Ah, the garage door! A beneficial piece of hardware most of us use every day. Whether we are going to work or storing the kids’ bicycles; we expect the garage to work day in and day out. What many of us often overlook is just how complex these mechanisms actually are! Especially when you consider how much daily use they endure. Eventually, wear and tear will rear its head. At which time you will need to decide: call a professional or do it yourself?

To make your decision a little easier, below you will find incidents in which you should 100% call in the pro’s:

• Broken Springs: Your garage door springs face constant pressure. When one breaks, it is imperative to have a professional replace them to ensure they are installed correctly using the proper safety precautions.
• Broken Hardware: One hinge may be doable. But replacing multiple hinges or other pieces of hardware requires the practiced eye of a pro!
• Broken or Cracked Door Panels: Doors weigh a lot more than you may think. Any door repair will require at least two people who are familiar with safely replacing panels.
• Broken Wheels: Replacing wheels can be a tedious job. This is because the door track can easily be bent if not done correctly.
• Weather Stripping Between Panels: Weather stripping located along the sides or bottom of your garage door is an easy DIY job. Weather stripping between panels, however, is an entirely different ball game. You should call your local garage repair technician for help.
• Dents and Dings: While a good ole fashioned plunger may relieve some dents and dings, deeper damages require replacement. Perhaps even an entirely new garage door!
• Broken Automatic Opener: Automatic openers have many different moving parts and components, as well as electrical wiring. Due to electrical hazards, it is best to have a garage door technician complete the work.

As with all complex hardware, it is essential to know when things are just beyond your skills. There can be certain risks and hazards of attempting certain garage door repairs on your own that could lead to additional door damages and personal injuries. In other instances, it may be more beneficial and cost-effective to have a new door installed rather than repair your existing one.

Family owned and operated since 1946, Adams Door Systems can provide you with the leading array of residential garage door solutions in the Greater Toronto Area. Whether you’re looking for repairs or replacements, we are here to help. 

You probably haven’t thought much about your garage door springs…until one breaks. You can call a professional, or try to replace the garage door yourself. Just know that this DIY project comes with hazards, especially if you are not that experienced with tasks like this. To help you tackle this problem, our team has compiled the following helpful tips. Read on to learn how to replace your garage door springs yourself!

Understand The Types of Garage Door Springs

Residential garage doors have one or two types of springs – torsion or extension. Heavy-duty torsion springs are mounted around a metal rod that runs parallel to the door. Extension springs are the long, lighter weight springs that run perpendicular to the door above the tracks. Be sure to purchase the right style spring, with the same length and diameter as the old springs.

Replacing Extension Springs

1. Remove all spring tension by opening the garage door and clamp it in place. Once in place, disconnect the garage door opener.
2. Mark the current placement of the pulley with tape so that it can be reinstalled at the same place.
3. Disconnect the spring from the track bracket and the spring pulley. A safety cable is threaded through the spring to hold it in place. Disconnect the safety cable from the bracket and remove the old spring.
4. Thread the safety cable through the new spring, attaching the spring to the track bracket.
5. Reattach the safety cable and the pulley. Make sure the wire from the pulley is kept away from the safety cable. Use the piece of tape that you attached before removing the pulley to make sure that the pulley is in the correct location.
6. Remove the clamps and connect the garage door opener.
7. Test the garage door to be sure that the replacement worked. If it doesn’t close all the way, or closes too quickly, inspect the location of the pulley and the extension spring hardware, adjusting as necessary.

