How the 3 Types of Commercial Garage Door Openers Operate

How the 3 Types of Commercial Garage Door Openers Operate

You need to ensure your commercial property is in constant working order. If your garage doors are manual or operate with outdated openers, it’s time for a change. Continental Door offers three different types of commercial garage door openers that work for a range of businesses and their daily needs:

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1. Jackshaft Commercial Garage Door Operators

LiftMaster has designed the wall-mounted jackshaft commercial door opener for businesses. This wall-mounted device can lift and lower your commercial garage doors by turning torsion springs. These operators are especially good for vertical, high-lift sectional doors and rolling shutters or grilles. They are also suitable for commercial properties in which the offices are directly above the garages. The vibration from the garage causes little disturbance. 

Jackshaft commercial garage door openers are an excellent choice for commercial properties that cannot install items on the ceiling. You’ll appreciate a jackshaft opener if you have rolling steel doors.

2. Trolley Commercial Garage Door Operators

Trolley commercial door operators are installed on the ceiling — ensure you have ceiling space before choosing this garage door opener. These devices reach up to 25 cycles per hour and 80 to 90 cycles a day. They are available in single- and three-phase configurations. The best models have a voltage that can handle the type of work done on a commercial property. If you are purchasing this operator for a larger door, ensure you get a model that comes with the standard break.

The trolley is best for sectional doors with a standard lift track. For larger garage doors or high-traffic models, choose a trolley operator with 1/2, 3/4 or 1 horsepower.

3. Hoist Commercial Garage Door Operators

The hoist operator is installed on the wall for sizeable sectional garage doors with a vertical or high lift. If your doors are grilles or rolling models, you can still use this operator, but the system will be installed at the front of the hood. Either way, the system connects to the door jackshaft to power the door indirectly. In addition to the different installation locations, this system comes with a hoist chain — useful in power outages and emergencies.

These doors are an excellent choice for industrial, high-cycle purposes. They are capable of 25 cycles per hour and 90 cycles per day. 

How to Choose an Opener for Your Commercial Door

You want an industrial garage door opener you can count on throughout the workday. To pick the correct operator, make sure you have noted the information about your commercial property. Choosing a commercial garage door opener depends on a series of business factors, including: 

• Door size: The door length and width determines the voltage you need in an operator. 
• Frequency of use: For high-traffic areas, you’ll want a strong operator such as the commercial hoist model or a three-phase trolley opener.
• Security: All LiftMaster openers come with Security 2.0, which helps protect your facility when you’re away.
• Automation: LiftMaster technologies like timer-to-close will close the garage doors after a predetermined amount of time.

Contact Continental Door Today!

Need a new commercial garage door opener and live in the greater Spokane area? Contact Continental Door. We offer LiftMaster and Linear garage door openers. We make you our priority. Our 24-hour emergency services allow us to be there for you when you need it.

Contact us today or request a free quote online! 

How to Prevent Garage Door Hacking

In today’s society, keeping your valuable possessions and cherished loved ones safe comes down to one word: security. People rely on security features every day. Smartphones use PINs and facial recognition to unlock the device. People apply passwords to their computers and laptops to protect their sensitive information. Many people invest in upgraded security features to keep thieves out of their cars.

As a homeowner, you need to use the same level of caution with your garage door as you do with your other devices. After all, many people use their garage door as the main exit and entry point to their house. Garage door hackers keep getting smarter, so you need to know how to prevent garage door hacking.

Can Garage Door Openers Be Hacked?

The short answer is “yes,” but it’s a bit more complex than that. Garage door hacking centers around the relationship between your opener and the remote you use to activate it. When you click your garage door remote, it sends a signal using low-frequency waves to communicate with the opener. Some garage door openers are easier to hack than others, but it all depends on the interaction between opener and remote.

As technology advances, garage door hackers get better at their craft. When inventors created the first garage door openers, criminals began looking for ways to exploit them to enter people’s houses. This was an easy task at first since the technology was brand new. For criminals, it was as simple as buying a remote from the local hardware store and using it to open any garage door they desired. This was unacceptable, so companies began developing new security features.

Even though criminals continue finding ways to hack garage door openers, the latest advances in technology make it a more difficult task. As a homeowner, you need to make sure you’re doing everything you can to prevent unwanted access into your garage. It’s important to protect detached garages to keep your valuable possessions safe. But it’s even more crucial to protect your attached garage if it grants access to your house. The safety of your family depends on it.

What Are Fixed Code Garage Door Openers?

Fixed code garage door openers were the manufacturers’ first attempt to increase garage door security. Garage door openers use radio waves to function and operate at a frequency of 300-400 megahertz (MHz). Unlike the radio waves used to send songs and spoken word to our car radios and home stereo systems, people don’t need a license to use garage door radio waves. This is what allowed thieves to open people’s garage doors with ease early on. Fixed code garage doors helped make it a little trickier.

Fixed code garage door openers, or a dip switch garage door openers, use eight to 12 little switches inside the opener and the remote to set a code. Users set the code by sliding these dip switches into the up or down position. Think of this code as a gate on the path of the radio signal separating the remote from the garage door opener. Once a homeowner applies the same code to both sets of dip switches, the two devices can communicate with each other.

Even though most companies phased out fixed code garage door openers in the early 1990s, some are still around today. Pop off the pack of your garage door opener remote and see if you can find any dip switches. If not, then you have a more modern form of garage door security. If you see dip switches, you may want to think about upgrading your opener system to one that’s more secure.

Fixed code garage doors were a step in the right direction, but they weren’t enough to keep out intruders. Having eight to 12 dip switches with two settings per switch allows for many unique codes, but there is a limit to the possibilities. It would take a thief a long time to figure out an opener’s code through trial and error, but this wasn’t the real shortcoming of fixed codes. Their biggest fault lies in their reliance on a single, unchanging code to operate.

How Early Garage Doors Were Breached

The first automatic garage door openers were a bit of a security disaster. People accidentally opening their neighbor’s garage doors with their remotes was one thing. Criminals buying new garage door remotes from the hardware store and using them to open any garage door they wanted was quite another. Homeowners would have been better off keeping their manual garage doors instead of leaving their homes vulnerable to robbery from the lack of security features in those first garage door openers.

Then came the fixed code garage door openers with their trusty — or not so trusty — dip switches. These did provide an extra level of security, but using the same code every day left homeowners vulnerable to hacking. Tech-savvy thieves learned how to use devices called “code grabbers” to discover people’s unique garage door opener codes.

These crooks would set the device near someone’s garage door and wait for the homeowner to come home and press their garage door remote. The code grabber would intercept the signal and store the code. The homeowner would have to push their remote a second time to open their garage door.

And with that, the act was complete. Thieves would retrieve their code grabber with the stored code and use it to open the garage door at their convenience. Homeowners grew desperate for garage door openers with better security features.

What Are Rolling Code Garage Door Openers?

Rolling code garage door openers were the next step in increasing garage door security for homeowners. Manufacturers like LiftMaster realized that fixed code garage door openers were too easy for criminals to hack. So in the mid-’90s, they took a new direction and developed a system that used the opposite technology — one where the code changed. The result was rolling code, or hopping code, garage door openers. These make it much harder for criminals to steal someone’s garage door opener code.

Rolling code garage door openers create a new security code each time a homeowner uses their garage door opener. Technology within the opener uses a special algorithm that “rolls” or “hops” the opener’s security code to one of several billion other possible combinations. The opener discards the previous code so repeat codes are impossible, increasing security. Your opener will use the new code the next time you need access to your garage.

Check your garage door opener remote to see if your garage door uses rolling code technology. Look for words or phrases like “Security 2.0,” “Security +” or “Rolling Code” on the outside of your remote. Or, you can pop open the back for signs of new technology. If you see dip switches, your opener does not use rolling code technology. If you see a circuit board and a battery without any dip switches, then your opener may use rolling codes. You can always call your opener manufacturer for clarification.

Can Rolling Code Openers Still Be Hacked?

