Chicago Garage Doors - Consolidated Garage Doors

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Garage Door Openers
Select a Category Employment - Employment Opportunity Submission. Garage Door Openers - Questions regarding electric door openers. Garage Doors - Questions regarding garage doors. Installation - Questions regarding installation of garage doors and/or electric openers. Maintenance - Questions regarding upkeep on garage doors and/or electric openers. Miscellaneous - Questions not found in above categories. Service Request - Service Request from a customer. View All Categories
1.	Question: Can I buy the weather strip that goes on the Bottom of the door. I can install it my self. I have a two car garage door. As your company installed all the garage doors in Carillon Lakes. I live in a town house.Thanks James Boot Answer: Yes you can. We recommend that you bring a small sample with you so that we can match it up.

2.	Question: Can i use my garage door without the sensors? Answer: No, since 1992 all door openers made require the sensors to be operational for the unit to properly function.

3.	Question: Craftsman Year 1993; The door went up, when trying to close by all transmitters, the unit ckicks but the motor dose not start. checked the eyelits one is red one is green. when interrupted they still blink. I need trouble shooting help on this one Answer: Will the door close using the wall button? Please call to discuss further.

4.	Question: Do you know of any lense filters that can help with sunlight interfering with the photo eyes on the door. The sensors work fine except for about 2 hours during the middle of the day and I was hoping to find something to help! Answer: Try reversing the photo cells. That works most of the time. Or spread the photos further apart away from the opening to minimize the exposure to the sun.

5.	Question: Hello, I just purchased a house that has a working electric garage door, while I was moving stuff inside the new house with the help of few of my friends, one of my friends has accidently closed the garage door manualy, now it's stuck. You think is it Answer: Check to see if the top section of the door is stuck under the header. The door may be shorter that the openeing height. Make sure that the original locking assembly has been disabled.

6.	Question: Hello, Why does my garage door opener only open the door? This is what happens Answer: Are you referring to the wall button or your hand remote?

7.	Question: how do adjust the eye sensnor Answer: The photo eyes should be 6" off the floor, firmly mounted to the tracks or jamb. They should then be turned in or out, up or down until both lights are solid.

8.	Question: How do I check the alignment of my garage door photo eyes? Answer: Make sure that the lights on both sensors are light. If not make slight adjustments until they do. If that doesn't work, you may have a dirty or non-functioning sensor.

9.	Question: How do I get into my garage if there is a power failure? Answer: If you do not have an entrance into your garage other than the garage door, you should have a Keyed Emergency Disconnect installed so the door can be opened manually.

10.	Question: I am installing plastic trac in older genie 940A. Will spray silicon be adequate or will it require a type of grease. The gearcase had remains of a white lithiam grease. Answer: White lithium it is.

11.	Question: I have a genie trac drive 940a and the trac on the drive end is stripped out. With parts being hard to find can I just reverse the trac belt? The rest ofthe unit works great so I can't see replacing it Answer: When the tape/trac wears out, it normally rounds out the rectangular openings and deforms the tape itself. That is why it can not be reversed.

12.	Question: i have a linear opener, last week after a flash of lighting, the remote will not close the door however it will raise the door. Answer: Will the opener open and close from the wall control panel?

13.	Question: I have a Wayne Dalton door opener that is about 2 years old. In the summer when the garage heats up the opener will not work until the garage cools down. Answer: Does the unit attempt to work? Does it make any sounds at all when the button is pushed?

14.	Question: I have an older (90s') model Moore O'Matic chain system. The door will only open with the remote and only close with constant pressure on the wall connection. We ordered and replaced the sensors and lubed the wheels. Any idea why this is still not work Answer: It sounds like there is a short in the control board and not the sensors. Please call to discuss further.

15.	Question: I have an uninsulated door. Can I get a top panel with windows to replace what I have now? Answer: Providing that the model door you have is still in production, the answer would be yes.

16.	Question: i just noticed that the light in the sensor is orange and the other one is green. i have tried to wipe the sensor of any debris but it's still showing orange color. pls, what could be wrong? Answer: Nothing. The sending eye does have an orange indicator light that will glow regardless of alignment or obstruction. The green indicator light also should also be solid and lit. Should you notice any flickering, dim or no light at all, an alignment might b

17.	Question: I just received a NOS Powerlift door opener my dad purchased new but never installed. Model #WR94R, serial #021994. It will only go in reverse, can't get it to go down at all. As I stated above it is new but about 12-15 years old but it was wrapped in pla Answer: Did you install the sensors? Verify that the wiring to the sensors have no breaks or staples in them.

