Let us answer all your questions about garage doors!
General Garage Door FAQs
Headroom is the space above the garage door. This means that if your garage door is 7 feet tall, your ceiling height would have to be 8 feet for the additional 12 inches of headroom. The headroom of a garage door can’t be obstructed by anything: beams, lighting, or ductwork all count. For torsion springs, 12 inches of headroom is recommended.
In the event that you only have 4-12 inches of headroom, the best option is to use a dual-track system. These are specifically built for garages with low ceilings or less headroom. If you have higher ceilings and want your garage door track to accommodate this, high-lift tracks are also available so your door will sit closer to the ceiling.
Yes, they do! Garage door maintenance is an important part of maintaining your home. Carrying out routine maintenance can greatly increase the lifespan of your garage. This will include tasks such as visually inspecting your garage door, cleaning and lubricating parts, and having a garage door company provide annual tune-ups. There may be smaller issues invisible to your eye that a garage technician could catch and stop before becoming a major problem.
Garage doors require insulation for protection against outside elements and to seal off heat and AC from escaping outside. Because garage doors open and close multiple times throughout the day, they can poorly conserve energy. The popular types of garage door insulation are polyurethane (spray foam inserted between the door’s layers that hardens into a solid) and polystyrene (foam blocks inserted on the back or between the layers of a garage door). You can purchase insulated garage doors to increase the energy efficiency of your home and also the durability and longevity of your garage door.
There are two main types of garage door springs: torsion and extension. Wayne Dalton torque springs also exist, but we don’t usually install them, as they are the company’s line of garage door springs. Torsion springs are the common choice for residential homes. There will be two of them, and they are sturdier and last longer than extension springs. We really only install extension springs when there’s very little headroom. We also perform torsion spring conversion if you want to convert your extension or Wayne Dalton springs.
Garage door sensors are safety mechanisms that prevent your garage door from closing on anything underneath it. There are typically two sensors that sit near the floor on either side of the garage door. They must have an unobstructed view to work correctly. They have laser eyes that must connect in the middle. You can test your sensor system by closing the garage door while waving a golf club or rake underneath the door. If the door closes on it, your sensors are not working. Don’t hesitate to call for repair, as it’s critical that your safety sensors are functional to protect your family and pets.
Alpha Overhead Door services both residential and commercial buildings. Our residential services include:
- Garage Door Installation
- Garage Door Repair
- Garage Door Spring Repair
- Garage Door Opener Repair
- Garage Door Panel Replacement
- Garage Door Opener Installation
- Entry Door Installation
- Garage Door Screen Installation
Commercial services entail:
- Commercial Door Installation
- Commercial Door Repair
- Commercial Door Operators
- High-Speed Doors
- Roll-Up Doors
- Loading Dock Equipment
- Specialty Doors
Basically, if it has to do with a building opening, we can put a door in it!
Garage Door Repair
If your garage door refuses to move, we recommend calling us right away. It may be that you have a damaged garage door opener or broken springs. It can be dangerous to try to move your garage door yourself, which is why we come when you call us.
It’s not a good sign when your garage door makes grinding or squealing noises. Most likely, your garage door parts are aged and worn out, or your garage door opener is having to work too hard. The longer you wait while the garage door is making strange noises, the more likely the problem is getting worse. Schedule a repair or maintenance appointment with us so we can assess your garage door system to find the problem.
Normally, we will be able to repair your garage door within a 1-3 hour appointment. But this does depend on the type of repair we’re doing. If your garage door has extensive damage, it may take a couple of days to repair.
This is a problem that typically signifies garage door opener damage. If your garage door starts doing this, you can try to reset your opener system to rule out electrical issues. If this doesn’t work, it’s best to stop using your garage door and call the experts in from Alpha Overhead Door.
If your garage door won’t open, try to reset your opener system. If this doesn’t work and the lights are still on, you can also try to manually lift your garage door. If you’re able to do this, it means that your garage door parts are working properly. Thus, your garage door opener is most likely the culprit. Contact Alpha Overhead Door to come take a look at your garage door.
