrier from the cold outside and the warm inside of your home, it creates a vestibule effect. This can be important if there is living space above the garage.

Your garage door is probably the largest opening in your home, so spending a little extra for the garage door can save you money on your energy bill for years to come.

Upscale garage doors, that net a greater return at resale, are not basic single layer garage doors. Upscale garage doors are generally insulated and design wise they enhance the curb appeal of your home.

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Garage door cables are made of wires wound together to create strands and then the strands are wound together to make the cables. Garage door cables are very strong and there are different gauges and lengths for different size and weight garage doors.

The garage door cables work with the spring(s) and drums to raise the garage door. The spring(s) provide the counterbalance/strength while the drums and cables do the lifting. It is important that the cables and drums are in good condition since they actually lift and support the garage door.

Cables should be inspected at least once per year and replaced if damage to the cables are noticed. The most common failure is when the cables begin to fray. If the cables are fraying, you will notice in a visual inspection that some of the wires are broken and the cables are beginning to separate from each other. If you see fraying to the cables it is time to replace them. If a cable breaks while the door is opening or closing.the door can go sideways or off track. If the door goes off track due to a cable breaking there is a strong possibility that other components will also be damaged. It is very important to inspect the loop on the cable that attaches to the bottom bracket. This loop and bottom bracket are mounted on the bottom of the bottom panel on both sides of the garage door. These loops actually attach the cable, drums and spring system to the garage door to allow you to easily open and close your garage door.

When inspecting the cables you also want to look for rusting or oxidation building up on the cables. If you notice rust or oxidation on the cables it is a good idea to go ahead and replace the cables as these are weak spots where the cable may soon break.
To maintain the cables and prolong the life of the cables I recommend spraying the cables at minimum once a year with a garage door spray lube. The spray lube will help prevent rusting and oxidation that can cause the cables to fail prematurely.
If you notice the cables are beginning to fray, be sure you check the balance of the garage door. Many times if the cables are frayed, the spring(s) have gotten weak putting added stress on the cables.

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Many DIY’ers believe that they can go to Home Depot, or a local home improvement store, and buy a

garage door of the same quality as one they purchase from a garage door service company. The truth is

these items are often made of inferior materials when compared to professional grade garage doors.

First let’s consider the gauge of metal used to manufacture the garage door panels. At your local home

improvement store the metal will be of a lighter gauge, usually 26, 27 or 28 gauge, while professional

grade doors typically start at 25 gauge with heavier gauges also available. Remember the larger number

the gauge the lighter weight the steel. Lighter weight doors tend to bend easier and are subject to a

shorter life span.

Next we will consider the garage door components. The first component is the hinges, hinges help

support the weight of the garage door and allow the door sections to pivot during the opening and

closing process. The hinges need to be made of material strong enough to withstand regular use without

failure. Most home improvement store garage doors come with very light weight hinges that will not

withstand regular use very well. Professional grade garage doors come with hinges made of a heavier

gauge steel that has been designed and tested for use on the heavy garage doors and under the

extreme conditions that can be present in your garage. Next consider the rollers. Home improvement

stores typically only have the plastic rollers with no ball bearings, compared to professional grade doors

that come with nylon 11 ball bearing rollers. The plastic rollers are simply builder grade that wear out in

3-5 years while nylon 11 bearing rollers will last 5-10 years if properly maintained. Next are the tracks,

again home improvement stores provide very light weight tracks while professional grade garage doors

come with heavier tracks that will withstand regular use much better.

Finally we need to consider the spring system available from each. Home Improvement stores typically

will only offer extension springs for the DIY’er. This is an older and less reliable system that can also be

dangerous if a spring breaks. In this scenario the broken spring can become a projectile that can damage

property and cause serious injury even death to people. Professional grade doors typically come with

newer and safer extension spring system. The extension spring system contain the spring on a spring bar

that prevents the spring from becoming a projectile if the spring breaks. Garage door springs work as a

counter balance for the weight of the garage door and achieving perfect balance is the goal for the

garage door spring. Torsion springs are easier and better for balancing a door than the older extension

spring system.

Many home improvement stores sale the garage door and some of the components separately, which

push the price over what you would pay for a professional grade door that is installed by a garage door

technician. Many home improvement stores require you to purchase a separate ceiling mounting kit

that consists basically of punch angle that is included in the price of an installed professional grade

garage door. Professional grade doors of all sizes also include a strut preinstalled on the top panel of the

garage door. Struts provide added support and rigidity to the garage door section. This is particularly

important on the top section as the automatic garage door opener attaches to the top section. Garage

doors available from a home improvement store may not include this strut as a standard feature and

require the consumer to purchase it separately.

As stated earlier, the cost of a professional grade garage door installed by a garage door technician, is in

many cases less expensive than purchasing a lighter weight door from a home improvement store and

installing it yourself. Home improvement stores will also have a limited number of styles and colors

available with long wait times if the garage door is not in stock. When purchasing a garage door from a

garage door service company, the styles and options available will be greater, and typically are in stock

or a shorter weight time for special order garage doors.

