Adjustable Opener Reinforcement Bracket

Having trouble attaching the garage door operator arm to the top section of the garage door? Is the top section starting to crack from the stress of the garage door operator? Then a reinforcement bracket may be the answer. An adjustable opener reinforcement bracket works great for attaching the garage door opener arm to the top section of the garage door. The added strength of the bracket helps keep the top sections of steel doors from cracking over extended use.

Adjustable Garage Door Opener Reinforcement Bracket

They can be adjusted to fit section heights of 18" up to 24". They're only 2" wide so in most cases the bracket can be mounted between windows if need be. With the use of the reinforcement bracket the mounting bracket that's supplied by the opener manufacturer can be eliminated.

Prolong the life of your garage door and your garage door opener by installing an opener reinforcing bracket to your garage door. You can view or purchase the bracket at the Garage Door Zone Store.

 Orig. published 08/26/09 Updated 06/22/19

Magnetic House Numbers For Your Garage

Magnetic House Numbers

Do you have a steel garage door but don't want to drill holes in it to put your house numbers on? Do you live in a development where all the condos or homes look similar? Using magnetic house numbers is a perfect solution!

No drilling. No glue. No worries about rust.

5" Black Vinyl Numbers with a hammered look help to distinguish your home from the others around you and also help emergency personnel and delivery people find your home or try the 5" Brass Vinyl Numbers for a sharp look.

5" Brass Vinyl Magnetic Numbers

 

 

Shop today at the Garage Door Zone and get your individual magnetic house numbers.

The New Genie LED Light Bulb For Your Garage Door Operator

A few years ago we had a blog post explaining how LED and low energy fluorescent bulbs could cause interference with your garage door operator remotes. The problem with most of those bulbs is that they aren't made for garage door operators and they are cheaply made. The rattling and movement of the operator can cause the internal components of those bulbs to break. When they break they will still light up but they can also transmit a frequency that blocks the radio signal being sent from the remote.

Genie has solved those problems with the new LEDB1-R Garage Door Opener LED Light Bulb. The bulb is specifically made for garage door operators and will work in almost any operator. Here are some of the specifics of the LEDB1-R:

• Brightness - 800 lumens (equivalent to 60 watts)
• Estimated Yearly Energy Cost - $1.07 per year (based on 3hrs day / .11/kWh)
• Life - 22.8 years (based on 3 hours/day)
• Light Appearance - warm (3000 k)
• Energy Used - 10 watts
• Mercury Free

The bulb puts out the equivalent to 60 watts which is plenty for most garages. It is also vibration resistant and tested to withstand temperatures up to -22F. This LED bulb is made for garage door operators will probably outlast the operator itself with a life expectancy of 22.8 years! Most garage door operators have a life expectancy of 10-15 years.

Do you want a light bulb that's made for your operator and you'll probably never have to replace again (at least until you have to replace the operator itself)? The Genie LEDB1-R LED Light Bulb is the answer. You can purchase and find out more about the bulb here at the Garage Door Zone.

Washing Your Garage Door

Washing Your Garage Door

Clean the garage door when you wash the car

If you have a steel garage door then you'll probably notice that dirt & grime likes to collect in the grooves of the sections (especially if the door faces a street). The next time you have the hose & bucket out and you're washing your car take a few minutes to show your garage door some love by washing it also. In addition to making your house look better it will also give you a chance to look over the door & make sure everything is working properly.

Hose the door down with some water and then take a soapy sponge & wipe the sections just like washing the car. We don't recommend using a power washer since it can actually take the paint off of the sections if there are any nicks or scratches in the paint. A good old garden hose & sponge will work just fine. Hose off all the soap suds and hand dry with a towel. If you are feeling adventurous you could wax the sections but be warned that most garage door sections have simulated wood-grain type grooves in them and it can take some time to get the wax out of all of those grooves. Just hand washing the sections every six to twelve months will be plenty to keep the door looking great.

