The Importance of a Certified Garage Door Technician

The Importance of a Certified Garage Door Technician

The garage door is the largest entryway into your home, and it plays a role in your property’s curb appeal. You’ll want to keep it in good shape to withstand harsh weather conditions and maintain your home’s luxurious appearance. Instead of trying to repair it yourself, you should trust a professional to help prolong your garage door’s life span. Explore what a garage door technician does and why you need to hire one for your overhead door.

What Does a Garage Door Technician Do?

A garage door technician has the skills, equipment and experience to service, install and repair garage doors. After inspecting your garage door, they offer suggestions about whether to repair or replace it. They’ll fix anything, from broken springs to dented panels.

A certified overhead door specialist is responsible for the following:

• Inspection of all parts
• Assisting with the design of new doors
• Installing new doors
• Repairing electrical garage door openers
• Reviewing blueprints
• Troubleshooting broken doors
• Programming the access system
• Replacing the torsion springs
• Lubricating metal parts, such as the wheels or door tracks
• Inspecting your garage door’s safety features
• Checking and replacing weatherproofing

Garage door technicians are trained to handle all aspects of installing, repairing, and replacing your garage doors.

Why Is a Certified Garage Door Technician Important?

Hiring a certified garage door technician is the best way to ensure that your garage door is in proper working order and operates smoothly. Below, learn a few reasons why certified garage door technicians are critical.

Quality Results

Overhead garage door specialists go through rigorous training to install and maintain your garage door. When you hire a professional overhead door technician, you get trained professionals familiar with the latest techniques, technology and equipment. With this specialized training and knowledge, you can feel confident you’ll get quality results from your garage door technician. 

Experience

A certified overhead door technician has years of experience installing, maintaining and repairing garage doors. With experience and knowledge, a certified technician can help identify problems with your garage door and deliver helpful solutions. If you need a brand-new garage door, a specialist can go over your options to find the best one for your home. 

They can also teach you about the latest security and technology trends, such as smart garage door openers and motion-detector lighting.

Safety

One of the most important reasons to hire an overhead door technician is for safety. Your garage door plays an instrumental role in keeping your home and family protected from intruders. If your garage door isn’t properly installed or repaired, you run the risk of intruders targeting your home. An experienced technician can provide the proper repairs to ensure you keep your home, and those inside, protected.

Additionally, having a broken or malfunctioning garage door increases the risk of injury. If you try to fix it yourself, you could get hurt and potentially damage your property. For example, the torsion and extension springs are under intense pressure that, if you aren’t knowledgeable about how to fix these springs, they could cause injury while repairing. A professional overhead door technician knows how to fix the various components correctly and safely.

Time Savings

If you want to repair a garage door on your own, it takes time to learn how to do it properly. That means more time that your door isn’t repaired and more time of your free time spent learning how to do it. Instead of spending your free time trying to fix it yourself, you can trust a professional garage door technician to do it for you. 

An overhead garage door technician diagnoses issues promptly and repairs problems quickly. You can get your door fixed faster and spend less time worrying about fixing it.

Cost savings

Hiring a garage door technician helps you save money. If you try to repair your garage on your own, you may end up spending more money trying to get the right tools. You may spend all the money getting the equipment only to find that you can’t repair it yourself and need to hire a garage door technician anyway.

That’s why it’s best to hire an overhead door technician from the start. Garage door technicians have all the equipment necessary to repair and replace your garage door. Additionally, a certified technician can work with your budget to help you find a new garage door or door security system that works for you.

Extended Life Span

A certified garage door technician is critical for extending the life span of your garage door. Without proper maintenance, your garage door may not last as long as it should, which costs you more money in the long run. Hiring a certified garage door technician to inspect, repair, and maintain your garage door is key for extended life span.

A technician can spot problems and repair them quickly before they worsen and cause more damage to your garage door. They could also recommend when you need to replace your garage door.

