🏡 Better Homes Garage Door Thread

[Fish]

So my wife came home on Tuesday and told me the garage door wouldn’t close. I went out and saw something a little wrong.

That picture was after I tried to fix it myself, but was a no go. Had to have a friend come over since I’m still limited on what I can do and we got it closed, but the right cable snapped.

This garage door is a POS anyway. It’s been rigged on the top panel since it looks to be tearing, and if we get a semi windy day, it just flops around. So much that I had to turn off notifications of my garage door opening and closing cause it would just bombard my phone with notifications. The broken cable on the right side made the track on the left bow out since the door was crooked.

I already reached out to one company, Active Garage Doors, for a quote and was quoted $2100 for an insulated 3 layer door, new hardware, new tracks, and new springs. I figured it was a good deal, but wanted to see if anyone else had their doors redone and or if you have heard of Active. They have good reviews on Google and they are local and the door is in stock.

I also have Aladdin Doors coming tomorrow for a quote. Should I wait and see or just jump on the other deal and get it done sooner?

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[Jimy Bilmo]

Haven't heard of Active, but just had ours replaced with the triple steel doors from Feldco. Pricing seems inline with what I was charged for a double door and a single door. Definitely stayed warmer in the garage this winter, so glad we did them.

If Active has a decent warranty and they have a door ready to go on, I'd probably jump on it. My doors from Feldco took over 3 months to get in.

 

[FirstWorldProblems]

$2100 installed w/ new hardware seems like a great deal for an insulated 2 car door.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

Yea, we replaced ours recently and it was $4k. But it is a complete insulated, therm rated something or something, 4 panel exterior in sandstone. This did include a new Chamberlain belt drive MyQ opener all new railing/framing, torsion spring as well as 15" radius's to help give it clearance when I eventually bring my lift over, so it clears the columns.

Looking at your picture, one thing I note, is that top panel is missing it's strut brace. The strut brace is that bar you see going across the bottom panel and the third panel up. The strut braces should be in the bottom and the top section for sure. This is because the force of the opener, as well as the weight of the panels themselves when the door is up, create it flexing. That strut bar helps avoid this. So I think that may be the source of your problem. One other thing I might add, is a reinforcement plate where the arm from the opener mounts to the door.

Menards sells both of these. I replaced a strut bar on my the garage door at the other house recently. Years of it smacking the column on my lift finally bent it quite nicely. The problem with Menards/Home Deport/Lowes, none of them sell the 7/16's inch self tapping sheet metal screws or strut clamps to mount it to the door.

 

[Fish]

$2100 installed w/ new hardware seems like a great deal for an insulated 2 car door.

I thought so too, but I just want to make sure it’s not “too good” of a deal if ya know what I means.

 

[Fish]

Yea, we replaced ours recently and it was $4k. But it is a complete insulated, therm rated something or something, 4 panel exterior in sandstone. This did include a new Chamberlain belt drive MyQ opener all new railing/framing, torsion spring as well as 15" radius's to help give it clearance when I eventually bring my lift over, so it clears the columns.

Looking at your picture, one thing I note, is that top panel is missing it's strut brace. The strut brace is that bar you see going across the bottom panel and the third panel up. The strut braces should be in the bottom and the top section for sure. This is because the force of the opener, as well as the weight of the panels themselves when the door is up, create it flexing. That strut bar helps avoid this. So I think that may be the source of your problem. One other thing I might add, is a reinforcement plate where the arm from the opener mounts to the door.

Menards sells both of these. I replaced a strut bar on my the garage door at the other house recently. Years of it smacking the column on my lift finally bent it quite nicely. The problem with Menards/Home Deport/Lowes, none of them sell the 7/16's inch self tapping sheet metal screws or strut clamps to mount it to the door.

Yeah they said if I added a belt drive opener it would be an extra 560. And extra 450 for chain drive. Part of me thinks to wait since mine works fine but then it would suck if it suddenly didn’t.

I also have more money to spend so I’ll probably wait on that.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

One thing, did the rollers break and the door fell out of the track??

So, I am a big fan Genie screwdrives. Much quieter than chain and way faster than both chain and belt. The express up feature on them has the door up in the blink of an eye. The downside is the ones you get at the big box stores have sketchy electronics. The one I replaced, had issues getting remote signals, the key pad was even less reliable. I tried adding wire on to the antenna, thinking it would get better reception. But not any improvement.

Belt drives are obviously the quietest but they're slow as fuck. I could read war and peace in the time it takes that new opener of ours, to put the door down. It REALLY slows down as it gets to it's final few inches to save the belt from damage.

 

[Fish]

Rollers didn’t break, but the bottom right bracket was bent so the roller wouldn’t sit straight if I put it back in.

