To begin the search for the answer to your garage door question, select an FAQ category below.
Q. When to replace a garage door with a new one?
A. If your garage door does not operate, the door is a potential hazard. Do not try to fix on your own, instead contact a professionally trained garage door dealer. Another reason to replace a garage door is to enhance your home’s curb appeal. According to the 2010 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report, garage door replacement is the #2 remodeling project in regards to return on investment. The report states that replacing your garage door will return 84% of the cost at the time of home sale. Lastly, your current garage door may be fading, sagging and just in need of a replacement. If you have a wood garage door that needs re-painting, replacing it with a new pre-painted steel garage door may be a better value. Painting a garage door adds significant weight to a door which may affect the spring and the performance of the garage door and garage door opener.
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Q. What is the best garage door for me?
A. Each homeowner has unique needs for a new garage door based on the desired styling, the level of care & maintenance required, the energy efficiency and the location of the garage in one’s home. Steps to determine which garage door best suits you are:
1. Determine the material that best suits the care & maintenance that you desire. Delden offers garage doors made from steel, wood composite, wood and aluminum.
2. Choose the garage door design that best complements your home, including window, color and decorative hardware options.
3. Determine the level of energy efficiency and noise reduction that best suits your needs depending on if you have a room above or adjacent to your garage or have children that play in front of the garage. Most Delden garage doors are available with insulation or no insulation options.
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Q. What is a carriage house door?
A. A Carriage House door is a type of garage door that replicates the look of doors found on carriage houses in the early 19th and 20th Century. Delden distributes a variety of striking carriage house designs made from three different materials, steel, wood and wood composite. These Delden garage doors look like they swing open, but they actually move up and over your car.
Delden offers stamped-steel carriage house garage doors in the Classica Collection and Vintage Plus Collection that eliminate a homeowner's concern of misaligned trim overlays. Also, Delden offers beautiful, natural wood carriage house garage doors under the Bob Timberlake™, Biltmore Estate For Your Home®, and Delden By Design Collections.
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Q. Are special size garage doors available? I have a custom-built garage that features an unusual size door.
A. Yes. Delden offers residential garage doors in widths between 6' and 20' in two inch increments and in heights between 6'6" and 12'.*
*Not all garage door models are available in this range of widths.
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Q. My garage has very little space (headroom) above the door. What is the minimum headroom required to operate a sectional garage door?
A. Standard headroom applications require 12" to 18" of space between the bottom of the opening header and the unobstructed ceiling. However, Delden specializes in custom-built applications. A variety of special track options are available and makes it possible for many unusual garages to be fitted with doors. By using low-headroom track, it is possible to install a door with a garage door opener in an area that has as little as 9-1/2" of headroom.
Other special garage door track applications include:
1) Vertical lift track, for use in situations where the ceiling is extremely high and the garage door has room to lift straight up.
2) Follow-the-roofline track, which is used when the ceiling of the garage is pitched at the angle of the roof, making it desirable for the door to follow the same angle, thus providing additional overhead room.
3) Hi-lift track, which is used when the ceiling is unusually high, but the garage door must still retract to a horizontal position.
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Q. Do I need to have the windows at the top of the garage door?
A. Windows can be placed in any section of the garage door layout. Delden recommends window placement in the top or second to the top garage door section for the most natural lighting and security.
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Q. I'd like windows in my garage door, but I'm concerned about security?
A. Delden has designed DecraGlass™ to be safe, secure windows for your garage doors. DecraGlass™ windows are tempered, translucent windows that feature beautiful designs to compliment the style of your home.
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Q. The glass and insert broke in one of my windows. How do you replace the glass and window insert?
A. The glass in the window frame of your Delden steel garage door can be replaced. Please contact your local Delden garage door dealer for glass and insert replacement.
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Q. Do I need a lock on my garage door?
A. If an electric garage door opener has been installed on your door, it may not be necessary to have a lock. Properly installed, electric garage door openers can function as the lock, making it improbable that an intruder would be able to lift your garage door from the outside. If you have an older opener, check to see if your door can be lifted from the outside.
