How To Maintain Your Garage Door

A garage door like any other large, mechanical, moving object will need periodic maintenance to keep it running smoothly. Generally most garage doors require a thorough service about every three years, however, it can fluctuate depending on how often the garage door is used. If your garage door is used as your primary entry-exit point in your home it is essential to have your garage door serviced and inspected regularly, especially if younger children are using the garage as a play area or constantly opening and closing the door.

A garage door in the simplest sense is a large counterbalance system. The spring counterbalance system is really the heart beat of the entire operation and it is important to understand the function of it.

All home garage doors have springs which provide lift and counter-balance the weight of the garage door. There are mainly three types of spring systems on the market, each has a specific application.

Extension springs are mounted at the rear of the track and extend in length [stretch out] as the door is lowered toward the ground. These are generally the most common spring systems on home garage doors.

A torsion spring system is usually located directly above the top section of a garage door. These springs are much safer than extension springs since when they break they can only move horizontally along the spring shaft and not fire out across your garage. However due to the headroom required these do not always fit every installation.

The third style spring, used on vertical rolling garage doors [the type you might see at a mall or industrial facility] is a modified version of a torsion spring system however it is completely enclosed inside a steel tube.

Garage doors have many moving parts and need to be lubricated often in order to work smoothly. We recommend WD-40 which can be found in any hardware/home improvement store. A light coat of oil on the hardware; tracks, rollers, hinges, and pulleys will prolong the life of the door components and keep your door much quieter. In the north east it is best to lubricate just before winter and in the early spring. Garage doors in the north east are used more during the winter than any other time throughout the year.

When you are lubricating the door it is a good idea to check the natural balance of the door. By releasing the door from the door opener [pull the red handle] and operating the door manually it is easy to see how well or poorly the door balances. If the door seems to be really heavy, a spring adjustment or replacement might be in the near future. It is much cheaper to replace springs before they break and cause damage to your vehicles, property in the garage, pets and family members!

Generally the weight of the door that you should feel in your hand while operating the door manually is between 10 and 40Lbs. A properly balanced garage door should almost require no effort to open and close the garage door manually. This will also prolong the life of the garage door opener. In closing, stay away from lithium grease because it causes dirt and debris to stick to it and it is VERY messy to clean up after it drips on your car, clothes or pets!

Mike Donovan
miked@worcesterdoor.com

Liftmaster 3800 Garage Door Opener

I think Jay Leno said it best but this door opener is flat out awesome! The LiftMaster model 3800 jackshaft door opener has exceeded my expectations on every level. With this opener, LiftMaster truly left the competition out in the cold when it comes to design, versatility and operation of a residential [home] door opener.

There is truly nothing on the market today that competes with this opener, nor has the options that are standard. This door opener came into market place about 5 years ago to fill a specific need and bloomed into an everyday staple. This door opener has solved more installation problems in the field than any product in the past decade. I personally had apprehensions when I first saw this door opener in the trade magazines because of its size and that it was not yet tested in the New England winters. Despite the fact that all the door magazines raved about them I still had my doubts. It seems every few years a highly touted product like this comes along and simply disappoints expectations, to put it kindly.

When they first hit the local distributers I ordered up a bunch with then intention to test out there limits and subject them to the real word abuse most door openers take. I personally installed this door opener on garge doors that I thought it would not be able to handle [don’t worry they were friends and family] and the opener handled whatever I could throw at it, flawlessly.

The second and most enjoyable part for me and the clients I’ve installed this door opener for is that I have not been back to perform ANY warranty service, which has meant some pretty large annual savings for my company and some very satisfied clients.

This door opener has all the standard features that come with any door opener and more. This door opener is basically designed for a garage door with a torsion spring counter balance system. Most doors can be modified to this style spring system if it is not presently installed on your door.

