2. My garage door won't open - the motor tries to lift it, but can't. I disengaged it from the opener, and I cannot lift it! What's wrong? Confirm first what type of door you have - is it the "flip-up" type or the sectional type   (that    rolls up). If the flip-up type: Check the springs on the sides of the door to see if there is any separation in the coils of the springs. If so, your spring(s) are broken. If you have the sectional roll-up type: The springs should be located directly above the garage door and can only be seen when the door is closed. - Look about one foot above the garage door to locate the springs mounted around a steel tube that runs the full width of the door. Those spring coils should be intact (no gaps). If you see a gap, you have a broken spring. In either case (whether you have the flip-up or the sectional), do NOT run the opener as it may further damage the opener gearing. If the springs are not broken, the door could be jammed and need servicing.



- Broken Spring




3. My springs are noisy. Should I be concerned about safety?
The squeaky noise is usually caused when older spring coils rub against one another. This isn't a safety concern and can be corrected with a spray-on lubricant.

4. Does Great Lakes Door & Service perform services on all types of doors?
Great Lakes Door & Service performs services on flip-up type doors, sectional roll-up types, as well as commercial rolling steel types (that roll up into themselves like a roll of carpet would). We also offer limited service gate operating systems (residential), as well as many commercial sectional doors & operators.


5. What forms of payment does Great Lakes Door & Service take?
We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, as well as checks and cash. For more information, contact us via e-mail or call us at (734) 536-4618.


6. What kind of guarantee does Great Lakes Door & Service offer?
On new doors & operators: One full year from date of installation on parts and labor. Additionally, most of our door models have lifetime warranties, and the openers also have extended warranties. On services performed (example, we come out to adjust your existing garage door and/or opener), we offer a 90 days labor warranty related to any services we perform. On spring replacement, we offer a lifetime warranty on the spring.


7. What kind of garage door should I buy? Custom vs. standard, wood vs. steel?
That depends on a lot of things. Consider your weather exposure, duration of time you will own the house, usage, activities that occur around the garage area, importance of how the door looks and, of course, budget.

8. Should I choose an insulated door?
Insulated doors help keep your garage more comfortable for you. This is especially important:          
           * If you have an attached garage where any air in the garage can travel through the doorway to your living area.
           * If you use your garage as a workshop.
           * If your garage is below another room in your home, air can travel through the ceiling of the garage into the floor above. 
An insulated door will keep temperatures in the garage fairly stable to reduce the temperature fluctuation. An insulated door is also generally quieter and has a more attractive interior than an uninsulated door.


9. What do I need to do to prepare my garage for a technician?
To install a door and/or opener efficiently, our technicians need the space to be free of debris. Please have all vehicles out of the garage and all personal belongs set aside for the installation or service.
 
10. How do I measure my garage door?                                                                   



              Width __________ ft. _________ in.                              

              Height __________ ft. _________ in. 


 

        
11. What are your Service Hours?

We provide service 24 hours per day as follows:

Regular Repair Rates: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 5:00pm 
Overtime Repair Rates: Monday - Friday, 5:00pm - 10:00pm & Saturday 7:00am - 1:00pm
Emergency Rates: Monday - Friday, 10:00pm - 7:00am, Saturday 1:00pm - Monday 7:00am, Holiday

D.I.Y. GARAGE DOOR MAINTENANCE TIPS:

In order to keep your garage door looking new and in good operating condition, you need to do regular garage door maintenance on it. The garage door needs to be washed regularly, but you should always use the garden hose, not a pressure washer. You can use a mild detergent, the same as you use on your car and rinse it off thoroughly. Using car wax on the door once a year will help to protect the lustre and shine and protect it from acid rain and UV rays. The weather stripping also needs to be cleaned on a regular basis and it should be lubricated if the door is used a lot. For this lubrication, you should always use a silicone-based product, rather than petroleum based one because the weather stripping needs to be flexible.

The tracks, hinges, rollers and springs of the garage door need to be lubricated on a regular basis. Spray lubricant works best for this. This will prolong the life of the garage door hardware and will keep the door operating properly. In addition to doing maintenance on the garage door, you also need to do regular maintenance on the garage door opener. At least once a month, you should observe how the door opens and closes. If you work the door manually, you will be able to see if the door is well balanced. If it isn’t you will need to contact us and we can schedule a service call.

You also need to check to see if the door opens and closes completely. If you need to, you can make the necessary adjustments and the directions for doing these are in your garage door opener’s manual. Check the safety reverse feature on the door opener to ensure that it is working properly. This feature should automatically reverse the door when the sensor detects that there is anything in its path. Providing maintenance on your garage door will preserve the life of the door. It will also ensure that it will open whenever you want and not leave you standing in the rain trying to get the door open to drive in the car, It also ensures you that if there are children in the area, the door will not accidentally injure them by closing if the safety feature doesn’t work.

Garage Door Safety

Never remove, adjust or loosen the screws on the bottom brackets of the door. These brackets are connected to the spring by the lift cable and are under extreme tension.

Springs are under high tension. Only qualified persons should adjust them. Garage door springs, cables, brackets and other hardware attached to the springs, are under very high tension and, if handled improperly, can cause serious injury. Do not attempt to repair or adjust torsion springs yourself.

Do not stand or walk under a moving door! Do not let children or adults play "beat the door." It is dangerous and can result in serious injury or death.