DIY Repair, Garage Door DIY, Garage Door Maintenance, Garage Door Repair, Garage Doors, Maintainance

When Is It Time To Replace Your Garage Door Springs?

Name: R&S Erection of Concord
Address: 2424 Bates Ave., Concord, CA, 94520, US
Telephone: (925) 671-7606

January 14, 2019DIY Repair, Garage Door DIY, Garage Door Maintenance, Garage Door Repair, Garage Doors, Maintainance

when is it time to replace your garage door springs

As of 2017, 63% of all houses have a garage or carport. Garages, especially ones attached to the home, offer homeowners convenience, safety, and security when leaving and returning home.

But what good is your garage if the door springs have gone bad? Without proper maintenance, your garage loses all its glamour and glory.

Not sure how to tell if your garage door springs need replacing? You’ve come to the right place. We have the most popular signs it’s time to replace your garage door springs – check it out below.

Types of Garage Door Springs

If you’re new to learning about garage doors, you may not know there is more than one type of spring. You’ll need to know about both to determine which kind you have and the signs each one needs replacing.

Torsion Springs

Made with tightly wound coils of metal (also known as torque springs), torsion springs are the most common type of garage door springs. These springs cause the torque which lifts the garage doors up.

There are two main ways to tell if you need to replace your torsion springs. The first is to disconnect your garage door opener and manually raise the door. If the door doesn’t stay in an upright position by itself, your torsion springs aren’t doing their job.

While your garage door opener is disconnected, move the door to a mid-level position – this is halfway between fully open and fully closed. If the door stays in this position, you don’t need to worry about replacing the torsion springs yet.

But if the door begins to lower on its own or feels heavy, it’s a sign the springs are starting to break. In contrast, if the door feels unusually light, you might need to check the sizing of your torsion springs for your garage door.

Torsion springs last anywhere from four to nine years. This depends on how often you use your garage door, though.

Extension Springs

Extension springs are the most common residential garage door spring. Two extension springs, which are attached to the garage door tracks, run perpendicular to the door. Although most extension springs come in pairs, some garage door openers have one single spring between the tracks.

When your garage door opens or closes, the springs expand and contract. As the springs expand, they absorb energy. Once the door closes, they “charge”, releasing the energy when the door opens again.

You can test to see if your extension springs need replacing in almost the same way you test torsion springs, though there are ways to see if your springs have already broken.

The first way is to look at the physical springs – are there any gaps in the coils? If so, this is a sign the steel the springs are made from has given out. This means they can’t create the tension they need to open or close the garage door.

You can also check to see if both sides of your garage door are still aligned. If one side appears higher or lower than the other, one of the extension springs have given out and can’t open or close that side of the door anymore.

Other Signs

In addition to the specific signs for each spring mentioned above, there are a few more worth mentioning. If you notice:

Rust or Corrosion

If you don’t regularly maintain your garage doors, there’s a good chance corrosion and rust have weakened the garage door springs. Once this has set in, your springs needing replacement aren’t far behind.

This is easily avoidable with regular checkups and garage door maintenance.

Loss of Elasticity

Think about how often you use your garage doors. Do open and close the door every morning and night when you leave and return for work? Or is it mostly used for storage with the occasional opening?

Depending on how often you open and close your doors will determine how stretched your springs get. If you use your garage door on a daily basis, those springs are getting more and more stretched every day.

Over time, those springs will lose their elasticity – just like a stretched rubber band. If you’ve had our garage door springs for a while, it’s a good idea to check how their elasticity is doing.

You can do this by disconnecting the garage door opener and manually open the door. As we mentioned earlier with torsion springs, if the door can’t stay open by itself, they’ve probably lost their elasticity.

Unusual Noises During Operation

Do you hear loud and unusual noises when you try to open and close your garage door? Anything making noises which have you questioning their performance is worth checking out.

Garage door springs shouldn’t make any moaning or grinding noises. Although you can remedy this with by lubricating them, it will only fix the problem temporarily. It’s likely you’re springs are damaged and need immediate replacing.

Uneven Opening

We mentioned the alignment of your garage door earlier in the article. Take some time to watch your garage door open and close. Does one side move faster than the other?

If so, one spring has already checked out with the other not far behind. Any uneven opening or closing is a clear sign you need to replace your garage door springs.