If you don't want to spray water inside of your garage then just use a damp cloth to wipe down the inside of the garage door. Most likely the inside of the door won't be near as dirty as the outside. This is also a good time to look over the door & see if any parts need replaced. The rollers should be able to roll freely. Check the hinges for cracks and the cables for frays. If any parts are in need of replacement and you're handy with tools visit us at the Garage Door Zone for replacement parts.

Hacked Toy Opens Garage Doors

Hacked Toy Opens Garage Doors

Samy Kamkar, a security researcher, hacked a Mattel toy to scan every possible garage door opener combination and open them in seconds. No need to panic and unplug your operator though. It only works on fixed code receivers and the hacker would also need to know what frequency the receiver was.

If your operator is from approximately 1995 to present then you most likely don't have a fixed code receiver on your opener. Check yours by opening the battery compartment on your remote. If you see DIP switches (that can be moved to + or -) then you have a fixed code otherwise you don't. Operators made over the past 20 years have used a rolling code type of security so this hacked toy would not work on them.

Fixed code was mostly used in the 1970's and 1980's but is still in use today on thousands of garage door openers. I wouldn't be too worried though since Kamkar disabled the code used to hack the toy so someone couldn't copy it. The hacker would also need to know if your garage door opener had a fixed code receiver and the frequency of the receiver.

It's an interesting story and good to be aware of but not something anyone should panic over. There's one way burglars get into garages more than any other way...people leave the garage door open! So if you really want to be safe then close the garage door. Even if you are just working in the yard or in the house it only takes a dishonest person seconds to steal your stuff. If you do have a fixed code receiver on your operator and you're still worried about it then either buy a new garage door operator or upgrade the radio receiver & remote with a secure rolling code receiver like the Liftmaster 365LM Receiver and 371LM Remote.

Click Here to read the full story on Wired.com

Replacing The Remote For Your Garage Door Opener

It happens. You put the garage door remote in your coat pocket and forget about it. You sell your old vehicle and forget to take the remote out. You drop the remote on the driveway and it breaks into a million pieces. It happens....

The best solution is to buy the exact replacement for the remote you lost or broke. This way you know it will work with your operator. You can find many of the most common replacement remotes here on the Garage Door Zone site. But if you lost it how do you know which one to buy? Look in the garage door operator manual and you'll usually find the compatible remotes listed on one of the last pages of the manual. What if you don't have the manual? You can find many manuals here on the Garage Door Zone Support Site.

So you found the remote you need but also found that it is no longer available. What do you do now? Install a new radio receiver with a new remote. It's a simple set up with only two wires to hook up and is easy to program by just pushing a button. Take a look here at the Linear MegaCode Universal Receiver Set available on the Garage Door Zone site. It includes everything you need to get you up and running again.

Garage Door Question of the Week - How Do I Program My Car to My Opener? - Week 35

Garage Door Question of the Week - How Do I Program My Car to My Opener?

Every week we answer common questions about garage doors and garage door operators that we receive in our mailbag. If you have a question please email us at: Support@GarageDoorZone.com.

Q: I just got a new car. How do I program my car to my garage

door operator? - Dave  

A: That's a very common question Dave. It's all going to depend on what make, model and year of vehicle you have plus what make and model of garage door operator. If the vehicle has the Homelink system (your car owners manual will indicate this) then my best advice is to go to the Homelink website and use their services. You can enter the type of car & opener you have and then you'll see the programming instructions. They also offer videos so you can see how it's done. 

Thanks again for the questions. Keep them coming by emailing us at: Support@GarageDoorZone.com or use the Contact Form on the left.

Replace Your Raynor Garage Door Bottom Door Seal

As the summer season comes to an end it's time to start doing the "to-do" list for the upcoming fall and winter season. Included on that list should be the replacement of the bottom vinyl seal on your Raynor garage door.

