Blog - Tip Top Garage Doors

Garages are an extension of your home and they add to the aesthetic value of your property. Apart from a parking space for vehicles, garages can be used as storage rooms or workshops. Regular use of garage doors leads to wear and tear. In a region with a harsh climate, a garage keeps your tools and vehicles well insulated. Garages are like a security vault for your invaluable vehicles. A secure garage door, with a robust security system, keeps you safe from thefts and robbery. So, choosing durable and resilient material for your garage door is not only essential but smart. 

The garage is one of the critical entry points to your home and is opened many times. Besides, the entry door to the garage from the house may be opened unintentionally by kids or pets. Garage door insulation is the process of reducing heat flow in and out of the garage and energy loss. The amount of insulation a garage needs depends on the climatic conditions of the region. 

Choosing the best garage door should not be a hassle that causes you sleepless nights. It can be an exciting adventure since the garage door makes the first impression for guests and passersby. You also have a wide variety to choose from and different door designs assembled with care and using durable material from reputed suppliers.

We asked the garage door experts at Tip Top Garage Doors who have installed hundreds of elegant but sturdy garage doors in Charlotte & Raleigh North Carolina, Fort Mill South Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee to list factors that they considered very important. They came up with 6 critical factors to be considered apart from other minor ones.

Below are 6 important factors you need to consider and look for when choosing garage doors.

Homeowners in the United States are increasingly opting for advanced home automation. Garage doors, too, are becoming advanced both with wired setup and wireless setup. A majority of the garage door openers though are remote-controlled devices -with a wired controller and smart controller as primary options. 

The pattern of your garage door posses a unique influence on the entire outdoor design of your house. Garage doors will give you access to display your unique or personal design while improving the beautification of your apartment. When it is the period  to select new garage doors a homeowner will actualize there are large varieties of colors and patterns available. Prices of garage doors depends on the kind of door, material and size you choose. Here are some steps to consider when purchasing a new garage door.

We’ve diligently reviewed our top pick of LiftMaster garage door openers 2018. Below you will find the opener’s model, lifting capacity, compatibility and unique features that enhance performance, opener’s durability and overall safety and security. Read carefully to choose the ideal opener for your garage door.

How many times do you turn a garage door spring is one of the most asked questions especially by DIY enthusiast. However, before getting the answer, it is important to note that springs should only be fixed by skilled professionals. Springs are the most dangerous part of the door of your garage as they can cause serious injuries or death. Therefore, getting the count of times you need to turn the spring is not enough. Below is a detailed process on how to go about it.

Adjusting the force on the garage door is an important preventive maintenance procedure that should be carried out regularly. Opening and closing force adjustment protects the door while facilitating its movement to open and close as it should. However, this is not a task for everyone as it is quite technical hence best performed by skilled technicians.

The following considerations are vital in choosing the right and effective garage door opener.

Replacing the garage door spring is an easy process but a dangerous one. That’s why the whole spring tasks should be left to technicians. Here are the dangers of DIY garage door spring replacement.

Did you know that you can remodel your garage door giving it a classic appearance? Remember that when visitors walk into your home, the first thing that they see is the door into your garage. This project can be referred as a total makeover that not only renews the door but improves its performance. Majority of home owners tend to think that door remodeling process is complex and tedious. Well, this is not it as you can use simple stains to give your door the desired faux wood appearance while enhancing its operations. Here are easy to follow DIY steps to usher you to a successful door makeover.

A well functioning garage door guarantees safety and efficiency, giving peace to the residential or commercial premises owner. However, these doors are complex, as they are made up of different movable parts that rely on each other to function. A broken part may result to loud noise during the opening or closing process a situation that can be rather disturbing. Good news is that you do not have to put up with the noise, as you can use the simple DIY tips below, to manage the door:

DIY techniques go a long way in sorting out simple garage door issues. However, procedures may solve the door problem partially or worsen it. This may lead to added costs especially for parts replacements that would have been fixed through a simple repair if handled by a professional. But when should you call a technician to fix your door opener? Have a look at the situations below:

A well performing garage door guarantees safety and efficiency for the users. The operation of the door can be slowed down or halted by dirt clogging in the movable parts, broken springs and opener. Below are some viable tips for a better door performance:

Garage door replacement is a difficult decision to make, for many residential and commercial premises owners. This is because it requires both technical knowledge in order to choose the best door and financial muscle to fund the purchasing and installation costs. However, the process can be easier if the replacement is timely for fund mobilization and a technician involved for technical advice. Here are some reasons to help you to know if a total door replacement is due.