When to Replace Garage Door Springs

Having a garage door opening is one of the most convenient parts of owning a home. It makes for safe comings and goings, plus protects your car or personal belongings from outside weather.

But if your garage doors stop working, it’s likely due to your garage door springs needing replacement. Luckily there are plenty of signs to tell in advance if you need to replace the springs, most of which we covered in the content above!

Want to join the automatic garage door community or think you need service on your garage doors? Make sure to check out our residential services and see how we can help!

Garage, Garage Cleaning, Garage Safety, Maintainance

10 Tips For Creating Space In Your Garage

August 29, 2018Garage, Garage Cleaning, Garage Safety, Maintainance

10 tips for creating space in your garage Do you wish you had more space in your garage? You’re not alone in your thinking.

A study conducted back in 2015 revealed that about 25 percent of American homeowners have a garage that’s too cluttered to fit a car. And while not everyone wants to fit a car in their garage in the first place, the study is an indication that many people wish they could have more space in their garage, regardless of what they choose to use that space for.

Creating space in your garage isn’t necessarily as difficult as it might seem. There are ways to make space for yourself if you’re willing to put in the time to do it.

Here Are 10 Helpful Tips For Creating Space In Your Garage

Throw out items you don’t need

This tip is usually easier said than done. But one of the ways to go about creating space in your garage is by simply throwing a bunch of stuff out.

Spend a Saturday afternoon going through everything you keep in your garage and getting rid of things you don’t need anymore. Everything from those old Christmas lights that don’t work to that old lawnmower you’ve been trying to fix for years now can go.

By throwing out items you don’t use, you can free up more space for the things you do use.

Find storage bins for all the stuff in your garage

The average homeowner has a little bit of everything in the garage. From sporting equipment to holiday decorations, the garage tends to be the place where homeowners throw anything they don’t want inside their houses.

It’s OK to use your garage for this purpose. But everything in your garage should be placed neatly into storage bins rather than just chucked inside the garage on a whim.

A storage bin filled with sports balls will take up much less space than a bunch of balls just randomly scattered throughout the garage. Bins will help keep things organized while also allowing you to keep your garage space safe.

Create storage space on your ceiling

Stand in the middle of your garage and look up. Do you see all that unused space above you? That is where you should be keeping the majority of the things you don’t use on a regular basis.

Whether you choose to build a little attic space above your garage or you hang hooks that can hold things like ladders and bikes, use the ceiling area in your garage to its full potential. It can double your garage space in some cases and allow you to make the most of it.

Hang tools up on the wall

Do you have tools laying all over your garage right now? From rakes and brooms to hammers and screwdrivers, most homeowners have dozens and dozens of tools in their garage.

Rather than putting them wherever you feel like it, devote one of your garage walls to your tools and hang them up on it. Outside of saving you space, it’ll also help keep your tools organized.

You’ll be able to find any tool you want at a moment’s notice when they’re not all over the place.

Put up shelves on the walls

In addition to hanging your tools on one of the walls in your garage, find a space on a separate wall for shelves.

Your shelves can be used to hold the storage bins that you have in your garage. They can also be used to hold other boxes and containers you might have on the floor right now.

The shelves will protect your possessions in the event that water ever makes its way into your garage. They’ll also keep everything more organized while making the most of your wall space.

Come up with different zones within the confines of your garage

If you have a particularly large garage that is difficult to organize, try breaking it down into different zones. Each zone can provide a specific set of items with their own place.

For example, one zone might be set aside for your vehicles. Another zone might be set aside for seasonal items. A third zone might be set aside for tools and so on and so forth.

By breaking your garage down into zones, you can cut down on the amount of clutter you have and make sure everything has a specific place in your garage.

Make a workbench that folds up and down

Do you currently have a big workbench in your garage that’s taking up entirely too much space?

Replace it with a workbench that attaches to the wall and folds up and down when you need it. Chances are, you probably only use it once or twice a week anyway. So why allow it to monopolize the entire garage?

Place heavy workbenches and other large items on wheels

If you insist on having a heavy workbench or another big item in your garage, put it on wheels so that it’s easy to move around.

If your workbench is stationary, you’re going to have to plan the rest of your garage layout around it. But if you attach wheels to it, you can move it around as needed to free up space at certain times.

Consider building a shed if you have the outdoor space for it

If you’ve followed most of these tips and are still struggling as far as creating space in your garage, you might need to do more than just organize your garage. You might need to build a new structure to give yourself more space.