18.	Question: I want to operate my opener without the safty sensors. Is that possible? Thanks Answer: No, since the early 90's all machines have been designed to operate only when the sensors are properly functioning.

19.	Question: Is a doorbell push button and a garage door opener button the same type or what is the driffent? Answer: Most of today's openers use a printed circuit board in their wall buttons. You can try the doorbell button, depending on the machine it could work.

20.	Question: My 45 year old wooden garage door needs replacing. It functions as my kids back stop and target without many signs of the abuse it takes. Will a steel door hold up as well as the old wood door? Answer: No I'm afraid it will not. You might want to consider a composite door vs. wood.

21.	Question: My electric garage door only goes up about a foot or two then stops. If I lift it a little when it is going up it goes up all the way. Any ideas? Thanks. Answer: Sounds like you have a broken torsion spring. Look on the header and see if there is a space between the spring ends. The other option might be that the up force setting needs to be slightly increased.

22.	Question: My garage door opener is about fifteen years old, is it still safe to use? Answer: Most openers now come with safety systems to stop the door from closing if something is in the way of the door. It is better to have a new opener with newer technology.

23.	Question: My garage door spring is broken. Can the door be manually raised safely to get the car out before professional door repairmen arrive to fix it? Answer: Only in case of emergency would we recommend manually raising the door. In case of an emergency, two to three of you neighbors' could supply the needed lifting force. It never hurts to have more help then truly needed when this task has to be performed. A

24.	Question: my garage door will close but willnot open when i press the button. it emits a grinding sound. Answer: I believe you have a defective drive gear assembly. Please call to schedule an appointment.

25.	Question: my neighbors home located across the street was struck by lighting causing my electric garage door from not opening. T he opener was a company called powerlift the went out of business back in 1995. I can not get the wall switch of door oper to work the d Answer: When a capacitor goes bad 95% of the time it will start leaking. If that is the problem you can find them locally for about $20. The other part you are describing is a mechanical relay which you may or may not have luck finding. We are located in Illinois

26.	Question: Opener does not run from wall control. Answer: -The photo eyes may need alignment. -Check the power source:check fuse and circuit breaker. -The Motor protector may be open. -Wait 20 minutes for protector to reset.

27.	Question: Rubber strip is ripped on the bottom of my garage door. How do I go about replacing it? Answer: Our service vans inventory all the replacement bottom seals available today. Just e-mail or call our service department to schedule a call. At the same time a general service can be completed on the entire door and electric opener.

28.	Question: Sorry this is not a question...just a great big thank you for servicing our garage door. After having the door for about 3 yrs the brown paint started to peel. Your company took the extra effort to contact the mfg. and the panels were replaced. Can't th Answer: Thank You!

29.	Question: The seal at the bottom of my door is broken and I would like to replace it. It is a two grove rubber seal and is easy to replace, How and where can I purchase a seal? Rod Anderson Answer: We stock multiple types of bottom seal. Please bring in a sample so we can match it up.

30.	Question: There are no obstructions and I believe my alignment is correct, the lights are on, however, the garage door goes all the way down and then it comes right back up as soon as it closes completely. What can I do to correct this? Thanks. Answer: We do not recommend any adjustments by homeowners due to the fact more damage can be done if not familiar with the controls and adjustments per each individual opener. A service call is recommended.

31.	Question: What framing specifications must be met for a garage door with opening 16 ft X 7 ft. Specifically, what framing/casing instuctions can you provide to assist in peparing the opening for a new door in a new houseI plan to get an insulated/metal clad door wi Answer: The opening for any size garage door should be finished no larger the the door size itself. Not knowing what material you would be using to finish the opening does not allow us to give you rough opening sizes.

32.	Question: What if the remote control was lost or stolen? Answer: You need to earase all existing remote controls out of your receiver. Check Lock Switch on Wall Console and apply Lock Switch in this situation.

33.	Question: What is the energe efficiency for this door HDGL PREMIUM SERIES Door 16'x7' Answer: It has an "R" Value of 9.0

34.	Question: What wire size do you use for each door button???? what gauge and conductor size???? Please respond as I wish to install behind sheetrock. thank you John. Answer: 22 gauge would be the minimum. We recommend running 4 wire thermostat, the wires are protected and a second pair is available for back up.

