Bakersfield Garage Door Repair

Bakersfield Garage Door Repair 4710 Summertree Lane, Bakersfield, CA 93309 (805) 519-7236 [email protected] www.centralvalleygaragedoors.com Choosing a New Garage Door As cars have grown more important to our lives, they have gained equal prominence in residential floor plans. You’d probably be hard-pressed to find a single-family house built in the last 30 years where the first thing you noticed wasn’t the garage door. In the day-to-day life of today’s home, the garage is so central that many people use it as the primary entrance! Over the last decade or so, advancements in technology have enabled garage door manufacturers and architects to improve the curb appeal as well as the durability of this entrance—all of which benefits the homeowner who is looking to boost his or home’s value. Sometimes it seems that faux wooden carriage-style doors are now to home exteriors what granite countertops are to kitchens! From high-end to budget-friendly, there are plenty of decidedly attractive options to consider for this prominent facade feature. First, decide on the type of garage door construction. A sectional door is the most common option in the US, which has several horizontal panels hinged together and fitted with rollers. The entire assembly rides in two parallel tracks. A heavy-duty torsion spring, which is in turn wrapped around a torsion bar, serves to counterbalance the weight of the door. Homeowners are able to lift the door either manually or by switching on a motorized garage door opener. The actual lifting may be chain-, belt-, screw- or direct-driven. Sectional doors are available with or without windows. Options for the former include up to 16 panes in several shapes, including square and arched. And there are many decorative styles too, from contemporary to traditional. Sectional doors are even available in the popular carriage-house style, described next; these look like swing-style doors but work the same as sectional doors. True carriage or swing-style garage doors operate like a pair of very big French doors. They are typically made of wood and hang from jambs on hinges. Swing-style doors look good, with their strong vertical lines often helping to integrate the garage with the rest of the home. In addition, swinging doors tend to be more energy-efficient, because they seal well at the header and side jambs and only have one joint. They do, however, require more clearance. If you park too close to swinging doors, you won’t be

able to open them. Also remember that swinging garage doors are more time-consuming to manually open and lock than sectional doors, and they’re much more expensive to automate. Then, consider all of the options for garage door materials. Like entry doors, garage doors can be made of steel, aluminum, wood, wood composites, fiberglass, vinyl, or glass. Real or faux, the wood look tends to be the most popular. 1. Steel garage doors The best steel garage doors are made of two layers of galvanized steel, the surface of which is either primed and painted with a tough topcoat finish or clad with a composite material. Steel doors can be painted to match your home and are available with or without insulation. The downside of steel doors is that they can be dented and are subject to corrosion, especially in coastal areas. 2. Wood garage doors Wood garage doors are built with layers, or plies, to prevent warping. Woods include cedar, redwood, fir, and meranti (luan). Wood doors may be factory-stained or painted or finished on-site. 3. Wood composite garage doors Composite garage doors typically have a wood frame covered with sheets of fiberboard. Better models offer higher-density fiberboard skins and include realistic details, such as overlays and grooves to simulate a real wood door. Cores are filled with polystyrene insulation. 4. Aluminum frame garage doors Garage doors fitted with aluminum panels eliminate the problem of rust but are easier to dent. They are available in contemporary brushed finishes, as well as in many colors. (Translucent glass panels may be used in place of aluminum panels; these admit daylight without compromising privacy or security.) 5. Fiberglass garage doors Garage doors made from fiberglass are less subject to denting or cracking. They do not rust but can break upon impact. Two layers of fiberglass are typically bonded to a steel frame and filled with polyurethane insulation. Steel end caps help improve rigidity. 6. Vinyl garage doors Vinyl garage doors are promoted as being ‘kid-proof,’ because they are difficult to dent or break. Typically built upon steel frames, these too are filled with polyurethane insulation. Vinyl doors look similar to fiberglass doors but are available in fewer colors. They are very durable and require little maintenance aside from an occasional hosing. How To Pick The Perfect Color For Your Garage Door Whether you are giving your existing garage door a new paint color or investing in a brand-new

door, it can be tough to pick the perfect color for such a large surface. Your garage door plays a huge role in the overall look of your home or its curb appeal. Your style and color choices can either have it blend into the rest of your house or have it stand out and draw the eye. To help out, we put together a quick list of tips to keep in mind when thinking about how you want your garage door to complement or contrast against your home ● If the exterior of your home is painted in a neutral color, like light browns, tan, beige, or gray, then a white garage door might be the perfect match for you. The white will brighten up the paint color of the house and can make everything come together very nicely if the trim is also in white. ● If you don’t want your garage door to stand out, then have a professional color match it to your home. This will make the house seem bigger and you can move the focal point of the front of your house away from the garage and towards the front door. ● If your home is white, then adding a color to your garage door will add some life and style to your home’s exterior look and showcase your personality, whether it’s a minimalistic neutral or a bright, energetic pop of color. ● For a sophisticated look, darker paints on a garage door really make a statement, like black or darker shades of blue and green. ● If your home is built with brick, then you can either paint your garage door white for a traditional and very clean style or use a color that is also found in brick, like brown, tan, or even wood, for a stylish and unified look. These are just a few tips and ideas to get you started but if you need more help, our experts at Precision Door would be glad to help! We can answer questions over the phone or schedule a visit to provide style and paint advice and even color match your home if you need to know exactly what shade was used to paint the house. We answer the phone 24/7 and provide same day service so you can get help today! Garage Door Security Features In the past, your garage door had the potential to be the least secure part of your home. Thankfully there have been great strides in this area and now your garage door can be just as safe as any other door in your home. At Precision Door Service of Spokane, we make your home's security one of our primary priorities, beginning with our state of the art, technologically innovative garage door openers.

