Always Open & Shut Garage Door Service L.L.C.                       ROC# 916416                                                                              Contact us at: 808-4641 Links Contact Us Photos   Garage Door 101 Products About Us Home    Garage Door 101 A garage door can account for 20% - 30% of the front elevation of your home. While a garage door is not something that you would buy on a regular basis, it can improve both the appearance and the security of your home. To help you learn more about garage doors, we have compiled what we call Garage Door 101: About Our Garage Doors and Accessories •  What garage door design will be right for my home? •  Why should I choose an insulated garage door if my garage is not insulated?  •  Why are there different R-values or insulation properties of garage doors? •  What material and finish should I choose for my garage door? •  Is 26 gauge steel thicker than 24 gauge steel? •  What size garage door do I need? •  What Garage door opener should I use for my garage door? •  What type of spring is better...extension or torsion? •  What garage door accessories are worth considering?     How much should I spend on my garage door? About the Installation of Garage Doors    Are all garage doors supplied and installed or  can I install it by myself? • Who will install my garage door?  • Why should I use a professional garage door installer?    How do I know if my garage door is properly balanced?     Are custom size garage doors available for custom built garages? • What is the minimum headroom required to operate a sectional door? • I have a one piece garage door now, can I replace it with a sectional door?  About Our Garage Doors Which garage door design will be right for my home? Your garage can account for up to 30% of the front elevation of your home. As such, it can have a major impact on how your home will look. It is important, therefore, that you choose the correct design that will help to help personalize your home now, but that you will still enjoy in 10, 15 or even 20 years time.  (back to top) When making your decision, you will have to take into consideration not only the current style of your home but also how the door will look in the surrounding area. Some local authorities may require you to obtain planning permission before changing your door. (back to top) Why should I choose an insulated door if my garage isn't insulated?A garage door opening is a very large hole in your garage. Insulated doors will help to reduce the amount of outside temperatures that enters your garage, thus keeping it more comfortable for you. This is important for a number of reasons. For homes with attached garages, cold air in the garage can travel through the doorway to your living area. If you use your garage as a workshop, your comfort will be a top priority. If your garage is below another room in your home, air can travel through the ceiling of the garage into the floor of the room above. An insulated door will keep temperatures in the garage fairly stable to reduce the temperature fluctuation in the room. An insulated door is generally quieter and has a more attractive interior than an non- insulated door.  (back to top) Why are there different R-Values or insulation properties of garage doors? Many manufacturers use R-values to show the energy efficiency of their product. This number is arrived at through a calculation that looks at the thickness of the insulation and its chemical properties. Therefore, most of the R-value numbers you see, reflect only the R-value of the section...not of the installed door. A door's insulating capabilities can be greatly affected by the door's construction. Polyurethane is a much better and more efficient insulator than polystyrene.  (back to top) What material and finish should I choose for my garage door? This decision should be considered in the same way as the choice of design. All doors from Always Open & Shut are available in a variety of materials and finishes including wood, steel, and GRP.  (back to top) Is 26 gauge steel thicker than 24 gauge steel? No. When comparing strengths of steel, remember, the lower the gauge number, the thicker (and stronger) the door is.  (back to top) What size garage door do I need? All door opening sizes differ from garage to garage. Different door styles and actions require different sized frames. Please don't allow this to worry you. We are willing to visit your home and advise you accordingly as to which door size will be the best for your opening, taking the framework and clearances into account.  (back to top) What garage door opener should I choose for my garage door? There are many styles and features to choose from  depending on your personal needs. Visit our garage door and garage door opener gallery to see what garage door opener would be best for you!. (back to top) What type of spring is better...extension or torsion?There are two types of springs used on garage doors today...extension and torsion. Most people are more familiar with extension springs. These are the springs that are attached on either side of the door and stretch along the horizontal part of the track when the door is closed. Torsion springs are typically located just above the top section of the door and are mounted to the header. They are wound springs and do not expand or contract when the door is moved. A torsion spring is a superior spring, primarily because it offers more safety to the home owner and better balances the door to provide smoother operation. DO NOT attempt to fix a broken