Building a shed is a great way to open up space in your garage. You can also purchase a smaller outdoor cabinet to house some of the tools that might otherwise end up in your garage.

Install a garage door that doesn’t waste any space

Is your garage door taking up space in your garage when it’s open or preventing you from making the most of your ceiling area?

A new garage door might do the trick and free up the space you need. It’ll also make it easier for you to access your garage whenever you want.

Take a look at some of the latest garage doors to see how they could benefit your home.

Start Creating Space In Your Garage Today

Creating space in your garage might seem like a lost cause right now. But with a little bit of creativity, you can find the space you need and make the inside of your garage look a whole lot better.

You can also make the outside of it looking better by installing a new garage door to it. It’ll improve the curb appeal of your home while making it easy to get in and out of your garage.

Check out our blog for tips on choosing the right garage door for your home.

Loading Dock, Maintainance

Safety Maintenance Tips For Your Loading Dock Equipment

May 29, 2018Loading Dock, Maintainance

Using the right loading dock equipment for the job is just the first step of having a safe workplace.

Without the right preventative measures set in place and the proper training, however, you are allowing the risk of numerous safety hazards that could have been avoided.

Keep reading and we will share some general safety tips with you, as well as some important safety maintenance tips for your loading dock equipment.

General Tips to Avoid Accidents

Some of the most common accidents that take place in loading docks are:

Overexertion Injuries
Slip and Fall Accidents
Trailer Separation Accidents
Forklift Accidents
Falls from the Dock

All of these accidents can result in consequences such as; facility, product, and equipment damage, employee injuries, and even death. This can lead to a number of other problems, like lawsuits and even bad reputations.

In this article on Safety and Health Magazine’s website, they report that about 25% of reported warehouse accidents are from loading docks. The following tips will help you cut down on these accidents.

Keep Pedestrians Out of and Away From Loading Areas

Keep employees, vendors, and pedestrians away from loading docks.

You can increase security by connecting alarms to doors and trailers and by having a watch present during operations.

Conduct Regular Safety Audits

The most important part of workplace safety is not only having the right equipment but also performing regular preventative maintenance.

According to this article by OSHA, workers who operate and maintain machinery suffer over 800 deaths per year and over 18,000 other injuries.

It is imperative to have your equipment in top working order to prevent liability.

Keep Loading and Unloading Area Clean

Regular sweeps, cleaning up debris, and properly tending to spills are all crucial elements of maintaining a safe work environment.

With the right attention to detail, you can make the work environment a much safer place all around.

Make Sure Employees Are Trained Properly

Having employees trained properly and well rested will ensure that they are as alert as possible during their work shift.

Make sure that your employees are given frequent breaks to avoid overexertion. You can check the United States Department of Labor for laws in your state regarding minimum paid rest periods.

Preventative Maintenance Checklist for Loading Dock Levelers

Aside from checking the general condition of the loading dock equipment and your surroundings, you can increase safety and prevent accidents by making a maintenance checklist that you can use to perform regular maintenance on equipment.

Continue reading for some tips that will help you keep your leveler in safe working order.

Always Check the Dock Doors

Replacing doors can be very costly, so always check, maintenance, and repair dock doors as needed. If you do end up replacing them, make sure and look for high impact dock doors, that are made to deflect damages in the first place.

Upgrade Loading Dock Equipment Frequently

Whether you upgrade from mechanical to a push-button operation, or you are simply replacing restraints and dock bumpers, regular upgrades can prevent wear and tear from getting the best of you.

Upgrade your loading dock equipment as needed and perform regular inspections of dock bumpers, seals, and other parts on a regular basis.

Check Seals and Shelters

Having seals and shelters that are worn out or damaged can cost you money, and make life miserable for employees in extreme temperatures.

Perform regular checks on upper and lower seals to ensure that they are sealed effectively. Swing-out style doors should have proper protection to seal the gap in the hinge when doors are open.

Keep the Upper Plate Clean

Clean upper plate, lower rollers, sides, and curb angles on a regular basis, to keep everything operating smoothly.

Keeping a tight running ship is always the best way to prevent slips and keep equipment in great condition for as long as possible.

Check Roll-Out Deck, Roll-Out Plate, and Snap Rings

Always check to see if the push-in bar and roll-out plate assemblies have been damaged. Also, check to make sure all your snap rings are there and that they are not damaged, and there is no damage to the clips on the axles and rollers.

