Marietta Garage Door Repair: Garage Door Won’t Open or Close with Remote

How long has it been since you had your garage door installed? Is it a year? A few years? Or perhaps you’re not too certain because it was there when you moved in. Well, no matter how long you have been using that garage door, you should know that your remote may give a few problems at some time or another.

When you find that you have problems with your garage door, whether it is the remote or the door itself, make sure that you give us a call at Marietta Garage Door Repair. We can handle any garage door problem that you are faced with.In fact, if you have a problem with your garage door, please do not try to fix it yourself. No matter where you are living, there should be a reputable garage door technician there that can rectify the problem for you.

Garage Doors come in all shapes and sizes. But, they are all dangerous to work with. Why, you may be wondering? Well, have you ever thought about how heavy your garage door is? It is pretty heavy. And, the bigger the door, the heavier it tends to be. It certainly may not end well if an inexperienced person tries to repair problems to that really big and heavy door. Always let the professionals handle it. After all, that’s why they are there.

 

Garage Door Problems

There are many things that can go wrong with your garage door. Whether the source of your problem is the remote or opener you use or parts on the garage door, there are ways to handle these problems. Unfortunately, some problems may be irreparable and you will have to purchase a new door. But, for the most part, most problems that you experience with your garage door can be repaired easily.

Don’t get it twisted! An easy repair does not necessarily mean an inexpensive one. Some garage door problems can be quite extensive and expensive to repair. But, let’s focus on the problem at hand- your garage door won’t open or close when you use the remote.

 

What’s Causing the Problem? Do You Know?

Several things can cause your garage door remote not to work. Figuring out the exact source or cause of the problem, may take a little work. But, if you know what to check, it may not take a very long time for you to figure it out. If you’re lucky, you may be able to fix the problem yourself, but you may not be so lucky and it could cost you some money to get your garage door remote working again.

If you notice that your remote isn’t opening or closing your garage door, here are some things that may be causing the problem.

  • The garage door is locked.

This is a common oversight. You’re trying to use the remote to open or close the garage door but you have locked it manually. We all forget things at some time or another. Just double check to make sure that your manual lock is not engaged before you start panicking. If it is engaged, there is no way that you will get your garage door to open.

  • Your remote batteries are dead.

One of the easiest and quickest fixes for a non-functional remote is the replacement of dead batteries. If you press the buttons on the remote and you do not see any light in it, chances are that the batteries are your problem. This is especially true if you are able to close or open the garage door otherwise. Try replacing those batteries and see if that does the trick. If not, you will have to move on and check something else. It also means that the problem may require professional help.

  • Your remote needs to be replaced.

Dead batteries are not the only problem that your remote may face. If you change the batteries and the remote still doesn’t work, it may mean that there is some damage to the remote. Depending on what has gone wrong, you may be able to repair that remote. But, sometimes it will be a much cheaper option to get a new remote. Whatever the case, replacing your remote may allow you to open and close your garage door again.

  • The garage door is stuck.

Okay, so your remote for the garage door isn’t working, but have you checked to see if the door will open or close without using that remote. If you haven’t, now is a great time to check for that. If you find that you cannot move the door, it may be because it is stuck. Check to see if there is any large object that is impeding the movement of the door. check the tracks too. There may be some small debris or items in there that is causing it to be stuck too.

  • Your springs are broken or damaged.

The springs on a garage door are very important. If they get damaged or broken, your garage door will not be able to move. No matter how many batteries you change in that remote or how hard you press those buttons, spring damage has to be repaired before that garage door will move with any form of garage door openers. Your best bet will be to open the door manually, but this can be a very dangerous task.

 

How to Fix Your Garage Door Remote

Fixing your garage door remote problem is a very easy task. All you need to do is call a local garage door repair expert to handle it for you. Before you call, make sure you check for problems that you can easily handle on your own. You may not want to hire a technician to provide a service that you could have done yourself. Not sure which repair company to call? We know the perfect one- Marietta Garage Door Repair. We service all types and sizes of garage doors in the Marietta, GA area. Once you have a problem with your garage door, let us know. We will be there for you, but if you need a garage company in your area be sure to do your research and hire the best one!

Garage door maintenance; spores!

Having mold in your garage is a bad thing! Unfortunately, in Marietta, GA we often have damp, humid weather that can foster mold spores in any part of your house or business, including your garage! Most folks associate mold growth with bathrooms, basements, or even kitchens, but garages? If you think about it, garages are ideal for mold to grow in. They are often unventilated, dark, and contain damp or wet spots at times. Marietta Garage Door Repair offers these tips on discovering and removing mold spores in your residential or commercial garage so that you can live a healthier and more productive home or business lifestyle.