Thieves have found ways past even rolling code openers. Technology can increase security in our daily lives, but thieves can use their own technology to find ways around security features. Criminals can exploit rolling security features by using a code jamming device known as a rolljam.

All they have to do is hide the rolljam near someone’s garage door and wait for the right moment, like the code grabbers of the past. When a homeowner presses their remote, the rolljam intercepts the code and stores it. The homeowner then presses their remote a second time, generating a second code to open the garage door. The criminal can return to your house later and use the first stored code to access your garage.

Modern Solutions to Prevent Garage Door Hacking

As long as there are garage doors, garage door opener hacking will likely remain a problem for homeowners. Criminals seem to find ways around the latest security measures at every turn. No technology can guarantee complete resistance to thieves, but keeping up with the latest tech help homeowners resist break-ins. The harder you make it for criminals, the better your chances will be of keeping a secure home.

Whether you installed a new garage door opener within the last few years or you’re in the market for a new one, you should look for the following safety features:

• Two-factor authentication: Smart garage door openers are connected to the internet. In today’s world, everyone stores their usernames and passwords in online storage accounts like Google or Apple servers. Enable two-step authentication to keep people from hacking into your accounts and gaining access to your smart garage door opener.
• Security + and Security 2.0: These are the base features you should look for in any of the new garage door openers you’re considering. These make things a bit harder for criminals by offering rolling codes and different radio frequencies for the opener to operate. Choosing openers without these features would be like installing a front door without a lock.
• The myQ smartphone app: LiftMaster created myQ technology as the latest security feature for smart garage door openers. With the myQ app, you can control your garage door from anywhere. You’ll receive a notification when someone uses your garage door. You can even customize who has access to your garage door at specific times of the day. It’s the perfect fit for you if you already enjoy the benefits of smart technology in your home.

Using a Smart Garage Door? Why You Need to Keep Your WiFi Secure

It’s crucial that you keep your WiFi secure if you have a smart garage door opener. WiFi and cellular data make using your smart opener a breeze, but leaving your WiFi unprotected can make breaking in a breeze for hackers, too. Here are a few actions you can take to bolster the security of your WiFi:

• Use a complex password: Make sure to put a unique password on your WiFi to keep unwanted users from accessing it. Write it down and keep it in a safe place in your home, but make sure to keep it hidden.
• Change the WiFi’s name: If you keep your WiFi’s public name the same, potential hackers may start to realize which signal in the area belongs to your house. Change the name to throw hackers off your trail.
• Disable your WiFi during zero-activity hours: Some routers and apps allow you to turn off the WiFi during certain hours of the day. If there are times when your whole family will be out of the house, set your WiFi to turn off as an added security feature. Then have it turn back on when the family comes back home for the day.

Other Tips for Securing Your Garage Door Against Intruders

Here are some more tips for keeping intruders from entering your garage:

1. Invest in a deadlock: A deadlock is a classic way of keeping doors shut. Slide the deadlock in place, and criminals won’t easily open your garage door.
2. Install a security camera: Security cameras are excellent crime deterrents. When criminals see a security camera above your garage door, they might decide to take their chances elsewhere. LiftMaster sells a smart garage camera that works with myQ technology to let you see who is at your garage door from anywhere with an internet connection.
3. Invest in a motion detector: Install exterior lighting with motion detectors to send criminals running. When a potential thief gets close enough to your garage, a bright light will fill the area, revealing their actions in the dead of night. Combine motion detectors with security cameras for even more protection.
4. Don’t give out the four-digit keypad code: Many modern garage doors have an exterior keypad to give homeowners another way to enter their garage. Keep the four-digit code a secret, and be careful who you decide to give it to. If the code falls into a criminal’s hands, they’ll have an easy time walking right into your garage with the touch of four buttons.
5. Disengage the opener: If you’re going to be out of town for a while, disengage your opener. You can do this by pulling the red cord hanging from your garage door opener system. This will make it impossible for people to access your opener through hacking. Secure the door with a deadlock before leaving to keep anyone from manually opening your garage door.
6. Install a sturdy garage door: Having a strong garage door is a practical step in keeping your garage safe from intruders. Criminals may try to break into flimsy garage doors with brute strength. Having a sturdy garage door made of heavy-gauge steel is the best for fending off physical entry attempts.

Shop for Residential Garage Door Openers and More From Continental Door

Continental Door is the solution to your garage door needs. We’ve been helping homeowners in the greater Spokane, Washington, area achieve better garage door security for more than 15 years. We sell a variety of modern garage door openers from reputable companies like Liftmaster and Linear, including models compatible with myQ technology. We understand the risks of having outdated, insecure garage door openers. Together, we can help you experience the peace of mind that comes with installing a brand new garage door opener.

We offer free estimates, so contact us online today. No job is too big or too small for us at Continental Door. We look forward to meeting you.

10 Reasons Your Garage Door Won’t Close and How to Troubleshoot This Issue

Your garage door is a crucial part of your daily life, but you might not give it a second thought when it’s working correctly. If it stops working, that’s a whole different issue. When your garage door won’t go down, your day comes to a screeching halt. You’re busy enough — the last thing you need is a faulty garage door. 

What do you do when your garage door won’t close? If you want to know how to troubleshoot a garage door that’s not closing, you’ve come to the right place. To help you solve the problem, our experts at Continental Door have assembled this list of the top reasons garage doors won’t close.

1. The Opener Is Getting No Power

“Why won’t my garage door close?” The good news is that the fix doesn’t have to cost you hundreds of dollars and days of frustration. Your garage door opener needs electric power to open and close your door. The first thing you should do when your door won’t close is to check whether power is getting to your garage door opener. This problem has a couple of quick fixes that will only take you a few minutes to perform. 

Your garage door opener should plug into a nearby outlet on the ceiling or a wall. If you were cleaning your opener, it’s possible you accidentally knocked the plug from the outlet. It’s a snap to do this if the plug is loose in a ceiling outlet. Plug it back in if it fell out, then try closing your garage door again. 

If you still have it plugged in, you may have lost power or tripped the circuit. Ensure surrounding lights, electronics and electrical appliances are still working. If so, check your breaker box to see if you need to reset it to send power back to your garage door opener. After flipping the breaker switch back on, give your opener another try to close the garage door. 

2. Your Transmitter’s Batteries Are Dead

The problem could be as simple as your transmitter or remote having dead batteries. A garage door remote’s batteries can die at any moment, including after you’ve used it to open the garage door. If your garage door opener is receiving power but not responding when you press the remote, see if it needs a new set of batteries. 

First, try using your wall-mounted garage door opener button or outdoor keypad to close the garage door. If these don’t work, you could have a more prominent issue. If they still work, there’s a good chance your remote has dead batteries. 

Slide off the backplate or use a screwdriver to access the transmitter’s batteries. Identify the type you need and replace them. Opener remotes tend to use standard household batteries such as AA, AAA or flat disc batteries. Your local hardware store should keep these in stock if you don’t have any. Once you’ve reattached the backplate, try closing your garage door again. If it works, you’re ready to get back to your day’s agenda with confidence that your remote will work for the foreseeable future. 

3. Something Is Blocking the Remote Signal

Your remote has a small antenna that communicates with the antenna on your garage door opener. If something is in the antennas’ path when you try to close your garage door, your opener may be unable to receive the command from your remote. If you’ve replaced the batteries and the remote still doesn’t work, see if there are any obstructions. 

Your remote may have an external antenna housed within a small plastic bubble. Gently wipe the bubble to clean away any dirt or smudges that could be blocking your signal. Next, make sure you’re pointing your remote at your opener when you press the button. Tree branches or other natural obstructions could also be getting in the signal’s path. Clear them away and see if this solves your issue. 

Next, check the opener itself for signs of damage. If the opener’s antenna is broken, a functional remote still won’t close your garage door. You may need to call a professional garage door company to fix the issue. 

There’s also a chance that your batteries are weakening. You may want to replace them before they die. A remote with weak batteries might only work within a few feet of the garage door opener. Replace the batteries and see if this gives you the range you’re familiar with. 