Proper Tools

Garage doors are intricate mechanisms that require proper tools to fix and maintain. If you don’t have the right equipment at home, you can’t properly fix your garage door. A lack of proper equipment leads to an increased risk of injury from trying to repair your garage door. 

With a certified garage door technician, you’ll get a professional who already has all the necessary tools to repair your garage. You won’t need to worry about buying the tools yourself and figuring out how to use them properly.

Maintain Your Warranty

Many garage doors come with a warranty that can cover the cost of some repairs and maintenance, but it’s only valid when done by a professional. If you try to repair it yourself, you void the warranty and it covers no further repairs. Instead of voiding your warranty, trust a certified garage technician to make the repairs for you.

10 Questions to Ask Your Garage Door Technician

As you look for the right garage door technician, you’ll want to ask them questions to discover if they can provide what you need. Make sure that they’re a reputable company that installs, repairs and replaces garage doors. An experienced garage door technician will teach you how to take care of your garage door between visits. Ask your prospective garage door company the following questions:

1. What are your employees’ credentials?
2. How experienced are your technicians?
3. Do you offer any warranties on your new garage doors?
4. Can you offer an estimate for service or new products?
5. How often do you maintain garage doors for your customers?
6. What do you typically do during a service visit?
7. What should I do between your team’s visits to keep my door in good shape?
8. Will you call me before making further repairs or installing parts that cost extra money?
9. Do I need to be home when you’re working on my garage door?
10. Do you provide emergency repair services?

Quality Garage Doors and Service With AAA Garage Doors

AAA Garage Doors has a team of certified overhead door technicians in the Omaha, Nebraska area. We provide quality residential garage door repair services that include maintenance, repair, and replacement of garage doors. For more information about our products and services, contact us online or call us at 402-727-0789. Don’t put your garage door repairs off any longer!

Other Garage Door Safety Resources

• Garage Break-In Prevention Tips
• Garage Maintenance Checklist
• Common Garage Door Scams
• Garage Safety Tips for Kids

Common Garage Door Scams 

When you think of fraud, you probably imagine identity theft or hackers. Unfortunately, many scams still occur offline, and one type you may not know of is garage door scams. While most people in the garage door industry are honest, some of them aren’t. 

Scammers prey on people’s desire to take care of garage door problems quickly. Having a broken garage door is a hassle, and homeowners understandably want to clear up the issue as soon as possible. Garage door repair scams try to trick the homeowner into paying for services they don’t receive or the technician can’t perform. 

How can you tell when someone is trying to scam you? What telltale signs of a scam should you watch out for? Keep an eye out for these common garage door scams. 

The Rebuild Package Scam

Asking people to overpay for something or making promises that aren’t delivered on are both common scams in any industry. In the garage door business, rebuild package scams occur when a repair company says you need a “hardware overhaul,” which involves replacing everything from your torsion springs to the bearing brackets. 

In reality, nothing is wrong with your equipment — most garage door hardware lasts 10 to 15 years. However, you might not initially realize that. You will get a rude awakening when you receive the bill because dishonest technicians mark up the hardware and the installation costs. Then, you pay an arm and a leg for new hardware you don’t need. 

The Lifetime Guarantee Scam

When you hear someone talk about a lifetime guarantee, you probably think you’re set for as long as you own your house. However, that’s rarely the case. A lifetime guarantee often covers parts but not labor. Your technician can charge an exorbitant fee for labor for the simplest task, such as changing a light bulb. 

By installing cheap parts, the technician ensures your hardware will break down. Then, you’ll call them to fix it again, enabling them to charge an astronomical labor fee. The cycle repeats when the broken hardware is replaced with another shoddy item, setting you up to need more help shortly down the road. If you consider a lifetime guarantee, ask the technician several essential questions: 

• What does the guarantee cover? 
• Can you walk me through the contract? 
• What brands do you source your parts from? 

Your contract only guarantees coverage for the hardware it mentions. Even if you speak to a technician about adding extra coverage, it will only apply if it’s in the contract.