If you have a Raynor garage door and you've never replaced the bottom door seal then now is a perfect time to do it. Over the years the weather seal becomes stiff and no longer gives a good seal between the door and the garage floor. Or if you see daylight under the door you may find that a chipmunk or other small animal may have chewed part of seal (most likely to get out of the garage).

So which type of seal do you need? There are two sizes of bottom seal that Raynor uses - 3" seal and 4" seal. The 3" Gray Bottom Seal is the standard seal that is used on all of the doors. The 4" Gray Bottom Seal is used to fill in small gaps and deficiencies in the garage floor which is usually found on larger openings and older homes. Pull the seal out of the end of your door and measure the width of the seal as it lays flat to determine if your door has 3" or 4" seal.

A new bottom seal on your Raynor garage door will help keep out the rain and give your door a complete seal.

Protect Your Garage Door Opener From Lightning Strikes

It's that time of year all across the country when thunderstorms and lightning will pop up unexpectedly. Most people are aware of the damage lightning can do to their t.v.'s, computers and phones but few ever think about their garage door operator.

Today's garage door openers are like the other newer electronics in your home and have electronic control boards that act as the "brains" of the operator. The control board (also known as circuit board or logic board) control all of the functions of the operator and radio receiver. Some makes of control boards seem to be more susceptible to power surges and lightning strikes than others but in the end it doesn't take much to destroy one of the control boards.

If your operator does take a direct hit (or even a close hit) from lightning you can almost guarantee that the control board is going to be fried. A new control board is going to cost anywhere from $70 - $120...all depending on the make and model of the opener. And that doesn't include the $70 - 100 labor charge if you call a service company to replace the board.

What can be done to protect the garage door operator? You can either unplug the operator every time there's a thunderstorm (which isn't very practical) or you can add a Surge Protector to the plug of the operator. For less than $10 you can buy a Surge Protector which will protect you're garage door opener and save you the time and money of having to replace a damaged control board. 

Other Uses For Your Old Garage Door Opener

You just installed a new garage door opener in your garage. The old opener is laying in the corner with a bag of empty cans. What do you do with this old junk? You turn it into a can crushing machine of course!

I'm not sure how long it took to make this or how practical it is (my foot does a pretty good job of crushing cans) but I'll give him kudos for using his brain.

Operators with Battery Backup - Are They Worth It?

It's been around for a few years but garage door operators with battery backups seem to be getting more popular (at least from the manufacturers side of things). Most of the major garage door operator manufacturers either have a battery backup opener in their lineup or have one coming out soon. But are the consumers buying them? A few I guess but enough for the companies to keep them in production? That's a question we'll have to revisit in a couple of years.

Back on topic - is it worth it to buy a garage door operator with a battery backup? That depends. For me...no, it's not worth it. In the last five, no make that 10 years I can count on one hand how many times the power has gone out. And when it did go out it was usually in the middle of the night - no need for me to be opening the garage door. But even if I did have to open the door it wouldn't be a big deal. I think this is where people get talked into buying a battery backup unit - "Do you know what to do if the power goes out?" "Will you know how to open your garage door?" "Do you know how to lock your door if the opener isn't hooked up?" - These are all valid questions but it doesn't mean you need a battery backup. You just need to educate yourself a little bit about your garage door and opener.

So when would a battery backup opener be worth it? There's two reasons to have one: A) You don't mind spending the extra $75 - 100 for the convenience or B) You're older and/or you don't have the physical capabilities to disengage the opener and work the door manually. In these cases I do believe that the battery backup is worth it. Keep in mind that it is a battery and will eventually have to be replaced. The battery may last 5 - 7 years and cost $50 - 60. But you are receiving peace-of-mind that if there is a power outage you won't have to worry about getting out of the garage.

Before you buy an opener with a battery backup ask yourself one question - will I benefit from having a battery backup?