 

[Shawn1112]

You do know its not that hard to do it yourself? You can do it in 1 day with a helper as long as one of you are mechanically inclined and the other has half a brain.
Would probably save you a ton of money as well. I did both mine about 10yrs ago with my Dad and prior to that day neither one of us ever touched a garage door or opener. I wound up replacing both openers by myself a few years later as well.

 

[Fish]

I’d be down to do it, but I’m still pretty limited due to a drain still sticking out of me. ?

I wanted to get the front door replaced first since the frame is so jacked that we can’t lock the deadbolt from the outside and the door is almost half glass anyway. But such is life.

One needs to be replaced ASAP since we usually just the garage door as our front door since our front door is also dookie. It still however opens, closes, and locks…..from the inside.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

Time is money too. I've done many as have repaired many and replaced many door openers. Like you said, it would take me a day, multiple trips to save big money at Menards, setting prox sensors for up/down limits, frustration, cussing and swearing.

With this door, the guy had the door, opener, all new track, and all programming done before lunch on a Thursday.

 

[Fish]

Aladdin came by and quoted $2500 for basically the same thing but added weather stripping. I don’t think weather stripping is worth an extra $400.

I know this sounds kinda shallow, but this dude also came in a older Dodge Ram and no printed information, samples or anything. The first guy had company work truck, samples, and brochures with information and just seemed more professional and better presentation. I know that’s not everything but still an impression.

 

[Jimy Bilmo]

Probably drives the clapped out truck because he leaves the Ferrari at home while he upcharges you $400 for weatherstripping.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

Absolute Door out of Bartlett is who we used;

Contact - adhs Absolute Doors Home Services Inc

Contact Us Contact Info: 888 634 7239 630 518 8846 224 410 9822 708 506 6583 [email protected] Contact Us Bartlett,IL USA Weekdays …… 6AM to 7PM Weekends …….9AMto5PM Emergency Hours all off hours 24/7 +1630 518-8846 Call or Text +1224 410-9822 Call Only +1708 506 6583 Call Only [email protected]...

adhs.us

Matt, I believe is the 630-518 number

 

[Shawn1112]

Aladdin came by and quoted $2500 for basically the same thing but added weather stripping. I don’t think weather stripping is worth an extra $400.

I know this sounds kinda shallow, but this dude also came in a older Dodge Ram and no printed information, samples or anything. The first guy had company work truck, samples, and brochures with information and just seemed more professional and better presentation. I know that’s not everything but still an impression.

Are you referring to the weather stripping on the bottom of the door? If so I’m pretty sure they come with that, mine did. I actually just replaced the weather stripping 2 years ago. Took about 20 minutes

 

[Jimy Bilmo]

Are you referring to the weather stripping on the bottom of the door? If so I’m pretty sure they come with that, mine did. I actually just replaced the weather stripping 2 years ago. Took about 20 minutes

$400 in 20 minutes. You should start a side hustle.

 

[Shawn1112]

$400 in 20 minutes. You should start a side hustle.

If that’s what they are referring to, then yeah 20 min.

 

[FESTER665]

If that’s what they are referring to, then yeah 20 min.

If that. That’s the easy part, I just don’t like fucking with springs.

 

[Fish]

He was pointing to the sides and top. I don’t think he means weather stripping. I think he means the moldings around the side and top. Granted who knows if it’s 400 he charges for that. I’m just saying it’s +400 and that’s the only thing he mentioned more than the first place.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

A new door should come with those. Ours did. I kept them as spares as the ones we had on the casing for the door were new and just freshly painted.

Replacing those isn't overly difficult either. That's one of my projects on the door at the other house this summer. I'm going to replace all the rotting wood backing behind it too, with all vinyl so it should never have to be done again.

 

[Jimy Bilmo]

Yup, ours were capped too.

 

[Andrew222]

I visited my parents last month and saw almost the same garage door when arrived. They have a rollup door and having looked at it, I understood that it would be faster and easier to address professionals. The guys from this service did the work in about an hour. I'm glad that I persuaded my dad to call them as he thought the door needed to be replaced.

 

[Fish]

Yeah, I was going to let my uncle do repairs since he said he could get it done cheap and quick, but quick turned into awhile, and we use our garage door daily. So I have the company coming tomorrow.

 

[Fish]

$2250 later, new insulated door, all new hardware and track, weather stripping installed, and some extra supports and pulley replacement later, the garage door works.

Whoever did the previous door was on crack, obviously cause why not. The J bracket was not correct, bracing for the track was not present, the pulley at the end of the opener was not a perfect circle and the bolt that was supposed to keep it secure was missing the nut and washer.

The guy hit the remote to close it and I almost didnt think it worked. So much more quiet than before, and thats an old chain drive opener.

 

[Yaj Yak]