Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs about Residential Garage Doors
To prevent rusting, we use hot-dipped galvanized steel on all our steel doors. Then, we place two more coats of corrosion protection on top of the galvanized steel: a special primer coat and a finish coat of baked-on paint.
As an additional security for the homeowner, we warrant our steel sections "against cracking, splitting or deterioration due to rust" (all Decade Series doors and Classic). That's the strongest warranty language you'll find concerning rust.
Buyer's Tip: Compare the rust language in competitors' warranties. Watch for language that says the sections are warranted only against "rust through." That means the rust must actually create a hole all the way through the section. That door could have dozens of unsightly rust spots, but its warranty won't help you until the rust eats a hole through your door.
Yes, that's generally true. A two-inch-thick door with strong end-stiles (like in Raynor doors) is more structurally sound than a thinner door. That extra thickness keeps an open door from sagging, and it helps your garage door sections stand up to strong winds and jolts from your car, garage-kept equipment, or rough sports activity.
All new Raynor doors are virtually maintenance free. But here are a few easy maintenance tips that will keep your door looking great and operating dependably for many years.
- Twice a year, oil the torsion springs with a lightweight motor oil (the same motor oil you use in your car). Apply a small "pencil" line of oil lengthwise across the top of the springs, but don't apply any oil within two inches of the plugs on both ends. (If your door has extension springs, no oil is needed.)
- Also, oil the tracks twice a year by placing a line of oil in the radius (the 18-24 inch curved portion) of the track. Then operate the door up and down; the oil in the tracks will lubricate the rollers. Don't use grease; it just collects dirt. (Your hinges shouldn't need lubrication, but if one is squeaking, apply a small amount of the same motor oil to the squeak area.)
- Occasionally wash the door's exterior with soapy water. Washing keeps your door looking new, and it helps to prevent corrosive substances (like salt) from seeping into micro-cracks that develop in the steel surface.
Our Decade doors are available in White, Brown, Almond, BronzeTone, and ClayTone. Our Classic is available in White, Brown, and Almond. (See our Residential Door page for a color listing.)
All our residential steel doors are already finish painted and ready for years of maintenance-free beauty. However, if you want to apply another color, clean the surface with a powder cleanser like Comet. Rinse the surface thoroughly and allow it to dry. Use an acrylic latex exterior paint and apply it with a brush.
Since some paints can damage the factory-applied paint, Raynor won't warrant the door against peeling when you apply your own coat of paint. For the best results when you paint your door, follow our complete painting instructions and apply the new coat according to the paint manufacturer's instructions.
Good question! Since a garage door should serve you for a lifetime, we encourage you to compare warranties. A better warranty can save you a lot of money and a lot of hassle in the long run. Here is the complete text of our warranties for ShowCase, Decade II, and Classic.
Here are three good reasons to avoid this task.
- Injury: Installing a garage door is dangerous. Because of the extreme spring tension involved, many novices have been seriously injured or even killed by garage door accidents.
- Accuracy: Precision installation helps your door perform better and last longer.
- Time: It's not uncommon for a novice to spend all day installing a door, while a professional can do it correctly and safely in an hour or two.
To make sure that your door is installed and serviced properly, Raynor products are only sold through authorized Raynor distributors like Specialty Door Service. We are trained and qualified to provide the best installation and service for your Raynor door.
We have not posted pricing on our website for these reasons.
- The prices of our doors will vary from dealer to dealer, depending on the local economy, shipping costs, and other market conditions.
- Each door model comes with dozens of possible sizes and options, each with a different price. If we posted prices, we would need to post hundreds of prices for all the possible options and sizes.
- With garage doors and other large, important purchases, it's a mistake to focus your attention on the price only. Of critical importance is the long-term value of your investment. You don't save any money when you buy a cheap door that gives you problems and must be replaced in a couple of years.
Instead, we encourage you to contact us for pricing of a specific door model and size, with the options you want for your door.
We carry a wide variety of garage door parts. Some hardware stores will also have a limited selection, but, as your local Raynor dealer, Specialty Door Service is your best bet.
Sure! You can call or e-mail us and request a brochure or e-mail us and tell us (1) the literature you need (residential or commercial) and (2) your mailing address. We'll send it out within the next business day.
It's possible to put a new door on old track, but we don't recommend it. Think of it this way: would you buy a new car with used tires? You may save a few dollars now, but it may cause headaches and more expense later.
Here are some reasons to avoid the old track:
- Your old track may not fit with your new door, depending on the thickness of your sections, the weight of the door, the headroom required, the location of the garage door opener, and other considerations. Making adjustments to old track can end up costing you more money in extra installation time.
- The track and sections work together as a system. For maximum performance and long life, you should use the track that is designed for your specific door.
- If you end up replacing the track later, it will cost you much more to buy the track as a special part and pay for another service call.