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When a technician comes to your home to service your garage door, the technician will need to be able

to have access to the entire garage door and the garage door opener.

The technician will need at minimum 1’-2’ of clearance from the side walls to be able to access the

garage door tracks, the drums and cables and the rollers. Items should also be kept clear of this area to

prevent the door from opening or closing on these items. If the door opens or closes on any item it can

damage the garage door and cause the door to go off track.

The technician will also need the garage floor area clear to a distance of, at minimum, 7’-8’ back away

from the garage door. This space will allow the technician space to service the garage door opener or to

install a new garage door opener. This space is also needed when installing a new garage door to allow

the technician space to hang new tracks and do the basic garage door installation.

When a new garage door is being installed, the technician will also need 4’-5’ of clearance in the

driveway, between the door and any cars or items to allow the technician space to install the new

garage door panels.

These distances are minimums to allow for safe installation and servicing. These distances also protect

your items from possible damage during the installation or servicing process. Remember garage door

openings are very large and the garage doors can be very heavy. Space is critical for the work to be done

properly and safely.

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1. When searching for garage door service on the internet, do not use the pay per click

companies. These are usually the first companies listed for the search, with a small AD

box beside the company name. These companies pay as much as $30-$70 and even

more per click. This results in higher prices since not all clicks are converted to calls, and

not all calls are converted to sales. The pay per click sights are more likely to lead to rip

off companies.

2. Google Maps is not recommended as a source for finding garage door repair and service

companies. Companies can enter multiple locations using home and other addresses.

Google maps will send a post card to the location with a code on the postcard. The

company then uses this code to create a new link on the map. Google maps does not

verify this is a valid company or even a valid address. It can be very easy for rip off

companies to create locations using Google Maps.

3. It is best to use the results you will find listed under the Google maps. These are the

organic results of the search. Google uses algorithms to find the most relevant sights

based on your search criteria. These sights are more likely to contain the content you

are searching for.

4. Use YELP! Yelp uses the best algorithms in the world for providing customer reviews.

Yelp is very reliable. Try to find companies with many reviews, more than 10-15. It is

very difficult for companies to put fake reviews in Yelp. The reviews you see in Yelp are

reliable customer reviews. Yelp is not free of problems, but it provides the most

accurate information. Yelp, unlike individual company sights, does not allow the

company to edit or delete the customer’s reviews.

5. Make sure the company will send out a certified technician free of charge. The

company should provide a free estimate, and the technician should be able to perform

the repairs on the spot if a price is agreed on. Companies that trust its pricing will be

happy to send out a technician free of charge, if they are a local company, gas prices

should not equal a service charge just to come out.

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A garage door that randomly opens by itself is not a common problem, but does occur from

time to time. Garage door openers operate on one of many frequencies and while it is possible

for one of your neighbors remotes to open your garage door, it is highly unlikely. Newer

openers operate on rolling codes making it almost impossible for this to happen,

and even on operators more than ten years old there are 10’s of thousands of codes your operator could

If your remote is more than 10 years old and you live near a military base, then it is possible

that your garage door could be opened by equipment used on the military base. This is again

very unlikely, but possible.

One more likely cause is that the electronic circuit board/logic board inside the opener is

malfunctioning. This malfunctioning could be a factory problem or could have been damaged by

a power surge or during a thunderstorm. If the circuit board/logic board is the issue, you can

replace it, if you can find the right circuit board/logic board for the manufacturer and model

number of your garage door opener. If it is an older model these parts may not be available.

Replacing the circuit board/logic board and reprogramming your remotes will likely solve the issue.

You can also purchase a new external receiver. These receivers connect to the opener with two

wires and then must be plugged into an electrical outlet. On the new receiver there will be a

learn button used to program new remotes. Most external receivers will require new remotes

and will not work with your old remotes. A new receiver may or may not work with your

opener, but it is an option, that will work in many cases.

The other common cause is a faulty remote or a remote that is getting accidentally activated

while in a junk drawer or other location in your home or vehicle. To check your remotes, you

will need to locate all of them, even the extra ones you stuck in a drawer. In some cases a

remote is failing and the button has become weak allowing it to randomly activate the door.

Start by removing the batteries from all of the remotes. One by one replace the batteries. After

you replace the battery in the remote watch the learn button light, the learn button light will

flash when the remote is activated. Try shaking and moving the remote around to see if it

accidentally opens the garage door. If shaking and moving it around doesn’t cause the door to

open, then press the button programmed for the remote to make sure it functions. Do this for

each remote. If you find a faulty remote remove the battery from the remote and replace the

remote. Be sure to test every remote and any wireless keypads for this operator.

If this does not identify the problem then it is likely in the circuit board/logic board of your

If you determine it is the circuit board/logic board, you can try to get a replacement board, if

one is available for your opener. Many times parts are not available for older openers in which

case you will need try to using a new external receiver or replace the opener.