Replacing Torsion Springs

1. Unplug the opener and clamp the garage door to the track so that the door cannot open when the tension is released on the springs.
2. Using a sturdy ladder, climb beside the winding cone at the end of the spring. Insert a winding bar (available on Amazon) into the winding cone to hold the spring in place. Test the force that you will be working with by pushing the winding bar up one quarter turn and then bringing it back down. Once satisfied with the grip on the winding bar, loosen the screw set. Keep one bar in the cone at all times to prevent it from rapidly unwinding and potentially injuring you.
3. Lower the winding bar to the top of the garage door, then insert a second winding bar. Remove the first winding bar and lower the second bar to the top of the garage door, then insert the first winding bar into the next hole. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the spring is completely unwound.
4. Loosen and remove the torsion hardware that secures the center stationary torsion cones to the spring bracket.
5. Remove the springs, cables, and cable drums.
6. For torsion springs, measure the wire size, inside diameter of the spring (most springs have a 2-inch inside diameter), spring length, and determine the winding orientation (whether the spring is left-wound or right-wound).
7. Slide the new left spring onto the torsion tube with the stationary cone facing the center bracket, then reinstall the cable drum.
8. Install the center bearing and the new right spring and then secure the cones.
9. Thread the cables and tighten the drums. Make sure that the tension is equal on both sides to prevent the door from opening unevenly.
10. Using the winding bars, begin winding the spring in the opposite direction as it was unwound. Ensure that at least one winding bar is in the winding cone at all times. Wind the spring as many turns as is recommended by the supplier.
11. Using a hammer, tap the winding bar to stretch the spring out ¼-inch.
12. Tighten the set screws on the winding cone.
13. Lubricate the spring with garage door lubricant, then remove the clamp from the garage door.
14. Test the spring by lifting the door about 3 feet. If the door remains in place, the replacement was a success. If the door falls, you’ll need to tighten the spring by a quarter turn until it stays open on its own. If the door opens, you’ll need to loosen the spring by a quarter turn until it remains in place.

We hope these tips help! When in doubt, contact a professional at Info@adamsdoorsystems.com!

(Source: Bob Vila)

Your garage door faces daily wear and tear. And as one of the largest moving objects in your home, it’s important to ensure your garage door is secure. That’s why the experts at Adam’s Door Systems have put together a list of practical garage door safety tips to keep you and your family safe! 

1. The button for the garage door opener should be mounted out of small children’s reach. We recommend a minimum of 5′ from the floor. 

2. Prevention begins with education. Children should be shown a good example of how to safely operate a garage door. They should also be told that garage door remote controls are not to be played with.

3. Carefully read your owner’s manual to learn how to properly operate your garage door opener – especially the emergency release feature.

4. Be sure to visually inspect your garage door once a month. It’s important to pay attention to the springs, cables, rollers, and pulleys for signs of wear and tear. You should also test the reversing mechanism at least once a month by placing a 2×4 board in the door’s path.

5. Never attempt to perform repairs on the garage door yourself. This is especially important for high tension mechanisms such as cables and springs. If you notice signs of damage, or the garage door does not reverse when tested, contact a qualified professional for assistance.

6. Provide an additional layer of security by installing sensors that work in conjunction with your garage door opener. These sensors, located on opposing sides along the bottom of the door, prevent the door from closing when an object breaks the connecting laser. 

7. Another important aspect of garage door safety is garage door security! Garage doors can provide uninvited access to your home if precautions are not taken. To prevent any incidents, never leave your garage door partially open. If you are going to be away from home for a while, unplug the garage door opener unit. Finally, be sure to always lock the door from the garage to the inside of your home.

Looking to repair or replace a garage door? Trust our seasoned technicians to solve your garage door problems any time. Contact Adams Door Systems today!

One of the main areas of the house that people should pay attention to is the front of the home. The façade, the lawn and the front structures are what the neighbors will be looking at when they pass by your place.

A functional piece that is usually installed on the entry doors of old houses is the door knocker. For many years, door knockers have been used as notification devices to alert people that someone is waiting in the front door. When the electronic doorbells were introduced, the use of door knockers has deteriorated.

Today, door knockers are coming back and they are not only functional but they also add style to the façade of the house.

• If you have a large home and you do not think that a door knocker will be of any help to the household because you won’t be able to hear the knock on all areas of the house, you can definitely use the door knocker as a statement piece or a focal point on the residential exterior doors of your house. You can still have an electronic doorbell but you can also install a door knocker that will fit the style of your home.

• Door knockers come in different designs, styles, sizes, and shapes. There will always be a suitable design that will match your style and the look of your front door. If you want to have a rustic feel to the façade, there are different antique door knockers to choose from. There are also cast iron door pieces if you want to have that old looking style without paying the value of a traditional antique knocker.

• To add fun and variety to the front of your home, you can also replace the door knocker every time there is a holiday or a celebration. Switching from a Halloween theme door knocker to a Christmas theme knocker will be a delight to your kids.