FAQ

Thank you for visiting the Mile High Garage Doors FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page. While browsing this section of the site, please understand that this is in no way a difinitive guide, nor do we recommend or advise anyone but a trained professional do any maintenance and/or any other work on a garage door.

Garage doors are huge objects that move. That fact alone is dangerous enough to cause concern. Not only do garage doors exert potentially fatal pressure, they have moving parts that can cause bodily harm. Garage door springs are also extremely dangerous should they come loose. Because of the dangers, never allow children to operate garage doors, play in the garage unsupervised, or put their hands anywhere near its moving parts.

Disclaimer: Mile High Garage Doors provides this information for educational purposes only, and under no circumstances should any person attempt to do any repairs or maintenance based upon the information provided.

ANY and ALL Garage Door Repairs or Maintenance should be performed by a professional only!

Q: How can I check to see if my garage door / spring is balanced?

A: Make sure the door is closed and then release the garage door opener’s mechanism so that your garage door can be opened manually. Lift the door. Does it go up smoothly? Does the garage door stay open at about 3 to 4 feet above the ground? If so, it is balanced. If not, it will need to be adjusted by a professional garage door company.

Q: How do I adjust the garage door’s springs and cables?

A: Don’t! This is a job for a professional only! Springs and cables are under extreme tension and can cause death or serious injury if not properly handled. Never attempt to adjust garage door springs or cables by yourself.

Q: Why does my garage door sometimes go back up when I attempt to close it?

A: This is a safety feature that kicks in when an object, such as a child or a pet, is in the garage door’s way. Check for an object that may be triggering this safety feature and clear any debris, such as spider webs, that may be blocking the sensors.

Q: How can I open the garage door with a broken torsion spring?

A: You’ve tried to lift it but it doesn’t open… The correct answer to this question is DON’T! If you need to get a vehicle out, it is possible to run the door, but it definitely isn’t recommended. If there is only one spring on the door it is not safe at all to lift because the cables will not be tight and will entangle in the rollers. If you have to get a vehicle out, ATTACH the opener arm to the door and have two people lift each side of the door while another person hits the button for the opener. The opener should hold the door up while you drive the vehicle out. Keep the vehicle outside until you can have a trained door technician come and replace your springs! In general you should NEVER attempt this, but if you do, understand that the door can be EXTREMELY HEAVY, and can both damage the opener/door, or injure the people attempting to open it. Proceed at your own risk, you have been warned!

Q: How do I release the door from the operator so that I can open the garage door by hand?

A: With the garage door fully closed, pull the red release cord down toward the floor. Always take special caution whenever you release the garage door opener if the door is not in the fully closed position, since the door may want to slam closed when released. If at all possible do not release the garage door when open, except for emergency or security purposes and close the door with caution. Some older openers may not have a red release cord and may need to be released by pulling down a handle or a spring loaded clip. If you do have an older door that is difficult to disconnect you may want to replace the opener with a new garage door opener that has an easy pull red release cord.

Q: We heard a loud noise in the garage and can’t open the garage door. What could be wrong?

A: It is very highly likely that you have a broken spring that should be replaced by an experienced and qualified garage door service technician.

Q: Why should I use a professional garage door dealer/installer?

A: We believe that installing a garage door is not a do-it-yourself job. A garage door is the largest moving object in your home and proper installation is highly technical. Connecting the springs can be particularly dangerous and proper installation is critical to the performance of your door. In addition, incorrect installation can void some warranties. Our professional garage door technicians can typically install a door in a few hours.

Q: I have two springs on a shaft across the top of the door and one of the springs is broken. Should I change both springs, or just the one spring that is broken?

A: We highly recommend that you change both springs at the same time, since both springs have been under the same amount of stress each time the door has been opened and closed. In many cases it will cost less to have both springs changed at the same time than changing one spring at a time. In addition, if you have extension springs on your door, the door may not balance properly with one new spring and one fatigued spring. Contact Us today to have both springs replaced and get your door back in proper working order!

Q: Our garage door opener will not do anything at all when we push the button. What should we look for?

