FAQ

Garage Door FAQs

You may have a broken spring. We suggest you contact our office to arrange a service call and we will send one of our qualified technicians to replace it. If you have 2 springs on your door and one is broken, it is recommended that you replace both springs.

Broken Torsion Spring
If Chamberlain/Lift Master/ Steelcraft/Craftsman/Wayne Dalton manufactured your operator, you may have a problem with your photocells. These are the small black boxes positioned near the bottom of the track on either side of the opening. Each photocell has an LED light. Those lights should be solid. If either one is flashing or not lit, that indicates they are out of alignment or something is blocking the beam that travels across the opening. Remove the item, or if nothing is blocking them, move the photocell slowly until the LED is a solid light. Your door should now close. If it still doesn’t close, you should contact our office to arrange a service call and we will send one of our qualified technicians to determine the problem.
You may have your “lock-out” on. Check the wall button inside the garage. On newer Lift Master operators there will be a small light, in the middle of the large white button. That light should be solid – if it is flashing, push and hold the lock button beneath it and your remote should now work. On older operators there should be a switch labelled “lock”. If there is a red light lit on your control panel it is indicating that it has been turned on. Switch that to the off position and your “remote” should work. If it still doesn’t work, we recommend you bring your “remote” into our office and we can have a look at it, or contact our office to arrange a service call and we will send one of our qualified technicians to determine the problem.

All garage door openers have a model/serial number on the ID Label on the overhead operator head. Please click here for instructions on how to locate it. Once you have located the Model number, please call our office, or come into the office, for further assistance.

If the opener makes a humming sound, for at least 10 seconds, as if the electric motor is running, but the door does not move, then the opener may have damaged or worn gears inside the overhead motor case. Any damage to the gears will be readily apparent by the presence of “white fluff” inside the case. Please call our office to arrange a service call.

Try rubbing paraffin wax on to the inside of the wood garage door trim (jamb). In wet weather the wood will absorb water, causing it to swell and the door can bind on this swollen wood, causing it to reverse. If reversing persists, please call our office and we would be happy to arrange a service call for you.

The traveller needs to be reconnected. Please contact our office for instructions.

Connected traveller
Disconnected traveller

Check the location of all the remote controls. They should be kept on the car visor, or in the console, with lots of free space. This way the buttons can’t get pressed by mistake. If this doesn’t help, it can also be a loose wire either at the operator head or the wall control, or possibly a broken wire.

We can provide you with special isolators, which may help with this.

There are many brands of keypads. If you contact our office, we should be able to assist you.

Photocells are available for many, but not all, older openers. Contact our office to see if your opener is adaptable.

Check for proper power supply to unit. If there is power to the unit and there is still a problem, call our office to arrange a service call.

Check your battery, in your remote control. Transmitters (remotes) are sensitive to voltage and require batteries with full voltage to operate with full range. Do not use rechargeable batteries. Our showroom has a full supply of 9V, 12V and lithium batteries available. Bring your transmitter to us and we would be happy to change your battery for you.

 Check for obstructions under the door. If there is nothing under the door, your machine’s “forces or limits” may need adjusting. Call our office to arrange a service call.

Keep in mind that you must use a “rough service” bulb. Check your opener for the proper wattage to use. Please note – use only incandescent light bulbs – not CFL bulbs (compact fluorescent).

Yes! All steel garage doors should be reinforced where the opener is attached to it. We can supply “operator plates” of various sizes to accommodate this.

Clopay Operator Plate

You normally require 12″ of headroom to install a residential overhead door with standard lift torsion spring hardware. You do require an additional 2″ to accommodate the installation of an electric opener. Call our office, to clarify. We can also arrange to come out to your home or job site and go over these details with you.

Yes! Different types of low headroom hardware are now available. You can install a door and opener in as little as 6″ of headroom using special “double track” hardware. Consult our office for details regarding all types of low headroom hardware.

Yes! There is a very wide range of standard sizes available. We can also special order many products in custom two inch increments. Almost anything is possible! Consult our office for details regarding custom sizes

If your electric opener is mounted above the center of your garage door and hangs from the ceiling, there will normally be a white or red “disconnect” cord hanging down. If you pull down on this cord, the 2 sections of the traveller will disconnect. This will allow you to lift up the door, manually, to the open position.

Please be careful not to get your fingers caught between the sections, when you are handling the door manually and also to watch that the door stays in the open position. Some doors will hang down into the opening.

If your opener is not a ceiling mounted opener, please contact our office for disconnect instructions, or to arrange a service call.

Connected traveller
Disconnected traveller

Normally, activating the opener with a transmitter, or a wall button, and running the door to the up or down position, will reconnect the door. If you are unable to reconnect, please call our office for further instructions.

Refer to your vehicle’s owners manual and follow the steps, as described. If the manual is not available, you can try these steps:

  1. Press and hold the 2 outside buttons, together, on your vehicle “HomeLink” console, until the LED light blinks rapidly. Then release both buttons.
  2. Press and hold one of the 3 available buttons, on the “HomeLink” console and at the same time, repeatedly press the button on your working garage door opener remote/transmitter, until the LED light, on the console, blinks rapidly. Then release both buttons.
  3. Test the button on your “HomeLink” console and see if it activates your garage door opener, on your garage door. If not, you may have
    “Security +” or “Rolling Code” technology and proceed to the next step.
  4. Locate your “Smart”/Program button at the rear of the operator head, on the ceiling of the garage. Press and release the “Smart”/Program button and then within 20 seconds, press and release the programmed button on your “HomeLink” console, in your vehicle. The system should now be programmed. If these steps don’t work – please change the battery in your transmitter/remote and/or turn the vehicle ignition on. Then repeat the above steps.