4. Someone Has Pulled the Cord Switch

Your garage door opener should have a dangling red string known as the safety cord. When you pull this, it disconnects the garage door from the opener, which lets you open and close the garage door manually during power outages and other events. There’s a chance someone in your household pulled the cord switch without your knowledge. Or, you may have forgotten you gave it a pull earlier in the day. No worries! It happens to us all. 

The cord switch has two settings — pulled away from the opener for disconnection, and pulled toward the opener for connection. Try pulling the cord toward the opener first, as this should reconnect a detached cord switch. Then, try using your remote to close the garage door. If this solves your issue, your problem was a disconnected cord switch. If not, you may have a more severe issue on your hands involving your garage door opener. 

5. The Opener Has a Motor Circuit or Mechanical Failure

If the above troubleshooting recommendations didn’t solve your issue, the solution might be more complicated and expensive. Your garage door opener may have a motor circuit or mechanical failure. Both these issues will stop your garage door opener from opening and closing. Since they involve tinkering with your garage door’s inner workings, your best bet might be to call a professional. 

If something is wrong with your opener’s motor circuit, you may be able to get a replacement, especially if your opener is still relatively new and has a warranty protecting it from malfunctions. The problem could either be a factory error or an unfortunate natural cause, such as a lightning strike.  Call your garage door opener’s manufacturer to ask about their replacement policy. 

Your garage door gets a lot of use. Consider if you open and close your garage door twice per day — once when you leave in the morning and once when you come home. Assuming you work five days per week, that adds up to more than 500 times per year. If multiple people live in your household, chances are you use your garage door even more often. That puts a lot of wear and tear on your opener, so it’s normal for it to suffer a mechanical failure. 

Call a professional and see if they can repair your garage door opener. If you have an old opener, your best option may be to get a new one. 

6. Something Is Blocking the Door

There could be a simple reason your garage door starts to close, then reverses. The government requires automatic garage door manufacturers to equip doors with several safety features. These include a function that causes garage doors to switch direction if something gets in their way as they close. When the door meets the item, a resistance-based function trigger makes the door back up to protect the door and the object. This feature is essential in protecting children or pets at play around garage doors. 

Look around the floor beneath your garage door’s closing path. There might be a small blockage in the way, like a child’s toy or even a small rock from the driveway. Remove anything on the floor in that area and see if that solves the issue.

While you’re there, you should test this safety feature to make sure it works. Place a wooden block beneath the garage door and press the button to close the garage door. Once the door meets the block, it should automatically start backing up. If the door keeps pushing against the wooden block, press your remote to reverse its direction. You’ll need to call a professional to recalibrate this safety feature.  

7. The Sensors Are Misaligned or Obstructed

Most modern garage doors have another safety feature that uses photo-eye sensors for protection. These sensors sit a few inches above the ground on both sides of the door. They use tiny cameras to “see” if anything is beneath the garage door as it closes. If anything is in the photo sensor’s path, the garage door will not close. It could also stop in its tracks or reverse its direction to protect whatever is underneath it. 

First, see if anything passed through the sensors when you tried closing the garage door. Clean the floor beneath your garage door and try closing it again. If the problem persists, take a soft rag and gently wipe the photosensor lenses. There could be dirt or debris obstructing the sensors’ vision. You should also make sure the two sensors’ lenses are facing each other. If they are out of line, the garage door won’t be able to close all the way or at all. 

Check out Continental Door’s photo-eye troubleshooting video for more information on fixing this issue. 

8. Your Springs Are Worn or Broken

Your garage door opening system uses springs to get the job done. These can include one or two torsion springs above the garage door and two extension springs attached to cables that lift your garage door from the ground. Every spring has a cycle lifespan. If your springs have reached the end of their cycle rating, they could be on the verge of breaking, if they have not broken already. A broken torsion or extension spring may be preventing your garage door from closing. 

If you opened your garage door and heard a loud, gunshot-like sound, you might have a broken spring somewhere in your garage door assembly. These are essential pieces of your garage door, so you should call a professional to repair your spring issue. 

Since springs are under a lot of tension and pressure, you should never attempt to fix a spring issue yourself. You could suffer severe injuries if something goes wrong. If you suspect a broken spring is the reason your garage door won’t close, call a professional right away. 

9. The Roller Tracks Are Misaligned

Does your door slow down as it opens or closes when it passes a specific spot? Can you hear a squeaking, grinding or grating sound during operation? Your roller tracks might be out of line. 

Your garage door has little wheels on both sides that allow it to move up and down through the roller tracks. The roller tracks need to be straight and aligned for proper functioning. If one of your roller tracks suffers even minor damage, it could throw your garage door out of alignment, which can slow it down or threaten to stop it in its tracks altogether. 

Use a long level to see if any section of the track has gotten bent or misaligned. If you detect that the two sides of the tracks are not plumb, you’ll need to call a professional to repair them. Left unaddressed, this issue can get worse over time, leading to more costly repairs. Having straight roller tracks will keep your garage door opening and closing with ease for years to come. 

10. There Is an Error in the Limit Settings

If your garage door won’t close all the way, or it reverses after it touches the ground, your opener may have an error in its limit settings. The limit setting is the calibrated distance that tells the garage door opener how far it needs to send the garage door to reach the ground. This setting can drift over time and require recalibration. 

If the setting is too high, the opener will mistake it as an obstruction, which will trigger the automatic reversal safety feature. If the setting is too low, the garage door might stop before it reaches the ground, leaving a gap between the door and the floor. This error can be tricky to fix, so call a professional to recalibrate your opener’s limit settings if this seems to be your problem.  

Request Garage Door Service From Continental Door

If you’re still having garage door problems after trying these troubleshooting methods, request service from Continental Door. We’ve been serving the greater Spokane and Northern Idaho regions for over 15 years. And since we understand garage door issues can strike at any time, we offer 24-hour emergency services to help you in a crisis. 

We are ready to assist with all your residential garage door needs. Don’t let another day go by with a faulty garage door. With our help, you can get back to your typical routine with a functioning garage door. Contact us today to learn more about how we can serve you.

7 Ways to Improve Garage Energy Efficiency

An energy-efficient garage keeps your home comfortable and reduces your monthly energy bills. Insulation and tight seals around your doors, windows and walls prevent warm air inside from leaking outside. These components also prevent cold air drafts from coming into your home in the winter.

If you’re wondering how to make your garage more energy efficient, these tips can help. Your garage is part of the rest of your house, so any drafts or changes in temperature can affect your kitchen, living room and bedrooms as well. If you have a detached garage, you may want to increase its energy efficiency to make it more useful as an office or an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). Keep the following energy-saving tips for the garage in mind as you renovate your space.

1. Insulate Your Garage Door, Walls and Ceiling

One of the most effective ways to save energy in your garage is to install insulation. This durable material acts as a thermal barrier against outdoor temperatures and humidity. Look for a product with a high R-value to provide maximum protection from cold air drafts. Consider insulating the following parts of your garage:

• Garage door: The garage door protects the garage from outdoor weather conditions, but cracks, small openings and outdated insulation can bring the cold air inside. You could either purchase an insulation kit from your local hardware store or invest in a brand-new insulated garage door. A kit features double-bubble radiant or foam board insulation, but an insulated garage door features polyurethane or polystyrene layers. Though installing insulation yourself may be more affordable, it won’t be as effective as buying a new garage door.
• Garage walls: Besides insulating the garage door, you can also apply insulation to the walls to maximize your home’s energy efficiency. If you have an older home, there might not be enough insulation in your garage. Choose the appropriate R-value for your insulation based on where you live. As you install insulation on your walls, you may also want to insulate the light switches and outlets.
• Garage ceiling: Since warm air rises, the heat from your furnace or space heater could travel upward and outside if your garage doesn’t have adequate insulation. To prevent this loss of energy, you may want to install insulation on the ceiling. When you have a protective barrier at the top of your garage, the heat from your HVAC system will stay inside, creating a comfortable place when you get out of your car and enter your home.

