
Garage Doors · Burlington
Advice from the workshop
The questions people ask us after the repair are often more interesting than the ones before. We have written up the useful ones here, covering care, safety and the choices that come with a new door.
- Issue 1Insulated Steel Garage Door Installation: before you callThe opener strains as the heavy older door starts upward, and manual movement feels uneven. A new insulated assembly calls for counterbalance hardware matched to its actual weight and a compatibility…Read
- Issue 2Garage Door Panel Replacement: comparing quotesA strut is a horizontal steel stiffener fastened across the inside of a section to keep it from bowing. Wide doors, top sections where the opener arm pulls, and bottom sections that take knocks are…Read
- Issue 3Belt-Drive Opener Repair: what the visit coversAfter a belt has been off the sprocket, the operator can end up out of phase: the motor thinks the door is somewhere the trolley is not. The symptom is a door that stops short at the top or the…Read
Curious about something?

Repair & Maintenance
What are photo eyes, and how are they tested?
They are the two small sensors low on each side of the opening, one sending a beam and the other receiving it. The technician confirms both indicator lights hold steady, that the units sit at the height the opener maker specifies, and that the lenses are clean and the wiring secure. Then a close cycle is started and something is passed through the beam; the door should reverse. Misalignment or a grimy lens is corrected on the spot. Garage Door Safety Inspection
Will the tune-up include replacing worn parts?
Small wear items found on the day, such as a roller or a hinge on a middle section, a bottom seal or a few fasteners, can often be replaced during the visit if you agree and the part is on the truck. Larger items, including springs, cables, drums, bottom brackets, a bent track or an opener gear, are written up as separate repairs with their own quote so you can decide with the facts in hand rather than under a raised ladder. Garage Door Tune-Up
Can a door frozen to the floor really cause this?
Yes, and in winter it is one of the most common causes. Meltwater under the bottom seal refreezes overnight and bonds the door to the slab. The opener pulls, the door stays put, the cables go slack and unwind off their drums, and when the ice lets go the door lurches up unevenly. Freeing the seal by hand before using the opener on icy mornings prevents almost all of these calls. Off-Track Garage Door Reset
How much room do you need in the garage on the day?
Enough to bring the new section in, lay it flat, and work at both tracks and the spring shaft. Moving vehicles out of the garage and clearing a metre or two along the walls where the tracks run makes the job smoother, as does clear access to the opener and the ceiling around the spring. Sections are handled by two people and are wider than the door opening, so a clear path from the driveway helps. Garage Door Panel Replacement

Springs & Hardware
What is checked after the rollers go in?
The door is run through several cycles with the technician watching each wheel stay seated, then balanced by hand with the opener released to confirm it holds at halfway. The top section is checked for a tight seal at the header, the hinge and bracket fasteners are snugged, and the opener's force and reversal are tested with a 1-1/2 inch block in the door's path. The industry checklist for a residential door covers exactly these points, and they are all part of finishing the job. Garage Door Roller Replacement
Does hinge work affect the springs or the door's balance?
Hinge replacement leaves the springs untouched, since the door stays closed and the counterbalance is not unloaded. Balance is checked at the end all the same, because a door the opener has to drag is one of the main reasons hinges fail early. If the door drifts up or sinks when lifted by hand and released, the technician explains the spring adjustment needed and offers it as its own decision. Garage Door Hinge Replacement
Can a low-headroom or high-lift layout be fitted to my existing door?
Often, yes, and it is a track job with a spring job attached. Low-headroom dual track lets a door open under a low ceiling or a beam, while high-lift track carries the door further up the wall to clear a car lift or storage. Each changes the horizontal run, the curve, the top fixtures and usually the cable drums and spring turns. The technician measures headroom, sideroom and backroom first and confirms the door suits the change. Garage Door Track Repair or Replacement
Why should the bottom brackets never be loosened by hand?
The bottom bracket is where the cable attaches, so whenever the springs are wound it carries a share of the door's weight as tension. Loosening it while the counterbalance is loaded releases that tension all at once. Many manufacturers now fit tamper-resistant fasteners for this reason. The technician unloads the springs first, after which the bracket is just a piece of hardware to unbolt and replace. Garage Door Cable Replacement

Openers & Access
Why does the door stop just above the floor and reverse?
Two usual reasons. The travel limit is set a fraction too long, so the door reaches the slab, meets it harder than expected and interprets that as an obstruction. Or the bottom seal has stiffened or frozen and the last few centimetres take more force than the setting allows. Both are adjusted after the door is checked for balance, and the fix is confirmed by closing the door several times and running the contact reversal test. Garage Door Opener Diagnosis and Repair
Should I use the slide lock on the door with a chain drive?
No. The manual slide lock on the door is disabled or removed once an operator is connected, and the technician checks that during the repair. A motor pulling against a locked door strains the chain, strips the drive gear and can bend the top section of the door. If you want the door secured against remotes, the lock button on the wall control switches them off, and a track lock designed to work with an operator does the rest. Chain-Drive Opener Repair
Will my remotes and keypad still work afterwards?
Yes. Belt, trolley and pulley work happens on the rail and leaves the operator's memory untouched. Replacing the gear at the motor head means opening the head unit, and on some models that is a good moment to confirm every remote, the keypad and any in-car buttons afterwards. The technician tests each before leaving and re-teaches any that need it. Belt-Drive Opener Repair
How many remotes and keypads can be added?
Capacity depends on the model: current operators hold anywhere from about eight to forty remote codes, so most households can pair every driver, a keypad, in-car buttons and a phone with room to spare. Remotes are added by holding the learn button on the head unit and pressing the remote; the console guide shows the steps and the technician leaves them written down. If a remote is lost later, clearing the memory and re-teaching the others takes only a few minutes. Garage Door Opener Replacement

Installation & Upgrades
Can I add windows without losing privacy?
Yes. Window location, glass treatment and viewing height can be selected together. Frosted, textured or obscured glazing admits daylight while limiting direct views, subject to the available options for the chosen door. Glazing also changes weight and thermal performance, so it belongs in the original order and counterbalance specification. Sectional Garage Door Replacement
When should installation wait for other work?
The project may be sequenced after framing repairs, masonry work, floor correction, electrical preparation or removal of an obstruction in the travel zone. Identifying that dependency during measurement protects the selected door dimensions and attachment plan. The proposal can separate door work from tasks handled by another trade, with a clear condition that must be ready before fitting begins. Insulated Steel Garage Door Installation
Why does the technician inspect the jambs and framing?
Door loads travel through the tracks and brackets into the jambs, then into the building structure. Soft wood, split material, loose blocking, shallow anchors, or unsupported trim can interrupt that path. Inspecting the mounting surfaces shows whether ordinary preparation is sufficient or whether structural work should be coordinated before the new system is attached. Wind-Rated Garage Door Replacement
Can the opening be widened for a larger door?
A wider opening can be a separate renovation project, but it requires more than changing the door order. The header, side framing, exterior finish, electrical items and supporting loads need appropriate review, along with any permit or design requirements. Once that work has defined and prepared the final opening, the carriage-house door can be measured and specified against stable dimensions. Carriage-House Garage Door Installation
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