Inspect Welds

Make sure the welds are still intact under the top plate of the leveler. It is a good idea to check dock leveler after use to make sure it is operational, and no unwanted sounds or vibrations are present.

Check All Springs

The springs in the safety leg system should be checked on a regular basis, as well as any other springs. What you want to look for is visible wear, breakage, and elongation of the springs.

Forklift Safety Tips

Did you know that there are approximately 855,900 forklifts in operation in the US alone? Out of those forklifts, did you know that 11% of them will be involved in an accident in the average year?

It’s true. Around 61,800 non-serious accidents, 34,900 serious injuries, and 85 deaths per year happen in forklift accidents.

According to statistics, 70% of these accidents could have been avoided with proper training and policy.

Here are some forklift safety tips, that will help ensure safety while operating forklifts, and here is an additional checklist that we found on Linkedin Slideshare as well that you may find helpful.

Perform Daily Inspections

Daily inspections of equipment and operating environment can help avoid potential accidents that could have been prevented. Regularly inspecting equipment can also alert you to any mechanical problems before they arise.

Only Allow Qualified Operators to Drive Forklifts

Only allow individuals over the age of 18 with the proper training, licensing and authorization to operate forklifts. This is one of the worst contributing factors to forklift accidents.

Maintain Load Stability

Always inspect load for balance and stability. Keeping your loads symmetrically stacked, with a low center of gravity will help ensure a safe loading and unloading workday.

Stay within Forklift Capacity

Stay within parameters set by the load capacity displayed on the rating platform. Allowing the machinery to be overloaded not only creates added stress on the equipment, it can also easily cause accidents.

Stay Attentive

Maintain a clear visibility, stay aware of your surroundings, and slow down for pedestrian crossing areas. Treating every move like it could potentially cause an accident is a great way to prevent danger.

Also, not allowing employees to carry phones, headsets, and other distractions will ensure that they stay focused on their jobs, and performing at their peak potential for your company.

Loading Dock Equipment Summary

It is a known fact that the likelihood of accidents increases with the presence of faulty equipment. Without conducting frequent preventative maintenance inspections, you could be doubling your chances of accidents and injuries.

The steps on this list should help you know what to look for in your daily inspections, and keep your equipment in the best working condition possible.

Hopefully, our efforts to communicate these tips will help you prevent problems that could potentiate from worn out equipment, and stop accidents before they happen.

We carry a full line of loading dock equipment on our website in the case that you are replacing your loading dock equipment or expanding your operations.

Make sure and check out our blog on dock seals to learn why it is safer and better all around to go with one. Don’t forget that you can contact us anytime if you have any questions.

DIY Repair, Garage Door DIY, Garage Door Maintenance, Garage Door Repair, Garage Doors, Maintainance

Extending The Life Of Your Old Garage Door

April 19, 2018DIY Repair, Garage Door DIY, Garage Door Maintenance, Garage Door Repair, Garage Doors, Maintainance

extending the life of your old garage door

The garage may only be a small portion that makes up your home, but over the course of the day, it does so much. If you’re like most folks, you take your car in and out pretty frequently, at least twice a day, if not more.

All the use your old garage door gets means that wear and tear develop over time. For an old garage door, this means the chances of breaking down increases.

There are ways to preserve your garage and keep in working in prime condition. Read on and learn more about various tricks that help extend the life of your garage door with only a little effort on your behalf.

Use with care when dealing with an old garage door

Using care is obvious, but many people don’t realize the importance of going easy with their garage door.

That means exercising care by:

Not opening and closing the door repeatedly
Not allowing children to play with the garage door opener

The less you open your garage door unless absolutely needed, the longer it’ll last. If you have an alternative door to use when going in to get something stored in the garage (and not driving anywhere), it’s even easier to maintain the life of the door.

This might sound like a difficult habit to break, but once you get into a routine of only using your garage door when absolutely necessary, you’ll avoid further problems and keep it around longer.

If you live in an area where cold weather affects your buildings, pay attention to how you can keep your garage in prime condition. Learn how to winterize your garage and keep it safe, no matter how much the temps drop.

Evaluate the balance once a year on your garage door

Every garage door has a balance that keeps it working properly. This allows the door to open and close automatically, without you worrying about it not closing fully.

Evaluating the balance on the garage door is important because it prevents further problems from occurring. Catching the problem early on means it’s easier to fix and usually cheaper.