2. Use Caulk or Sealant to Seal Gaps

To save energy in the garage, seal the gaps around your doors and windows. The various building materials in your garage can expand and shrink when exposed to fluctuating temperatures. As a result, air from your HVAC system can escape through the holes, leaks, cracks and other openings to the outside.

Follow these tips for sealing gaps in the various parts of your garage:

• Inspect the walls, door and windows: Look around your garage for gaps and openings around your walls, door and windows. Note where you see worn-out window frames and cracks in the walls so you know where you need to apply the sealant.
• Clean the openings: Before you start sealing the gaps around your doors and windows, clean the area to ensure a proper seal. You can clean grime and dirt off the tracks with a vinegar solution in a spray bottle, then wipe the space with a paper towel.
• Use silicone or foam sealant: To seal the gaps in your garage door and windows, apply a thin bead of silicone caulk or foam sealant. These small materials fit in your doors and window cracks to prevent heat from leaving your garage in the winter. Put the sealer on the window and door’s interior and exterior to guard against drafts in both directions.
• Only caulk the top and sides: Instead of caulking the entire window, only apply the silicone to the trim at the top and sides. Leaving the bottom unsealed will prevent dripping water from coming inside and allow condensation to escape.

3. Apply an Epoxy Coating to Your Garage Floor

Besides sealing your doors and windows, you can also make your garage more energy efficient by sealing the floor. Cracks in your concrete floor may be leaking heat into the ground underneath your property. Filling in these fractures will help you stay warm in the winter. Follow these tips for sealing your garage floor:

• Clean your garage floor: To clear debris off your concrete floor, use a power washer filled with a specialized cleaner. After spreading the detergent, scrub the floor with a push broom and rinse the soap off the surface. Wait for the floor to dry before applying the sealant.
• Coat your garage floor with epoxy: You can use an epoxy coating to cover minor imperfections in the concrete. Spread the product evenly across the garage floor with a paint pad. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for how long you should let the coating soak in and dry before putting your car or other valuables back into the garage.
• Fill in cracks with a sandable compound: Use a sandable crack-filling product to fill in significant gaps. When this substance cures and hardens, it becomes stronger than concrete and prevents water from leaking into the fractures.

4. Seal the Door That Connects Your House to the Garage

As you inspect your garage for imperfections, check the door that leads into the central part of your home. If you have an attached garage, the drafts from the garage can blow in through gaps in the door, affecting your kitchen, dining room, living room or bedroom. You can seal your door using any of the following methods:

• Update the weatherstripping: The weatherstripping around the entire door frame should be intact to keep drafts out of your main living area. To check whether your door has any openings, you can turn off the light in your garage and look for light shining through from the other side. If you see the light from the primary part of your house, apply weatherstripping around the door frame to create a tight, energy-efficient seal.
• Put in a draft stopper: The threshold under your door should be sturdy, but after excessive use, it tends to lose its quality. If this component doesn’t have a proper seal, you can put in a draft stopper as a temporary solution. For a few more dollars, you can also have a professional replace the door’s threshold.
• Caulk or seal small openings: You may also want to apply a sealant to any small gaps around the door, including the interior and exterior trim. This decorative trim should have a proper seal around it. Over the years, the vinyl or wood can expand and contract as the temperature changes.

5. Update Your Lighting

You may live in an older home, or you may not have renovated your property in a while. In that case, your lighting might be outdated and using more energy than necessary. Switching to LED lights is a simple upgrade for a more efficient and eco-friendly garage.

Instead of lighting your garage with incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, using LED lights can save you money on energy costs. An LED bulb generates the same amount of light and uses about 75% less energy than an incandescent one. Since energy-efficient light bulbs have a longer life span, you’ll save money on resources over time. You may also want to invest in a light timer to automatically turn off your lights when you’re not using them.

6. Install Energy-Efficient Windows

You might want to replace the windows in your garage. Energy-efficient glass panes help you save money on your energy bills and make your living space more comfortable. Your windows can let in a lot of moisture and drafts if they’ve lost their seal, contributing to 25% to 30% of residential heating and cooling energy use.

When shopping for energy-efficient windows, look for these qualities:

• Multiple window glass panes: Your windows will be more energy efficient if they have two or three glass panes sandwiched together with spaces between them. The gaps create pockets that have a tight seal to prevent air leaks.
• Durable window frame materials: Look for sturdy, long-lasting window frames. Wood, clad-wood, vinyl or fiberglass window frames have high insulation qualities to help reduce air drafts and keep your garage warmer in the winter.
• Low-E glass coatings: Low-emissivity coatings can keep the inside of your home warm by controlling how the heat from the sunlight enters through your windows. An exterior Low-E coating prevents heat from coming into your home while still allowing sunlight inside. Similarly, the heat from your furnace doesn’t escape through your windows to the outside.
• Window gas fills: Energy-efficient windows contain argon or krypton between the glass to increase their resistance to the weather conditions outside. These gases are colorless, odorless and non-toxic, so they won’t harm your garage’s indoor air quality.
• Window spacers: Your energy-efficient windows will have spacers installed within them at the perfect distance apart to reduce heat transfer. This energy-efficient feature keeps heat from your furnace inside your garage instead of leaking outside.

If you’re looking for a more affordable alternative to new windows, use silicone caulk or weatherstripping along the trim and frames to make them more resistant to heat transfer.

7. Organize Your Garage Storage

Reducing the clutter in your garage can help make it more energy efficient. If there are piles of junk on the floor or shelves, you may invite pests into your property. Insects and rodents chew through insulation and wires, posing a threat to your HVAC system and making your living space much less comfortable. With clutter in your garage, you may not notice a pest infestation until it’s too late.

Clutter may also make it challenging to keep the temperature comfortable. Boxes and piles of papers may block HVAC or dryer vents, putting more of a strain on your appliances. You may want to invest in garage storage units or a shed to clear up some space. Here are some steps you can take to declutter and organize your garage:

• Clear out your garage: The best time to organize your garage is when the weather is pleasant. On a sunny day, you can bring your belongings to your driveway to sort through them. In the winter, you can use a few bins to keep everything in one place. While your floor is empty, you may want to vacuum, sweep or apply an epoxy coating.
• Sort your items: Throw away all trash, such as loose pieces of paper and dead insects. Then, create piles to keep, trash, relocate and donate for the rest of your belongings. You may want to go through every box and shelf to find items you may have forgotten were in the garage.
• Split the garage into zones: After figuring out what things you want to keep in the garage, split them into categories, such as tools, car equipment and office supplies. Grouping like items together allows you to determine how much room you’ll need for each zone.
• Be creative with your storage: Make the most out of the space in your garage by organizing your belongings strategically. Install shelves, hooks and cabinets on your walls, ceiling and floor to leave room for your car. You should also store toxic, dangerous items in locked cabinets far from reach of children.
• Regularly maintain your garage: After you’ve established a storage system that works for you, create a schedule for cleaning your garage. Clutter may pile up over time, but you can follow a cleaning routine to save time and make the process more manageable. In addition to picking up loose items, sweep your garage floor and look for potential places where pests can hide.

Get Insulated Garage Doors From Continental Door

Following these garage energy efficiency tips can help make your living space more comfortable and save you money on your monthly expenses. To make your garage more energy efficient, consider installing a brand-new garage door with polyurethane or polystyrene insulation. This durable material goes between your garage door panels to protect your home against outdoor elements.

Continental Door has a wide variety of insulated garage door options among our residential garage door products available in Spokane and Northern Idaho. We’ll help you find the ideal product for your home to keep you warm in the winter, and we’ll install it with a tight seal to keep out cold air. For more information about how to make your garage more comfortable, reach out to us online or call 509-921-2260.

7 Reasons Winter Is a Good Time to Replace Your Garage Door

7 Reasons Winter Is a Good Time to Replace Your Garage Door

As the days get colder, we’re reminded that it’s time to start winterizing essential parts of our home to keep it safe and functional.

