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Clopay® Design Tools

When choosing a new garage door, it can sometimes be a complicated process. Clopay® offers some online interactive tools to help make this process easier. We want you to be satisfied knowing you are making an educated decision when choosing a design style that best fits your home. With these tools, you can visualize how our different style doors will look on your home and compare your favorites side-by-side. We have the confidence that we can assist you in choosing a door that not only will suit you and your homes individual style but will also fit within your budget.

Use our Visualizer tool to upload an image of your home and see how our many beautiful varieties of Clopay doors will look.

Take a short Quiz to assist you in choosing a garage door that is the perfect option for your home, budget, and lifestyle.
Our Showcase features an assortment of different homes from Clopay's gallery. Find a home that is a similar style to your own and view how Clopay's recommended doors will compliment it.

Take your time and utilize these tools. If you have any questions our team here at Madison Overhead would be more than happy to answer them. Contact us today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Repairing your own garage door or opener is not recommended because it can be very dangerous. Don’t jeopardize you or your family’s safety by doing your own repairs. It’s just not worth it.

When you are looking for an overhead garage door company, there are a few main things to consider. Are they experienced and knowledgeable? Are they a reputable company and able to give you references? And do they have the equipment to do the work that needs to be done correctly?

Your garage door is most likely used more often than your front door. Because it is so frequently used, we recommend having it inspected once a year. Here at Madison Overhead, you will receive our exclusive 21-point protection examination included with every inspection.

If you only have a minor problem with your garage door, then simple repairs will most likely be all that is needed. But If your garage door has suffered damage like cracks or dents you probably will need a garage door replacement.

You can quickly resolve this question by checking these three things:

  1. Can you easily lift the door manually using only one hand? If it is too difficult to lift single-handedly the springs are not functioning correctly, and you should call us for a repair.

  2. Is your door balanced? To check if your door is balanced physically lift the door to any position and see if it stays in that spot without falling back down. If it remains in that same spot, your door is balanced. If it drops back down to the ground, then it is time to make a service call to increase your door operator’s lifespan.

  3. When your garage door is closed can you see any light showing around the edges? If you can, then it’s time to call us for a repair.

The sounds could be coming from your garage door, operator, or both. You may be able to eliminate these noises simply by lubricating parts of your door. You can use petroleum-based oil to lubricate the metal parts like the rollers, hinges, and springs. And use silicone-based lubricant for the PVC parts like the door sections, the weather-stripping and around the outside frame. If lubrication did not fix the problem and the noise continues, then most likely you have a problem with the chain or belt in your opener or with the springs. This means it’s time to call us to repair your garage door.

R-value is the level of insulation your door provides. Garage doors range from no insulation up to an R-value of 20+. Different homes have different needs making the R-value important in selecting the right garage door.

Every customer is unique and so is every house and garage. That is why our professionals are here to help you choose the appropriately insulated garage door. We will be happy to go over with you the things that you feel are important and maybe even point out something that didn’t occur to you. Then we can help you decide if the best choice for you is a non-insulated door, a highly insulated door, or something in between.

If your garage is an unattached garage, then an insulated door may not be necessary. If you have living space above your garage or if you use your garage for work or play you will probably want a highly insulated door.

When making this decision keep in mind that your garage door, when maintained properly, usually lasts more than 20 years. Therefore, when choosing a garage door that’s right for you, it’s important not to make your decision based on cost alone. Instead, look at the purchase as an investment in your home and family.

We cannot stress enough how important it is to have a professional do these replacements. A garage door has many moving parts, and one slip-up can cause serious injury to you or someone else. We highly recommend you call a professional.

When you detach your garage door from the opener, it should be easy to lift with one hand no matter how big it is. Garage doors are built to let the springs do all the hard work. If you cannot single-handed lift your garage door then it is unbalanced and time to call us for a repair.

These are the measurements we mainly use in determining what size garage door is needed. Backroom is the length measured from the front of the door to the back of the track. Headroom is the distance between your ceiling and the top of the garage door. Side-room is the distance between the edge of your garage door to the side of your garage wall.

Both types of springs help the door to go down and up more easily.

Extension springs are positioned above the horizontal track, and they expand and contract when the door goes up and down. Over time, like all springs, they will eventually weaken due to the constant expanding and contracting. Sometimes one spring will wear out faster than the other. If this happens, your door will start jerking because the springs are no longer working in unison. On average, extension springs have a lifespan of around 10,000 cycles.