It’s time to have a professional look at your door if you notice problems such as:

The garage door doesn’t close fully
The door isn’t closing evenly
There are issues getting it open

There’s no reason for your old garage door to not work properly if there are issues with the balance. All it needs is TLC from a professional who knows how to fix them, and you’ll find it works as good as new.

Ensure the system stays clean and check performance

Garage door systems can run into problems if they haven’t gotten cleaned recently. Similarly, noticing an issue in the performance and neglecting to have to fixed contributes to further problems.

Because your garage door is outside, it withstands the elements and a variety of other things that could get into the system. Dirt, gravel, and other elements sometimes blow into garages and can get into the system.

Make sure your garage area is kept free of birds nest, spider webs, and other forces of nature that create issues when left unattended. Doing so prevents a host of problems and makes your life easier.

Check out the performance and make sure everything works normally. Don’t just do a quick once-over when you’re pulling out.

Make time to open the garage door and examine if it’s slow, not pulling back all the way, or showing signs of neglect somewhere. Old garage doors that are starting to show signs of neglect in certain areas cause further problems and create strain.

Once your garage door is straining, it’s putting pressure on other parts, causing certain areas to pull double duty to get the door open or closed. Correct it early on before it becomes an issue, and you won’t need to worry about having to replace the whole door later on.

if you’re looking for a change of pace, check out our blog on high-speed doors, and see if this is the best option for you.

Have a professional assess your garage door

Many people put off having a professional come to their house to check out how everything is working. They usually find it an unnecessary expense and want to save money, thinking nothing is wrong.

This sounds like a good idea, but it’s important to have everything checked out for your safety. A garage door that works properly protects you and your family from having items stolen, keeps your cars safe and dry, and prevents unwanted visitors from getting in.

Make time to have someone come out and check on your garage door. If you notice a small problem, you’ll prevent it from turning into something bigger. Garage doors that don’t close properly are dangerous to have around, especially if you have children or pets.

Besides that, you won’t have to tread carefully and worry about how much longer your door lasts, or take care of maintenance yourself, with the help of a professional.

Make getting your garage door serviced an annual checkup, and see how simple it is to keep this extension of your home safe.

Learn more

When you think of your garage door as an extension of your home, and an important storage unit for the whole family, you understand the importance of keeping your old garage door in working order. Checking for problems and calling a professional when routine maintenance is needed helps you preserve the life of your door.

If you’re looking for a serviceman to help get your garage back on track, troubleshoot problems, or want a new door installed, let us help. Contact us, and see how we can assist you in keeping your “second home” in prime condition.

Garage, Garage Door Maintenance, Garage Door Safety, Garage Doors, Garage Safety, Maintainance

7 Safety Tips That Help With Garage Door Maintenance

July 6, 2017Garage, Garage Door Maintenance, Garage Door Safety, Garage Doors, Garage Safety, Maintainance

7 safety tips that help with garage door maintenance

Most people only know something’s wrong with their garage door when it stops working thus requiring garage door maintenance.

No one wants to get home at night and realize their garage door doesn’t want to open. Then begins the personal struggle: fix it yourself or call a professional. Fixing it on your own can be potentially dangerous, and it can be tough to figure out just what the problem is. If you call a professional, the costs can rack up quickly.

Luckily, there are some steps any homeowner can take to prevent their garage door from breaking suddenly.

With these garage door maintenance tips in your toolbox, you’ll never be taken by surprise by a garage door suddenly malfunctioning. Use these measures to keep your garage door in great working order.

Ready? Let’s go through our 7 safety tips that help with garage door maintenance.

Why Garage Door Maintenance Matters

You might be thinking, “well, if I can just call someone to fix it, why should I maintain my garage door?”

What people don’t realize is that garage doors can be dangerous if they aren’t well-maintained. A door that suddenly breaks, fails to open, or closes randomly can not only cause damage to vehicles, but it can injure people as well.

This applies to self-repairs as well. Trying to fix your garage door alone isn’t a good idea if you don’t know what you’re doing. No one should hurt themselves doing DIY repairs if it can be avoided. However, doing some quick checks on your garage door is fairly harmless and actually prevents future injuries.

By maintaining your garage door, you’re keeping you and your family safe.

1. Use your eyes and your ears

With garage door maintenance, your eyes and your ears are great tools for diagnosing issues.

