Overhead Door Co. of Sierra Nevada/Reno Blog

What to consider before pricing a new garage door

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A new garage door is a very benecial investment into your home.  It can completely change the look of your house.  It can turn the look of an old house into a new one.   

Garage doors can greatly increase the value of the home as seen in the Cost v. Value report from last year.  It said that replacing your garage door is the second best return on investment into your home right behind your front door.  The nicer the door, the better the investment and the more you will get out of it in the end. 

Before you come talk to one of our managers about a new door there are a few things you should think about:

1.  First you need to get the overall measurements of the existing door. 

2.  Decide what type of material you would like to use on your garage door.  You can get Overhead Door brand garage doors in steel, wood, and fiberglass that resembles wood.  Wood can be much more expensive that steel but can give people a desired look they are after.  Our fiberglass door gives you the look of wood without the annual maintenance of staining. 

 
3. Decide if you would like to have an insulated garage door and if so, what type.  Insulation can help keep your power bills down by keeping the garage cool in the summer and warmer in the winter.  Without insulation the garage can allow a lot of heat transfer.

 We carry different types of insulation.  The more preferred type is a sprayed in polyurethane insulation with a steel backed door.  It is called the Thermacore door.  We also have a more cost competitive insulated door in our Traditional Steel collection that is made of polystyrene sheets.

4.  Windows are another thing to consider when purchasing a new garage door.  Windows can add even more curb appeal and allow for light to enter into the garage which many people prefer.  This can also set your home apart from others as there are dozens of different designs to choose from.   

Before calling around to get prices make sure you clearly outline exactly what you are looking for so that you make sure the prices from different companies are for a similar door.  Make sure you know the dimensions, styles, and materials desired. 

If you aren't sure exactly what you are looking for, give us a call and we will have our residential manager come to your home and provide you with a free estimate and brochures!

I have a broken spring, what should I do?

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Broken Spring

A broken spring on a garage door is a very common problem with garage doors. The garage door motor cannot lift the very heavy garage door on it's own, so the springs are there to help the motor lift the door.  The spring can only wind and unwind so many times in its life and depending on how many times the door opens and closes usually determines how long the spring will last.  When these springs snap the motor can no longer lift the door on its own.

You should never try to open the door if you see that your spring is broken.  A door with a broken spring can be very dangerous and should be handled by a professional. Many serious injuries have occured from handling doors with broken springs. 

Some doors have two springs that lift the door and others only have one.  If you have two springs on your door and only one breaks, both should be replaced.  If only one is replaced the second will usually break within the next few months. 

We do same day spring changes, so call us today and we will replace your spring and service  your door.

We do sell springs over the counter for our customers to install but we highly recommend that you have one of our garage door experts install it for you.  If you choose to do it yourself, either bring in the old spring or bring in these measurements:

1. Length of full spring

2. The length of 20 coils

3. The inside diameter of the spring

4. Whether it is on the left side or the right side

 Call us today at (775) 322-4621 if you have any questions or to set up an appointment!

My garage door won't open, what could be wrong?

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Here are some of the most common issues people have with their garage door.  Many garage door problems can easily be fixed with these quick trouble shooting options, but many others do require a specialist. 

1. Your operator is not plugged in, or their is not power supplied to the outlet. This is a common issue that is frequently overlooked.  Make sure your garage door motor is plugged into a working outlet.  If you are unsure if the outlet has power, try plugging in another appliance to make sure the plug is working.

2. Your photo eye's connection is disrupted. Most garage door openers are equipped with photo eyes, which detect if a person or object is in the way of the door as it is closing.  If the connection between the sensors is disrupted, the door will stop closing to minimize injury or damage. Check to make sure there is nothing in the way of the photo eyes.  Occasionally the eyes can get dirty, so clean the eyes with a tissue. Photo eyes are electronic so make sure they don't get wet. 

 3. Your torsion spring is broken. This is a very common problem with garage doors.  The springs that help lift the door are rated for a certain number of cycles.  When the springs snap the motor can no longer lift the door on its own.  You should not try to open the door if your spring is broken.  A door with a bronken spring can be very dangerous and should be handled by a professional. We do sell springs over the counter but strongly advise having one of our garage door experts replace your broken spring. 
 

4.  Your cables are snapped.  When an torsion spring breaks, it releases a very large amount of energy and can seriously injure a person or damage a vehicle or wall. Very often when a spring breaks the cable will also break.  If you see that the spring is also broken see above.

5. My remote or keyless will not work but the wall button does.  If your remote or keyless entry are not working try changing out the batteries.  Remotes usually out-live batteries and this may be a simple fix to your problems.  If this still does not fix your problem then try to re-program your remote or keypad.  Click here to view our operator's page to find instructions to program your remote or keyless entry.  If this still does not fix your problem then you may need to replace your remote or keypad.  We carry most brands in our store and can get you a new garage door remote today.   

 If you are having a problem not listed above then please call our specialists at (775)-322-4621 and we will get your garage door running again as soon as possible.  You can also come to our office at 1290 Holcomb Ave. in Reno to view all of our products.  We pride ourselves on getting your door running as quickly as we can. 

Welcome to our garage door information page

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Welcome to our Garage Door information page.  We will be regulary posting all the information you could ever need to know about your Overhead Door garage door and opener. We will keep this page full of useful information that will assist you in making the right decision about installing and/or repairing your garage door and garage door openers. 

Coming Soon!

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