The Unidentified Technician Scam

You only want experienced, certified professionals working on your garage door. While a company may present the impression that its technicians know what they’re doing, they can pull a last-minute switcheroo by contracting the work to a subcontractor. The person may not live up to the high standards set by a legitimate business. 

The company you contracted with will pay the subcontractor a low rate, and the original technicians will have no investment in the outcome because you are not their customer. They aren’t counting on you using their services again for a job well done. You have no way of knowing if the person who comes to your door is certified or what their garage door repair history looks like. You also have no one to call if the repair is mishandled. Here are some things to look for to avoid this situation: 

• The technician arrives in an unmarked car.
• The technician avoids introducing themselves or saying who they work for.
• The technician shows no signs of direct employment by the company you contracted with.

How to Avoid Garage Door Repair Scams 

When you know what to look for, you can avoid garage door repair scams. Here are some questions to ask during the vetting process:

• How do you identify your company?​
• What company am I speaking with?
• Can you provide me your business’s address?
• Do you have any recent customers I could talk to about your services?

If you are not satisfied with the answers you receive, play it safe and avoid hiring the contractor. Always trust your gut. If something seems fishy or “off” with the company, it’s better to err on the side of caution than get caught up in a scam. 

Instead of relying on a business with shady practices, ask your friends and neighbors for recommendations for garage door repair companies they have used and liked. Getting a testimonial from a trusted source is always better than trying a company you aren’t sure about.

How to Report Garage Door Scams

If a suspected garage door scammer has approached you, or you have fallen victim to a scam, you can report it. Contact the International Door Association (IDA) by emailing [email protected] You can explain the details and include any documentation from your case. The organization may follow up with you for more information.

Scammers may also face criminal charges depending on what they did. You can contact your local police station to report the interaction. At the least, the police may warn others in the neighborhood that a suspicious person is making false claims. 

Other Garage Door Safety Resources

• Garage Break-In Prevention Tips
• Garage Maintenance Checklist
• Garage Safety Tips for Kids
• Importance of a Certified Garage Door Technician

Enjoy Quality Garage Door Service With AAA Garage Door

For reputable garage door repairs, contact AAA Garage Door. We have provided many people in the Fremont, Nebraska, area with dependable service at affordable prices. 

Break-In Prevention – 4 Tips To Ensure Your Garage Door Is Secure

Keeping your home safe and secure is a primary concern for every homeowner. You want to be sure that you, your family, and your belongings are kept away from prying eyes and prevent the chance of a break-in. It’s important to remember that most break-ins are opportunist, so simply locking up your home and garage door and also keeping valuables out of sight can be a great deterrent. However, seasoned burglars know will look for other loopholes to enter your house via your garage, windows or other main entryways.

How To Secure Your Garage Door: 4 Tips

While many homeowners focus on home security for their windows and doors, it’s essential that you don’t overlook your garage door when making sure your home is safe. Below, our residential garage repair experts at AAA Garage Doors take a closer look at four simple tips to help homeowners to keep their garage door secured.

1. Upgrade your Garage Door Opener

If your garage door opener has been in use for many years, it might finally be time to update it. Modern garage door openers have smart systems in place that will alert you if your garage door has been left open. The most up-to-date systems can even come with an alarm and security lights included helping to keep your property and home even more secure. Another helpful element with the newest technology is that you can often close your door remotely if it left open. This allows the peace of mind that you are back in control of your home security, even when you’re not home!

2. Pay Attention To Your Door’s Emergency  Release Trigger

The vast majority of garage doors have a special emergency release trigger that will allow you to get in or out of your garage when there is a power cut. Typically, the trigger is near the top of the door, allowing burglars an opportunity to access the switch and gain access to your home through your garage door. It’s worth considering an installation of a shield in front of the door release or, alternatively, you can disable the safety release. The method for doing this will be different from model-to-model, but usually, it is as simple as cutting the chord that is attached to the emergency release. If you are unsure as to how to disable the security release, simply get in touch with our team at AAA Garage Doors and let us help you out.