Winter is the perfect time to inspect your overhead garage door system and search for dysfunctional parts, damage, or any sign of wear and tear. Sometimes, your garage door system may be beyond repair and need a full replacement. Other times, simple maintenance can get it in motion again.

It’s essential to understand the basics of your garage door system and its parts in order to identify serious issues, and whether or not a new garage door installation is in order. If you’re at a point where you’re considering a new door but aren’t sure when to get it installed,  here are some reasons why winter may just be one of the best times to plan for a new overhead door.

Reasons to Replace Your Garage Door in Winter

“What time of year should I replace my garage door?”

“Can I replace my garage door in winter?”

If you find yourself asking these questions, the experts at Continental Door are here to tell you that winter is an excellent time to replace your overhead door. Seven reasons to replace your garage door in wintertime include:

• Faster turnaround time. Because fewer construction projects occur during winter, the turnaround time for a new garage door can be faster than in other months.
• Keeps your garage warm and safe by repairing damage. If your garage door stops opening and closing over the winter months, something may have broken, warped or cracked on the inside. You may need a garage door expert to get things moving again, especially if cold temperatures have caused overhead door parts to shrink or contract.
• Lowers your utility bills. Installing an insulated garage door can help you keep the space at a comfortable temperature without amassing exorbitant utility bills.
• Reduces homeowners insurance. In some cases, installing a new garage door will help you save costs on homeowners insurance.
• Helps sell your home. A new garage door can boost your curb appeal and revamp the exterior of your home in less than 24 hours, helping you appeal to more buyers during the colder months.
• Reduces maintenance. One of the biggest advantages of replacing your old garage door with a new one is that you’ll be able to significantly reduce the amount of maintenance you have to perform.
• Allows you to spend more time in your garage. You may want to use your garage as a recording studio, home office, or gym during the winter months. With a new insulated garage door, you’ll have a warm and comforting space to work, exercise or record your music.

Contact Continental Door for a Free Estimate Today

If one of the above situations has you in urgent need of a garage door, we have good news. Winter is a good time to replace your garage door because installation happens sooner and prices can be lower.

Look to the professionals at Continental Door for a beautiful, efficient overhead door to protect your belongings and improve the appearance of your home. We are your one-stop shop for Clopay® residential and commercial garage door replacement, installation, repair, maintenance, and 24/7 emergency service in Greater Spokane and Northern Idaho.

Since 2001, we’ve offered the highest-quality residential doors, commercial products and garage door services in our industry. When you work with us, you’ll find options from trusted manufacturers such as LiftMaster®, Linear, Cornell, Rytec and more. Continental Door offers free design consultation services and estimates for garage door installation and replacement services.

Reach out to our garage door technicians today for a free estimate and let us help you find the right garage door for your home.

How to Match Your Garage Door With Your Midcentury Home

Match Your Garage Door With Your Midcentury Home

If you have a midcentury home, you’ve probably put lots of time and money into cultivating and maintaining a look that’s fresh yet timeless. If you’re thinking about upgrading your garage door, you’ll want to choose a model that complements the style of your house. 

Luckily, you can match your garage door to your midcentury home with ease by keeping a few simple considerations in mind.

Choose Your Garage Door’s Material

The first step to choosing a garage door for your midcentury home is to select a material that suits your needs. Choose a medium that looks appealing and matches the style of your house. You should also consider climate and durability. Your garage door should be able to endure any outdoor condition that comes your way.

Consider some of these popular material choices for your midcentury garage door:

• Glass: This option is lightweight, durable and great for high-wind areas. It can be frosted, powdered, tempered or insulated, depending on your environment.
• Wood: While it’s more costly than other materials, wood has a classic, timeless appearance.
• Aluminum: This versatile metal can give your home an artistic look. It’s corrosion-resistant, lightweight and easy to work with.
• Fiberglass: This option is durable and crack-resistant, and it has insulation for both high and low temperatures.
• Stainless steel: This contemporary material can withstand high temperatures and resist corrosion. It is strong and low maintenance.

Select Your Garage Door’s Style

The midcentury style focuses on conveying a modern look through clean geometric lines, simple framework and asymmetrical design. This striking style juxtaposes traditional and contemporary elements for a unique, eye-catching appearance.

When matching your garage door to your midcentury home, consider implementing these common style components to keep the look alive:

• Thin, horizontal wooden slats
• Broad, vertical windows
• No external hardware
• Flat, flushed exterior panels
• Dark and medium wood accents

Pick Your Garage Door’s Color

When choosing a color scheme for your garage door, ask yourself if you’re looking to match the color of your home, complement it or add an accent with a contrasting color. If you decide to incorporate multiple hues or patterns, be sure that the design enhances your home rather than minimizes it. Matching your garage door color with the color of your front door is a sure way to create a uniform, cohesive look.

Some popular midcentury color schemes include:

• Light colors: White, gray, beige.
• Earth tones: Browns, greens, reds.
• Bright colors: Orange, blue, yellow.

Install Bridgeport™ Steel Midcentury Garage Doors

If you want to match your garage door to your exterior without the hassle, consider choosing from the Bridgeport™ Steel line — a high-quality collection featuring countless garage doors for midcentury homes. 

These stylish, modern doors are highly durable with wood stile symmetry, rail door designs and three-layer steel Intellicore® construction. Bridgeport™ Steel doors boast quiet operation, exceptional strength and energy efficiency for year-round comfort. These low maintenance doors come in dozens of styles, including narrow and extended recessed panels and numerous window options. 

Our new shaker style garage doors come in countless design choices, finishes and hues, including rich colors like glacier white, sandstone, mocha brown and almond. These doors are made with environmentally friendly materials and come with sleek decorative hardware components.

Purchase Your Shaker Style Garage Door Today

For sleek, eyecatching midcentury garage doors, choose Continental Door. For over 15 years, we’ve passionately provided our customers with the highest quality products and services to help them achieve their perfect exterior.

Browse our Bridgeport™ Steel collection today!

Shop Bridgeport™ Steel collection

How to Troubleshoot Common Garage Door Opener Problems

If you’ve ever lived somewhere that required you to park your car outside, you know what a convenience it is to have a garage. Parking outside leaves your car exposed to the elements, which can lead to plenty of problems. 

However, when you start to have garage door opener issues, the convenience is quickly negated. If the door only closes partway or doesn’t respond to the remote, it can be frustrating to deal with it when you don’t know what the problem is or what you should do about it. In this guide to garage door opener troubleshooting, we’ll discuss a number of issues and how you can diagnose the source.

Common Problems With Garage Door Openers

Even once you’ve pinned down the problem itself, it can still be challenging to determine the reason for it, and even more challenging to figure out how to fix it. Thankfully, the odds are high that it comes down to one of a few common reasons your garage door opener isn’t working.

Here’s a basic overview of each major issue, with an explanation of each possible cause and solution. Be aware that you may be having more than one problem at once, in which case the same cause will probably apply to both of them.

1. Garage Door Opener Switch Doesn’t Work

When you push the wall switch that operates the garage door opener and nothing happens, it may stem from one of the following issues:

Door Is Locked

A simple explanation for the problem may be that the door is locked. Most garage door switches have two buttons — one for opening and closing, and another for locking. If someone has pushed the lock button, whether intentionally or not, they’ve stopped the door from being able to open. Test this by pushing the lock button and trying again to open the door. If it works, you’ve solved the issue.

Motor Is Unplugged

An equally simple explanation may be that the motor is unplugged. Take a look at the motor, which is attached to the light near the ceiling at the end of the garage door chain. If the plug coming out of it isn’t inserted into the socket, you’ve found the problem. Just plug it back in, and you should be in good shape.

Photo-Eyes Are Faulty

A safety feature that exists in nearly all garage doors is the photo-eye sensor. Two sensors are placed at the bottom of the garage door opening, one on each side. These sensors project a beam of light to each other to verify that the opening is clear. If anything interrupts that beam, the photo-eyes prevent the door from closing. This is meant to prevent the door from hurting anyone or damaging anything in the process of closing.

