What type of care and maintenance is necessary for my Mesa steel door and hardware?
Garage doors should not be overlooked where maintenance and aesthetics are involved.
Steel garage doors are very durable but must be cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis. The garage doors and their parts are exposed to dirt, grime and weather/temperature changes on a daily basis. If you clean the door well with a mild mixture of household cleaner and ammonia, you will be able to remove the dirt and this may avoid repainting. Do not use a detergent containing more than 0.5% phosphate and do not mix bleach with detergents or other cleaners.
A good clean can restore the aesthetic value of the door. If the paint has discoloured, you can choose to repaint. Remember to follow the recommendations of the garage door manufacturer. Most garage doors need to be repainted every few years for protection against the harsh elements of sun, rain and wind. The paint also protects steel garage doors against rust.
Clean door panels with a soaked cloth or brush with soft bristles. You can also use low-pressure spray washes. Remove mildew and fungal growth with a mixture of one cup of bleach to five gallons of water and 250ml of soap. Remember to always rinse thoroughly.
Check the balance of the door. Follow procedure explained in question 13. Hinges and rollers need to be lubricated yearly. This is a good preventative maintenance measure. Also, lubricate pivot points to ensure smooth running of the garage door .Do not lubricate plastic idler bearings. Check for loose hardware parts such as nuts, bolts and screws, The parts might need tightening of adjusting. Inspect springs and cables for wear and tear on a yearly basis or when necessary. Springs should be repaired or replaced by Garage Door Professionals, as working with springs at high tension can cause serious injury or even death.
How do I paint a wood door?
The guidelines below were established by the American Hardboard Associations and note that they do not replace instructions or the guarantee from Mesa. For further details on painting refer to the Owner’s Manual that comes with every Mesa door.
Firstly, make use of a solvent-based oil/alkyd or waterborne primer to seal the face, back and edges of the entire garage door. It has to be compatible with the top coat that was used. The Top Coat Paint should be oil or latex exterior top coat paint and use semi of full gloss paint. Unprimed doors should be started and finished as soon as they are delivered and the paint s used should be recommended by the manufacturer of the garage door. Follow manufacturer’s recommendations especially with regard to primer requirements, surface temperature, application procedures, finish coats etc.
A yearly inspection of the exterior of your wooden garage door is advised. If the finish seems in good order, you can go ahead and clean and touch up. If the finish appears eroded then clean and prime the areas where the substrate is showing. This must be finished with a complete priming and finish coating.
A few tips: Start painting project early in the day to allow for enough daylight time but do not paint in direct sunlight. Start the painting job with a thorough preparation of the work surface i.e. cleaning off dirt and grime. Use painter’s tape to mask any parts of the garage that you do not want to be painted.
Lastly clean up -. wash brushes and rollers, remove painter’s tape and paint that spilt on to windows or other areas
What type of spring is better-extension or torsion?
There are two types of springs used on garage doors. The extension springs run from the front of the garage to the back, are attached on either side of the door and stretch along the horizontal track when the door is closed. They work on the principle of stretching and play an important role in the opening of the door.
Torsion springs are mounted to the header. They are wound springs and do not expand or contract when the door is moving. They do not stretch like extension springs and provide a smoother operation. They are therefore the safer choice for a homeowner as the springs are safer and provide better balance to the door.
Single stall garage doors commonly use extension springs. Extension springs are the most common choice, especially for single stall garage doors. These springs stretch alongside the overhead door track when the door is closed, and assist in the lift of the door when it is opening.
When you have your garage door installed, establish what the best choice of spring would be for your garage door. Ask your Garage Door Professional and refer to the manufacturer’s manual.
Do I need a lock on my garage door?
If you have an electric garage door opener installed on your door a lock should not be necessary as the latest electric openers function as locks. The garage door will not be able to be opened/lifted from the outside. You may have a problem with the older garage doors..
DASMA, the trade association for the garage door industry, advises against installing a lock because if the door is accidently locked, the door will be damaged when the garage door is opened with the electric opener.
If no opener is installed on your garage door there are several types of locks that are used. You might want a lock as you use your garage as a storage space too.
The cheapest way is installing a large sliding latch on the front of the garage with a hole in it that you can put a lock or piece of thick steel lock through. of lock you use.
A gadget have also been released that reads a thumb or fingerprint. This device is wireless and thus has its problems.
The electric garage door opener is the most reliable way of protecting your garage, its contents and your home and family.
How do I know if my door is properly balanced?
There are several tests you can perform to assure your garage door is balanced. Remember to disengage your electronic opening before performing any tests..
1) Lift/open your door in 1′ increments. If you do this, the door should stay balanced.
The door should lower gently when you lower it and not slam closed. It should also rise when opened at a very controlled speed.
2) Close the door and use release mechanism. You must be able to open the door with hardly any resistance and the door must be able to stay open three or so feet above the ground.
If the above is not possible then have your garage door adjusted by a professional garage door technician.
I have been comparing R-values of various doors and am surprised at the variance among them. Can you explain this?
Manufacturers use R-values to indicate the energy efficiency of their door. T R-value is determined by the thickness of the insulation and its chemical properties. You must ensure that you know on what the manufacturer is calculating the R-value – is it the overall door or just a section. The higher the R-value the better the energy efficiency / insulating capabilities of the door should be. Mesa proud themselves on creating their insulated doors in such a manner to ensure they maximize energy efficiency.
Read MoreMy garage has very little space (headroom) above the door. What is the minimum headroom required to operate a sectional door?
The standard headroom required is a space of 12″ to 18″ situated between the bottom of the opening header and the unobstructed ceiling. Mesa can offer many different track options as they specialise in custom-built applications. It is then possible for unusual sized garages to be fitted with doors. For instance, by installing the low-headroom track the headroom can be reduced to a mere 6 1/2″ of headroom. The hi-lift tracks are used in the case of an exceptionally high ceiling and the door needs to retract to a horizontal position and the vertical lift track if the door has room to lift straight up. If the ceiling of the garage door is pitched at the angle of the roof, follow-the-roofline tracks are used to provide extra headroom so door can follow the same angle.
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