Unlike a normal door opener that is mounted on the ceiling centered between the tracks of the garage door, this door opener mounts to the wall on either side of the door. It is a small compact housing which does not take up much space and is VERY quiet because of the D.C. motor that is used. On a well balanced garage door, this unit is almost pin drop quiet. This opener also has some awesome features which come standard;

• Photo-Electric Safety Eyes.
• Electronic Dead Bolt Locking System (check out the video, “wicked cool” and super secure).
• Cable Tension Monitoring Device.
• Light Mounting Kit which can use two (2) 100 watt bulbs for a very bright garage.
• Wall Control Panel which also displays the time and room temperature. It also has a photo cell built in which automatically turn the lights on when you enter the garage.
• A Car remote with a proximity sensor which illuminates the remote buttons in blue when your hand gets close enough to it.

This unit is also available with an optional battery back up system. This will keep your garage doors running even if you lose power. If you are upgrading or looking to have electronic door openers installed, this is the MUST have garage door opener, you will not be disappointed.

Mike D.
President
508.318.8793
miked@worcesterdoor.com

Electric Garage Door Openers Explained!

Selecting a replacement electric garage door opener or having new garage door openers installed can be a confusing process. Sizes, Horsepower ratings, belt drive, screw drive. I’m guessing your thinking to yourself, “What is all that stuff!?” If replacing your garage door opener is in the near future and you are unsure of what you need to know and the right questions to ask, Read on!

Door openers are sold according to the height of garage door, this is a very, very important measurement! You might recall driving down your street and catching a glance at a neighbor’s garage doors and noticing how they never seem to be open all the way. This is primarily caused by consumer ignorance, a door contractors incorrect “guess-timation” or a sales person’s failure to ask how tall the garage door is!

Most out of the box door openers are designed for the typical seven foot high garage door. First step is to measure your garage door’s height and write it down. If the door height is 7’6” or greater, then you will need to buy what is called an “extra height rail” to make your garage door open ALL the way.

The second step is to manually operate the garage door to make sure it works well in manual mode. If your door works hard (loud screeching sounds, metal on metal grinding) and feels heavy, installing a door opener will only magnify the problem. An improperly balanced garage door or a worn out set of springs will burn through the motor of a new door opener like a hot knife through butter! The electric door openers manufactured today are very sensitive compared to the ones built decades ago. If the door operates well and you have the measurement written down, you are all set to decide which opener will work best for you!

Residential door openers are offered in three primary configurations.
(1) Chain Drive
(2) Belt Drive
(3) Screw Drive (if you value your eardrums, never, ever, buy this!!!!!)

I always recommend a motor that is ½ hp or better.

If an affordable and dependable electric door opener is you are looking for, I recommend the chain drive with a 1/2hp motor.

If a little more money is available and you desire a quieter door opener, I recommend the Belt drive.

The latest and greatest door opener on the scene is the ultra-quiet and eco friendly, D.C. motor. These tend to be the quietest and smoothest operating garage door openers you can buy for your home. If you have an active living space (bedroom, living room…ect) above your garage, this is almost a must have.

All door openers come with standard equipment like a car, which includes photo electric safety eyes, one or two remote controls for the car, a wireless key pad, and one interior wall button switch. There are some units which have battery back-up systems, this is a great system to have if you live in an area prone to losing power.

Garage door openers on average will last 15 years or better if the garage door is routinely serviced. The D.C. belt drive openers tend to be the quietest made.

How To Choose A Garage Door

I typically receive many questions a week from people asking, how they should choose a garage door. This is a great 7 step process I use when advising home and business owners on the best garage door to fit their budget and needs.

The first thing I always ask a new client is where is the garage door located on the house. You are probably thinking “duhhh in the garage, Mike!” However let’s dive a little deeper, garage doors can be located; under the main floor level of a home, in an attached garage, in a detached garage or in another free-standing structure like a large barn or shed.

When replacing garage doors under a home or business we always recommend insulated garage doors because the doors will make an immediate difference to the comfort of the living/working area above. Lets face it, we all live in the North East and insulated metal garage doors are pretty much the only way to go if you have any hope of controlling your energy bills!

There are many different insulating values to choose from. Insulated values for residential garage doors can range from a low of 6 to as high as 19. The best way to make the selection process easy is to understand the construction of your garage. Most garages and garage door installation walls were and are still built today with typical 2×4 construction. Typical 2×4 fiberglass insulation that is used today gives the average 2×4 framed wall a 13 value. Garage doors in the 13 range, will therefore at least equal your walls insulating capacity and value.