Yes, garage door panel replacement is possible depending on your garage door type and the condition it’s in. If you have a sectional garage door, which is made up of panels, the panels can usually be replaced individually. This will be cheaper than replacing the whole door. If your door is not made up of panels, but rather one sheet of material, the whole door will have to be replaced when it needs to be repaired.
Garage Door Installation
There are lots of garage door types on the market, and they are widely customizable to the exterior and needs of your home. For garage door styles, you can choose between modern, traditional, and carriage house. Materials may include steel, glass, wood, aluminum, or vinyl. You can then customize your door with colors, textures, and designs. You can also choose whether to add windows or insulation. When it comes to choosing a new garage door, there is no limit to the personalizations available to you.
Prices vary depending on material, size, and type of garage door. Normally, garage doors will fall into the range of $2000 to $10,000. But we work with many brands and materials to give you a wide range of options and help fit your budget for new garage doors.
Yes, absolutely! Most garage doors can be fully customized. Windows are a great addition that will filter natural light into your garage and add some design to your garage door.
Yes, wood garage doors are very popular. We work with a local manufacturer that has options for fully custom wood garage doors. You choose everything from the wood grain to the exterior paneling and even window arrangements to create a product that is unique to your home.
Because glass garage doors are heavy, they require heavy-duty springs. These garage door springs will need to be replaced every 10,000 cycles, which can sometimes be 5-7 years. We also recommend having regular maintenance carried out on your glass garage door. In addition to typical maintenance, you may want your glass cleaned regularly to maintain that stunning appearance. In this way, you can treat glass garage doors just like the windows on your home. But overall, glass garage doors are not any more difficult to maintain than a steel door.
We work with Amarr, Midland, Martin, and Sunshine Door. All of them are trusted brands that produce high-quality products.
Garage Door Openers
Yes, this is possible. Sometimes your garage door remote or keypad may have stopped working, while your opener itself is completely fine. It may just be that they’ve reached the end of their life. Garage door opener remotes and keypads are generally not too expensive to replace. If you want upgraded convenience, we can also add a smart garage door system to your garage which allows you to monitor and control your garage door from anywhere.
The most common reason for lights flashing on a garage door opener is that the safety sensors are not working. When the opener cannot connect to the sensors, it will most likely start blinking to indicate that something’s wrong. Check your sensors, making sure that nothing is obstructing the view of both lasers. Continuous blinking can also indicate that the garage has been locked. This is a feature on newer garage door openers, which will only allow the wall control to open the garage door when locked. Another issue may be with the wiring. Call a service technician to come take a look at your garage door opener if it won’t stop flashing lights.
We install primarily Linear and LiftMaster garage door openers. We’ve found that they produce the best garage door openers on the market. But we can install or service any garage door opener brand and model.
Direct drive and belt drive garage door openers are the quietest. You want an opener with fewer parts so that less vibration occurs and a DC motor is also a valuable asset. LiftMaster has some great options, like the 8500W Garage Door Opener and the WLED Garage Door Opener.
Wall mount garage door openers attach to the wall of your garage instead of the ceiling. This is a great option if you don’t have the ceiling space for a garage door opener or simply want more headroom. They are also known to have a very quiet operation and maximum lifting power. They are a popular option for wood garage doors and glass garage doors.
Smart garage door openers are recent inventions that allow for easy garage door access. These smart garage door openers will connect to an app on your phone and allow you to control your garage door from anywhere. There are also safety features that come with smart garage door openers like cameras, automatic locks, and Google Assistant integration. We highly recommend upgrading to a smart garage door system!
Yes, motor size is important. There are two main motor sizes: ½ HP and ¾ HP. ½ HP will be used for single garage doors measuring 10-12 inches. ¾ HP is used for larger garage doors, weighing up to 350 pounds.