Garage door springs play an important role of lifting and holding the door weight. Some springs are suitable for commercial heavy doors while others are designed to lift the lighter residential doors. Here are the major door springs:

It is vital for one to know how to tell if the garage door sensor is bad. Sensors malfunction due to a number of reasons. Below are steps to guide you through the assessment process.

An automatic garage door should runs smoothly following a push on the opener’s remote control. This makes it easy for users to open and close the door without moving out of the car. However, poor door maintenance, faulty installation, unfavorable weather conditions, wear and tear of door parts are some of the issues that can make the door not to open. The following troubleshooting tips can lessen inconveniences, panic and frustrations caused by the failure of the door to open.

Apart from the frustrations caused by garage door off track, serious injuries and property damage may be incurred. It is advisable not to forcefully pull a jammed door down, as this bends the vertical tracks and popping out of the rollers from the track, leading to serious damage. Here are viable DIY tips to fix a jammed door:

DIY tips on how to maintain garage door are essential as they enhance it’s functions and prevents injuries and property destruction. However, engaging professionals is highly recommended, as they can easily spot potential door issues and fix them early. Here are some simple door maintenance practices:

A garage door is a mechanical object with many moving parts. This fact makes it prone to mechanical issues that result to faults. The mechanical problems develop gradually and later the door fails to close. Unfortunately, this may happen when you are pressed by time to leave the house or at stupid o’clock of late night. A door failing to close is a frustrating experience that brings about inconveniences, exposure to risks and untold misery. This makes it paramount for you to know what may lead to your door not closing and what to do about it.

Modern automatic garage doors are efficient when they are working well but, when they get faults, they can be a frustrating hustle to have around. These doors are prone to faults as they are mechanical devices. When the door of the garage gets stuck especially when you have to get in and out, it brings about untold stress.

Which garage door opener should I buy is a common question that nags the mind of many. This is because when the door opener is functioning well, the door opens and closes smoothly. The secret here is buying the opener size and style right for the door. It is difficult to identify the opener that meets your needs since standard ones come in almost the same design. Therefore, it is important to educate yourself on how to shop for the right product.

Garage door springs operate under high tension that enables them to lift the weighty door. Due to frequent use of the door, they break or loose tension after a period of time. In this case, they need to be replaced for the door to function adequately. There are doors that require extension springs while others use torsion springs. A good example is the overhead doors that use torsion springs that are normally fixed on the central bracket located in the middle of the door. If you choose to use the DIY method to replace the springs, it is important to beware of the risk involved as a slight mistake may lead to snapping of the spring causing injuries.

Garage door remotes come with automatic openers and they enable one to open or close the door while still in the car. The old generation remotes use switches while the modern ones use rolling code technology that changes the code after every use for security purposes. Once the remote is pressed, it sends a signal to the opener for the door to open or close. A remote may break, get lost or become faulty. This calls for simple programming, repair or replacement whereby you can involve a technician or use DIY tips.

An insulated garage door functions smoothly with minimal parts replacement. Doors that are not insulated are prone to extreme weather and other environmental effects. Though it is advisable to involve a professional to insulate the door for best results, you can choose to use simple DIY steps. In this case, you will need to get some basic tools and supplies normally available in the local stores.

Buying the right garage door opener does not guarantee smooth opening and closing of the door. This is because the smooth functioning of the door depends on proper installation of the opener. In order to successfully install the opener, it is advisable to contact a professional to carry out the process. However, for those who prefer performing the installation, there are some DIY tips that can help in executing the procedure effectively. It is vital to understand that the process may take up to ten hours if one does not have enough experience.

Garage doors are large and heavy moving objects that use frequently to access the house via the garage. These doors have numerous moving parts that play an important role in facilitating its opening and closing process. Some of the parts such as cables, openers, tracks and springs are present in all the doors. However, some doors may have other unique features depending on the model and the mechanism they use. When one of the parts is broken or faulty, the entire door fails to function smoothly.