For garages that are attached and not insulated or even for detached or free standing garages/sheds we still recommend a steel insulated garage door, however with a lower insulating value. We do this for two reasons;

1. A garage door with a respectable insulating value will help keep the door operation quiet, most un-insulated garage doors sound like huge bags of hollow tin cans rolling around.
2. The garage door insulation generally makes the garage door more rigid and durable. If you decide to use the cheapest, non insulated door on your shed or garage, the locking system and feather-light weight of the door could come back to haunt you. It does not take much effort to get through a cheap door. We have seen many a home and business owner who have had their equipment stolen because a thief simply busted the locks or bent the door panels enough to slip right into the garage.

For additional help in choosing the right garage door for your home or business please give me a call or shoot me an email!

Is Your Garage Door Opener A Safety Hazard?

Commercial property managers with garage door openers need to know about a big change which is coming to the door industry on August 29th 2010. Following this all commercial door openers will be manufactured as “Constant Pressure to Close” operation only.

Many people are used to going up to a garage door wall switch, pressing close button and walk away. This type of operation will no longer be possible without having a safety reverse device installed and monitored by the electric door opener. The general cost for a commercial door safety reverse device starts around $250.00 depending on the size of the door, additional labor and material for our licensed electrician to install the wiring.

Previously we were under the impression that existing door openers were grand fathered in. However, this past week a long time customer of mine called to tell me that O.S.H.A. came through their building and explained to them the existing door openers needed to be set up with “constant pressure” to close because safety reverse devices were not presently installed.

There is catch to this new safety regulation that one might like to know. The regulation only applies to new units bearing the U.L. label. This is to say that if a Door Opener Manufacturer wants a U.L. label, they are forced to comply. If you aren’t familiar what a U.L label is, this is a brief blurb from their website… Underwriters Laboratories® is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing standards for safety for more than a century. UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems annually with 20 billion UL Marks appearing on 66,000 manufacturers’ products each year. UL’s worldwide family of companies and network of service providers includes 68 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 102 countries.

Eventually photo electric eyes and safety edges will be required on all commercial door applications. This is already a federal requirement on all public or Federal/State owned buildings. If you have a door opener in your home you might be familiar with photo eyes. Since 1993 any new residential door opener installation has been required to include photo electric reverse devices, in compliance with U.L325.

If you have projects under way and door openers to be installed after the 29th it is very important to take these new regulations into consideration. Almost all new door openers can be converted to “constant pressure” however, not all door openers can be retrofit without significant expense. Older door openers that were not originally engineered with safety reverse capabilities in mind have limited electrical components and are almost impossible to retrofit.

Commercial door openers have a very, very long life cycle before inevitably being retired to the recycle bin. It can be advantageous to upgrade to a new opener which is built for just about everything you can think of when it comes to opening and closing the door.

Compliance to O.S.H.A. inspections is always an insurance must. If you need more information our would like us to come take a look at your door opener please email me. For Additional Information Please check out the press release below from Chamberlain/Liftmaster.

Mike Donovan
President
miked@worcesterdoor.com

[gview file="http://worcesterdoor.com/documents/commercial-door-opener.pdf"]

How To Contain Lead Paint Dust

If it is determined that there is the presence of lead paint in your home in an area you intend to have work preformed (garage included) here is bried rundown of the containment system we have to perform. As an added note, “containment and abatement are two separate processes” You can hire a lead paint abatement firm to have all the lead paint removed from your home which is very costly. Containment on the other hand will only address the area of interest that is to be modified or renovated.

The first thing we are required to do is make sure you have read the EPA’s information packet prior to the start of any work. The packet contains all the information a home owner needs to know prior to work being done in a lead paint zone.

The execution is step two, which involves isolating the work area through the erection of a plastic containment barrier to the room and posting signs. Proper isolation is key to keeping the rest of your house lead paint dust free, during the renovation process and is central to the EPA’s policy regarding the containment of lead paint dust. Depending where the work is being done, an outside barrier may need to be established to protect your neighbors, pets and animals.

