Frequently Asked Questions - About Us

We thought we'd take some time to answer some frequently asked questions related to our company and how we work. Need something else? Don't hesitate to contact us!

Do you take credit cards or personal checks?

Yes! We accept cash, checks and Mastercard, Visa, Discover and American Express credit cards.

 

Do the technicians carry all necessary parts on their trucks?

We try! Our service trucks stock a large number of parts for all brands of equipment that we service. It is very possible that we will have the parts needed for your door without having to make a second trip.

 

Do you give estimates on service? Or only on new/replacement doors and openers?

We charge a minimum service fee to diagnose equipment problems. This is due to the fact that service work involves a site inspection by a qualified field technician.

 

What warranties do you offer?

New doors and motor operators are covered by a minimum one-year warranty on materials and workmanship. Several doors and operators have extended warranties beyond that first year. Service and repair work warranties are 90-days on parts and 30-days on labor.

 

Can I talk to a salesperson?

Absolutely! All of our showrooms have experienced and knowledgeable salespeople ready to answer your questions.

 

How qualified are your technicians?

Our service technicians are highly-trained professionals and are employed exclusively by us. We never use subcontractors – only our own employees.

Benefits of Our Preventative Maintenance Program

If you're looking to save substantial time and money on the ongoing maintenance of your garage door, look no further than our Preventative Maintenance (PM) Program. Enrollment in the program reduces the likelihood of costly breakdowns and extends the operating life and efficiency of your equipment.

PM Program Benefits:

• Discounted labor rates
• Priority scheduling
• Decreased downtime
• Increased operational efficiency and reliability of your equipment
• Lower risk of malfunctions
• Extended life of your equipment
• Decreased long-term repair expenses
• Written checklists of work performed
• Recommendations of necessary repairs or replacements
• Enrollment is FREE

For all details on the PM Program, head over to our website!

What Are Sectional Garage Doors?

Sectional garage doors are great options for commercial and industrial locations, and are ideal for service stations, fire stations, professional facilities and retail environments. They are practical, durable and engineered for long life, low maintenance and enduring aesthetic appeal.

They are typically constructed with three to eight panels, and they slide up and overhead when opened. Two benefits of sectional garage doors are:

• They do not need any space outside of the garage in order to open, meaning vehicles can park very close to them.
• Each panel has its own connection to the track, which increases overall reliability of the door.

Learn more about the different sectional doors we can offer you at our website.

Shining a Light on Energy Efficient Garage Door Options

It isn't unusual for outdoor temperatures to dip into single or negative digits in Lansing at this time of year. As such, it pays for homeowners to speak with garage door contractors about the insulated doors. Although the doors are not yet ENERGY STAR certified, they obviously play a role in energy efficiency and much more. So today, we wanted to explore that topic in a little more detail.

Like other insulated building materials, garage doors are issued R-values based on how much protection they are able to provide. Although it is important to take that rating into consideration, homeowners shouldn't stop there. It is also vital to take into account the garage door's air infiltration rating, construction and bottom weather seal because they can impact a building's heat loss or gain too.

That said, our garage door sales staff will often recommend that Michigan residents choose models that feature multiple layers, bulb-style bottom seals, air infiltration ratings of .08 cfm or better and high R-values. There are many garage doors that have those types of air infiltration ratings and R-values. Ones that immediately come to mind are the Courtyard Thermacore®, Durafirm®, Signature Carriage and Impression® Collections. They are all designed for residential use.

Of those four residential options, the Courtyard Thermacore® has the highest R-value, ringing in at 11. It's followed by Durafirm® (11.75), Impression® (7.6) and Signature Carriage (4.75). We should also mention Thermacore® Insulated Sectional Steel and rolling service or counter doors. They have similar characteristics but are earmarked for commercial use. When it comes to those models, the first one tends to have the highest R-value, weighing in at an impressive 17.5.