DASMA, the trade association for the garage door industry, discourages homeowners from attaching a lock when an opener has been installed, because too frequently, a child or other family member will accidentally lock the door. If someone then tries to open the garage door using the electric garage door opener, the opener will pull against the lock causing the door to be damaged.
If no opener is installed on your garage door, a lock is highly recommended. A standard Delden residential steel garage door is sold with a lock.
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Q. What type of garage door spring is better...extension or torsion?
A. The two types of springs used on garage doors today are extension and torsion springs. Extension springs are attached on either side of the door and stretch along the horizontal track when the door is closed. Torsion springs are typically located just above the top section of the garage door and are mounted to the header. They are wound springs and do not expand or contract when the garage door is moved. Torsion springs are a better choice because they balance the weight of the door better than extension springs for smoother operation and safety. Watch the Delden garage door spring video to learn more.
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Q. Can I buy directly from Delden?
A. No, Delden only sells to the wholesale channel of garage door dealers and to on-line and in-store retailers. A homeowner can buy a Delden garage door through any of those outlets.
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Q. Are Delden Garage Doors "Made in USA"?
A. Yes!
The following Delden garage doors are compliant with the Federal Trade Commission "Made in USA" standards and with section 1605 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:
• Commercial Sectional Steel Garage Doors: CDC 2000, CDC 1380, 620-C, 624-C, 625-C, DTC 2520, DTC 2500, and DTC 1350
• Commercial Sectional Aluminum Garage Doors: SSD 3500 and SSD 3550
• Residential Steel Garage Door Collections: Classica®, DTR 3000, DTR 3500, Prestige, Delcraft, Hillcrest, Lincoln, Vintage Plus, and Ovation
• Residential Aluminum Full View Vista Collection
Q. Why should I choose an insulated garage door?
A. A garage door opening is very large. Insulated garage doors will help to reduce the transfer of heat or cold air into your garage. This is important for a number of reasons:
1) If your garage is attached to your home, air in the garage can travel through the doorway to your living area. An insulated garage door will reduce the transfer of air from the outside to the inside.
2) If you use your garage as a workshop, your comfort will be a top priority. An insulated garage door will help keep the temperature in the garage within a narrower temperature range as compared to the extreme range of the outside temperature.
3) If your garage is below another room in your home, air can travel through the ceiling of the garage into the floor of the room above. An insulated garage door will keep temperatures in the garage fairly stable to reduce the temperature fluctuation in the room above.
4) An insulated garage door is generally quieter and has a more attractive interior than a non-insulated door.
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Q. I've been comparing R-values of various garage doors and am surprised at the variance among them. Can you explain this?
A. Many manufacturers use R-values to show the energy efficiency of their product. This number is calculated based on the thickness of the insulation and its chemical properties. Therefore, most of the published R-value numbers reflect only the R-value of a section, not of the installed door. A garage door's insulating capabilities can be greatly affected by the door's construction. For that reason, Delden's insulated garage doors are built to maximize energy efficiency. Our thermal break, door section construction and insulation help keep your garage as comfortable as possible. When comparing R-values, make sure manufacturers' R-value are calculated similarly.
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Q. Why would I choose a steel garage door?
A. Steel garage doors offer strength, security, energy efficiency and the best value. Due to advanced manufacturing, steel garage doors are less costly than other types of garage doors and are offered in a variety of designs and colors to enhance your home’s curb appeal. Delden steel garage doors are pre-painted in a variety of colors, providing homeowners peace of mind protection with multi-year to lifetime paint finish warranties.
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Q. Is 25 gauge steel thicker than 24 gauge steel?
A. No. The lower the gauge number, the thicker (and stronger) the steel.
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Q. What are the benefits of a steel garage door versus a wood garage door?