New garage mold proofing

Is your garage just now being built? Whether you are a home builder or it’s a do-it-yourself project, you can greatly reduce the possibility of mold spores forming by doing these things. Start by using building materials that mold avoids. For example use metal studs instead of wooden ones. Choose vinyl or aluminum siding for your garage walls instead of wood, and specify to your builder what you are trying to do so that he or she can offer other spore proofing methods. Wood is beautiful and can do a great job but here in Marietta, GA we often entertain wet and humid weather that can foster both mold and wood eating pests.

Mold proofing your already built garage

Is your already built garage made of wood or other non-metal materials? Try keeping mold spores out of there by ensuring that your garage is well ventilated and not air tight. Mold loves damp, dank air and having a well ventilated area can go a long way towards preventing its growth. If you need to, use air dehumidifiers to extract excess moisture out of your residential or commercial garage space.

Fix any leaks

This should be done anyway, but you really need to fix that leaky garage roof if you want to keep mold spores out of your garage! You already know that moisture, darkness and wet environments are perfect spawning grounds for mold and what could be more conducive to its growth than rain leaking through roof cracks or worn roofing tiles?

Wipe your feet!

Just kidding! You do that in the main part of the home, but in the garage; be sure to mop up any snow, water, or other wetness that can be tracked in on your tires. Liquid tends to drip off of your vehicle’s body, tires or radiator and accumulate in small pools where the moisture has the same effect as your leaky roof – enhancing mold growth.

How to eliminate mold spores

As soon as you notice that mold is growing in your garage, you need to work diligently to remove it. You can equate mold with cancer; leave a little bit of it and it will be back in full force! Remove EVERY bit of mold that you find – this is no time for doing a mediocre job!

Mold LOVES porous material. It grows and thrives on concrete walls and floors. Drywall is another porous material that is commonly found in garages. If you have mold growing on any of these surfaces, be sure to clean them well with bleach. Check your walls, floors and garage corners for any growth and use a mixture of one part bleach to four parts water to do it. Be sure to wear gloves and you can scrub the areas with a sponge or brush to remove the spores. If your garage walls are made of unfinished drywall you can just spray the bleach mixture solution directly on it and let it soak in. Don’t forget to clean the actual garage door itself, and not just the floors and walls. Be double sure to open the garage door so that the fumes don’t get to you. In fact, our Marietta Garage Door Repair crew recommends that you not only work in a well ventilated garage, you also should wear a respirator while you clean.

Vinegar works too!

That’s right; vinegar can replace the bleach if you wish to use it instead. Just be sure to use more if it; use one part vinegar to one part water for maximum cleaning strength. Add a tablespoon of dishwashing detergent for every quart of solution and use the white vinegar as opposed to the apple cider one! You can also clean effectively with denatured alcohol. Dab it on full strength with a sponge or spray it – either way works just fine. Let your cleaned garage air out and dry by leaving the door open or using a humidifier or space heater in the winter to remove any moisture.

Warning!

A word of advice; NEVER use ammonia with your bleach mixture. Another “no-no” is mixing white vinegar with hydrogen peroxide. These combinations can be very toxic and should be avoided at all costs. Stick to the above formulas and you’ll be safe and mold free in no time!

Other things to consider…

Many people store items in their garage like boxes of clothes, books and memorabilia. While these things are wonderful to put into storage, avoid cardboard boxes if possible. Use plastic containers that are air tight and stackable instead. Not only do mold spores love cardboard, insects of all kinds do, too. Even the glue holding the cardboard together is a favorite of both mold and bugs. Try and avoid storing rags, fabric and any cloth items as these are also places where mold accumulates and thrives in. You can buy storage containers made of sturdy plastic at Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy and Target. If you like shopping online; try Amazon, Wal-Mart, and even your local Craigslist for container sources.

Mold removal caught early doesn’t have to be a huge problem but it can be! Please be diligent in its removal and you should be able to lead a mold free life. There are many professional mold remediation companies in the greater Marietta, GA area but you shouldn’t need them if you take proper action now!

ARE YOU HAVING GARAGE DOOR TROUBLES? HERE’S WHAT TO DO!