Decor For Your Door - Using Decorative Magnets on Your Garage Door

With the garage door being a large portion on the front of many homes a growing trend for homeowners is the use of decorative magnets for their garage doors. The magnets come in a variety of shapes, sizes and themes. The most popular themes are of course the holiday themed magnets. But there are also magnets to give your door a different look such as butterflies or flowers.

The decorations are easy to put on (just like sticking a magnet to the refrigerator) which make them great for kids who want to help decorate. Show your holiday spirit on Christmas, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day or the 4th of July. Or maybe surprise someone with Welcome Home, Congratulations or Happy Birthday decorations.

They probably aren't something that you want to leave on your door all the time but it can break up the monotony of that big white garage door every once in a while. I'm sure it will put a smile on a lot of faces.

CFL Bulbs May Interfere With Your Garage Door Opener

With the economy being what it is people are looking at all of the appliances in their home and trying to find ways to cut costs. One cost saving measure is to replace the normal incandescent light bulbs in light fixtures and lamps with CFL (compact fluorescent lights). Although this may be good practice for your house lamps it's not such a good idea for your garage door opener. According to recent articles CFL light bulbs can cause interference with the radio receiver and remotes on the garage door operator.  The following was stated on the General Electric website:

Many electronic devices, such as radios, televisions, wireless telephones, and remote controls, use infrared light to transmit signals. Infrequently, these types of electronic devices accidentally interpret the infrared light coming from a compact fluorescent bulb as a signal, causing the electronic device to temporarily malfunction or stop working. (For example, your television might suddenly change channels.) Fortunately, this only happens when light is produced at the same wavelength as the electronic device signals, which is rare. To reduce the chance of interference, avoid placing compact fluorescent bulbs near these kinds of electronic devices. If interference occurs, move the bulb away from the electronic device, or plug either the light fixture or the electronic device into a different outlet.

GE states that you should avoid placing the CFL bulbs near electronic devices. This would most definitely include garage door openers since the light bulbs on a garage door opener are right next to the operators logic board and radio receiver. It's best to stick with the garage door manufacturers recommended incandescent light bulb and wattage to avoid having problems. Most openers can accept a 60w to 100w bulb but you need to check the recommended wattage because if the wrong bulb is installed it can burn or melt the light cover.

In the long run it wouldn't pay to replace the incandescent bulb with a CFL bulb. An equivalent 60 watt CFL bulb will cost between $6 - 8. You can purchase 10 or 12 incandescent bulbs for the same price. And with garage door opener lights turning off automatically after 4-1/2 minutes it's not like the bulbs are burning that long. You'll most likely only have to replace the bulb in the garage door opener once or twice in a 15 year span. So take that CFL bulb out of your opener and put it where it will actually do some good...in your family room lamp.

UPDATE: 07/12/12: It appears that one of the garage door opener manufacturers is paying attention to this apparent problem. Liftmaster/Chamberlain has addressed CFL bulb interference on their latest garage door openers: model 8550 and model 8360 DC-motor openers. They claim to have enhanced CFL compatible lighting available on these two models using a max 27 watts CFL bulbs. If I come across any other manufacturers I will be sure to make further updates.

UPDATE: 09/01/16: Genie has come out with an LED light bulb for garage door operators that won't interfere with the radio controls on the operator. Read more about the new Genie LED bulb HERE.

Links
GE Website FAQ 
PDD Website

Garage Door Opener Remotes Stopped Working?

You drive up the driveway, press the button on your garage door remote and.....nothing! The garage door doesn't move. It could be the battery in the remote is weak and needs replaced. You just happen to have a second remote in the car...press the button and....NOTHING! O.K., it's not the battery. What are the chances of the batteries going bad in two different remotes at the same time? Pretty slim. So here are two possible solutions as to what the problem may be:

1. Lightning or Power Surge Damaged the Radio Receiver - Most people don't think about it (or may not even be aware of it) but almost all of the garage door openers produced in the past 20 years are equipped with a logic board. These boards are the brains of the opener (much like a motherboard in a computer). The logic board can be susceptible to power surges and lightning strikes....if that has happened then the operator won't work and the logic board will need to be replaced. This can cost anywhere from $50.00 up to $140 depending on the make and model of the opener (and that doesn't include the labor a service company to install it).