Yes! Our Decade II doors with Colonial panels are available in any width from 4'0" through 20'0" in one-inch increments. ShowCase doors in Colonial or flush panels are available in one-inch increments from 4'0" through 18' 0".
The sizes for Ranch panels (Classic), are more limited. Call us and we can let you know what sizes are available for the exact Raynor model you want.
The R-value (a measurement of the thermal efficiency of the door) for our ShowCase is 10.25. The R-value for our Decade II and our insulated Classic is 5.0.
When considering thermal efficiency, also consider the weathersealing around the perimeter of the door and the amount of air infiltration between the door sections. The R-value is important, but it's only one part of your door's weathersealing system.
Your Raynor door is usually installed with a complete weatherseal around the perimeter of the door. For the jambs and header, we provide our dealers with climate seal that matches the color of the door. Along the bottom of the door, we supply a factory-installed vinyl weatherseal. Often overlooked, this complete weathersealing system provides an attractive squared trim for the door and helps seal out wind, rain, dirt, and snow.
That question is best answered during your initial phone call with us. If your door is a common model and size, we may already have it in stock. If so, you could have it installed in a few days, depending on our appointment schedule.
But if your door is not in stock, we will order it from Raynor. The manufacture and delivery process takes about two weeks. If our appointment schedule is busy, you might need to wait a couple more weeks before installation.
In total, your wait could be as long as 4-5 weeks. But normally, your door should be installed within a couple of weeks after placing your order.
If your door feels heavy or requires two hands to open it, the door is out of balance and needs adjustment. A variety of problems can cause this, and if you try to fix it yourself, you could get hurt. We strongly recommend that you call us to diagnose the problem and offer a solution.
The answer is not a garage door opener. Openers are designed to open doors that are properly balanced.
It's a good idea to occasionally test the balance of your door. Here's how:
- Close your door.
- If you have an opener, pull the emergency disconnect rope/handle so you can operate the door by hand.
- Lift the door manually. You should be able to lift it with one hand, smoothly, and with little resistance.
- The door should stay open by itself around three to four feet above the floor.
- If you have a hard time lifting the door, or if the door does not stay open by itself, the door is probably out of balance and needs adjustment.
A variety of problems can cause this, and if you try to fix it yourself, you could get hurt. We strongly recommend that you call us to diagnose the problem and offer a solution.
The one-piece door business is still alive in certain parts of the world and in a few areas of the U.S. such as California and Florida, but it's a dying product. Although one-piece doors can require fewer parts and are generally less expensive, they have several significant disadvantages.
One is safety. One-piece doors have been nicknamed "shin-busters" because, as you stand outside the door and open it, the bottom edge of the door swings out and raps you in the shins.
This outward swinging action may create other problems. If your car is parked outside, close to the door, you may be forced to move the car to open the door. Also, if heavy snow is possible in your area, the door could get snowed shut.
A typical one-piece door also has a scissors-type, pivot mechanism along the jamb, creating a hazard for fingers and hands. Springs are also often in an area where people can be injured when a spring breaks.
Another problem is the weatherseal. When opened, the top of one-piece doors swings into the garage while the bottom pivots outward. This makes it difficult to weatherseal around the perimeter of the door, allowing much more air infiltration than a sectional door.
Repair costs are also a factor. It's true that a one-piece door has fewer parts to replace than a sectional door. But if you dent or damage the door surface on a one-piece door, the whole door must be replaced instead of just the damaged section.
Finally, buying a dying product may create a problem for you down the road. As the popularity of this product diminishes, you may find it difficult to find replacement parts in a few years.
FAQs about Openers
Most garage door openers being used today are equipped with an internal reversing mechanism that causes your door to reverse when the door contacts an obstruction. For your safety, we recommend that you test this reversing feature every month.
Here's how:
- With the door open, place a two-by-four block of wood flat on the garage floor in the path of the descending door, at approximately the center of the door. Some recent research has indicated that using a full roll of paper towels provides a more appropriate test.
- Push the control button to close the door. If the door does not reverse when it hits the obstruction, have the opener repaired or replaced.
If you do experience problems, call us to find out if the unit can be repaired. If it is replaced with a new opener, the new unit will include an additional reversing device: either a photoelectric eye or a sensing edge. These devices provide an additional measure of safety with your new opener.
No. When you have a Raynor opener attached to your Raynor door, the opener will hold your door closed until someone activates the opener. If your door has an exterior lock, it will need to be disengaged in order for the opener to be able to open your door.
Yes, you do. Garage door openers are designed to be able to open a door that is properly balanced with the appropriate springs. Without the springs, the door will simply be too heavy for your garage door opener.
That depends on the nature of the problem. Check out your Troubleshooting Guide that accompanies all our openers shipped from the factory. If the answer to your problem is not there, we recommend that you call us. We are trained and experienced with garage door opener repairs.