If your garage door is acting up, there are a good number of reasons you could be having difficulties. Some are straightforward, and some are problematic, but you don’t need to despair. Here are some likely possibilities and solutions.

 

 

Easy Issues

 

Your transmitter batteries may be low. Maybe you just need to replace them, and that will get your door open.

 

Garage door won’t close? The photo eyes may be out of alignment. Your garage door has a photo eye on either side, and between them is an invisible beam, which stops the door from closing when broken. Look to see if they have become misaligned or grimy.

 

Does your garage door opener run, but the garage door still doesn’t move? In case of power failure, your garage door opener comes with a disconnect switch, allowing you to open or close your garage door manually. This switch, normally attached to a knob or rope, can inadvertently come unhooked. What you can do:

1  Close or open the door all the way.

2  Securely reattach the hook.

3  Using the transmitter, you can try opening or closing the garage door again. It should work fine this time.

 

Does your garage door opener run a few seconds, then turn off? If your garage door still doesn’t move, this can happen when the door’s closed and the motor tries to lift the door, yet it won’t move.

1  Check the springs.

2  Check the track for possible obstacles.

3   See if your garage door has a built-in lock engaging by mistake. This often happens with older garage doors.

 

Is your garage door opening and closing at random? If your garage door opens or closes by itself, even when you’re away, it’s more than a nuisance. But don’t fret.

1  Check the transmitters. Make sure they’re not stuck under an object that is inadvertently pushing down on the control mechanism. For instance, the transmitters could be under some items you’ve forgotten in your car, or somewhere else close by.

2  Test the transmitters’ frequency. It’s possible that a neighbor of yours may have your same frequency.

 

What if your door goes down all the way, then opens again? Probably the open-and-close limit settings of your garage door opener are out of order. The settings tell the garage door opener how far the door should move before it’s fully closed. If set too high, the door will hit the ground before the opener estimates it should, assuming the door is touching something in its path. If so, it will reverse to keep from crushing it. Check your operator’s manual to find out how to set the open-and-close limits.

 

 

More Complicated Issues

 

Does your garage door close just part way, then open again? A garage door has a reversing mechanism to keep it from crushing an object in its path. The reversing instruction can be triggered by any objects on the ground blocking the garage door’s path ~ such as a bicycle, trash can, or box. There could also be a buildup of debris on the garage door tracks ~ any small object, gum, grime, and so forth ~ preventing the rollers from going forward. This can be a real problem, requiring professional attention.

 

Your garage door track may be out of alignment. The metal track of your garage door must stay properly aligned, or it won’t move. This is serious. Look for any bends in the rails, or gaps between the rollers and the rail. As time passes, the garage door’s weight can compound these issues, so don’t put it off. The door can become dangerous to operate. It’s time to hire an expert.

 

Does your garage door not go up at all? It’s very likely your garage door spring requires attention. Your garage door may have one or two torsion springs, and one or both might be broken. The door will malfunction, or simply not even open. Professional attention is required.

 

Does your garage door close quickly with a bang? You may have a broken tension spring, which normally counters the door’s weight. Another possibility is that the cables connected to the tension spring may be broken. Either problem can be dangerous, and calls for a garage door professional.

 

 

Tips to Prevent Future Issues

 

NEVER TRY to adjust your garage door, unless you’re an engineer! Avoid serious injury! If operated incorrectly, a garage door spring can actually cause severe injury, and even death. The cables, drums, and bottom brackets may also require adjustment. It’s time to hire a trustworthy professional garage door repair company. If you live in Marietta, Georgia, you may want to choose a dependable local company such as Marietta Garage Door Repair.

 

Follow a routine garage door maintenance schedule to prolong the life of your garage door. Particularly if you use your garage as a game room or workshop, you’ll want to keep it in topnotch shape. Keep your garage door rollers, springs, and hinges lubricated ~ at least once a year, before winter. Some experts say it’s best to lubricate them every 3 months. Use a respectable brand, so it won’t dry out. Without lubrication, the springs will rust, and the coils will eventually bind against each other. A light coating is all that’s needed.

 

Schedule an annual inspection with your local garage door repair service. Springs, cables, pulleys, and wires require attention from a professional.

 

Once a month, inspect your garage door system’s components.

1  Replace any worn parts.

2  Tighten down any loose bolts.

3  If you ever notice any strange noises as your garage door opens and closes, be sure to investigate.

 

At least every other year, clean your garage door to give it longer life.