35.	Question: While closing, due to some obstruction my garage door never closed. After this incident when I use my remote opener for opening the door it works. But I can't close the door with the remote. If I hold the door opener button in garage until it touches the Answer: The obstruction you experienced may have forced the photo eye protector system out of alignment. They are the two cells located on each side of the door towards the bottom. One yellow light and one green light need to be consistently lit. Try to re adjust

36.	Question: Why do the photo cells not work? Answer: Unplug the opener and plug it back in. Inspect the wires running from the opener to the photocells for breaks or loose connections. Clean the photo cell lenses of dirt, cobwebs, etc. Re-alignment may also be needed.

37.	Question: Why does my garage door go down but not up? Answer: Does the opener even try to open the door? Is there any movement or sounds coming from it?

38.	Question: Why does my garage door only go down a couple of inches and reverse? Answer: Most openers have a infared safety eye system that stops the door is something is in the way of the beam. There could also be a possible door obstruction.

39.	Question: Why does my garage door opener only opens but does not go down Answer: There can be a few problems that may cause this to occur. The photo eye alignment must remain correct and make sure that there is no obstruction that would trigger the system and prevent the door from closing. The low voltage wires might have a short in t

40.	Question: Why does the door run for no reason? Answer: The remote control button could be stuck or broken. Check the staples on wire from Power Head to wall control. Staples can cut insulation and short the wire. If the wire is cut, replace it.

41.	Question: Why does the door start down then stop before it's closed? Answer: The DOWN limit switch needs to be checked for the proper setting or there is a possible door obstruction.

42.	Question: Why does the door start down then stops and goes back up? Answer: The Force Adjustment needs to be checked. Also check for beam obstruction or misalignment of Photo Lenses. There is also a possiblity of a door obstruction.

43.	Question: Why does the door start up but stops before it is completely open? Answer: The door may need to be balanced and lubricated. Check door condition and for broken door spring. The open limit or open force may also need to be adjusted.

44.	Question: Why does the opener run but the door doesn't move? Answer: The Drive Gear Assembly may be worn and needs to be serviced by a professional. The force adjustment may need to be checked. The opener will not run more than 30 seconds each way if the door does not move. The Screw Drive units could have a striped couple

45.	Question: Why does the opener work from Wall Control but not from Remote Control? Answer: The photocells and photocell wires need to be checked.The Lock Switch could be on or a have a low battery. The remote control could also be defective.

Garage Doors
1.	Question: Are special size doors available? Answer: Yes, in most cases the width starts at 6'0" with 2" increases to the width. For height most start at 6'0" with a 3" increases. Model selection is a key to any special request.

2.	Question: Do I have to dispose of my old door if I have it replaced? Answer: No, the cost of taking down the old door & hauling it away from your home is included in our quote.

3.	Question: Do you have any financing plans for the doos? Answer: Due to current market conditions, financing is no longer available. We do accept Visa and Mastercard.

4.	Question: Greetings! I am toying with the idea of using a garage door to close off the front end of a screen porch, to protect it from the elements. Can you tell me if it's possible to get a door that would be comprised completely of window panels? Thanks, Answer: What size opening are you enclosing? Where are you located? A standard residential steel insulated door would need at bare minimum a solid bottom section. It would depend on the size of the door. There are full doors available but with more of a commercia

5.	Question: I am interested in carriage-style doors that open from the middle rather than rolling up. What kind of interior hardware comes with these? I have a double-car garage, but use it as a home office, and would like to be able to open one garage door at a time Answer: The older swing type carriage doors that you are inquiring about are no longer commercially manufactured. There are custom carpentry/cabinets shops who could fabricate them for you.

6.	Question: I have a 8'high by 18'wide garage door that is insulated. I bought a Stanley opener because it was the only one at the time I could find that was rated for this size door. It is a screw type opener and I have to replace the carrier that runs on the screw Answer: Yes we have models designed for the application that you have. I would also recommend that the operation of the door is within specifications. A door that is not balanced or operating smoothly will cause premature carriage wear.

7.	Question: I have a one-piece door now. Can I replace it with a sectional door? Answer: Yes, in 99% of cases like yours,we can install a sectional door. A no charge site survey would need to be performed first.

8.	Question: I have an old wood garage door that needs to be replaced, what should I replace it with? Answer: Most homeowners replace existing wood doors with prefinished steel insulated doors.