A well-maintained garage door won’t sound loud and noisy — in fact, it will sound rather quiet when it closes. Loud creaks and groans can indicate issues with the garage door, so if your opener makes a racket it might be a good idea to do some DIY maintenance.

2. Keep your garage door balanced

Your garage door has a balance system that keeps it from coming down too quickly or not far enough. If the door is out of balance, it might slide down with a lot of force, potentially damaging anything underneath it. This also puts a lot of wear on the door, causing it to break early.

It’s fairly simple to check your garage door’s balance. Before you do anything, make sure that the opener is disconnected. Usually, you can disconnect the opener by pulling the release handle, which is generally a red cord.

After that, pull your garage door up manually until it’s halfway open.

If your garage door stays in place at that position, it’s balanced. If it slams down or keeps moving upward, it’s unbalanced in one way or the other.

Unfortunately, if your garage door is unbalanced, you will need a professional to adjust it.

3. Keep moving parts oiled and greased

Just like with any other machine, doing garage door maintenance means you keep the moving parts in working order.

There are tons of moving parts in a garage door opener and they all need lubrication to work properly. The rollers, springs, and hinges need it, as well as the opener chain.

If you live in a cold climate, you might need to use specific oils and greases made for low temperatures. Also, try not to over-oil or over-grease any parts — while not dangerous, it’s a mess that can get on people’s clothing.

4. Inspect your sensors

If the garage door isn’t closing properly, there may be an issue with the LED sensors at either side of the entrance.

Check them for dust or obstructions and clean the lenses if they’re dirty. If that doesn’t work, check the LED lights themselves. If either one isn’t working, the door won’t close anytime soon. Adjusting the sensors so that they match up should cause the door to successfully close.

If not, it’s time to call the professionals.

5. Adjust the door’s force

Most people don’t know that you can actually change the force of the opener. This affects how hard the door comes down.

What this system is useful for is detecting objects beneath the garage door. If the force is too high, the door will crush anything beneath it. With a weak force, however, the door won’t actually close at all.

An easy test is to put something like a wooden board or a rock underneath the door. If the garage door detects the object and opens again, the force is probably fine.

However, if the door refuses to close at all, or if it smashes down on the object, it needs some adjustments.

6. Childproofing

While not technically garage door maintenance, this is a safety concern nonetheless. If you or your friends have children, it’s useful to figure out ways to childproof your garage door.

Never leave the garage door opener where a child could get hold of it. It might seem like a toy to them.

The button on the wall for opening the garage door should always be high up on the wall, far over the height of any child. It’s also important to understand how the emergency reverse function works. Educating your children on this feature is vital for their safety.

7. Update your garage door

It’s much tougher to do garage door maintenance on old, outdated garage doors.

Many of these aged doors lack the modern safety features that new doors have. For example, older doors might not reverse until the door actually hits the object. If the object is a person, then it’s already too late.

While it can be costly to replace, the added security and function of your new garage door will surely be worth it.

Regular garage door maintenance creates a smooth-running door and a safer environment.

If there are issues, don’t hurt yourself trying repairs — call our trusted garage door technician and we will help you get your door working.

Dock Seals, Loading Dock, Maintainance, Warehouse

All About Dock Seals

April 14, 2017Dock Seals, Loading Dock, Maintainance, Warehouse

For many businesses, the loading dock is where it all happens. It’s a bustling hub of activity where packages are shipped, received and disseminated. A loading dock’s efficiency is directly related to the quality of its parts, and this includes accessories such as dock seals.

What are loading dock seals?

Loading dock seals are used to seal the envelope between the truck and the loading dock itself. The seal must be high-quality and durable to do its job right, and when the seal isn’t tight, the outcome will directly affect worker efficiency, product quality and can even jeopardize safety.

A good loading dock seal:

Creates a tight seal between the truck and the dock
Minimizes temperature fluctuations
Protects the transition between the trailer and warehouse from water infiltration
Keeps pests and flying insects out of the warehouse
Helps to maintain better product quality control
Improves loading dock safety and reduces slip-and-fall accidents

Are dock seals the same thing as dock shelters?

Sometimes, clients use the terms dock seal and dock shelter interchangeably when, in fact, they are two separate things. Loading dock shelters do not fit quite as tight and are designed to provide more flexibility in terms of truck and/or trailer size. As a result, the shelters don’t offer the same level of protection as dock seals.