Torsion springs are your best option. Not only are they safer but they also increase your garage door and opener’s overall life expectancy. Torsion springs are different in the way that they work together instead of working individually on both sides of the door. The springs are attached to a 1-inch pipe above the door. As the door lowers the pipe rotates, and the attached cables cause the torsion springs to wind up tightly, thus creating stored energy. When the door is raised the torsion springs unwind using the stored energy to help smoothly lift your garage door. And because the springs work together, this system will stay balanced throughout its long lifespan of 15,000 to 20,000 cycles.

There are three different types.

The first type is a chain drive opener. This is the original type and is still the most commonly used opener. It is a long-lasting and very dependable kind of opener.

The second type of opener is a belt drive opener. This type is an improved version of the original chain drive opener. It functions by using a steel reinforced rubber belt instead of a metal chain. The most significant advantage is the little amount of noise it makes. It is considerably quieter than the other openers. A belt drive opener is at the high-end of the garage door openers. But anyone who has chosen this type of opener will tell you it was money well spent.

The third type of opener is a screw drive opener. This is an excellent option for heavier or wider doors because it can lift more weight than the other two openers. It is a powerful and compact opener. Screw drive openers operate using a simple threaded rod which also means there are fewer parts that can be broken. Screw drive openers are a little slower and do make more noise than the other openers, but they are more reliable and have an overall longer lifespan.

Usually, a chain drive opener is a great option. But if above your garage is a living area, then a belt opener would be a better option since it is the quietest. When it comes to noise level, it’s important to remember the type of garage door, not just the opener, also determines the level of noise. Plastic rollers and non-insulated doors are much louder than nylon rollers and insulated doors. Although no garage door and opener combination will operate in silence, there are options to reduce the noise level.

Is it time to replace the batteries?

Most commonly this is the source of the problem. We recommend using non-rechargeable name brand batteries as a replacement. Rechargeable batteries may seem like a better choice, but they have a little less power than a regular name brand battery. And this little bit of power difference can affect how well your remote operates.

Did you check the battery contacts?

If the battery contacts look rusted or worn, it could be blocking the electrical current from reaching the circuit board inside the remote. In this situation, you need to clean the contacts. Fine steel wool is the most effective for cleaning battery contacts.

Did you check the LED on your remote and opener?

Your remote transmits signals to your opener using a LED signal. This signal is sent through a tiny plastic window and if this window is dirty or scratched it may be obstructing the signal. The plastic can sometimes get scratched from being dropped or everyday use. Check the plastic area and if it is damaged or scratched you will need to purchase a new remote.

Should I reset the remote or the opener?

Your remote and opener both function like tiny computers and may need to be reset. Try resetting them both and see if that fixes your problem. Reset your remote by removing the batteries for about a half a minute and reset your opener by unplugging it for about a half a minute. Then replace your remote batteries, plug your opener back in and see your problem is resolved. If you have tried all of these and your problem is still not fixed, it is time to buy a new remote.

If this is happening, you may need to replace your remote batteries.

Most often this is the problem. Sometimes If the batteries are low, the remote can start miss behaving and begin operating your garage door by itself. When you replace the batteries, we recommend that you use brand-name batteries that are not the rechargeable kind. Rechargeable batteries may seem like a better choice, but they have a little less power than a regular brand name battery. It’s only a little less power, but surprisingly it can have a significant effect on how your remote operates.

Check the battery contacts in your remote.

If the contacts in your remote look rusted or worn, it could be obstructing the electrical current from reaching the inside circuit board. If the contacts seem dirty, you will need to clean them. We recommend using fine steel wool for this.

Check to see if the buttons on your garage remote are sticking.

If your remote buttons are sticking, it may cause your garage door to open and close periodically. The pressure of the sticking buttons can cause the device to send unwanted signals to your receiver. If the buttons are the problem, you can either replace your remote or use caution when pressing the buttons so that they don’t stick after each use.

You may have a scrambled code.

There are a few different reasons why your remote code would be scrambled. It could be due to a power surge on your property. Or it could be because your neighbor’s garage door code is similar to your code. But whatever the reason is, it’s easy to change the code on your garage door system by entering a new code on your unit. With most garage doors all you do is first press the learn button on your garage door opener and enter a new code. And then you can pair your remote. If you need help with this, you can use your garage door owner’s manual for reference.

You could have a problem with your wiring.

A short circuit in your garage doors wiring can trigger your garage door to open and close unexpectedly. Visually inspect the wires in your garage, including the safety sensor wiring, looking for any exposed or damaged wires. If you can see any damaged or exposed wiring, call an electrician or a garage door specialist to come and fix it. Do not try to fix it by yourself! Attempting this on your own could result in serious injury.

If you have tried everything above and the problem is still not resolved. The issue could be the logic board or internal circuity. This is a more complicated situation needing professional assistance. Give us a call, and we will be happy to solve all your garage door problems.

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