9.	Question: I have an uninsulated garage door. Would Like to know if there is an insulation kit I can purchase? This is a new door (6months old) Answer: There are insulation kits available for purchase. You would need to provide the model and size of the door for us to research/respond properly. Most of these kits were designed to repair/replace damaged insulation panels. When you insulate an existing non

10.	Question: I live in a townhome subdivision community where all the garage doors match. The bottom panel of my garage door has been dented with a bike tire. I need to repair or replace the panel. What do you charge to come out and identify what type / model of ga Answer: We would stop by and quote you for the replacement of the bottom section. Steel sections very seldom can be repaired.

11.	Question: I wan't to insulate my 2 steel garage doors and I understand that there are insulation kits available , how ever I didn't put these doors in and do not know what brand they are . (GADCO, CLOPAY, etc. )Will any brand kit fit as long as the size is ordered Answer: One size does not fit all. Each model has differant style locations. Most times the model of the door can be found on a sticker which could be located on the tracks or at the end of the section.

12.	Question: I would like to know if you can only order the windows section of the garage door? Will you come out and replace it the door is brand new. We are moving to Zion IL, Stonebridge Crossing (Kennedy is the builder. Will you give me a quote on the plain win Answer: If your door is installed it will be substantially more to replace. If it hasn�t you should contact Kennedy asap and see if a change can be made. If the door is in then provide me with your lot number and we can send you a quote.

13.	Question: My garage door has rusted along the bottom panel. It is 15 years old; this is a townhouse so the door must match others on the street. Do you think I can replace just the bottom panel? How do I find out if this door is still in production? I live in t Answer: Bottom panels can be replaced. Look for a label on the tracks or at the end of the sections. It would have the model or series number which would than allow us to determine availablity of that product.

14.	Question: My garage door would open and close, with opener, but half way up or down there would be a big Answer: It sounds like you have a steel door that has a crack in one or two of the sections. I would not use the door until it is inspected and a solution is found.

15.	Question: My garage has very little space above the door, what is the minimum required to operate a sectional door? Answer: Standard headroom applications require 12" to 18" of space between the bottom header and the unobstructed ceiling. A door can be installed in as little as 6", but some operational quality is sacrificed.

16.	Question: The top two sections of my door are damaged, do you do free in-home estimates on repairs? Answer: Yes we do, please call to set up an appointment.

17.	Question: Upon the door closing, one side touches the floor before the other, how do I adjust the door to balance it out to close even? Answer: The door timing is out. Meaning the side that touches the ground 1st ,the cable is longer on that side than the other. You would need a service call to re set the cable timing as well as re adjustment of the torsion springs balance of the door.

18.	Question: We live at Running Brook Farm, Johnsburg.Your company installed the door. Our Garage door is not insulated, and would like it to be.Is that a service you provide? Using a kit, would not work for us, because I read the opener would need to be reset?? Thank Answer: We offer kits that will work with your door and we do install them making any adjustment that might be needed.

19.	Question: What are the benefits of a steel door over a wood door? Answer: Steel doors are low maintenance whereas wood doors need to be painted every few years to keep the door looking good. Steel doors can be insulated making them more energy efficient. Steel doors also come painted and wood doors need to be painted.

20.	Question: When I replace my existing door, can I keep my old track? Answer: We recommend replacing all your existing hardware, including the track. All doors are engineered to work with specific hardware and track to keep the manufacturer's warranty in tact.

21.	Question: Why should I choose an insulated door if my garage is uninsulated? Answer: A garage door opening is a very large hole in the garage and if it is insulated it will be more comfortable for you if you are working in the garage and an insulated garage will keep temperatures stable when it is very cold outside.

Installation
1.	Question: Does the size or style of my door affect the type of opener I need? Answer: With a conventional door,a 1/3 to 1/2 horsepower opener is more than sufficient for the operation of the door. With a Carriage style door, we recommend a 1/2 horsepower opener for a single car door and a 3/4 horsepower opener for a two car door.

2.	Question: Hello, I have a 15' opening on my garage.I need to have a door installed because I bought my house without a door on the garage.The track was left in tact and measures 16',a 6' overlap is on each side.Should I replace it with a 16' door? or a more expens Answer: We recommend installing the proper size door in every opening. On the width of the door it is not as important as the height. If there is sufficient side room to install the 16' door, than it is truly a cosmetic issue.