3. Add Manual Locks

If you really want to keep your garage door secure, a great option is to install heavy-duty manual locks on the inside of your garage door. However, while this is a highly-effective approach in some situations, there are some pros and cons worth considering. First of all, you will need to be at home in order to secure the locks from the inside. Secondly, how effective these locks will be, is solely dependent on how much you are willing to use them, which brings us to our final point.

4. Motion Detection Lights

It might not seem like a motion detection light outside of your garage door will stop a burglar from breaking into your home but you’d be surprised. Lights take a bigger role then you’d think in deterring burglars. Not only do detection lights notify the people who are home that there is someone or something moving outside but they also bring attention from any surrounding neighbors who have a clear view of your home’s garage. The simple act of having a light shown on a burglary deters them more than you’d think!

Bonus Tip – Create Good Security Habits

Homeowners who become complacent in regards to their security habits put their house at a higher risk of burglary. Locking your garage door sometimes, switching on your security lights from time-to-time or closing the door most of the time, will not help to keep your home secure. Here at AAA Garage Doors, we recommend developing and practicing good security habits. Effective communication with all family members and residents will ensure that everyone is on the same page with what is required in terms of security when leaving the house. Be proactive and always follow the same security procedure when you are closing up your garage, and you will be at a much lower risk for break-ins.

Other Garage Door Safety Resources

• Garage Door Safety for Kids
• Garage Maintenance Checklist
• Common Garage Door Scams
• Importance of a Certified Garage Door Technician

Keep Your Garage Door Secure And Your Family Protected

To keep your home secure and protected, you must take the time to secure your garage door. As a major entry point to your home, this vulnerable area requires necessary steps to ensure there is no unauthorized access. Get in touch with our garage repair experts at AAA Garage Doors to find out more about how you can bolster the security of your garage door. With our help, you can rest easy knowing that your home is safe and secure.

5 Garage Door Maintenance Tips To Keep Your Door Operating Smoothly

As a homeowner, you rely on your garage door to access your home multiple times a day and you want to be sure that you can depend on it to perform, as it should. As the largest moving part in most homes, it’s essential that you take the time to look after your Omaha garage door properly and carry out regular repair and maintenance to ensure that it stands the test of time. If you take care of your garage door, you will be able to depend on it to work as intended for many years to come.

5 Garage Door Maintenance Tips

With a few simple tips and tricks, you can ensure that your garage door doesn’t take on too much wear and tear and continues to operate smoothly. Let’s take a closer look at five garage door maintenance tips that you can implement with ease to care for your garage door.

1. Lubricate Moving Parts

It might only take you about ten minutes per year but taking the time to grease up your garage door’s moving parts will help it last for a long time to come. Just a small amount of garage door lubrication can make a big difference when it comes to preventing noise and keeping your residential garage door opening and closing properly. Use a spray lubricant to coat the opener’s chain or drive screw. You can also add some lubricant to the overhead springs, hinges, rollers, and door tracks.

2. Test The Balance Of Your Omaha Garage Door

If a garage door is not correctly balanced, the overhead door will have to work extra hard and therefore will not last as long. In order to extend the life of your garage door opener and keep your door operating smoothly, you need to test the balance of your commercial garage door. Simply disconnect the opener by pulling the release handle. Next, partly open the door manually. If the door is correctly balanced, it will maintain this position without any assistance from you. However, if it moves up or down on one side or the other you will need to adjust the door springs. As this can be a delicate matter, it is best to call our team of professionals at AAA Garage Door Inc. to ensure you get the garage door balance just right.

3. Tighten The Hardware

Since a garage door opens and closes several times in a day, it’s not unusual for the hardware to become loose over time. In fact, the average overhead door opens and closes over a thousand times a year and all of this movement can naturally cause different elements to loosen. Be sure to check the garage door hardware from time to time and tighten any parts that appear to have become loose or contact us at AAA Garage Door Inc. and let our garage door specialists check over your hardware for you.