A temporary solution is to unplug the opener from the electrical outlet or to disengage the

garage door from the opener by pulling the red rope or handle that is connected to the

trolley. If you disengage the door remember the door can still be opened manually and

should be locked if your door has a manual lock. These options will keep the garage door

from accidental opening.

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 Lubrication is important for all garage door moving parts. Lubrication will help keep your garage door operating smoothly and will prolong the life of the garage door the moving parts of the garage door. Proper lubrication will also help to keep your garage door opener running smooth and prolong its life as well.

Lubrication to the garage door and the moving parts with in the garage door system should be done several times a year. The climate you live in will impact how often lubrication is needed. In most case the garage door and moving parts within the garage door system should be lubricated every 3-4 months to keep them operating smoothly.

It is recommended that the rollers hinges, cables and drums be lightly lubricated with a quality garage door lubrication every 3-4 months. Spray garage door lubricant should be sprayed on each hinge leaving a light film of oil after wiping away excess oil with a rag or paper towel. It is also recommended that each roller be sprayed with garage door lubricant, the spray lubricant should be directed to the ball bearings or around the shaft at the point where it attaches to the wheels in rollers that do not have ball bearings. The drums and cable also need a light coat of spray lubricant to protect them from rust and friction wear.

*Note: Always use a high quality garage door spray lubricant as opposed to WD40 or a similar general purpose oil or lubricant.

Garage door openers need periodical lubrication as well. The garage door opener should only need lubrication twice per year, depending on climate. Check the owner’s manual for your particular make and model of garage door opener for lubrication points and recommended frequency. Use great caution when lubricating a garage door opener, and always unplug the opener from the electric power source before lubricating. (Verify that your garage door opener is unplugged before lubricating to avoid electrical shock) Do not use spray lubricant as the spray can penetrate the electrical components and cause damage to the electrical components. Use quality garage door grease to lubricate the chain and sprocket on chain drive systems, to the screw on screw drive system, and to the lubrication points recommended on a belt drive system.

It is also recommended that the trolley and rails the trolley ride on be lightly lubricated with a quality garage door grease.

Garage Door Spray Lubricants and Grease can be purchased at most hardware stores like Home Depot or Lowes or from a local garage door company in your area.

Veterans Garage Door provides a lube service for garage doors as well as a lube and tune service for your garage door opener.

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There are many reasons why your garage door will not open. Some are very simple fixes while it could also be a serious problem requiring a garage door specialist.

First check to ensure the red trolley release rope has not been disengaged as this would prevent the door from opening using the garage door opener.

Next try using the wall button to open the garage door. If the door opens using the wall button, but not the remote or key pad you may need to reprogram the remote or key pad or replace the batteries.

If the garage door will not open using the wall button or remote: check and make sure the safety lock is not turned on, this is usually a button or switch on the wall button unit. If it is locked, unlock it and test the garage door.

If it is not the safety lock: check and ensure there is power to the unit. The first thing to look for is a GFI or GFCI outlet that has been tripped. These are outlets installed in wet areas of your home and often times in garages. The outlet will have two buttons on it a black test button and a red reset button. if it is tripped press the red reset button. it is a good idea to test these GFI or GCFI plugs regularly. If this was not the problem check the main breakers for your house that are inside the breaker box to make sure none are tripped.

*Note: Always use caution when checking GFI or GFCI plugs and breakers to avoid accidental electrical shock. If you are not comfortable checking these items, call an electrician or a professional garage door technician.

If you have still not located the problem and the door still will not open try releasing the trolley by pulling the red release rope. Now try to raise the door manually. If the garage door opens and closes easily, then the problem is somewhere in the garage door opener or the electrical system within the home. If the garage door will not open or is very difficult to open then you need to visually inspect other parts of the garage door. The easiest thing to see are the spring or springs above or beside the garage door. If the spring or springs are broken you have located at least part of the problem. If the spring or springs are not broken you need to look at the cables on both sides of the garage door. The cables attach to the bottom bracket on the garage door and then follow them up the height of the door and visually make sure they are still attached to the drums. The drums are attached at the ends of the torsion tubes that runs across the top of the garage door opening. This is for a torsion spring system. If the springs are on the sides of the garage door, extension spring system, the cable attach to the bottom bracket on the bottom of the garage door on both sides. The cables then run up the height of the garage door through a pulley system and attach to the springs and finally to an adjustment clip that is attached to the track the rollers ride in.

If you see a broken spring or broken cables it is recommended that you have a garage door service technician inspect your garage door and make recommendations to fix these items and test the garage door system.

If after performing a visual inspection and checking for electrical power to the plug, you still cannot identify any specific cause, call a garage door technician and have the system inspected. A Veteran Garage Door Technician will inspect the door with you and show you the cause or causes and provide options in repairing the system.

*Note: Always use caution when inspecting your garage door and when manually opening the garage door to prevent injury from sharp or broken parts.

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