Be aware that this should only affect closing, so if you can’t open the door either, the issue is probably something else. If the photo-eyes are to blame, though, you can easily fix them. First, make sure nothing is interrupting the beam. Then, check that the sensors are properly aligned to face one another. Finally, wipe off the lenses of each photo-eye to ensure that their line of sight isn’t clouded over with anything.

Circuit Breaker Is Tripping

If the door is unlocked and the motor is plugged in, it may be that the circuit breaker is tripping, or that a fuse has burned out. There’s a good chance you won’t be able to turn on the lights or other electric appliances in the garage either if this is the case. To fix this, try resetting the circuit breaker.

Motor Is Burnt Out

When you’ve tried all of the other options and still haven’t fixed the problem, it means you most likely have a burnt-out motor. At this point, it’s time to call a professional. They’ll have a look at your garage door opener, and after verifying the cause, will repair or replace your motor for you.

2. Garage Door Keypad Doesn’t Work

Not every home has a keypad to open the garage door, but if yours does, it can become faulty, too. If you put in the number sequence that you’ve programmed the opener with, only for the door to stay put, it could come down to a few different issues, such as:

Door Is Locked

As with the switch, it may just be that the door is locked. Try pushing the button on the switch to unlock it, and then put in the number on your keypad again. If it still doesn’t work, and particularly if you’re still able to open the garage door with the switch, the problem is probably specific to the keypad.

Batteries Are Dead

It can be easy to forget, but keypads aren’t usually plugged into the wall — they run on batteries. To keep them running, you’ll have to replace those batteries on occasion. The solution may be that simple. Replace all the batteries and see if it fixes the problem.

Keypad Is Out of Range

Unlike the wall switch, keypads aren’t directly connected to the garage door opener. They send a signal telling it to open, but that signal only has a certain range. If your keypad isn’t working, it may just be installed too far away from the garage door mechanism. Try operating it at a closer distance.

Photo-Eyes Are Faulty

As with the switch, it may be that the photo-eyes are keeping the door from closing. Check that nothing is blocking the connection between the two sensors, ensure they’re both aligned properly and wipe off each of the lenses. Again, this problem should only impact closing, so if you can’t open the door either, the issue lies somewhere else.

Keypad Needs Reprogramming

You can also try reprogramming the code you use to open the garage door with the keypad. You can check your manual for the exact details of how to do this on your particular opener, but it usually involves pressing a “learn” button on the motor and then inputting your desired code on the keypad. This process should essentially reset the motor to recognize the code being sent to it.

Antenna Is Faulty

When all else fails, the issue may not even be with the keypad itself. The keypad might be sending a signal just fine, only for the opener not to pick it up. There should be an antenna on the motor to receive the keypad’s signal, pointing straight downward. Double-check this antenna to verify that it’s secure and that it’s not pointing off in some other direction.

If you still can’t get it to work, but you suspect the antenna is the cause of the problem, you can call a professional to diagnose and fix your garage door opener.

3. Garage Door Opener Remote Doesn’t Work

In the same vein as the previous two problems, there can be times when you press the button on your remote, and the garage door doesn’t move. Here are a few potential causes, and how to fix them:

Door Is Locked

Once again, it may be that your door is simply locked. Press the lock button on your wall switch and try using the remote again.

Batteries Are Dead

Like with the keypad, you may simply need to replace the batteries in your remote. Try installing new ones, and see if the door opens.

Remote Is Out of Range

Also, like the keypad, your remote sends a wireless signal to the motor. From too great a distance, that signal won’t work. You may just be too far away — make sure you’re standing close enough to the motor when you use the remote.

Photo-Eyes Are Faulty

Once more, the photo-eyes may be responsible, though only if the malfunction is limited solely to closing. Check the connection path, ensure alignment and wipe the lenses.

4. Garage Door Doesn’t Close Properly

In some cases, the door will move when you push the button, only to malfunction partway through. Maybe it opens without a problem, but won’t fully close. Whether it doesn’t close at all, closes partway and then stops or closes all the way before immediately reversing and going back up, here are some possible causes and solutions to the problem:

Limits Are Off

It’s easy to take for granted that your garage door naturally stops in the right place when it opens and closes, but this isn’t inherently the case. The opening mechanism is programmed with a limit that tells it when to stop closing, so the motor doesn’t try to keep pushing it into the ground. If this limit is off from what it’s supposed to be, the door won’t stop in the right place.

Most openers let you adjust the limit by simply turning a screw in the motor. Check your manual for how this process works on your particular installation. If your door keeps trying to run into the ground, you’ll need to bring the limit back, whereas if the door doesn’t close all the way, you’ll want to push it forward a bit. Make sure you’re adjusting the “close” limit and not the “open” limit.

Photo-Eyes Are Faulty

If you haven’t already done so, give the photo-eye sensors a look. Some photo-eyes prevent the door from moving at all if their connection is broken, but others will let the door close partway before reversing its movement, or will simply stop it halfway down the track. In any case, you can fix this problem by clearing the path between the sensors, making sure they’re aligned and wiping off the lenses.

Rollers Are Damaged

Particularly if the door closes part way and then stops, the issue may be with the rollers or the metal tracks they roll along. The metal parts of the opener are susceptible to issues like rust, and in winter, they can contract slightly, causing resistance to the door’s movement. With enough resistance, the door will stop moving.

Check your rollers to see if this is the problem. A common solution is to apply lubricant oil to the rollers to help them move more smoothly. If that doesn’t work, it may be because the metal has become warped. Call a professional to have them examine the possible damage and help you repair the mechanism.

5. Garage Door Doesn’t Open Properly

If your doors aren’t having trouble closing, you may be encountering the opposite problem. Maybe the door will close well enough, but just won’t open — or perhaps it will open partway, but then stop. In either of these cases, the issue likely comes down to one of two things.

Limits Are Off

Just as your garage door has a limit for closing, it has another that tells it how far to open. If that limit isn’t set far enough back, the door will only open partway. Alternatively, it might be set too far, in which case you’ll hear the motor keep running even after the door’s stopped moving.

You can treat this issue by adjusting the “open” limit screw on the motor — again, consult your manual for the details on how to do this for your particular installation. Verify that you’re adjusting the “open” limit and not the “close” limit, and then move it accordingly, so the door stops in just the right place.

Rollers Are Damaged

Just like if your door has trouble closing, the issue may be that it has problems with the rollers. Try lubricating it to start with, and see if that fixes the problem. If it doesn’t, the metal tracks may be warped. To get that fixed, you’ll be best off calling in a professional to look at it.

6. Garage Door Motor Runs Without Door Moving

You may find that the motor responds to all of your controls without a problem — the door just doesn’t move. If you can hear the motor running, but the door stays put, there are two possible causes.

Limits Are Off

Once more, the issue may be that your limits are off. Note that if this is the cause, the door will still move, but the motor will simply keep running after it stops. This occurrence could happen in either direction, so you have to listen for when it does. In either case, you’ll need to dial back the appropriate limit, so the motor doesn’t keep trying to move the door after it’s gone as far as it can.

Door Is Disconnected From Belt

If the door doesn’t move at all, but you still hear the motor running, the door is probably disconnected from the belt. This disconnect most likely happened when someone pulled the emergency release cord. The specifics of reattaching the belt depend on the specific installation you have, so check your manual, but it should be a fairly straightforward manual process.

If this doesn’t fix the issue, the problem is likely beyond anything you should attempt to handle on your own. At that point, it’s time to call a professional for help.

Get Your Garage Door Opener Serviced Today

If you’re lucky, the issue you’re experiencing will be minor and something you can easily fix on your own. But, if you try each troubleshooting tip and none of them works, you know you need to bring in a professional who has the right experience to get the job done.

When that happens, look no further than Continental Door. We offer residential service throughout the greater Spokane, Washington, area and work with various brands such as Clopay, Linear and LiftMaster. We’ll be happy to take a look at your garage door and help you get it back in working order. Just get in touch with us today to get started!

