Garage Door Services Blog Posts

Guide to Garage Door Replacement

February 21, 2023 | Garage Door Services | Garage Door Replacement

If you are like most homeowners, chances are you’ve never bought a new garage door. Garage doors are often a once or twice in a lifetime investment, as they can last for decades. So, if you are suddenly facing the need for garage door replacement in Winnebago or the surrounding areas, trust Garage Door Services! We work with garage door replacement each week, so we have compiled our knowledge into a short guide for you!

Whether your garage door has reached the end of its life, or you simply want to upgrade to match other renovations you’ve done around your house, this guide can help you through the process of garage door replacement from start to finish by highlighting key factors that you should keep in mind.

Cost

When you think of getting a new garage door, you may be surprised at the price. Simple single car garage doors can run at about $500, with simple garage door openers costing less than $100. With a little under $600 being the common low end, the price increases based on factors such as size, material, insulation and decoration. For example, standard two-car garage doors with automatic openers and professional installation typically cost between $1,500-2,000.

Garage doors don’t have to be a huge investment, but be prepared for more decorative styles and sturdier materials to increase the price estimate you will receive for your new garage door.

Size

Before you begin searching for a new garage door, it’s a good idea to measure the opening (including height, width, space on the left and right sides, backroom and headroom). These factors will help you determine which garage doors are within the realm of possibility for your garage and can give you a more accurate estimate on prices to start the project.

Aesthetics

Aesthetics boils down to two main components –style and color. This is where you can think about what windows, hardware and paneling options you desire. If your garage faces the curb, you may want to spend extra time thinking about what style and color will match your home as it is currently and will continue to match as you finish any other renovations you have been dreaming about.

Material & Insulation

In addition to aesthetics, you also have to determine which material is best for your home and location. Each material has its own benefits, and a professional garage door installation company can help you decide which best fits your needs:

Steel
Aluminum
Wood
Composite wood

Additionally, you can also determine if you want insulation in your garage door. This is especially important for attached garages with rooms above. You will commonly have three options for insulation:

Single layer doors. These have no insulation.
Double layer doors. These contain polystyrene insulation.
Triple layer doors. These will typically incorporate polystyrene or polyurethane insulation.

Garage Door Openers

From there, you will have options for garage door openers. There are three main ways that garage door openers are operated:

Belt drives
Screw drives
Chain drives

After you’ve decided between them, the next decision is horsepower for the motor. This decision should be based on the weight of the garage door you intend on installing. A motor with too little horsepower for the weight of the garage door will be unable to open the garage door.

Finally, some garage door openers feature extras such as vacation settings that will disable the garage door when you are away, a backup battery to allow you to open your garage door even without power, wireless keypads to allow you entry when you don’t have the remote control in hand, and more!

Professional Installation

The last factor to keep in mind is professional installation. With so many different moving pieces, it is always best to leave garage door replacement, repairs and installation to the professionals – like those here at Garage Door Services!

To learn more about garage door replacement in Winnebago or the surrounding areas, give us a call at Garage Door Services at 815-544-1927 or contact us.

Hiring Local Trusted Professionals for Garage Door Repair

November 3, 2021 | Garage Door Services | Garage Door Repair

The fall is a great time to tackle any leftover home improvement tasks before the cold weather of winter arrives. In today’s do-it-yourself society, it can be tempting to try and handle just about any home improvement task with a quick internet search. But sometimes, going DIY can be costly and even dangerous. This is especially true when it comes to garage door repair. Your garage door is one of the largest, heaviest appliances in your home so it is important to have any issues addressed with a local, trusted professional with expertise in garage door repair. As experts in garage door repair for Belvidere and the surrounding areas, we would like to tell you more about the many reasons you should leave this type of repair work to the professionals.

For one, an instructional video found online is no substitute for qualified, professional, hands-on garage door repair. You may think you’ve done all repairs correctly, but it is easy to make a critical and costly mistake. A garage door that almost closes or is almost straight can actually create some pretty major problems. All of the following issues must be addressed by professionals in garage door repair:

Off-track doors
Worn or broken rollers
Broken springs
Balancing issues
Broken hinges
Broken door panels
Opener issues
Broken cables
And more

Notice any of these issues with your garage door? Trying to perform garage door repair yourself could void any garage door warranty you may have. What may seem like a simple fix could actually turn into a huge issue with not only your home but your warranty as well.

When it comes to garage door repair, safety should always be a major consideration. The typical residential garage door can weigh hundreds of pounds and its springs have enough coiled-up energy to move that door open and down effortlessly, making the door appear much lighter than it really is. The unpredictable force of a broken garage door could inflict serious bodily injury.

There’s no reason to take this risk especially since you have a local, trusted and affordable professional garage door repair company readily available at Garage Door Services. We specialize in garage door repair for all kinds and all brands of garage doors. We have decades of experience in the industry consistently providing exceptional customer service and incredible attention to detail on all garage door repair and services.

To learn more about garage door repair near Belvidere IL, give us a call at Garage Door Services at 815-544-1927 or Contact Us.

Schedule Summer Garage Door Service Today

June 18, 2021 | Garage Door Services | Garage Doors & Openers

The temperatures are rising and summer is here. Have you been tackling some essential home improvement tasks? One of the most important tasks that should be on your summer to-do list is garage door repair. After a winter of snow and ice and a spring of wind and rain, your garage door could likely use a little TLC. You may even be ready to update an old outdated door with something that looks and functions better. Whatever the reason, it is important to call the professionals. We are the trusted garage door service for Machesney Park and the surrounding areas and are here to help you get the functioning garage doors you want and need for your home or business. Here are a few reasons to schedule garage door service sooner than later.