Exterior signs will also be posted to inform people of what type of work is being done. Once the area is properly sealed off, we will enter the containment zone wearing an EPA approved tyvek suit with a respirator and latex gloves. A special HEPA vacuum will be used to collect dust and debris during the removal process of a door or window. All material removed will be wrapped and sealed in heavy duty plastic.

The EPA allows the removed and properly sealed material to be disposed of in the same manner as home renovation debris, meaning no special truck or dumping facility is required to dispose. Once the material is removed from the area, the exposed surfaces need to be wiped down with SwifterTM or similar type products. Once the zone has been thoroughly cleaned we are required to verify with a special test kit to determine if the area is lead paint dust free.

For large areas like an old garage door that was coated with lead paint both the inside and outside of the garage need to have containment zones. Keep in mind that the goal is to keep the work zone contained and to not allow the dust to become airborne which can be especially hazardous to pets and children. If you have any questions about this new law may affect your next renovation project please contact me! I look forward to talking to you.

Mike Donovan
President
508-318-8793
miked@worcesterdoor.com

How Does the Lead Paint Law Affect Me?

In case anyone misunderstood, the Renovation, Repair, and Paint law which was passed in April of 2010 will not have a dedicated inspection force, the regulating and enforcement body is essentially the EPA with fines in the tens of thousands of dollars for incompliance.

As a home owner you need to understand the teeth of the law before a snake oil contractor attempts to sell you short. When hiring a contractor to perform work in your home, it is very important to know the age of your home before he or she shows up!

If your home was built after 1978, there should not be a need to have any testing done for lead paint. If your home was built before 1978, there is a possibility lead paint exists. Home owner lead paint test kits are readily available through Home Depot, Lowe’s or your local hardware store.

If it is discovered that you have lead paint at the area of future renovation, ONLY that area needs to be addressed, not the entire house! Contractors are required to set up a barrier in accordance to the square footage guidelines spelled out by EPA-740-R-09-002, the official guide book for the EPA/HUD Model Renovator Training Course. Since April any contractor who works with lead paint is required to have completed this course and carry their certification card.

After an individual completes the required training course, they are advised to register their firm with the EPA for a cost of around 300 dollars. The EPA is in the process of establishing a database for home owners to find information about local licensed contractors and the status of a contractor’s certification.

To make a long story short, make sure your door guy is licensed!

Mike Donovan
President
miked@worcesterdoor.com

How to Conduct a Lead Paint Test

Check out the great video about how to conduct a lead paint test on a door, window or wall in your home.

LeadCheck is an EPA approved lead paint testing kit, available at all the major home renovation retailers. You can also order the kit directly from their website (link posted bottom of page).

Also make sure you check out the consumer awareness postcard from the EPA regarding the requirements of the new laws.

This a great, brief  informative postcard the EPA circulated about the new lead paint law requirements.

[gview file="http://worcesterdoor.com/documents/lead-postcard.pdf"]

Mike Donovan
President
miked@worcesterdoor.com

Home Owner Awareness Bulletin – New Lead Paint Law

Home owners should familiarize themselves with this new law that was enacted on April 22. 2010. The Renovation, Repair, and Paint law was enacted with one purpose in mind, “Control Lead Dust Particles”. Many of us have heard of lead paint and the hazards which come from lead inhalation or digestion.

This new law in simplicity is about “Lead Dust Containment”. Home owners need not panic and assume that there home is full of lead paint and dust. First rule of thumb to determine if you are at risk, is to find out what year your home was constructed. In 1978 the federal government banned lead paint from use in new home construction or renovations. An easy way to find out if you don’t know what year your home was built is to check your city or town’s public records and they can provide you with lots of information about your property including the year your home was built.

Second thing to do is consider the fact that most home have been renovated at some point during the last 32 years and the lead paint around the doors and windows in your home may have already been removed. At most home centers today like Lowe’s or Home Depot, they have test kits readily available to check for lead paint and they are very simple to use.