A: The first thing that you should verify is that the opener is still plugged into the electrical outlet. Secondly, you should confirm that there is power coming out of the electrical outlet. Plug the opener into another outlet with a temporary extension cord. If there is power to the operator, then there is some type of mechanical or electrical problem within the garage door opener itself and it needs to be diagnosed by a qualified technician.

Q: The light comes on but the garage door opener will not open or close the door. What should we do?

A: If the light on the garage door opener comes on, the opener is getting power and the problem would be in the electrical or mechanical workings of the opener. Contact Us . NOTE: If your garage door opener is more than fifteen years old you may want to consider replacing the garage door opener to one with the latest safety features.

Q: Can you fix the springs on my garage door?

A: Yes. We are broken spring specialists. Our replacement torsion springs are heavy duty, high cycle, galvanized springs that can last much longer than typical garage door springs.

Q: My garage door doesn’t close all the way. Sometimes it reverses at the bottom, sometimes it reverses right after it starts moving. What do I do?

A: The first thing to check is the electric eyes that are usually located on either side of the door frame. Their purpose is to detect an object in the way of the door and reverse or disable the opener. If the eyes are not facing directly at each other, they may work intermittently, causing occasional spontaneous reversals. If you don’t have these electric eyes, you have an opener that was built before the 1990’s when they became mandatory for all newly manufactured openers. Contact us.

Q: Both of our transmitters quit working at the same time. Should we try changing the batteries in the remote controls?

A: Very seldom will the batteries in both transmitters go dead at the same time. Most likely the problem is in the radio receiver located in the garage, or there may be a frequency interference problem. Contact Us to have a certified technician determine the true problem.

Q: Something caused our garage door to stop halfway and now the door is hanging crooked in the opening. What is wrong with the door?

A: Most likely one of the garage door cables have come off of the cable drum (on the side that is hanging the lowest). This is usually caused from the door closing on something. The cables may still be under spring tension and should not be touched without the proper knowledge and tools to make the repair. Trying to force the garage door closed or open may cause further damage to the tracks and may also cause the door to fall to the floor. In most cases you are better off to leave the door in whatever position it is in until it can be properly repaired – Contact us immediately.

Q: The bottom section of our garage door was damaged by a car bumping into the door. Can the section be replaced?

A: Yes, the section can be replaced as long as they are still available from the manufacturer. Though, in many cases, the cost of the sections and the labor to replace them may be close to the cost of a new garage door.

Q: The cable on the garage door appears to be frayed. Should I be concerned?

A: This is potentially a serious problem. The degree depends upon how much the cable is frayed. Regardless, this is a problem that will continue to get worse. This is not normal, and should not happen. The cable should be replaced as soon as possible by a certified technician who can also identify the problem that caused the frayed cable.

Q: How do I know what size garage door I have or need?

A: Measure the width of the actual finished opening and then the height. Garage door sizes are always shown and listed as the width first and then the height. If you would prefer, we can provide a free estimate and measure the opening for you to ensure the proper size.

Q: Can I paint a steel door to match the color of my house?

A: Yes. Door manufacturers recommend that you lightly sand the exterior of the door to help the paint adhere to the finished surface. Use a latex-based paint; do not paint the door with an oil-based paint.

Q: Should I choose an insulated door if my garage is not insulated?

A: With today’s high energy costs, insulation in a garage door is just as valuable as anywhere else in your home. A garage door opening is very large and Insulated doors will help to reduce the transfer of heat or cold air into your garage and your home and reduce noise. An insulated door will help keep temperatures in the garage fairly stable to reduce the temperature fluctuation in any rooms above the garage.

Q: My door does not open or close far enough. What should I do?

A: You many need to adjust your openers travel settings. Your opener will have a “travel” adjustment that controls the distance that the garage door opener moves the door. Separate adjustments can be made to the opening travel distance and the closing travel distance. Refer to your owner’s manual, or contact us for a professional tune-up and adjustment.

Q: My door opens very slowly. How can I adjust the opener?

A: Some openers allow you to adjust the speed, others only allow the force to be adjusted. Please refer to the manual for your specific opener, or have one of our friendly technicians help you!