Dock seals, on the other hand, create a much tighter fit between the dock, warehouse, and trailer. Other loading dock accessories, like loading dock levelers, can be used to achieve a better fit between different size truck trailers and the dock seal as well. When loading dock accessories are installed and used correctly, dock seals provide the best protection for your products and employees.

How do I know my loading dock seals need repair or replacement?

Like all equipment that endures heavy-duty impact, loading dock seals require routine inspection and maintenance. You can make these routine inspections a part of your warehouse manager’s duties or you can contract it out to a local industrial door company. These inspections and routine maintenance appointments are worth the extra investment because they extend the life of your loading dock and its accessories, and they ensure equipment/parts are repaired, adjusted, and lubricated before they malfunction.

Even so, seals will begin to show signs of wear and tear over time. If you notice gaps in between the dock seal and appropriately positioned trucks and/or the warehouse, it probably needs repair or replacement. Similarly, if you notice your dock seal is leaking, allowing cold/hot air to escape or infiltrate or that unloaded/warehoused boxes seem to be more damp than usual, there’s a chance a leaky or malfunctioning seal is the cause. Any obvious signs of breakage should be reported immediately.

Loading dock seals improve worker safety and reduce injuries

High-quality and routinely maintained loading dock seals improve worker safety because they minimize the impact of water, weather, and debris that can lead to slip-and-fall or forklift injuries. These accidents often cause serious or even fatal injuries, not to mention reduced productivity, missed time off work and increased workers comp costs. The large majority of loading dock injuries occur within close proximity to the trailer back, the loading dock and the warehouse entrance – and most of them are preventable.

Another important thing to remember is that loading dock seal warranties are often void if warehouse owners can’t provide documentation proving they were maintained as per manufacturer’s instructions. In worst case scenarios, failure to prove you’ve maintained loading dock equipment that is cited as cause for a workplace injury can result in a lawsuit and serious financial penalties.

Don’t let a simple lapse in maintenance or repairs have a negative impact on your company. Contact R&S and schedule a free, on-site consultation. We’ll be happy to provide a free quote for repair and replacement parts, and we can also discuss enrolling you in our maintenance program so your maintenance needs are taken care of automatically.

Garage, Garage Door Maintenance, Garage Door Repair, Garage Door Safety, Garage Doors, Garage Safety, Maintainance

The Benefits of Professional Maintenance

March 17, 2017Garage, Garage Door Maintenance, Garage Door Repair, Garage Door Safety, Garage Doors, Garage Safety, Maintainance

the-benefits-professional-maintenance In a perfect world, all of us would schedule routine maintenance for our mechanical appliances, accessories, and vehicles. The reality, however, is that we don’t. As a result, these hard-working machines wind up in a bind from time to time, often requiring a costly repair or replacement in order to make it right again. Your automatic garage door is no exception.

The downfall to this wait-until-disaster-strikes approach is that those expensive emergency repairs and big-time malfunctions are largely avoided with a little, cost-effective maintenance along the way. When you add to that the fact that many manufacturers make “proof of professional maintenance” a requirement for any warranty obligations, it makes, even more, sense to hire a licensed professional to maintain your garage doors.

Benefits of Hiring a Professional to Maintain Your Garage Door

Here are some of the benefits of establishing a routine, professional maintenance schedule with a professional garage door company.

More reliable operation

First and foremost, routine maintenance proactively addresses any latent issues and ensures everything is functioning as it should. This means your garage door will work more reliably, quietly and efficiently day in and day out. An annual or bi-annual inspections mean your sensors are less likely to get out of whack, the door will remain balanced and on track, tracks will be clean and all moving parts will be adequately lubricated.

Catch small issues before they grow into bigger ones

Nothing lasts forever and that’s true for garage doors, too. However, annual maintenance means catching small issues you might not notice on a daily basis before they turn into big issues that lead to expensive repairs, replacement parts or an avoidable replacement of the entire kit-and-caboodle. While maintenance appointments will cost a nominal amount here and there, those big-ticket – often avoidable – repairs and replacements cost a whole lot more.

Enhance garage door function

While the licensed professional goes about his business, he’ll be looking at your garage with an objective eye. If it seems like the insulation could be beefed up, he’ll make recommendations and even tell you how to do it if you prefer to handle the job yourself. Perhaps the weather stripping is shot, in which case he’ll recommend replacing that as well. These may seem like small things, but they make a big difference – especially if you spend time in the garage working on hobbies or watching the game with neighbors.