NOTES:

  • To program additional remotes, omit Step (1) and begin with Step (2).
  • If you are unable to make your “HomeLink” system work, please contact our office for further instructions/advice, or to arrange a service call.

VIEW HOMELINK

Gate System FAQs

  • not recommended to be under 12′ wide, in order to accommodate emergency vehicles
  • all gates are custom made to be any width or height, to suit specific site conditions and needs
  • recommended height of at least 6’6″ if you want to keep deer out
  • you must use exterior locking devices on any single swing gate leaves over 10′ wide
a) Single swing vs. double swing – we recommend a double swing gate on driveways over 10′ wide

b) Slide – must have an additional 2′ of sideroom to accommodate a slide gate

  • ground must be reasonably level
  • not recommended where tree/yard debris is abundant, as ground track can become obstructed

c) Cantilever – must have an additional 5′ to 10′ of sideroom

  • no ground track is required
  • site doesn’t need to be as level as with a slide gate
  • less maintenance than a slide gate
  • Aluminum – lightweight, low maintenance, powder coated finish
  • Wood
  • Steel
  • Wood/aluminum combination

Standard gate colours are white or black, but it can be custom powder coated to almost any colour.

  • Aluminum gates are available in 22 standard designs or custom designs are also available
  • We can arrange to add graphics to the gate – name plate, house number, emblems, etc.
  • Custom wood
  • Decorative hardware also available for custom wood gates
  • Wood/aluminum combination
  • Glass/aluminum combination
  • If you have an existing steel or chain link gate, some modifications may be required to electrically operate it.
a) Steel posts – embedded or surface mount
  • minimum of 6″ X 6″ steel
  • powder coated to match gate colour
  • can be embedded in concrete or mounted on concrete pads with base plate

b) Steel angles – embedded into stone/concrete pillars

  • 6″ X 4″ X 1/4″ steel angle with rebar protrusions, designed to be incorporated into the back corner of your stone pillar
  • painted to match gate colour

c) Secondary Steel posts – mounted behind existing pillars

  • embedded or surface mount

d) Anchoring directly onto pillar facing with epoxy –

  • more cost effective, but not recommended for long term performance

NOTE: Gate hinges should mount on the back corner of the pillar, as opposed to in the center of the pillar.

a) Single swing / Double swing gate – Hydraulic, Screwdrive, Articulating arms or In ground units are all available –The proper equipment is selected based on the size of the gate, gate usage, space limitations and cost restrictions. b) Slide or cantilever gate – Hydraulic or electric units.
Yes, you will need:
  • Line voltage of 110V/115V or 220V/240 (Please note – a 24V operator also needs an 115V power supply.)
  • Low voltage – to power accessories like photocells and an entry/exit device
  • A dedicated 20 Amp service
Please note – Solar power is not recommended, or reliable, in this area, unless perfect site conditions are present.
Yes, we recommend one, or a combination of the following:
  • Photocells
  • In ground safety loop
  • Miller Edge (contact reversing edge) on sliding gates
a) Radio controls (transmitters / remotes) – designed for homeowners and regular visitors.

b) Digital entry (outside keypad) – visitor must have a code to enter the property. This keypad can be mounted directly to the gate posts / pillars, or it can be mounted on a separate post or a gooseneck stand.

c) Intercom – Can be voice or voice with video – visitors activate the intercom to communicate with the homeowner, in a specific location, within the house.

d) Telephone entry system – Homeowners can communicate with visitors using their home telephone or from a cell phone. A camera can also be integrated into the telephone entry system.

e) Free entrance loop / probe – allows any vehicle approaching the gate free access to the property – used when security is not a consideration. (For example: Animal control)

f) Exterior pushbutton – Allows vehicle or pedestrian traffic free access to the property – used when security is not a consideration. (For example: Animal control)
a) Radio Controls

b) Digital Entry

c) Exit Loop / Probe

d) Exterior Pushbutton

Ideally, for convenience and safety, you would have a separate pedestrian gate that can allow free entry / exit, and can be secured with various locking devices.

All gate operators allow for manual disconnect using unique keys.

All gate operators allow for manual reconnect using unique keys.

Solar power is not recommended, but site conditions will dictate if feasible.

No – all gates are designed for manual operation and can be locked using cane bolts or other locking devices.

All systems can be upgraded with a battery back up system. Some 24V operators have built in battery back up as a standard feature.

Solid gate designs can have a problem with wind loading and this can affect the operation of the gate.

If you have an existing driveway of:

  • concrete/asphalt – installed using a small saw cut
  • paving stones – are removed to allow for placement of loop and then reinstalled
  • gravel – a 3″-4″ deep trench is created and a 1/2″ conduit encased loop is installed

If you are dealing with new construction:

  • a preformed loop is installed prior to the finishing of the driveway

Some modifications may be needed to your existing gate, in readiness for mounting the electric operator. Also, modifications to your existing posts / pillars, or installation of secondary posts, may be needed. If your existing gates are not electrically operated now, trenching will also be done to accommodate the necessary wiring.

A 7-day or 365-day timer can be installed to open and close your gate, as desired.

Annual maintenance on your gate system is important to extend the life, and maintain the reliability, of the equipment.

Yes, all entry codes can be changed. Please refer to your specific owner’s manual for details.

There are special hinges and gate construction methods available that allow us to accommodate approximately 5% of upward sloping elevation change, with swing gates. A gradual side to side elevation change, up to 5%, can be accommodated to a certain extent, through gate design and installation methods, when dealing with a sliding gate.

Typically you want your gate to swing into the property. However, gates and operators can be mounted to swing outwards, in certain applications.

Yes, we can fabricate fencing to match aluminum gates

Did you find everything you were looking for?

We’ve got valuable advice and friendly staff ready for you. It’s part of our serious service package.

Helpful resources

Request estimate

Name(Required)
Address(Required)