If your current garage door isn’t insulated, now is a great time to invest in a new insulated garage door. Most garages aren’t heated, but your garage door still impacts your home’s energy efficiency. If your garage is attached to the house, your best bet is to purchase an insulated door, especially if there’s an occupied room above the garage. It will help reduce both noise and the utility bills.

The warmer weather also offers great conditions for garage door repair or replacement and it is also the time of year homeowners are looking to spruce things up. The same is true for garage door service. Summer offers a great opportunity to ensure your garage door not only looks great but is safe to operate as well. After a long, cold winter it’s not uncommon for the spring system on a garage door to break with the change in temperature. Replacing springs in the cold months isn’t something that’s usually recommended. However, springtime is the perfect weather for checking and replacing not only the springs, but the garage door itself, with the assistance of a professional garage door service.

It’s also important to be proactive against future garage door problems. Precautions taken now can prevent summertime disasters with your garage door. Our garage door service can assess your garage door in order to recommend maintenance or replacement. Interested in scheduling garage door service for your Machesney area home or business? Please give Garage Door Services a call at 815-544-1927 or Contact Us.

Preparing Your Garage Door for Winter

November 12, 2020 | Garage Door Services | Garage Door Replacement

A good quality garage door should last for years, even through the change of seasons and multiple daily cycles of opening and closing. But there are threats to your garage door in winter that you may be unaware of that need to be addressed. And, it’s best to have any needed maintenance or replacements performed before winter hits. After all, getting your garage door stuck is never good, but when your garage door is stuck in winter, it can create all sorts of problems. At Garage Door Services, we are the trusted name in repair as well as garage door replacement for South Beloit and the surrounding areas and have put together an outline of how to prepare your garage door for winter.

Follow these steps at the end of fall, just as winter is approaching to help your garage door last and avoid garage door replacement:

Lubricate moving parts. New lubricant is less likely to show cold weather effects like drying or freezing so have your garage door lubricated to help protect it. Cold weather can put a lot of stress on a garage door. Garage doors are made up of a lot of moving parts that must work together to lift the heavy door. If the lubrication dries out or the door becomes denser due to the cold, that’s more work for springs, rollers and other components.

Check photo eye sensors. Snow can cover up the sensors that tell your door if someone is underneath it. This is an important safety feature, but if enough snow builds upon one or both of these sensors, they cannot make the connection that tells your door it is okay to operate. If your door is not coming down or appears to be going back up intermittently, make sure snow or other debris on the sensors is not the culprit.

Check weather stripping. Quality, intact weather stripping is crucial in preventing snow, moisture and cold from getting into your garage. Even a small crack or gap in your weather stripping can render it basically useless. If your door is not properly insulated, warm air can escape your home through the garage door.

Keep up with snow removal. As we venture farther into winter, it is important to keep up with snow removal. Snow can collect on a door and make it harder to open and can get into the various parts of your garage door mechanism, freeze and cause them to stick. If there’s ever any snow on or around your door, get rid of it immediately before it melts or freezes.

While you can take steps right now to get your door ready for cold weather, there are also some long-term measures you can take. One such thing is replacing your old garage door with an insulated garage door. A door with quality insulation has many benefits. It offers a more durable door, prevents warm air from escaping in the winter and keeps cool air in during the summer. And, If you don’t yet have an automatic garage door opener, it is a good idea to invest in one that’s suitable for winter use.

Do you want to learn more about winter maintenance or garage door replacement for your South Beloit area home? Give Garage Door Services a call at 815-544-1927 or Contact Us.

Garage Door Repair, An Essential Service

April 13, 2020 | Garage Door Services | Garage Doors & Openers

These days, home security and safety is paramount. As area residents are spending most of their time indoors, they look to their home’s systems to be dependable. A garage door opener isn’t just something that is nice to have, it is an essential to everyday life. So, when your garage door won’t budge– call in the garage door opener repair experts at Garage Door Services. We understand the proper function of your garage door opener is an essential service and we can troubleshoot the problem to provide the repair and replacement services you need for your garage door opener’s safety sensors, remotes, light switches, gears and more.

We are the trusted name in garage door openers for Dekalb and the surrounding areas performing essential garage door repairs for our community. That’s why, we’ve put together some of the garage door services we provide to help you keep your home in tip-top shape.

Now is a great opportunity to ensure your garage door is safe to operate. It’s not uncommon for the spring system on a garage door to break with the change in temperature. Spring is the perfect weather for checking and replacing not only the springs, but the garage door itself, with the assistance of a professional garage door service.

Precautions taken now can also prevent summer disasters with your garage door. Our garage door and garage door opener repair service can assess your garage door in order to recommend maintenance or replacement.

Our garage door professionals can not only set up a new garage door opener system, we can also perform repairs and offer a replacement. Our professional garage door opener experts are well versed and trained in all types and brands of garage doors and garage door openers. We can install the opener, photoelectric eye and every other component to ensure it works as it should every time you need it.

We offer a variety of services to meet all of your garage door needs, including:

Garage door repair
24/7 emergency service
Garage door installation
And more

Don’t allow your garage doors to add more uncertainty to already uncertain times. Do you need help with your garage door to ensure a safer home? If you would like more information about our garage door services including garage door openers in Dekalb the surrounding areas, please give Garage Door Services a call at 815-544-1927 or Contact Us.