1  Wash both sides with a sponge and mild dish soap and water. Rinse well with clean water.

2  Wash the garage door opener sensor eyes with a dry, clean cloth.

3  Keep the area around the sensors free of grime and cobwebs.

4  If you have a steel garage door, apply car wax if you want cold-weather protection.

5  For a wooden garage door, if you see any signs of peeling and chipping, put on a fresh coat of paint.

 

Garage door maintenance is relatively effortless. The little time required to keep your garage door in excellent shape is worth it. You shouldn’t have to replace it for many years.

Marietta Garage Door Repair: How to Find a Good Garage Door Service

Whether you live in Marietta, GA or anywhere in the world, Marietta Garage Door Repair wants to make the process of finding and hiring a good garage door repair service simpler to navigate through.

A credible professional is guaranteed to bring you full peace of mind. A lot of garage door repair services are quite affordable, operate around the clock and will ensure that your issues are handled in the safest possible manner. Especially in cases like broken springs and malfunctioning components, they will have all the right training and tools to prevent any more damage and provide you with long-lasting protection. You can usually expect a technician to come with a truck filled with an up to date inventory that will enable them to conduct repairs quickly if needed.

But you do need to be wary of scams that may creep up on you in your search for the ideal technician. It’s something that no industry is immune to, which is why being thorough in your research is crucial when selecting the right professional for the job.

So here are few steps to take to ensure that you are making a sound investment.

Get referrals

Word of mouth is still the best way of identifying a good repair service. See if any of your neighbors, friends, family members and trusted acquaintances are able to give you any leads. Note down any recommendations that were made so you can contact and make inquiries yourself.

Investigate closely

We would recommend you contact at least two repair services in your area. Keep your options open and don’t rush things – you need to be certain that your repair technician will give you great value for money.

One way to verify credibility is to check the Better Business Bureau for any complaints filed against them.

Make sure to actually call your selected business to learn more about their services too. It’s the best way to ascertain that you’re not dealing with a sketchy operation.

Key things to ask garage door businesses about include:

  • Details about product warranties
  • Information about credentials like licenses, certifications and insurance
  • Minimum charges for service calls, and what these entail. Some businesses may charge you basic maintenance fees, travel costs, labor, parts among other additional costs.
  • To make sure you’re hiring a local business, ask for a list of customer references in your vicinity
  • Ask how long the business has been operating in the area
  • Get a full price quote from your technician prior to approving any repairs

Money matters

A credible garage door repair service will never make their customers pay full price upfront. Partial deposits are legitimate, but anything more is likely to be a scam.

On that note, garage repairs will seldom set you back thousands of dollars. You need to get the technician to fully explain what you’re paying for – from the identified issue to the costs of repairing the damage.

Be wary of ads

Ads on the Yellow Pages or online should be held with a bit of scrutiny. Look at the language that’s used – boastful language and unverifiable claims like “the very best in the area” should be ringing alarm bells.

On the day of the repairs, try to be present

Hopefully it won’t get to this, but some scam artists will intentionally damage your property so they can get more money out of you. Stay vigilant on site, if possible, just in case the technician doing the repair work is not as credible as you previously envisioned.

Lastly, watch out for these red flags

If in doubt, request clarifications – you don’t want to feel uncomfortable over the ability of the professional you have hired to conduct your repairs. When you think something is truly amiss, check these common warning signs:

  1. The company has no physical address. Some fraudulent businesses will only list a phone number – if they’re not willing to disclose an address, they’re not worth pursuing.
  2. If the company lists an address online, check it too. Similar to the point above, scammers may list an address online for a business that simply doesn’t exist. Use Google Maps to see if the business shows up in that location, or even drive by it to see what’s out there.
  3. Are you getting pressured into making a decision? Don’t cave in, and proceed with caution. High pressure tactics should be ringing alarm bells – be wary if a technician tries to prompt you into making a quick decision by claiming that you need to the repairs immediately to protect your family or property.
  4. Door to door visits – if a company comes to your property unannounced and offers a special deal on repairs, it’s probably best to avoid them.
  5. Check how the company answers the phone. If a generic response like “garage repairs” is used and the person on the other side of the line gets defensive when prompted for the full company’s name, hang up the phone and move on the next business on your list.
  6. Cash payment and pre-payment. Both of these are huge red flags. Do not hire a company that requests full payment upfront, and avoid cash payments as much as possible.