How can you tell if the logic board has been damaged? You'll need to get a screw driver and remove the board. Look for small burn and smoke marks on the board....if you see any then it is most likely fried. Do yourself a favor and invest in a Tripp Lite SPIKECUBE 1 Outlet Direct Plug In Surge Protector (600 Joules). It will save you a lot of money and you won't have to worry the next time a thunder storm rolls over your house.

 2. The Vacation Switch is Engaged - Almost all of the newer (past 15-20 years) openers have a wall control panel. Some of the less expensive "builder grade" openers just have a doorbell button. For the openers that have a wall control station there are usually three different function buttons: Open/Close button, Light button, and Vacation button (or lockout switch). It it not a feature that is used by many people (at least on purpose). Usually someone will press the Vacation button by accident and when they (or their spouse or children) come home....their remote won't work. When the Vacation button is engaged it will "lock out" all of the remotes and even the wireless keyless entry on some model of openers. To get the remotes to work again just disengage the Vacation switch. All the remotes should work again.

There could be other reasons that the remotes stopped working but these are two things to check before you make an appointment for a service call.

Spring Time...Garage Door Tune-Up

It's that time of year when most people ignore their garage doors....but you shouldn't. It's a perfect time to give your garage door and garage door operator a little love and attention.

 

After a long winter it's a good idea to go over your garage door and electric opener to make sure everything is working properly. It will also help to extend the life of both and reduce service call costs. Here's a check list to get you started:

1. Outside of Door: It's a good idea to wash down the outside of your garage door if it's a steel door (which most doors manufactured and sold in the last 20 years are). This is especially important if you live in the Northwest or Northeast where road salt is used and can be very damaging to doors. Don't use a power washer...they can damage the paint coating of the door. The easiest thing to do is wash the door just like you do when you wash your car. Use a sponge, some car wash soap and the garden hose. Wipe the door down with the sponge and hose it off....nothing to it. This will help keep your door looking new and from rusting.
2.  Inside/Bottom of Door: Take a wet rag and wipe down the inside sections and bottom of the garage door. Sometimes leaves and other debris can be stuck to the bottom seal....this can cause a problem if a leaf passes in front of the opener safety sensors (mounted on either side at the bottom of door) while the door is closing. The sensors will detect the leaf & reverse the opener. So cleaning the bottom seal will keep from this from happening. If the bottom seal is old, hard and no longer flexible then this would be a good time to replace it. Most doors have a retainer that the bottom seal slides into...just slide the old seal out & slide the new seal in. The key is to get the right seal...not all seals are made the same. Contact the dealer or installation company that installed the door & they should be able to fix you up. If you don't know where the door came from then contact the manufacturer and they'll put you in touch with a local dealer.
3. Garage Door Hardware: One of the most overlooked maintenance issues with garage doors is lubrication but it one of easiest things a homeowner can do. A little lubricant can go a long way in making the door work better and the hardware lasting longer. First you'll need to get a good lubricant. Lubriplate makes a petroleum based penetrating oil lubricant called Chain & Cable Fluid. Don't use WD-40...this will get tacky and attract dirt & dust. If you have torsion springs (springs mounted on a bar above the door) spray the spring coils from one end to the other. If you have extension springs (springs mounted above the horizontal track that stretch from the front to the back of the garage) then spray the four cable pulleys around the bearings. Next, spray each individual door roller around the roller bearings. Finally, spray a small amount of lube on each of garage door hinges. Take a rag and wipe down any over spray or drips that you see.

This is a good start to getting the garage door in shape. Later, we will go over garage door opener maintenance and how to look for wearing or damaged hardware. A little preventive maintenance can save you a lot of money (and headaches).