Garage Door Tips for Mineola Homeowners

Why won't my garage door close when it's cold?

Three usual suspects: stiff grease on the rollers and tracks, sensors fogged by condensation, and travel limits that shifted as the door contracted in the cold. Wipe the sensor lenses first. If the door still reverses or stops short, the limits need resetting. If the door feels heavy by hand, suspect a spring.

A twice-a-year garage door checklist

1. Watch the door open and close. Listen for grinding and look for jerky movement.
2. Lubricate hinges, roller bearings and the springs with a garage door lubricant. WD-40 is a cleaner, not a lubricant.
3. Look at the cables near the bottom corners for fraying — but don't touch them.
4. Test the auto-reverse with a roll of paper towels on the floor.
5. Check the bottom seal for gaps and cracks.
6. Replace the remote and keypad batteries if they're getting weak.

What garage door noises mean

• Squeal — dry rollers or hinges.
• Grinding — worn rollers or a bent track.
• Popping or banging — a spring under strain or already broken.
• Rattling chain — loose opener drive or hardware.
• Humming opener, no movement — capacitor or gear failure.

Opening the garage door during a power outage

Pull the red release cord on the opener — with the door closed — and lift the door by hand. A balanced door should lift easily and stay put halfway. If it's very heavy, don't force it; a spring may be broken. When power returns, running the opener reconnects it.

Repair or replace an old garage door?

Repair if the sections are solid and parts are available. Consider replacing if several panels are rusted or rotted, the door is old enough that its parts are out of production, or you want insulation for an attached garage. We give a free estimate on new doors, so it costs nothing to compare.

How long does a garage door opener last?

Many openers run for well over a decade, but it depends on how often the door cycles and how well the door is balanced. An opener fighting a door with weak springs wears out much sooner. Signs it's near the end: frequent repairs, a stripped gear more than once, no safety sensors on a very old unit, or no way to add remotes and keypads you want. In those cases a new opener — from $525 installed in Mineola — is usually the better value.

Garage door safety with children

• Mount the wall button at least five feet up, out of small children's reach.
• Keep remotes away from kids and don't let them play with them.
• Teach children never to run under a moving door.
• Test the auto-reverse every month, as described above.

Is garage door damage covered by homeowners insurance?

It depends on your policy and on what caused the damage. Sudden events, such as a storm or a car hitting the door, are treated differently from normal wear like a spring that broke from age. Check with your insurance agent; we can give you a written description and price of the damage for your claim.

When to call a technician right away

Call us — and stop using the door — if you hear a bang and the door won't lift, if a cable is loose or the door hangs crooked, if a roller has left the track, or if the door won't reverse when it touches an object.