Pricing options vary and may be occasionally offset by manufacturer's rebates. Unfortunately, tax credits or government-sponsored incentives do not apply at this time. To learn more, please contact us in Lansing.

Garage Door Safety Tips

You may have bought and installed a garage door recently and thought, 'That's one thing I can cross off my list for 10 years.' In some ways you're right, but garage doors are used every day and there are plenty of ways to make sure they’re in safe and working order. Check out our tips for ensuring your garage door is in top shape!

1. Complete a Visual Inspection: One of the easiest and most effective ways of catching some obvious issues with your garage door is by inspecting the door itself once per month. Look at the springs, door itself, cables and pulleys! If anything looks out of order, make sure to call a garage door professional in to take a second look.
2. Test the Reversing Mechanism on Your Garage Door: Place a board in the door's path and close the garage door. If your door doesn't reverse after contacting the object, make sure to call an expert to inspect the door.
3. Never Leave Your Garage Door Partially Open: This may seem like a no-brainer, but don't leave your garage door partially open. In addition to being a security risk, when re-activating that door, it could come in contact with any objects underneath or in its path!
4. Look at the Manual: When most people purchase a garage door, they overlook the manual! However, you can learn lots of ways to maintain your garage door's safety and security through the manual. Additionally, you can learn how to use the emergency release mechanism. If your power is out and you need to leave your home, your doors can be changed to automatic with the emergency release. The manual can be extremely useful in a lot of situations.
5. Keep Your Remote Up and Away From Children: Remember to keep the controller away from small children and explain that these controls are not toys!
6. Stay Away from Broken Springs: These springs are under high tension and require special tools to replace!

Our seasoned garage door professionals here at Overhead Door Co. of Lansing can make sure that your garage door remains efficient and safe! Contact us today for service!

Your Garage Door Can Save You Money on Your Heating Bills

Selecting a garage door that is right for your home might also be right for your heating bills! Purchasing an insulated garage door is a smart investment for your home. This purchase can save you years of aggravation and money spent on maintenance and astronomically high heating bills.

Basic garage doors run the risk of leaving your garage either extremely hot in the summer months or unbearably cold in the winter. This, unfortunately, raises your energy bills! The wall that separates your home and your garage allows the hot or cold air from outside to infiltrate your home, which, in turn, causes your HVAC system to kick into overdrive, working harder to counteract the temperature fluctuations. Insulating your garage could save you hundreds of dollars per year in energy costs.

You may be thinking that it's a lot of money to insulate your garage and it may be a major investment you're not ready for. One thing that you can do is 'weatherize' your door. Weather-stripping and/or caulking your garage doors could help! You should never make your garage air-tight (you want exhaust fumes to escape outside of your home), but you do want to make sure that you can seal the cracks and gaps between your garage and home.

Insulating your garage door could save you hundreds of dollars per year in energy costs and the investment would eventually pay for itself! If you're unsure whether or not an insulated garage door would make a large difference in your energy costs, just ask your Overhead Door professionals!

Tips for Winterizing Your Garage Door

Winter is here and it feels like it’s getting chillier by the minute. Whether you use your garage for parking your car, extra home storage or a workspace, we have some tips to winterize your garage door!

1. Fix or Replace Weather Stripping & Caulking: Make sure to take a look at your weather stripping and caulk! If there are any cracks, make sure to seal those up as the winter temperatures drop lower. You want to make sure that the cold air has a hard time seeping into the garage.
2. Garage Insulation: If weather stripping and caulking haven’t helped much in the past, you may want to invest in garage insulation. Insulation could bring your energy costs down year after year, eventually paying for itself! 
3. Replace Your Batteries: This seems like the most obvious step, but replace the batteries in your remotes and keypad before winter! Remote control batteries are more susceptible to failing in the extremely cold weather.
4. Give Us a Call: Even after reading your manual 10 or 12 times, it might be best to call in your Overhead Door professionals so we can take a look at the door and make sure that you’re best prepared for winter!