Spring Garage Door Tune Up

As you work your way down your spring home maintenance to-do’s, don’t forget to add spring garage door tune ups to the list. Annual inspections help ensure reliable, quiet operation of the door as well as home safety. A neglected garage door can become noisy and pose significant security and safety risks to you and your family. The average garage door does up and down over 1000 times a year! So you can only imagine the wear and tear that occurs from regular use. Some things to focus on during your garage door tune up are:
Inspect Your Door’s Hardware:

1. Tighten Nuts and Bolts- Garage door hardware can loosen. Inspect and tighten any loose roller brackets as well as the bolts that hold the rails to the support brackets.
2. Inspect Rollers for Wear and Tear- Nylon rollers crack and chip as they deteriorate while steel rollers tend to tilt as they weather. We recommend buying replacements if they are worn but do not remove the bottom roller bracket as this is under high tension and should only be replaced by a professional.
3. Inspect the Lift Cable for Wear- Look for broken cable strands but do not replace it yourself. This cable is under very high tension and should only be replaced by a professional.

Maintain Springs, Chains and Seals:

1. Lubricate Springs, Chains and Screws- Apply a small amount of spray lubricant to the door’s hinges, rollers, torsion springs, end bearings, center bearings, locks and tracks as needed. By lubricating your garage door in the appropriate places, it will make the opener operate quieter and smoother. This can also help extend the life of both the opener and the door.
2. Replace Weather Seal- Over the harsh winter, your weather seals have been tested and can become brittle and worn. Replace the seal to ensure another year’s worth of protection. Through weather proofing and insulating the garage door, it can save you on your utility bill and remain drier throughout the winter months and cooler during summer.

Test Your Door’s Capabilities:

1. Balance- Disconnect the automatic opener from the door by pulling the opener release handle. Then manually lift the door halfway. A well balanced garage door will hold that position. If it rides up, the springs are under too much tension. If it falls, the tension needs to be increased.
2. Auto Reverse- Place a 2" x 4" board (laid flat) under the middle of your garage door and try to close it. As it impacts the board it should stop and reverse within 2 seconds. If your door does not reverse please refer to your garage door openers manual for instructions.

Keeping your garage door safe and functional is an important part of owning a home. Use spring as a time to inspect and replace any pieces of your door that may not be functioning or are weathered from the winter. It will not only save you money in the long run, but also give you piece of mind as you drive your car into your garage each night.

If you are uncomfortable with performing any of these repairs or maintenance items please call a garage door technician.

Having Trouble Programming your Overhead Door 111663 Series Remote?

If so, read on!  Here are Star Door Parts our employees have years of experience troubleshooting just about any remote or transmitter problem you can encounter.  Here is our trip on how to program your Overhead Door garage door opener when the factory instructions just don't seem to help.

Overhead Door Remote Programming Tip
First,start by taking the cover off the remote and with one finger depress the button that you depress to open the door and keep it depressed. The red light and the green light will illuminate. Then, with the other hand, depress the other button and the green light will blink twice. Finally, release both buttons and that will activate the remote.

For Overhead Door remotes, keypads garage door and openerparts and accessories, please visit us at www.stardoorparts.com

Garage Door Decorative Hardware

Did you know that one of the fastest and most cost effective ways to add curb appeal to your home is simply by adding some decorative rustic hinges and handles to you garage door.  Although this is not a look that will work for every home it is a option for many.  You can purchase various kits and individual pieces to match your homes style.  These overhead door accessories are easy to install with simple hand tools and relatively inexpensive.  Use our coupon code FASTFIVE to save an additional 5% when you order online from www.stardoorparts.com  

Garage Security Tips

One of the top mistakes people make is leaving the garage door remote in their vehicle. Thieves break into your car and take the remote giving them direct access to your home. The best way to prevent this from happening and still have easy access to your garage door opener is to simply purchase a keychain style remote.

Keep GPS devices stowed away when parking at shopping malls, movie theaters or sporting events. Criminals will break into your car steal your GPS and your garage door remote control and then hit the “home” button on the GPS and it leads them to your unoccupied home where they will have access for several hours while you are enjoying your entertainment. If your transmitter does get stolen be sure to immediately clear all the codes in your opener and reprogram all your remotes and keypads. This prevents that stolen device from opening your door. If you do not know how to clear your codes please contact the door opener manufacturer for assistance.

Secure your garage door emergency release mechanism by using a zip tie or product designed to prevent the “six second” break-in. Products like the no-entry latch guard are easy to install and are typically under $20 and make this break-in technique almost impossible. Criminals will use a wedge and coat hanger to grab the disconnect mechanism on your garage door opener and can be in your garage (and house if your door to your house is unlocked) in seconds.

Keep the door locked between your garage and house. We suggest using a deadbolt. Also make sure the door from the garage to your home is as sturdy as your front door. A steel door is the best and anti kick devices are also recommended. It really is not that big of an inconvenience to unlock the door when you consider the piece of mind you will have knowing your home is safe. Another helpful hint is to install a good wide-angle peephole to look into your garage from safely inside the house incase you do hear strange noises coming from your garage.

Do not make it easy on the criminals and forget to shut your door when you go to bed or leave for work. This gives them free access to anything in your garage and if they shut your door behind them plenty of time to also break into your house without being seen. There are a couple products on the market like a garage door monitor that can tell you if your garage door is open or closed from your bedside or anywhere in your home. Genie now has a garage door opener that can be fitted with a device called a closed confirm remote that will tell you if your garage door closed properly behind you.

If you do have windows in garage door or side windows in your garage be sure to get obscure glass or frosted glass to prevent thieves from looking in to see what good stuff you have to offer or more importantly if someone may be home or not. Keep expensive items like golf clubs, bikes and power tools out of site. These are items easy to sell and pawn.

Always padlock the slide lock on your door when traveling or away from your home for long periods of time. If you do not have a slide lock on your garage door they can be purchased for under $10 from a hardware store or online garage door parts retailer. This ensures no one will be able to open your garage door manually or with a remote. This will give you a piece of mind that your garage is secured while traveling. A little tip though be sure to either unplug your opener or turn the vacation switch on your wall station to prevent you from accidently pressing the button when you return home and damage your door, opener or both due to it being locked down.

Making sure your garage door and opener are maintained properly and installed correctly is also an important part of the security of your home. The drawbar arm that connects your garage door to your door opener should be as close to vertical when the door is closed and sealing the door at the floor. This helps prevent someone from prying your garage door open. If your drawbar arm is angled it can be back driven in some cases allowing access to your door. Be sure to keep the area around your photo safety sensors clean and free from debris. This is the reason most doors do not close when you activated.

New Line of Genie Garage Door Opener Remotes

Star Door Parts carries the latest line of Genie garage door opener remotes for Intellicode II systems that work on both 315 and 390 MHz frequencies to support most Genie operator systems that have been manufactured since 1997.  Click here to check out all the Genie remotes we sell at everyday low prices. We have the remotes you need in stock and ready to ship to you today!  Want to save even more off our low prices?  You one of our online promo codes>  Order your new remote today!

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