4. Check The Auto-Reverse Feature

Perfoming a safety test for the auto-reverse feature once or twice per year is a good practice to get into. Designed as a safety feature, the door should automatically reverse when it comes into contact with something as it is closing. To test it, you can put a large item in the path of the door, between the door and the ground. If your Omaha garage door starts reversing automatically when it comes into contact with the object, it is working correctly.

More modern door openers often have a photoelectric system, which is used to detect people or pets walking under the door. As the door is closing, simply wave your foot underneath it and the door should auto-reverse. If your door fails to auto-reverse in either test, you will need to have your garage door opener repaired. You can also avail of our comprehensive Garage Door Safety Tune-Up Service at AAA Garage Door Inc. so that you can rest easy knowing that your garage will not be the cause of damage or injury.

5. Visual Garage Door Inspection

Inspecting your garage for water damage, chips and peeling paint from time to time is important to prevent any low-level damage from getting worse. Depending on what material your garage door is constructed from, you may need to carry out additional maintenance. For example, if your door is made of steel, rust spots may develop which will need to be sanded, primed and painted. A timber overhead garage door, on the other hand, may need to be treated to keep the wood from becoming damaged from exposure to the elements. At AAA Garage Door Inc., we offer a weather seal and preventative maintenance service that are specifically designed to help keep your garage door from encountering unnecessary problems.

Get Help From The Pros With Your Garage Door Maintenance

View Our Garage Door Services

Ensuring that your garage door is properly maintained is vital in making sure that it stands the test of time and that it will operate smoothly. If you need assistance with your garage door maintenance, get in touch with our team of garage door experts and service technicians at AAA Garage Door Inc., today. With our extensive experience with garage doors, you can be sure that your garage door will be in good hands.

The Ultimate Garage Door Maintenance Checklist

A Helpful Guide for Omaha Residents for Keeping Older Overhead Doors in Top-Notch Condition

Overhead garage doors aren’t made to last forever, but adhering to a regular maintenance schedule can certainly help prolong their life. This helpful checklist includes tips as simple as regular lubrication of mechanical garage door parts to keep them working smoothly – to more in-depth attention to the springs, hinges, and rollers – to keeping the remote controllers and sensors in proper working order.

AAA Garage Door, Inc. can take the worry out of overhead garage door maintenance by coming on a regular schedule to inspect and remedy problems before they even occur. In between regular visits from our professional team of garage door services experts, here are some things you should add to your checklist and keep an eye on:

• Inspect your overhead garage door and make sure the emergency cord is both present and in working order. In the event of a power outage, you’ll need this feature working well so you can bypass the power-equipped features and open or close your door.
• If your garage door should become dented or damaged (as in a direct hit from a vehicle or some other object), you should make a careful assessment to be sure the door’s operation hasn’t been affected. AAA Garage Door, Inc. has a wide variety of garage door parts available to repair even the smallest issues. Rollers that are not moving freely or a door that may have become bent can cause wear on your residential garage door and do real, long-term damage if left unrepaired.
• Take a look at the joints between the sections of your door. If you can see daylight through these joints when the door is down, or if there are gaps or the sections appear misaligned, your Omaha garage door definitely isn’t weather-tight. You are losing valuable heating and cooling through your overhead door.
• Find the springs and examine them with a critical eye. But, don’t get too close if they appear broken, worn or rusted; it’s just a matter of time before one can break, causing frustration and inconvenience, not to mention potential injury. Replacing the garage door parts, i.e. springs, is dangerous if you don’t have the right tools and experience. If they look worn at all, it’s best to call in the garage door service experts in Omaha, AAA Garage Door, Inc.
• Inspect the hinges on your residential garage door. If you see anything bent or twisted, or if there are loose or missing screws, further attention is required.
• How do the rollers look? If any are broken or worn, or if they don’t roll freely in the tracks, they are likely ready for replacement.
• Test the mechanical safety reverse system if you have an automatic garage door opener installed. Place an object like a piece of wood on the door’s threshold and try to close the door using your remote controller. The door should go back up immediately when it comes in contact with the wood object. If not, it isn’t safe for your family or pets and will not prevent accidental entrapment or injury. This needs to be fixed right away.
• Test the photoelectric safety system on your commercial overhead garage door. These are the “electric eyes” on each side of the door that should prevent your door from closing if an object breaks the safety beam. These can sometimes get misaligned or bent, rendering them ineffective in doing their important job.
• Don’t forget to take a look at the wall control unit and test the open/close functions. For the remote controllers themselves, change the batteries at least once a year and test to be sure they still connect properly with the door opener antenna.
• Lubrication of all the metal garage door parts and opener should be completed every six months. Before and after the winter season are ideal times.

