Question 1

Can I choose where the window sections of my garage door are placed?

easyliftadmin · Accepted Answer

In residential garage doors the window section is placed in either the third section (second from the top) or the fourth (top) section depending on why you want to add windows. If you want to be able to look through the windows the third section is best. If you want privacy but still want to let daylight in, the fourth section is the best. If you want to be able to look outside but still want some privacy, you can request other window panes options such as obscure glass which still lets light in while maintaining privacy. It is also possible to place windows for example on only one side of the door in each panel, creating a vertical column of windows. This makes for a great contemporary look. For other window locations Styleview Series or Contemporary Series may be an option to pursue.

For generally larger commercial doors the placement of the window section depends on the surrounding structure and building aesthetics. Take into consideration where other windows in the building are placed and again what the purpose of the windows on the overhead door are. It is also possible to install several window sections on top of each other or make the entire door see-through. A so called full-view overhead door has glass windows in all sections. An alternative is installing an overhead door where see-through window panes are made out of lighter polycarbonate or acrylic material. Tell us about your needs and we can give you a free quote and discuss options.

Question 2

How much headroom does an overhead door require?

easyliftadmin · Accepted Answer

Headroom is the space between the top of the door opening and the underside of the lowest part of the ceiling above the door. Required headroom for a commercial overhead door depends on which spring configuration and what kinds of tracks are to be used in the installation. Special follow the roof tracks, high-lift, full vertical tracks or dual-tracks can be used depending on how much headroom there is. For a standard door with torsion springs and 2” tracks with a 15” radius, requires minimum 16” of headroom. Adding for instance a trolley opener, requires even more headroom. We recommend however that you contact Easy Lift Doors so that we can have a look at your door opening and determine which tracks are best suited for your overhead door project as there are a lot of factors to consider.

Question 3

How much sideroom does an overhead door require?

easyliftadmin · Accepted Answer

Sideroom or side clearance is the measurement on each side of your overhead door opening to the nearest wall or obstruction. For smaller overhead doors allow 3” to 4” on either side and larger overhead doors 5” to 6” for standard spring and shaft configurations. If a side mounted opener is used a larger sideroom has to be accounted for to allow for fitting the opener beside the door.

Question 4

Why doesn't the dock leveler come up when I pull the chain?

easyliftadmin · Accepted Answer

Mechanical levelers need working springs with the proper amount of tension to operate. If the leveler won’t come up, either the springs need more tension or the springs are broken and need to be replaced. Contact Easy Lift Doors to have one of our trained technicians to fix your problem. We can lift the leveler and secure it so that we can work safely on the equipment.

Question 5

Why doesn't the lip go up / stay up long enough on the dock leveler?

easyliftadmin · Accepted Answer

There may be a number of reasons for this depending on which type of dock leveler is used. The hydraulic leveler may be low on hydraulic oil or on a mechanical leveler the springs may be broken or need more tension or the lip assist assembly is broken. Contact Easy Lift Doors to have one of our trained technicians to fix your problem.

Question 6

Can I choose where the window sections of my garage door are placed?

easyliftadmin · Accepted Answer

In residential garage doors the window section is placed in either the third section (second from the top) or the fourth (top) section depending on why you want to add windows. If you want to be able to look through the windows the third section is best. If you want privacy but still want to let daylight in, the fourth section is the best. If you want to be able to look outside but still want some privacy, you can request other window panes options such as obscure glass which still lets light in while maintaining privacy. It is also possible to place windows for example on only one side of the door in each panel, creating a vertical column of windows. This makes for a great contemporary look. For other window locations Styleview Series or Contemporary Series may be an option to pursue.

For generally larger commercial doors the placement of the window section depends on the surrounding structure and building aesthetics. Take into consideration where other windows in the building are placed and again what the purpose of the windows on the overhead door are. It is also possible to install several window sections on top of each other or make the entire door see-through. A so called full-view overhead door has glass windows in all sections. An alternative is installing an overhead door where see-through window panes are made out of lighter polycarbonate or acrylic material. Tell us about your needs and we can give you a free quote and discuss options.

Question 7

How much top clearance do I need to install a garage door?

easyliftadmin · Accepted Answer

For a residential garage door with torsion springs a top clearance or headroom of 12” is required. If you want to add an electric opener an additional 2” is required. In low headroom instances dual-tracks can be used to decrease the requirements. Please let us know about your situation and we will be happy to determine which track system will be most suitable for you.

Question 8

When do I need to call for maintenance of my garage door?

easyliftadmin · Accepted Answer

A garage door is a complex system with a lot of different parts that need to work together in order for the door to operate properly. You want to make sure the garage door is kept in good condition in order for it to be working the day that you actually need to pass through it. A garage door that is not opening or closing may affect the security of your home and in this situation, you may be forced to delay or change any other plans you have. Before you contact us, there is a few things you can quickly try yourself to see if you can get the door operating properly again.

First, try the wall button or the handheld remote. It could be just a dead battery issue. If the door comes down partially and then goes back up, it’s usually because of the photo safety eyes being misaligned or something is blocking their beam, like grass, dirt or cob webs. If the problem isn’t too obvious to fix yourself, you see a broken part such as a spring or the door is off its tracks, please let us know. Easy Lift Doors expert technicians are glad to help and will promptly get your garage door operating properly again.

Question 9

My garage door is making a weird noise, and operation seems jerky, what do I do?

easyliftadmin · Accepted Answer

There can be several causes for your garage door to be acting like this. Opener gears (or chain) require regular lubrication. In some openers the internal plastic gears may be stripped and in need of replacement. Internal plastic gears may get stripped if the bottom seal is frozen to the floor. Lubrication is crucial, if the gears are not lubricated and run dry they can get stripped quickly. Easy Lift Doors offers opener gear kits for replacing any stripped parts. Also keeping the lifting cables, rollers, spring and bearings lubricated will keep your garage door operating more smoothly.

If the door is still making an unusual noise, try listening closer to determine the source. Worn out rollers or tracking may cause grinding sounds, bent spring coils may cause a grating sound, a door out of balance may cause squealing, defective panels or hinges may cause banging or popping noises, worn out shaft bearings or rollers may cause ticking and loosened spring tension may cause rumbling.

Easy Lift Doors expert technicians are glad to help and will promptly get your garage door operating properly again.