Thursday, July 23, 2015

Three Garage Door Problems Caused by Summer Weather

With its ice, snow, and freezing cold, winter can cause a lot of maintenance issues with garage doors and their opening systems. However, winter isn't the only season that's hard on garage doors. Summer also causes a number of problems. Although we associate summer with vacations and barbecues, it is also a time of high heat, humidity, and lots of thunderstorms, all of which can affect your garage door's performance.

The Effect Of High Heat And Humidity

During heat waves and high summer temperatures, garage temperatures can easily exceed 100 degrees. This high heat can also affect the performance of your garage door electronics. This shouldn't come as a surprise: electronics already generate a lot of heat and high garage temperatures make it difficult for them to dissipate their own heat. This may cause your garage door opener to malfunction and prevent it from properly opening or closing the door. Fixing this problem will require some adjustments by a garage door service professional.

The Effect Of Direct Sunlight

If your garage door faces the sun during the morning or late afternoon hours, the garage door may not close because direct sunlight is shining on the sensor eyes. These photo sensors normally prevent the door from closing when it detects an obstruction. However, direct rays from the sun causes the sensors to behave as if an obstruction were present and prevent the door from closing. Therefore, if your door mysteriously refuses to close in the morning or late afternoon hours, this could be the reason for the problem.

The Effect Of Thunderstorms

Lightning strikes can sometimes cause power surges that enter the electrical systems of your home. If the circuit board of your garage door opener isn't protected against power surges, it can be damaged. When this happens, the garage door opener may not work at all or may exhibit odd behavior such as opening or closing on its own.

If your opener suddenly stops functioning during or immediately after a thunderstorm, this is the likely culprit. The circuit board or other affected electronics will require replacement. This problem is preventable by using a surge protector sold at most hardware stores. The surge protector is placed where the garage door opener is plugged into the wall.

If the summer weather has caused any issues with your garage door or garage door opener, we can help! Just contact us to set up a time for one of our technicians to come out and take a look!

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Garage Door Service Emergencies

Have you ever experienced a need for emergency garage door service at the worst possible moment? Here at Overhead Door Company of Lansing, we could tell you countless stories about the emergency calls we've had. But one of the most stressful for our customers is when they need to get a car out of their garage to go to work. When this doesn't happen because the garage door won't open, it becomes a nightmare scenario.

If you're having the same problem, it could be due to various reasons. The good news is that we're there for you in getting it fixed in as short of time as possible. We'll also help in future maintenance so it won't happen again.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong With Your Garage Door?


Those who've lived here in Michigan know how rough our winters are. The cold and ice we frequently get can especially wreak havoc on garage doors when the door hasn't had recent maintenance. Ice can sometimes freeze garage door parts if your door is an old one with deteriorated insulation.

Then you have the most typical situation why a garage door won't open: The breaking of high-tension springs. This sometimes happens due to lack of maintenance, or just because the door is too old. Also, weather conditions can make them break as well.

When you call us, we're there immediately to replace those springs so you won't have your car trapped in your garage for hours. Other garage door services might put you on hold and force you to leave your car inside for a full day. This only costs you money because you'd have to take a taxi to work, or pay someone to take you.

No matter what the problem is with your garage door, we have parts on hand when we arrive so you won't have to wait long for repairs. Afterward, we'll provide maintenance tips while also being a continual maintenance source for you so your door stays working efficiently.

Most importantly, if you need a new door, we're also your leading source for doors at reasonable prices. When a door is too old to withstand our Michigan winters, we'll find you one with durable materials guaranteed to last you for years. With proper insulation, you'll also have one that saves money on your heating bills.

Contact us here at Overhead Door Company of Lansing if you need quick garage door repair. You have our commitment to excellent customer service when time is of the essence.