Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Us

Q: Why is my garage door so loud?

A: Many things/components can cause excessive noise. Excessive noise should never be your door coming off track. This should be repaired by a qualified technician, having extensive knowledge and tools for the job.

Q: My garage door won't open, what is wrong?

A: There are any number of things that can cause a garage door to not open. From a broken spring to a faulty electric operator. Please contact us for a inspection of your Door system.
Please, never attempt to repair a garage door that appears to be in a bind. It could suddenly fall, causing injury.

Q: Are you licensed?

A: Elite Door Service, LLC is licensed in the state of Alabama and the cities we perform work in. We are also authorized to perform services in the state of Tennessee.

Q: Do you have replacement parts for any garage door system?

A: We stock a small quantity of replacement parts for chamberlain Liftmaster operators as well as repair parts for the mechanical door system itself (i.e hinges , rollers etc) Due to the sheer number and variety of parts, brands, and configurations, we can not guarantee parts will be available same day. Parts may be ordered and are usually available within a few days.

Q: Do you have a warranty?

A: We offer 30 day warranties for repairs, 1 year warranties for new installations and our products (Safeway, Liftmaster, Guardian, Mirage) are backed by the manufacturers warranty which ranges from 1 year to Limited Lifetime.

Q: What maintenance is suggested for the tracks, hinges, rollers and springs?

Regular lubrication of moving parts is an absolute necessity. Most door systems have a ton of moving parts such as bearings, roller bearings and hinges. We use a spray lubricant, which is available for purchase, to lubricate these parts. Axle grease or bearing grease are not recommended as they will trap and collect debris, causing accelerated wear on moving parts

Q: What is included in a maintenance visit?

A: A full inspection of your garage door and all of its components. Lubrication of all applicable components. We will not try to sell you anything you do not need. If a component is found to be questionable, the pros and cons will be discussed at the time of the maintenance visit.

Q: What Do I Do if I Hit My Garage Door With My Car?

A: If your door is hung/off track and your car is entrapped in the door, call for service immediately. Trying to unhang your door could cause it to fall, furthering the cost of the repair.

Q: How Much Will It Cost to Install a New Garage Door?

A: Installation costs vary depending on the type of door system that you have. Heavier more prestigious doors require delicate handling to avoid damage, therefore more time, and cost. Please contact us for a free, no obligation quote today.

Q: How long does it take to install a new garage door?

A: A new garage door in a new construction application should take approximately 1 hour. A replacement of an existing door should take 1 hour or less depending on the amount of room available to work. Many factors can play into these times, but in average they can be installed in about an hour.

Q: WHAT IS HEADROOM?

A: Headroom is the distance from the of your header to the bottom of the closest obstruction above the door. In most cases this will be the ceiling. Typically 12 inches is required for installation of a standard front mount torsion spring door. An additional 3inches will be required if an opener is being installed.

Q: WHAT IS BACKROOM?

A: Backroom is the distance from the wall the door will be mounted to, to the closest obstruction coming inside the garage. (The depth)

Q: I DO NOT HAVE STANDARD SIZE DOOR OPENINGS. CAN CLOPAY CREATE CUSTOM DOORS TO FIT MY NEEDS?

A: Clopay and Safeway garage doors will build a Door to a size to suit your needs. Please contact us for a free no obligation quote.

Q: HOW MUCH HEADROOM DO I NEED?

A: 12 inches for standard lift door, adding 3 inches for an opener. By transitioning to a low headroom style track, you may get by with as little as 8 inches.

Q: I DO NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY AMOUNT OF HEADROOM. IS THERE SOMETHING I CAN DO?

A: There are options. By doing a low headroom track setup, you can get by with as little as 8 inches of headroom.

Q: WHAT IS SIDE ROOM?

A: Sideroom is measured from the edge of the finished opening to the closest obstruction on the respective side of the door. (Left or Right)

Q: WHAT TYPE OF SPRING SYSTEM COMES WITH MY DOOR?

A: All of our doors use a standard torsion spring with a rated cycle life of 10,000 cycles.

Q: WHAT GLASS OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE FULL VIEW DOOR MODELS?

A: There are many glass options. Please contact us for documentation containing glass types and colors.

Q: MY DOOR HAS A WINDOW SECTION. DO I HAVE A CHOICE AS TO WHERE THAT SECTION IS PLACED?

A: You may place your window section at any interval, yes including the very bottom if that's what you desire. Be sure to let us know at the time of installation.

Q: WHAT TOOLS WILL I NEED TO INSTALL MY DOORS?

