How does a garage door work

How Does a Garage Door Work?

Garage doors were first introduced in the 1920’s by inventor C.G. Johnson. Today, they are used daily by home and business owners who either store their vehicles inside the garage or perform various types of work within the confines of the garage’s walls. Garage doors work with the push of a button. They go up and down and open and close with ease. But how do garage doors actually work and what are the mechanics behind them?

The simple answer to this question is that garage doors work through the combined efforts of a series of parts, all working together in tandem to raise and lower the door. Specifically, garage doors work by way of a series of springs, drums and cables, all working together to create a counter balance that allows for lifting of the door. Read on to learn more about the fundamentals of garage doors and how their components work behind-the-scenes.

Overview of Mechanics Tracks are mounted to the ceiling on both sides of the garage door which meet at a bracket. These brackets hang from the ceiling at an angle. On top of this bracket is a plate that holds the entire weight of the garage door. Attached to this plate are a set of drums, as well as cables, again on each side of the door. These drums and cables operate together as one single rotation mechanism, allowing the door to go up and down. These cables are also attached to brackets at the bottom of the door, to alleviate tension within

the system. The primary component that ties this entire mechanism together are a set of springs, the most common being torsion springs. These springs are responsible for providing a counter balance system and are responsible for balancing the heavy lifting of the door. Other components of the garage door include: struts which are added to the door for reinforcement (these span the garage door so the door does not cave in the middle); commercial grade hinges which allow the door to fold at various points (hinges also add stability to the garage door); and an operator bracket that mounts to the top middle of the garage door, distributing and balancing the weight of the system to the left and to the right.

Garage Door Openers & Keypads There are many types of garage door openers and keypads on the market. Garage door openers are used to operate the door. They often come with a minimal amount of buttons for easy use. These buttons include a single button for raising and lowering the door, a button that allows for the lights of the garage

to

turn on or off as well as a security button that can disable wireless devices such as remote controls.

There may also be an emergency button that allows for disengagement of a door if it is stuck. Similarly, keypads or keyless entry systems are used to access the garage but via a series of security code punches, normally a string of 4 or 5-digits. Keypads also come in fingerprint recognition versions. Keypads are handy features for family members to use, including teenagers who may be prone to losing keys.

What’s more is that different people can be assigned different access codes. For example, if a cleaning service is hired to tidy a home, they can be given a temporary access code that is later disabled after the end of their visit.

Installation & Repair Installation of garage doors should only be done by a highly skilled and trained

professional. A trained and qualified professional can pinpoint problems within a garage system, and then repair the problem quickly and accurately. When searching for garage door repair in Silver Spring, a good way to choose between repair services is to consider the reputation of the company and their good standing with other neighbors within the community. If you live in Silver Spring and need your garage door repaired contact a garage door repair company in Silver Spring. Their rates should also be competitive and they should be able to demonstrate their expertise through standard training and certifications. Garage doors should also have regularly scheduled maintenance check-ups. Once a good repair service has been hired, schedule regular maintenance check-ups to ensure all parts of the system remain up to date and functional.