Can I automate a canopy door?

Yes canopy garage doors can be fitted with an electric opener. Canopy garage doors do require a bow arm converter before an electric motor can be fitted to the door.

If you are looking to purchase a new garage door, we would recommend that you consider a retractable garage door instead. These doors are suited much better for automatic operation at a cost that is fractionally higher. You will find that your opener will function not only more reliably but more smoothly.

Most garage door installers can supply and fit a automatic garage door opener to a canopy door.

Do I Need a Frame with My New Garage Door?

You will need a frame for all garage doors except sectional & roller doors. Can you use an existing frame? This will depend on the quality of the frame. In most cases, it is best to replace a wooden frame due to rotting. Steel frames usually last a considerable more amount of time.

As such, you can buy a new up & over or side-hinged door and install it to your existing frame OR purchase a new frame with your door.

Available in steel, modern-day frames are either primed, powder coated or are a plastisol coated steel; however, the less-popular timber and GRP alternatives are available. Manufacturers of Up & Over and Side Hinged Garage Doors usually supply a factory-fitted frame as standard.

Releasing the door from the operator

If your automatic garage door opener is stuck closed because of a power failure or due to a problem with the unit itself, you may still be able to open the door manually.

That’s right, modern day operators allow you disengage the garage door’s automatic operation providing full access to your garage.

As a means of caution, close the garage door so it is fully closed.  You will notice a dangling, red pull-cord three-quarters the length of the boom away from the garage opening. With the garage door now closed, simply pull the red release cord down toward the floor.

This should disengage automatic operation and allow you to manually open/close the garage door using your own strength.

Electric garage door only goes up a foot then stops

When you attempt to open your electric garage door, does the door go up about a foot or two then stop?

This could be one of two things. If you apply pressure upwards when the door is lifting, will it go up all the way? This problem is more than likely due to a problem with a torsion spring. For most doors, torsion springs can be replaced at an affordable cost.

Otherwise, you could be looking at a problem with the motor and/or garage door. As garage doors age, they require maintenance to keep them evenly balanced. An opening garage door can find itself getting stuck in a stationery position because an usually large amount of force has been detected required to open the door. Usually, a garage door service will mend any problems seen.

If the door closes again shortly after opening, the opener will require that you tune/adjust its force sensors.

If I replace my existing door, can I keep my old track?

We will always encourage consumers to replace their old track when installing a new garage door. As you can probably imagine, each brand and model of garage door has been specifically designed to work in conjunction with a specific type of track.

Unfortunately, there is no international standard when it comes to garage door tracks. Let’s look at the positive: you receive a new track that is free from old grime, dirt, and rust. In essence, replacing your old track is an inexpensive way to insure that your entire garage door system is as safe and reliable as possible.

Keeping the old track will usually void any manufacturer’s warranty that would have otherwise applied to the garage door.

Washing a roller garage door

It is inevitable that your garage door is going to get dirty especially when it is exposed to the elements. Garage doors are manufactured with “cleaning” in mind. How are you supposed to clean your garage door? Grime, dirt or dust can be quickly removed from the door with a cloth/sponge dipped in soapy water – it’s that easy.

Many consumers believe that they have to resort to using a pressure washer or other cleaning utensil, but this is not the case. The vast majority of today’s garage doors come with a manufacturer’s warranty on the finish ensuring that your garage door will survive the test of time without losing it’s “new” look.

A universal garage door opener remote

Are you looking for a universal garage door remote control? If you’re planning to replace your existing remote control or to combine multiple remotes into a single pad, it could be the best solution.

There is no such thing as a remote that can operate any garage opener – for good reason. There are however, remotes that can operate on different frequencies, functioning with different brands.

Remote control operating frequency will usually differ by manufacturer and even model. Modern-day remotes adopt different rolling-code technologies to prevent an eavesdropper from recording the transmission.

Automatic roller shutter door without power

So you’re considering purchasing an automatic roller shutter door but you’re worried about access to your garage during a power cut. Fear not.

The vast majority of roller garage doors on the market have a manual release which is situated on the side of the motor. Yes, you can open the garage door manually by operating it this way. When the power returns, returning to an automated mode is trivial.

Now, if the garage door opening is the only access to your garage, you might share a real concern. Just how are you supposed to gain entrance to the rear of the door if you can’t open the door from the outside? Roller garage doors can be fitted with an external mechanical override switch which will provide a manual mechanism to open/close the garage door during a power outage without sacrificing the security to your garage.

Lubricating a roller shutter garage door

What is the best way to lubricate your roller garage door?

First off, let’s discuss what NOT to use. Do not use thick oils or grease to lubricate to your door. Both of these types of lubricants will gather dust, grime and sand over time. The garage door will end up being worse than before the grease/oil was applied.

Roller garage doors should only have lubricants applied to the guide rails of the garage door curtain.  Applying lubrication elsewhere could hamper your door’s normal operation.

The best form of lubrication is a silicone spray. This gives a clean lubrication to the door. Before applying the lubricant, rub down the guide rails with a cloth to remove any webs or dust that has gathered. Once complete, apply a fine spray of lubricant down the guide rail, but do not apply too much.

Other similar substitutes may work well, but again it’s all about small quantities.

Garage Door Opener will not do anything

If you have an Electric Garage Door that will not do anything when you push the button, there’s a few things you can look at to investigate the problem.

1. Is the the opener plugged into the an electric socket outlet?

2. Is there power coming out of the electric socket? Try plugging another electrical device into the same socket and seeing if it works.  There is always the possibility that there has been a short in the wiring. If this is the case, call a qualified electrician.

3. Another option could be to use an extension lead to plug the opener into another wall socket.  This might be a better option than having to lug a nice piece of electrical equipment into the garage.

4. If all fails, you probably have a mechanical or electric fault with your opener. Before you shell out hundreds to repair your opener, consider purchasing a new garage door opener. It could save you money, hassle, and time.