3.	Question: I have a garage door opener but I didn't get it from you. Can you install it for me? If so, how much does it cost? I don't know if you guys installed my garage door but I saw your webpage and number on a sticker posted on the inside of my garage door. Answer: We did install the door in your new home. We would charge $125.00 to install your opener.

Maintenance
1.	Question: Are you able to loosen the bottom brackets of the garage door? Answer: Conventional garage door bottom brackets are under extreme tension and can cause serious injury if deliberately or accidentally loosened or removed by someone inexperienced in garge door installation or maintenance.

2.	Question: Can I paint a steel door to match the color of my house? Answer: Yes, following the manufacturer's guidelines.

3.	Question: Do I have to replace my whole garage door if just a section is damaged? Answer: In many cases a replacement section is an option depending on whether it is still in production or the rest of the door is in good condition to warramt replacing the the section. Sometimes the better solution is to replace the complete door.

4.	Question: Have you checked the spring on your garage door? Answer: Beware of old springs. Garage door springs are tightly wound and under high tension. All springs will eventually wear out and break. A breaking spring that is not properly contained could hurt and injure someone. Make sure springs are checked and replaced

5.	Question: I live in a coastal area. How well will the steel doors hold up? (I'm thinking of the inevitable rust problem.) Answer: Todays finishing process virtually eliminates rusting. A steel door should give you many years of trouble free usage.

6.	Question: I need to replace a powerlift model 3071 date 9745 garage door circuit board damaged by lighting. Any ideas where I can find one? Answer: Sorry but that item is no longer available.

7.	Question: Is it safe for me to repair my own garage door spring? Answer: Unless you have experience in changing a garage door spring, you should have them changed by a qualified door mechanic.

8.	Question: The spring on m;;y door is broken, can the door be repaired? Answer: Yes the springs on your door can be replaced, but it is highly recommended that you call us to have one of our experienced service technicians take care of it.

9.	Question: What can I do to help maintain my door on an annual basis? Answer: Use a spray lubricant on moving parts like rollers, hinges, and bearings on a semi-annual basis.

10.	Question: What sort of annual maintenance should be done to both the door and opener such as lubrication? Answer: Use of a spray lubricant semi annually on all moving parts such as rollers, hinges and bearings, is a good place to start.

11.	Question: Why should I use a professional installer? Answer: Because the installation can be very technical, it is important to have a trained professional install your door or opener. Proper installation is critical in the operation of the door or opener.

12.	Question: Why won't my garage door open? Answer: The problem could be with the opener,or even a broken spring.

Miscellaneous
1.	Question: After an order is placed, what would a normal delivery date be? Answer: Approximately 1 week for a stock door and 3 weeks for a factory ordered door.

2.	Question: can the insulation on the door be replaced the dog has ruined 4 panels Answer: Without a model number or a more precise description, it remains difficult at best to provide a correct answer. There are models whose insulation is a drop in panel, where others bond that panel to the steel face and is not designed for replacement.

3.	Question: Can you install a Metal Key Switch so that the garage door opener is activated with a key? How much will it cost to install? Answer: Yes we can, the cost for the keyswitch would be $14.50 plus tax and a service call. Included in the service call would be general service to your existing door and opener. Please call for our service rate.

4.	Question: I have a door operator muntin in my 2-car garage door. I have lost the key for it. There is a label that says the door is from Consolidated Garage Doors, Ltd and references your old Addison phone number (708-628-0628.) Is there a way to get a replaceme Answer: On the face of the lock cylinder there should be a key number. There is a chance we might be able to order replacement keys. If not, a replacement lock can be provided. Please call with your key information.

5.	Question: I have top loaded tention springs and one is broken, do you have replacement springs and can I do the insatllation? Answer: We do not sell springs over the counter and do not recommend trying this repair. Please give us a call and we can schedule service.

6.	Question: I need new bottom seals for two doors,one 16 foot and one 10 foot. Where can I find them? Answer: Bring a sample in and we should be able to match it up.

7.	Question: my garage has to 16' wide and 8' high doors. They are the cedar panel wood door. Can these doors be insulated. Thanks in advance Mick Answer: There really isn�t a way to insulate existing wood doors. You can however make sure that the perimeters are sealed completely to eliminate air infiltration. There are weather-strips that can be added to assist.

8.	Question: What are your showroom hours? Answer: Monday - Friday: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Saturday: 8:00 am to 12:00 noon

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