Keep you and your family safe

Garage doors are dangerous – they’re heavy, cumbersome and can cause accidents if they’re in a state of disrepair. This is especially true for manual garage doors or outdated models that don’t have built-in safety features. The technician tests the door’s safety mechanisms to make sure they’re functioning properly. He will also let you know when it’s time to replace your garage door and can make recommendations for the right make and model for your taste and budget.

Get in on great deals and offers

We take pride in our commitment to superior customer service with each and every customer. Even so, long-term relationships matter. When you establish a routine maintenance schedule with a local garage door company, it’s inevitable that you’ll be the first to know about great deals and offers as they’re available, and many companies pass down discounts to regular customers when the garage door needs to be replaced or requires an expensive repair. This all adds up to major savings over the lifetime of your garage door(s).

Interested in establishing an on-going relationship with Bay Area garage door professionals? Contact us here at R&S and we’ll get you on the books. We’ve provided decades of reliable, customer-centric garage door and commercial door maintenance and repairs. (925) 671-7606.

Maintainance, Roll Up Doors, Rolling Doors

Maintaining Rolling Doors

December 16, 2016Maintainance, Roll Up Doors, Rolling Doors

maintaining-rolling-doors

It gets wet this time of year and that makes your commercial building susceptible to moisture and direct contact with water. If you haven’t done so already, get your crew together and perform a little maintenance to help your rolling steel doors do the job they were designed to do.

Skipping routine maintenance steps can mechanical parts to gunk up, slow down or corrode – which compromises your doors’ performance.

Maintenance Tips & Recommendations for Efficient Rolling Steel Doors

Here are some of the DIY maintenance tips we recommend to protect your doors and your business. Don’t have time to get it done yourself? Contact a local commercial door installer and they’ll be happy to come out and perform the maintenance for you.

Keep the tracks, equipment and surrounding areas clean. Perhaps one of the simplest and easiest things you can do is to keep the door tracks, equipment and the area around the doors and tracks clean. The more dirt, dust and debris accumulates, the harder it is for your doors to work well. Also, organic material often absorbs water, so if that pile of leaves or a soft twig or two makes its way into the door track or other parts, the constant exposure to resting moisture makes metal parts more prone to rust and corrosion.
Lubricate the track and mechanical parts. Most rolling steel metal doors have metal-to-metal interactions. While this combination makes them durable, it also leaves them susceptible to rust and corrosion. Keeping your tracks and metal mechanical parts lubricated is necessary for your door to work efficiently, and it’s also necessary to maintain your doors’ warranties. Don’t forget to also lubricate the door’s springs, hinges and locks. We recommend using a lithium grease product. Silicone lubricants are another good option.
Make sure you have the right operator. Did you move into a building with existing rolling doors? If so, consider scheduling a free consultation with a professional commercial door installer to see if the operator and other door equipment is the right fit for your business’s needs. Door operators come in all different types. If the business owner before you was trying to save a buck, or had a business that didn’t utilize the doors on a rigorous basis, the current door operator might require an upgrade to ensure it can hold up to its current frequency of use. A reliable and reputable commercial door installer will not tell you to upgrade unless they truly feel it’s necessary. If they do, it’s worth the investment to ensure your door can keep up with the demands of your business.
Consider installing a strip door. Does your business spend a significant time with the rolling doors up and bays open? If so, consider installing strip doors. These affordable additions have multiple benefits, not the least of which is protecting your door and it’s mechanical parts from environmental debris, moisture, pests, dirt, etc. They also enhance the building’s daylighting, conserve heating and cooling costs and they don’t inhibit employee’s entrance and egress from the building.
Sign up for a maintenance plan. Have a local commercial door vendor you work with on a regular basis? Give them a call and ask them about their maintenance plan options. This is a simple way to ensure your commercial doors – both rolling steel and otherwise – are all inspected and maintained on a regular basis. In some cases, you may only need a routine maintenance appointment bi-annually. In others, more frequents maintenance may be required. By joining a maintenance plan, you don’t have to calendar anything but can rest assured that your doors will be maintained and repaired on a regular basis.

Are you interested in learning more about the routine maintenance that will keep your Bay Area business’s doors operating smoothly and efficiently, day in and day out. Contact us here at R&S and we’ll be happy to come out for a free consultation and provide estimates for whatever you need.

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