How to Measure Your Bay Doors

Measuring Bay Doors

For businesses that operate out of a warehouse, bay doors simplify the processes of loading and unloading. But even with regular maintenance, bay doors need to be replaced from time to time. Taking careful measurements of the door opening is the first step in the process to install a new warehouse bay door.

Why Measure a Bay Door for a Warehouse? 

There are a few different reasons one might measure the bay doors of a warehouse, though the most common reason is the installation of a new garage door. 

You probably already have an idea of typical loading dock dimensions, even if it’s your first time installing a warehouse bay door. But bay doors are a significant investment, so you should be sure that you have the correct measurements before taking any further steps.

How to Measure for Bay Doors

The process of measuring for warehouse bay doors is fairly simple. All you need is a standard tape measure. When you’re ready, follow these steps:

1. Measure the Width of the Bay Door

Width is the distance between the left and right sides of the opening of the warehouse bay door. Be sure to measure from the widest point and record the measurement in feet and inches.

2. Measure the Height of the Bay Door

Just like you did with the width, measure the height at the bay door’s highest point: from the floor to the top of the finished opening. 

You should measure the height at three different points (left, right and center) to make sure that the opening isn’t sagging on either side. If it is, there could be issues with garage door installation — so any sagging should be addressed before the installation process.

3. Measure for the Vertical Track

Next, measure the width of the area next to the openings on each side of the bay door. There should be between 3 and 3 3/4 of an inch on each side to accommodate the vertical track for the new garage door.

4. Measure the Headroom

The headroom is the distance from the top of the door’s opening to the ceiling. The headroom should be at least 6 inches for fitting the garage door opener and the torsion system.

5. Measure the Backroom

The backroom is the distance from the opening to the rear of the garage. 

Determining Your Ideal Bay Garage Door Size

The ideal bay garage door opening is large enough to accommodate the opening of a full-size trailer. However, the door should not be larger than necessary so as to avoid the need for more insulation.

To provide total access to the entire height and width of a full-size trailer, standard loading dock dimensions specify that the warehouse bay door should extend between 13 and 14 feet above the parking area — the full height of the trailer.

Visit Continental Door For Commercial Garage Doors

Protect your business assets from the elements by investing in an insulated garage door that’s built to last. A door that properly fits your space will help lower utility bills and make warehouse access easy, so it’s crucial to have all the measurements correct before requesting the installation. 

Continental Door is your one-stop headquarters for commercial and residential garage doors in the Greater Spokane area, and we’re always happy to help customers select the right door for their space and usage requirements. Request a free estimate or schedule service today.

Request More Information About Commercial Garage Doors

Benefits of a Smartphone Garage Door Opener

Garage door openers are a modern convenience that allows you to move in and out of your garage with ease. A traditional system uses a mechanical opener that attaches to your garage ceiling and garage door. When you push the button on your garage door remote, it transmits a radio signal that sends a code to the operator. This code acts as an open command and sends your garage door into motion.

Although traditional garage door openers have progressed some, the most technologically advanced opener available is a smartphone opener. These systems forgo a standard remote and use a phone app instead. They are also incredibly versatile compared to old remotes. A smartphone garage door opener offers many benefits that may be a perfect fit for your home.

What Is a Smartphone Garage Door Opener?

A smartphone garage door opener turns your cellphone into a garage door remote. These systems swap typical plastic openers with a remote app, putting the power to open your garage door into your pocket. A smartphone opener uses your home’s Wi-Fi connection to send a signal from your phone to the opener within your garage. This replaces the radio signals that traditional openers use.

What Does a Smart Garage Door Opener Do?

Many smart garage door systems rely on Wi-Fi and communication between several devices to open your garage door. The three main devices at play include your:

• Cellphone: You can use your opener app to send an open or close command to the opener. When you do so, the signal first travels to your Wi-Fi router.
• Wi-Fi Router: When a command signal reaches your router, the device passes it on to the opener.
• Opener: The opener’s Wi-Fi sensor receives the command and carries out the appropriate action.

Though your command signal follows an indirect path to the opener, the transfer happens in an instant. When you press the open button on your phone, your garage door should respond promptly. 

Four Benefits of Smart Garage Door Openers

Because smart garage door openers are Wi-Fi-enabled, they offer many advantages over traditional systems. In general, smart openers give you greater visibility, control and security with your garage door. Check out some of the additional benefits you can expect with a smart system:

1. You Can Open and Close Your Garage Door From Anywhere

One of the most convenient smart opener capabilities is the fact that you can operate your garage door from your phone — this is true whether you’re standing in front of your garage, sitting at the coffee shop down the street or relaxing in a vacation home in another state. As long as you have a Wi-Fi connection, you can control your garage door.

This feature can be extremely helpful, especially in some of the following situations:

• When you forget to close your garage door: Your smartphone opener app can tell you whether your garage door is open or closed at any moment. If you think you forgot to close the garage door, there’s no need to call a neighbor or ask someone to check. Simply pull up your app, close the door and know that your home is protected.
• When you need to let someone into your house: There are many situations when you may need to let someone into your home, but you don’t want to give them a spare key. Whether a dog-sitter, house-sitter or a friend, you can use your app to open the garage door and grant access to your home at any time.
• When you’re going for a run or walk: If you’re jogging or walking outdoors, it can be a pain to bring your phone and house keys — especially if your outfit doesn’t have adequate pockets. With a smart opener, all you need is your cellphone. You can lock your house, leave through the garage door and use the opener app when you return.

2. You Can Integrate a Smart Opener With Other Smart Home Features

Many smart garage door openers work seamlessly with the other smart home devices you own. For example, a Wi-Fi-enabled LiftMaster device can pair with the following devices through the MyQ app:

• Smart locks: Smart locks put your keys into your phone. If you have a LiftMaster smart garage door opener, you can use the same app to open Yale | LiftMaster Smart Locks. You can control your smart locks from any location with the MyQ app, which makes it easy to grant access to your home. Your smart locks also show an activity log, so you can pinpoint when a certain door was opened or closed.
• Smart cameras: You can add a smart camera to your garage door opener to track motion and provide up-to-date security footage. When you sync your device with your garage door opener app, you can monitor your garage all in one place. Some smart garage door openers come with a built-in camera for a streamlined option.

You may also be eligible for other services and connections. For example, several cities — including Seattle and Eastside, Washington — qualify for Key by Amazon. This service allows you to choose in-garage delivery when you order Amazon Prime packages. 

If you choose in-garage delivery, your MyQ app will give you a four-hour delivery window on the day your package arrives. Right before your package is delivered, the app sends an “arriving now” notification. Upon arrival, the driver will request for your garage door to be opened, their information will be verified, and the app will open your garage door. Once the driver leaves your package inside your garage, they will wait until the garage door is completely shut before they move on.

3. You Can Pre-Schedule Openings and Closings

A smart opener may allow you to schedule times for your garage door to open and close. This can be convenient in a variety of situations, including:

• Before you leave for work in the morning.
• When you come home from work in the evening.
• When your kids get home from school.

Wherever you notice consistent departure or arrival times throughout your day, you can automate your garage door to keep up. You can also program your garage door to shut automatically if it is open for too long. Your opener app gives you the freedom to customize your garage door to your needs and schedule, which means you’ll have one less thing to think about.

4. You Don’t Have to Mess With the Inconveniences of Traditional Remotes

Using an app to open your garage door eliminates several inconvenient realities of a traditional opener. Some of the advantages include:

• Easy access: You don’t have to purchase multiple opener fobs for your family members when you have an opener app. Your spouse and kids can download the opener app for free and have instant access.
• Unlimited range: Traditional opener remotes require you to be within a certain range to open your garage door. A smart opener simply requires a Wi-Fi connection. 
• Reliable hardware: With traditional openers, you may have to deal with dead batteries or broken and worn-down buttons. As long as your phone is in good shape, your smartphone opener won’t get run-down.