One final thing to keep in mind

A good garage door repair service will have a solid reputation behind them. They’ll be known locally for their reliability and effective solutions, without needing to upsell their skills through loud ads. Customers are likely to spread the word about great businesses, which is why referrals, reviews and impending complaints are your best indicators when tackling the task of picking the top contenders from the unreliable pretenders in the midst.

The best thing about it is that the initial investment will go the extra mile. Once you have found the right repair service, you will be able to call on them whenever you need it for many years to come. So take your time, do your homework, and reap the benefits of your trusted technicians.

Garage Door Safety Tips

As a homeowner, you may never stop to take the time to consider the condition that your garage door might be in as long as it is still working. Even when your garage door is still functioning the way that it should, you should still consider some the safety precautions that should be made when utilizing a garage door. The safety tips presented are especially useful when you have children. Since people use their garage for so many different things, office space, storage, hangout or something else, it is certainly worth considering the safety tips that should be taken in order to remain safe and keep others safe when using your garage.

 

Safety Tips & Precautions

 

  • There is a button that you press in order for the garage door opener to operate. Have the buttons installed high enough that children are not able to reach them.
  • If you are not able to locate your garage door remote, the first place you should look is in the hands of your children. They like to press buttons and since there are buttons on your remote, it is logical to assume they may have the remote.
  • Consult your manual in order to check to make sure your door opener’s reversing mechanism works properly. If you want to keep yourself out of harms way, contact the Marietta, Georgia service technicians at Marietta Garage Door Repair to check this feature for you. The auto reverse helps to protect you. It will stop and retract on its own if something is detected in the path of the door. Again, this is helpful when you have children to protect.
  • Put it on your calendar to inspect your garage door rollers, springs and cables to make sure they are not rusted or misaligned. If they are, it is best to get the help you need right away in order to prevent the door from no longer working.
  • If you have a garage door where children can slide their tiny hands in between the sections, consider having a garage door installed that doesn’t have panels, which could pinch their hands. If you’re not familiar with what this means, simply rely on the services of a professional garage door service technician as a precaution to ensuring no one is harmed by your garage.
  • In order to protect your belongings and possibly even someone who may be housesitting for you, unplug your garage door opener so that the door becomes unresponsive. This ensures that no incident occurs while you are away. It is best to safe rather than sorry.
  • Make sure that your garage door opener has been installed, make sure it has rolling-code technology that changes access codes whenever the opener has been used to avoid intrusion from someone without permission. If it doesn’t have these features, invest in a newer model that is certain to have the necessary security and safety features already included. You could manually change the codes yourself but why make things harder on yourself than necessary.
  • If you are noticing that your garage door doesn’t go all the way to the ground, this could pose a threat to your security. There are several reasons why your door may not go all the way to the floor, whatever the cause might be; this isn’t something that you should ignore. Get immediate help today! Doing so may protect yourself and your valuables.
  • Home invasions can occur when you leave your garage door remote in your car. Whether the door is unlocked or not, they could simply break your window and take the opener. If you have parked your car in front of your home with the remote inside, this poses a serious threat to you and your loved ones. As a precaution, NEVER leave your garage door opener remote inside your car. A good remedy for always having access to your garage remote is to purchase a key chain remote. Even with a remote, if your garage gains you access directly into your home, make sure you keep the door to you house locked at all times.
  • If your garage door has windows, it is in your best interest for you to avoid storing valuables inside your garage where others can see what you have inside. If you use your garage as storage, either have the windows tinted or have a new door installed without windows. It may seem like a drastic thing to do but it is worth the effort in order to protect those whom you love.
  • If you have given service professionals access into your garage for work, make sure you change the code on your remote or if you have a keypad, change the code every time you provide this information to someone.

 

While these precautions may seem like an inconvenience, they are necessary to protecting the things that matter to you the most. It is certainly up to each individual to determine what they will do in order to protect themselves and from potential harm or burglary. The tips and precautions that we have to offer were compiled based on what we have seen for ourselves. Many of the problems that occur due to your garage door, can be avoided or quickly remedied if some of the aforementioned tips and precautions are adhered to.

 

If you are serious about keeping you and your loved ones out of harms way, we would highly recommend that you take some, if not all, of the tips and precautions into consideration. You may not find these to be very practical right now but we assure you that you will be able to benefit them if properly applied. We know that these precautions and tips work or else we wouldn’t share them with you. Again, adhering to them is a great way to protect you and your loved ones from having your cherished belongings stolen or from being harmed. Even if you apply some of the tips, which apply to your situation, we’re sure you’ll reap the benefit of having peace-of-mind.