View Our Garage Door Services

Some Garage Door Repairs Require Expert Service. Call AAA Garage Door, Inc. at (402) 727-0789

If you keep an eye on these simple things, your Omaha residential garage door, even older doors, can perform better longer. Most important, completing the simple inspections and regular maintenance details on this checklist can give you the peace of mind that your garage door is both safe and reliable.

AAA Garage Door, Inc. is the Omaha expert for everything from garage door parts, simple repairs, regular maintenance, and inspection, to total replacement. When you see an issue, don’t wait! Call us at (402) 727-0789.

Safely Converting Your Garage Door into a Play Space for Kids

Winter is a time when there just isn’t enough outdoors to be found. For many families with children, this means converting your garage space into a play space. This alternative is potentially viable, but it must include taking a thorough look at all the dangers that can be lurking there before sending your kids out to play. Clutter, stored chemicals, dangerous tools and easy access to garage door mechanisms can make a garage play space an unsafe space.

Clear the Clutter, Lock Away Potential Dangers in Your Garage

Before you decide to turn the kids lose in the garage, AAA Garage Door, Inc. recommends you look around with a critical eye to remove any potential hazards that could turn playtime into tragedy. Start by clearing away clutter that could pose a trip or fall risk. Then, walk through the space to identify any equipment, dangerous liquids or power tools that could be accessed. These should be stored in locked cabinets or at a height that cannot be reached by curious children. Unplug power tools and remove other potential hazards such as saw blades, cutting implements or other items that could cause injury.

Is Your Garage Properly Ventilated to be Used as a Play Space?

Something that isn’t often considered is proper ventilation in your residential garage. If your children will be spending many hours playing inside this space, it is recommended that you inspect and/or upgrade your ventilation system.

Never use gas-powered or electric space heaters to warm the garage even with the overhead door open. The risks of fire, accidental burns, and carbon monoxide poisoning are simply too high. If your car is in the garage where children will be playing, remove the keys and lock the car door to prevent it from being accidentally started; an engine running in a closed garage is never safe, not to mention the trouble they could cause if they happened to engage the gear shift.

Important Lesson for Children: Garage Doors are Not a Toy

Every year, thousands of children are injured or die when they use the residential garage doors as playthings. Children should always be made aware of simple garage door safety rules and reminded of them on a regular basis.

They should never ride on the door while it is going up or down, or use the wall-mounted controller and remote devices without adult permission. Accidental entrapment can happen when children attempt to “race the door” or if they engage the door when another child might be near or in the overhead door’s path.

Finally, don’t allow your children to use the garage as a play space especially if you haven’t regularly maintained the garage door over the past couple of years. Broken parts can cause injury from sharp edges or shattered glass panes. Doors that have mechanical issues can even fall unexpectedly. Make sure your garage door is in perfect condition when turning your garage into a safe environment.

Other Garage Door Safety Resources

• Garage Break-In Prevention Tips
• Garage Maintenance Checklist
• Common Garage Door Scams
• Importance of a Certified Garage Door Technician

Let us make sure your garage is safe

If you aren’t sure if your garage is “play ready” it pays to call AAA Garage Door, Inc. to do a critical review of any outstanding safety concerns or garage door services and repairs that need done. Call us at (402) 727-0789 or fill out a contact form before you send the children out to play.