Our garage door operators come fully loaded with features designed to not only keep your possessions secure, but also to keep you and your loved ones safe. From advanced technology to simple mechanical upgrades, here are some essential security components to keep in mind when you are comparing garage door openers. Advanced Encrypted Wireless Technology With all of the benefits that come with technological advances in modern living, there are an equal amount of security concerns. Older garage door openers have been wrought with issues involving hackers and code grabbers who find ways to intercept your remote�s opening codes and let themselves into your home. This makes investing in newer models, with current technology all the more essential. Today's openers are designed with security features including rolling codes and encryption which can generate billions of combinations making it nearly impossible to be illicitly cracked. Trolley Release System Perhaps one of the most common methods used to break into home garages involves the use of the emergency release cord. This cord, when pulled, allows your garage door to be operated manually meaning that if it is accessible from outside, it can be a fairly serious weak link in your home's security. Thieves have been known to use a simple wire hanger or the like, inserted through a crack in the door, to pull this cord and open your garage door. Here's where complicated advancements aren't always all that necessary! Newer, quality garage door openers have come up with a simple tweak to completely fix this old design flaw by requiring the cord to be pulled back instead of down in order to release. Still just as easy to operate in an emergency situation, but much more logical for security purposes. Remote Lock Out Remote lockout is a nifty little feature on Precision Door operators that allows the homeowner to disengage all remotes while leaving the keypad operational by simply holding down the Lock button on your wall station for three seconds. After doing so, the LEDs on the panel will flash. This is a convenient feature to use when you leave town or have a remote lost or stolen. To reengage, simply hold the Lock button down for three seconds again until the LEDs are solid. How To Make Your Garage Door Less Noisy Your garage door is usually the largest moving piece of equipment in your home. This, combined with its frequency of usage can lead to noise annoyances. Daytime disturbances and unexpected rumbles while people may be sleeping are never really fun. Excessive vibrations are usually the culprit. Here are a couple quick and easy ways to ensure your garage door is moving as smoothly as possible. Lubricate

Keep your garage door properly lubricated. Spray all moving parts, springs and hinges generously. If you have a chain assembly opener, be sure the chain isn't loose and give it a good spray down as well. Use a lubricant made specifically for garage doors so as not to create any problems in the future. This should be done at least twice a year. Change Out Your Old Metal Rollers To Nylon Rollers While metal rollers can be a bit more durable than their nylon counterparts, they do tend to be significantly noisier. Look for nylon rollers with sealed bearings, they are a little more expensive but are much quieter. This easy swap will also save you from having to lubricate your tracks and cut down on time spent maintaining your door. Never attempt to change the rollers in the bottom bracket, as they are under constant tension and can cause serious injury. Call your garage door guy for this job. Tighten and Secure Make sure all nuts, bolts and track hardware are tightened down and completely secure. This will greatly reduce vibrations, thus reducing noise and also help to lengthen the life of your garage door. While you are doing this, you can check for worn out parts or blown bearing on your rollers and replace. Anti-Vibration Pads If you really want to get down and dirty, you can add anti-vibration pads to your door tracks and opener. Preventive Maintenance Tips for your Garage Door Are you new to the idea of garage door maintenance and need a few tips on what to do? It's great you ask because garage door maintenance helps to prevent worn rollers, broken hardware, track problems, safety issues, damaged springs and other problems. These problems can turn into a significant garage door repair job if you let them go on too long! To help you keep everything working right, our garage door company has put together a few preventive garage door maintenance tips for you. Keep in mind that you can always call a garage door maintenance professional to do the work for you! Lubricate the Garage Door Springs & Make Sure They're Tight Garage door springs, whether torsion springs or extension springs, will rust if you don't take care of the maintenance. Lubrication should be applied to your garage door springs every year.

Our garage door repair and service professionals know you want pro advice from someone who knows what they're doing. When it comes to lubricating the garage door springs, you need to use the right lubricant. Don't use a light product like WD-40 because it will only help for a few days, not months at a time. A quality penetrating lithium grease is a good lubricant for garage door springs but there are others used by professionals. An industrial-strength silicone lubricant can also be used on garage door springs. A high-performance synthetic lubricant will also work well. If you have a chain-drive system, you'll need to make sure the chain is greased. Also lubricate any connections, hinges, and bearings. Test the Garage Door Safety Sensor An important part of your yearly garage door maintenance is to test the garage door safety sensor to make sure it's working right. The safety sensor on your garage door is there to protect people and pets from getting smashed as the garage door closes. The two infrared sensors point at each other so they can detect if someone or something crosses the path of the sensors along the garage doorway. They immediately shut off the door operation. Listen for Squeaks or Grinding Sounds as It Opens & Closes Squeaks and grinding sounds can mean any number of things. Your garage door may be unbalanced, there may be dirt or debris in the track, or a roller could be damaged. If nothing looks off, move on to the next garage door maintenance step below. If there is damage, you should get a professional to take care of the repairs before a bigger problem develops because of the malfunction. Clean the Tracks & Rollers and Then Lubricate Them The tracks and rollers get dirty over time and cause problems for the operation of the garage door. Once a year, make sure garage door maintenance includes cleaning the tracks and rollers. Once they're clean, lubricate them well. The garage door should glide smoothly and easily up and down the tracks, so be sure you check them to avoid bigger problems in the future. Inspect the Cables for Fraying Garage door cables are torsion cables, which means there's a lot of pressure put on them as the door operates. Whether it's rust, old age, or another problem, garage door cable fraying can cause the cable to snap. Inspect he cables for any sign of rust, fraying, or excessive wear and get it replaced if necessary before it snaps!