The renovation and repair part of this law has to do with replacement of windows, front and rear doors, garage doors, any item that contains 21 square feet or more of lead paint. Confusion for most home owner’s arises when it is believed that the work being done by a door or window replacement company is “Lead Paint Abatement” this is not the case. Lead Paint Abatement is the complete removal of lead paint from an entire home. If your home had its lead paint abated previously, this new law does not apply.

The new law established by the EPA deals with regulating the removal of sections of walls, doors or windows which contain lead paint. If a home owner decides to have work done, say the replacement of an aging entry door and lead paint is detected at the work site, contractors are REQUIRED by law to establish a proper containment zone and filter the air with EPA approved vacuum devices, during the work to keep your home free of loose lead dust particles.

These are some known hazards and health risk found to be linked to lead paint and dust; for children under 6, lead poising is known to cause learning disabilities and hyper activity, for pregnant women, it can cause damage to the fetus, most adults exposed to high levels of lead will suffer from, high blood pressure, and extreme physical fatigue.

Please check out the EPA’s website, it’s loaded with information about this new law.

http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm

Mike Donovan
President
miked@worcesterdoor.com

Donovan Door Service

To start with, I never really dreamed of owning a business, especially starting one from scratch. My first experience with garage doors came at the first company I worked for in Watertown, NY. I had just completed my four years of active duty in the U.S. Army and was out job searching. A friend of mine in the local church, my wife and I attended, owned a Piano business and was opening a store in the newly constructed mall in Watertown. I was helping him prep the store for the grand opening which was going to happen in about a month or so. As I was helping the store owner, the local Overhead Door Company had come to install the front rolling door to lock-down the entrance to the store at night. As they were installing the door, I got to talking to one of the guys named Don and before he left, I asked him if their Company was looking for help. Don was not sure but he suggested that I go down and submit an application. Well to make a long story short I did and was hired just a few days after that.

During those two years I gained the experience of a lifetime.

I worked for the Overhead Door Company of Watertown, NY for two years before moving back to MA following the birth of our first son Shawn in 1989. During those two years I gained the experience of a lifetime. I worked with a great crew of guys and there was not any type of door that we did not install or service. From servicing airplane hanger doors and massive rolling steel dock doors, right down to plain old 9×7 residential doors, still today I appreciate the learning experience I received back in ’87-’89. When we moved back to MA in late September of 1989, I worked for Worcester Overhead Door Company for about a year, then Raynor Overhead Door and finally onto a management position at Fimble Door. Through each company I worked for I continually expanded my knowledge of doors and running a business. At my last location I was given the opportunity to manage the entire operation and all aspects of it ,from buying stock and payroll to sales and new client acquisition. In the middle of 1995, the company was preparing to be sold to a local owner whom I had known for quite some time.

Those that know me well, know that Church and God play very big roles in my life

Those that know me well, know that Church and God play very big roles in my life. During the mid summer of 1995 as the company was preparing to exchange hands, numerous frustrations over various aspects of the company really came to fruition and I realized it was time to part ways. I had been consulting the leadership at my Church about this for sometime and many of my friends and family were behind me. On my way into work one day I prayed and asked God that if he wanted me to be in business for myself that he could give me some sort of sign. About ten minutes later my wife called me to let me know that one of  our neighbor’s sisters who lived in Paxton was trying to get a hold of me about a door problem she had. After work I went to her house and after some small talk I asked her how long had the door been broken, she mentioned to me that it had been broken for about two weeks but every company she attempted to contact did not return her calls and was so happy that I answered her call this morning. This really confirmed to me that it was time, everything I learned to this point had prepared me for this next step. I remember telling this story to the church reverend Bert Vanderhoof who has become a father figured to me. He explained to me that God does not call you out until he has prepared a new path or a new place for you. He used the story of Abraham, where God called Abraham out of the Chaldees and into the land on Caanan. God called me out of the work place and prepared the way for me into my own business. Donovan Door Service began operation in October of 1995. After 14 consecutive successful years in business I am looking to move the company in a new direction and with this new direction comes a new name.

Worcester Door Company

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