Four Drawbacks of Smart Garage Door Openers

Like any piece of technology, a smart garage door opener has its drawbacks. Let’s take a look at some of the potential disadvantages of a smart opener compared to traditional technology:

1. You Need to Have Certain Technologies in Place

A smart garage door requires some baseline technology in order to operate. Before you install your smart opener, you need:

• A smartphone
• Wi-Fi
• A garage door manufactured before 1993 with a photo eye
• A Wi-Fi-enabled garage door opener

Approximately 81 percent of Americans have a smartphone, and 89 percent have a Wi-Fi connection at home. For many families, the only potential purchase may be a garage door opener that uses Wi-Fi. If you need to purchase additional equipment, it may be more expensive to set up a smart garage door opener than a normal opener.

Garage door opener manufacturers like LiftMaster offer several different Wi-Fi-enabled options, so you can find a compatible model that fits your garage door size and budget.

2. Smart Technology May Be Hackable

Most technology can be hacked with enough expertise, and Wi-Fi is no different. Smart garage doors could be hacked through your Wi-Fi connection, although it would be more challenging than hacking a traditional fixed code opener. 

To gain access to your system, hackers need your Wi-Fi password. If you have a simple, common or easily guessed password, your Wi-Fi could be vulnerable to attacks. However, hackers may still be able to break in using advanced tools and techniques if you have a complex password. 

The likelihood of someone launching an advanced cyberattack on your garage is probably slim, but smart openers offer the following security features just in case:

• Password protection on the opener app.
• A log of each time your door is opened and which device it was opened from.
• Security encryption between your opener and Wi-Fi router.
• Security encryption between your opener and other smart devices.
• No OpenSSL to protect against security issues.

It’s important to remember that losing a traditional opener remote is also detrimental. A lost or stolen opener allows a thief to gain access to your garage door with no digital trace. 

3. You Could Forget or Lose Your Phone

Your phone is with you almost all the time, but what if something happens to it? If your phone is damaged, lost, stolen or out of battery, it may be difficult to open your garage door. In this situation, a family member could use their app to open or close the garage door for you, or you could open the door manually with a button.

Whatever the case, using a smart garage door opener relies on your phone functioning properly, which is not required for a traditional opener. Many Wi-Fi-enabled garage door openers are sold with traditional remotes, which you can use in place of your phone if needed.

4. There’s No Wi-Fi When the Power Goes Out 

A traditional garage door opener will continue to work when the power goes out because it uses radio signals. A smart garage door opener relies on Wi-Fi, which means you need an alternate plan for power emergencies. Be sure to look for a smart garage door opener that has a battery backup. Wi-Fi models can often rely on battery backup for one to two years as long as the battery is in good condition.

To prevent the possibility of being stranded in a power outage, you need to keep track of and replace your opener’s battery. Depending on your opener model, the device may flash a specific light to indicate the need for a battery change. This is a relatively minor drawback, but it could cause a major inconvenience without proper ongoing care.

How Do I Use My Phone to Open My Garage Door?

To get started with your smart garage door opener, there are a few steps you’ll need to take:

1. Have a Wi-Fi-enabled garage door opener installed: Smart openers are only compatible with Wi-Fi garage door openers. Continental Door can install a new Wi-Fi door opener or a hub to adapt your existing opener.
2. Make sure you have an adequate Wi-Fi signal in your garage: Your garage door opener must be able to pick up a Wi-Fi signal from your router in order to function. To test your signal strength, safely stand on a ladder and hold your phone in the area where your opener will be installed. If the Wi-Fi symbol shows at least two bars, your signal will be strong enough to support your opener.
3. Adapt as necessary: If you have less than two bars of Wi-Fi signal, you’ll need to adapt in some way. You may need to move your router within 50 feet of your opener to give it an adequate signal. If this isn’t possible, consider purchasing a Wi-Fi range extender that you can position inside or near your garage.
4. Connect your opener to the manufacturer’s app: When you have the proper equipment and signal, you can download the manufacturer’s app and pair your device to the opener. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete this step. If you call a professional for your installation, they may be able to assist you with syncing.

When your system is complete, you can use your smart opener right away.

Why Choose MyQ Smartphone Garage Door Opener?

There are many advantages to enjoy when you invest in a smartphone garage door opener. Using your smartphone to open your garage door is convenient, and the app monitoring features can give you peace of mind. When you use a smart opener with MyQ, you can also connect your app to a wide variety of smart devices. MyQ serves as a streamlined yet powerful hub for your smart home items.

At Continental Door, we can help you select the best smart garage door opener for your situation. Our knowledgeable experts are ready to upgrade your garage with unparalleled customer service. If you’re in the Greater Spokane area, contact us for a free estimate today!

Request More Information About Smartphone Openers

Four Ways to Unstick Your Garage Door

You’re trying to leave your home and get to work in the morning — only to find your garage door is just not budging. Stubborn garage doors are a common problem that occurs for any number of reasons, from broken machinery to something as simple as the weather. Of course, in order to fix the problem, you first have to determine its cause. 

In this article, we’ll help you troubleshoot why your garage door sticks and offer practical solutions. You’ll be back on your way to work in no time.

Troubleshooting Your Stuck Garage Door

A garage door can start sticking for a variety of different reasons. Some may require professional assistance to repair. Others are simple fixes that can be avoided with regular maintenance and preventive measures. Common reasons include:

• Weather: Melted snow left around your garage can turn to ice and freeze your door. If ice is the culprit, you should be able to diagnose the problem visually. Bad weather and ice can also damage door springs, causing them to become brittle and stop working.
• Obstructions: Your garage door operates using torsion springs, which exert force with rollers along a track. If these rollers become obstructed, they’ll stop functioning properly, leaving your door stuck.
• Broken remotes: Electronic garage openers will sometimes break down. If you’re unsure why your door isn’t opening, try pulling your garage’s emergency release cord and lifting it by hand. If it opens all the way, your remote is likely the issue and may need replacing.
• Jammed pulleys: A pulley and spring system pulls your garage door up and down on the track. These pulleys and springs can become jammed or wear down over time. 
• Unprofessional door installation: Garage doors should be installed by an expert who knows what they’re doing. If you’ve attempted a DIY installation project or moved into a home with a previously-installed door, there may be faulty mechanisms causing it to stick.

Fixing Your Stuck Garage Door

Once you’ve deduced the likely cause of your garage door sticking to the floor, what should you do? In most cases, it’s best to call in the professionals. They will be able to resolve the issue properly without causing any potential damage in the process.

Melt or Scrape a Frozen Door

Non-mechanical issues — such as weather and obstructions — are often simple fixes that you may be able to perform yourself. If you notice that your door is frozen, pour some hot water over the icy area and promptly try to open it again. Alternatively, using an ice scraper can help get rid of the ice buildup and unstick your door. 

Check and Remove Obstructions

If your garage door opens halfway and stops, its tracks might be jammed or obstructed. To fix obstructions, check all tracks for any objects or debris in the way and carefully remove them if possible.

Request Professional Service

If your garage door is sticking as a result of jammed or broken pulleys or springs, it’s time to bring in the experts. Continental Door is a go-to door maintenance and repair service in the greater Spokane area, providing 24/7 emergency service to help homeowners or commercial businesses un-stick their garage doors. Repairs may require replacing broken parts, fixing springs or repairing jammed tracks.

Check Your Technology

If you’ve deduced that your door remote is the issue, try replacing the batteries or purchasing a new opener. Alternatively, the garage door photo-eye may be malfunctioning due to being knocked out of alignment or mistaking bright sun glares for an obstruction. Assess your photo-eye to see if this could be preventing your door from opening or closing. If it’s misaligned, you may need to request service from a professional to fix it.

Why Choose Continental Door?

Whether your garage door sticks when closing or won’t open up at all, there are few things more frustrating when you’ve got somewhere else to be. This common issue has plenty of causes, many of which can be deduced with an investigative eye. To handle a difficult or stuck door, it’s always best to call in the experts. 

If your garage door isn’t moving, Continental Door is here to help. We’re available around the clock to unstick your door if you need urgent assistance, and we can also offer repair and maintenance services to reduce the chances of it happening again. Interested in learning more? Request our service or a free quote today. You can reach us for emergency service at 509-921-2260.