spring yourself. They are under extreme pressure and can be very dangerous! (back to top) Which garage door accessories are worth considering? This is the final decision that you will need to make. Accessories can help add your own personal finishing touch to the garage door. Electric option:  Probably the best accessory that you could choose, not only does it allow you to open and close your new garage door from the comfort of your car, it will also add value to your home. Additionally, it will also encourage you to actually park your car in the garage overnight, saving it not only from the elements but also from the risk of theft. Designer windows: Not only does this option add style to your new door, it also allows natural light into your garage thus saving on your electricity bills. (back to top) How much should I spend on my garage door? The cost of a garage door is determined by the following. Door size, style, finish , garage door opener, extras and accessories. We suggest home-owners consider the following points when purchasing their next garage door: Maintenance requirements, insulation "R" values , styles available - i.e., raised panel, flush, ribbed or elongated panels. Thickness - A thicker door is not always better! Durability and composition - i.e., Steel, wood, vinyl, aluminium or composite.  Available colors, finishes and window options. Strength and Gauge of garage door.  Warranties - on the equipment and on the installation labor.  Counterbalance Spring Mechanisms - i.e., Extension vs. torsion. Construction of Sections and available options.  We are committed to helping you select the best garage doors for your home. We offer a large and diverse product-mix to guarantee the satisfaction of your needs. Professional installation and friendly service are the building blocks of our company. Visit our garage door and garage door opener gallery and browse our large selection of garage doors.(back to top)  About the Installation of Garage Doors Are all garage doors supplied and installed or can I install it by myself? As well as our supply and installation service, we are able to supply garage doors, electric operators and replacement parts on a supply only, do-it-yourself basis. Sectional doors and electric operators are available from stock and can delivered within 5-7 days from receipt of order. (back to top)  Who will install my garage door? All installations are undertaken by qualified trained staff, who are constantly under going further training, thus ensuring all installations are of the highest standard. (back to top) Why should I use a professional garage door installer? At Always Open & Shut, we firmly believe that the installation of a garage door is not a do-it-yourself job. A garage door is the largest moving object in your home and because of the large number of small parts, its installation is highly technical. Connecting the springs can be particularly dangerous and proper installation is critical to the performance of your door. One of the other services a professional installer can provide is the disposal of your old door, if you are replacing a door.  (back to top) Professional installers can typically install a door in a few hours and are careful to make sure safety requirements are met. Installations by most home-owners typically span several days and cause much frustration. In addition, incorrect installation can void certain warranties, so we recommend a professional handle the job for you.  (back to top) How do I know if my garage door is properly balanced? There are several tests you can perform to tell if your door is balanced:· You should be able to raise your door in 1' increments and the door should stay in place where you stop it. · When the door comes down, it lowers in a controlled manner and doesn't slam. · When the door goes up, it is at a controlled pace. ·  (back to top) Are custom size garage doors available for custom built garages? Yes. There are too many to list here.  Contact us for details and we would happy to provide you a quote.  (back to top) What is the minimum headroom required to operate a sectional door? Standard headroom applications require 12" to 18" of space between the bottom of the opening header and the unobstructed ceiling. However, Always Open & Shut Garage Door specializes in custom-built applications. A variety of special track options are available and make it possible for many unusual garages to be fitted with doors. By using low-headroom track, it is possible to install a door in an area that has as little as 4 1/2" of headroom. Other special track applications include:1. Vertical lift track, for use in situations where the ceiling is extremely high and the garage door has room to lift straight up. 2. Follow-the-roof line track, which is used when the ceiling of the garage is pitched at the angle of the roof, making it desirable for the door to follow the same angle, thus providing additional overhead room. 3. Hi-lift track, which is used when the ceiling is unusually high, but the door must still retract to a horizontal position. (back to top) I have a one piece garage door now. Can I replace it with a sectional door? Yes. Your professional garage door installer can install a sectional door for you by installing track and springs to accommodate a sectional door. Depending on the construction of your garage, other modifications might be necessary. We would advise you to ask your estimator to evaluate the job prior to installation, so that any modifications can be performed before installation.  (back to top) • • • •