A: Standard hand tools and cordless impact drivers with a 7/16", ½" and 9/16" are fairly standard. As well as winding bars for spring installation. Please use caution when working with torsion springs. It is not recommended to Service your own torsion spring.

Q: I AM CONSTRUCTING A NEW BUILDING, WHAT SIZE SHOULD THE ROUGH OPENING FOR MY DOOR BE?

A: For example, if you ordered a 12ft x 10ft door, your finished opening should be 12ft wide and 10ft tall. Plus or minus ¼" or so.

Q: I AM GETTING READY TO REMOVE MY OLD DOOR, WHICH HAS STANDARD TORSION SPRINGS. HOW CAN I GET THE TENSION OFF THE SPRINGS?

A: In most cases, ½" diameter winding bars are used to release the tension on the springs. Use caution, springs are under high tension and can cause injury or property damage.

Q: CAN I REPLACE JUST THE DOOR SECTIONS AND NOT USE THE NEW TRACK AND SPRINGS THAT CAME WITH IT?

A: Yes. You are free to use your old track and hardware, however this is usually more expensive or not far from being complete package pricing. We recommend replacing the whole system for the best results.

Q: DO I NEED TO REINFORCE MY DOOR IF I AM INSTALLING AN AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENER?

A: Absolutely! In fact, most manufacturers warranties are void by attaching an operator to a Door that has not been properly reinforced.

Q: MY DOOR "HANGS" IN THE OPENING - IS THAT NORMAL? CAN I FIX IT?

A: There are any number of things that could cause the "hanging" we recommend calling in the pros.

Q: HOW DO I INSTALL MY LOCKSET?

A: Instructions should be provided with your particular lockset. Please feel free to contact us regarding your lockset installation.

Q: HOW DO I INSTALL THE STRUTS PROVIDED WITH MY DOOR?

A: Please follow all manufacturers instructions regarding panel reinforcement. In most cases self drilling screws are provided for this purpose.

Q: WHERE CAN I BUY PARTS FOR MY COMMERCIAL GARAGE DOOR?

A: Elite Door Service, LLC sells parts for a wide range of commercial applications.

Q: DOES MY COMMERCIAL GARAGE DOOR REQUIRE MAINTENANCE?

A: Yes. A door that is in active use needs to be serviced and inspected at least once a year. A door that is in extreme conditions, or used constantly all day every day will require maintenance more frequently.

Q: CAN I FIX MY COMMERCIAL GARAGE DOOR MYSELF?

A: Although it is possible to repair your own door, it is not advised. Garage doors contain components under extreme tension. You could make matters worse and end up costing yourself more in repairs. We value your safety and well being.
Please do not attempt a repair if you aren't sure how the particular door system you have functions or is supposed to function.

Q: ARE REPLACEMENT SECTIONS AVAILABLE FOR MY DOOR?

A: Yes. Replacement sections are available for doors, as long as the particular model hasn't been discontinued by the manufacturer. Multiple section replacements generally aren't very economical. In most cases a complete door system may be purchased for slightly more.

Q: I HEAR A LOT ABOUT R-VALUE. WHAT IS IT AND IS IT IMPORTANT?

A: R-value refers to the level of insulation that your door is rated for. The higher the number, the better quality of insulation. Most standard doors have an r-value of around 6. Higher end doors can exceed an r-value or 20.

Q: MY DOORS HAVE NO INSULATION; HOW CAN I FIX THIS?

A: Insulation kits are available for most doors. Cost is generally more to insulate a door after it has been purchased vs buying a door that is already insulated.

Q: CAN I INSTALL MY OLD DOOR OPENER ON MY NEW DOOR?

A: Yes. As long as everything is in good working order, the existing opener may be reconnected to the new door.

Q: WHAT HORSEPOWER OPENER DO I NEED FOR MY DOOR?

A: Generally ⅓ horsepower is sufficient for most doors. We use ½ horsepower operators on all doors, unless a particular door is large enough and heavy enough to warrant a ¾ horsepower unit. This would be used on a large carriage house style door.

Q: WHEN REFERRING TO STEEL GAUGE, DOES A LOWER NUMBER MEAN THICKER STEEL?

A: Yes. Builder grade doors in most cases are 25 gauge steel. Better quality doors are 24 gauge steel. Ask your door dealer to provide information about the construction of the particular make and model door that you are interested in.

Q: DO YOU OFFER REINFORCED DOORS FOR HIGH WIND AREAS?

A: Yes. Wind loaded doors are available if conditions or building code requires it. Please be sure to specify a windloaded model when you are shopping for a quote.