A. Steel garage doors may require less maintenance than a wood garage door. Delden steel garage doors are pre-painted with a factory-applied baked-on coating. Delden recommends an annual cleaning of the exterior of the door with a common household detergent and warm water at least one time per year. Delden wood doors are unfinished and need to be primed and painted or stained on all six sides of the door before installation. Delden recommends visual inspection of the paint or stain finish on wood doors one time per year to confirm if another finish application is necessary.
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Q. What colors are available in Delden steel garage doors?
A. Each Delden collection of steel garage doors has its unique color palette. Each collection has different color options depending on construction type. The overall color offering is: True White, Almond, Sandtone, Terratone, Dark Brown, Gray, Hunter Green, Wicker Tan, Dark Woodgrain and Medium Woodgrain. A price upcharge applies to the Woodgrain colors.
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Q. I'd like to purchase a Delden steel door, but need a color other than those you offer. Can I paint the door once it's installed?
A. Yes. All Delden steel garage doors are pre-painted with a factory-applied baked-on coating that is suitable to be repainted. Delden garage doors will accept a wide variety of commercially available latex exterior paints, when applied in accordance with the paint manufacturer's recommendations. Do not use oil-based paints. Painting of a Delden steel door voids the Paint Finish Warranty.
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Q. Why should I use a professional garage door dealer/installer?
A. A garage door is the largest moving object in your home, and because of the large number of parts, installation of a garage door is highly technical. Connecting the springs can be particularly dangerous, and proper installation is critical to the performance of your door.
Professional garage door dealer/installers can typically install a garage door in a few hours and are careful to make sure safety requirements are met. Installations by most homeowners typically span several days and cause much frustration. In addition, incorrect installation can void certain warranties, so we recommend a trained garage door installer to handle the job for you. One of the other services a professional garage door dealer can provide is the disposal of your old garage door if you are replacing a door.
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Q. How do I find and choose a garage door dealer/installer?
A. Delden can help. CLICK HERE to be redirected to our Contact Us page and a member of our sales team will set you up with an authorized Delden dealer. Other factors to consider may be insurance, lead safety certification, warranties, professionalism, references, as well as garage door dealer service and support.
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Q. I want to replace my old garage door, but don't know how to dispose of my old one. Will my Delden garage door dealer take care of that?
A. Most garage door dealers will haul your old garage door away after the new garage door is installed for a small fee. Discuss this with your local garage door dealer when you get an estimate on your new door.
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Q. My current garage door is from 1977, and the garage door dealer is quoting me a Lead Safe charge for installation of a new door and removal of the current one? Why is there an extra fee?
A. Effective April 2, 2010, the EPA announced the Lead Paint Rule (RPP) that applies to any type of remodeling activity on pre-1978 built homes, childcare facilities and schools. The RRP rule only applies to garage door installation and removal if the combined area of paint disturbed for the entire renovation exceeds the square footage in the definition of minor repair and maintenance [i.e., 6 square feet for interior space and 20 square feet for exterior space]. However, the EPA does recommend that garage door dealers need to have a trained and certified renovator on staff, and their firm needs to be a certified firm when working on pre-1978 built homes. Click http://www.epa.gov/lead to learn more about the EPA Lead Paint Rule.
Q. How do I know if my door is properly balanced?
A. There are several tests you can perform to tell if your garage door is balanced. Before testing your door, disengage you electronic garage door opener.
1) Raise your garage door in 1' increments, and the door should stay in place.
2) When you lower the garage door, the door lowers in a controlled manner and doesn't slam down.
3) When you raise the garage door, the door rises at a controlled pace.
4) When the garage door is fully-raised in the open position, the bottom of the door should be aligned with the bottom of the header of the door opening.
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Q. How do I know if my garage door can be repaired with a service call or if I just need to replace the garage door?
A. The best way to determine if a garage door can be repaired through service or needs replacement is to call a professionally trained garage door dealer near you. Depending on the issues, a garage door may just need servicing (like a 3,000 mile car oil service), a few new parts, a new section or a door replacement. Many times, the issue is not the garage door, but the garage door opener needs replacement or servicing.
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Q. My children have dented my garage door. Can I replace just one of the sections, rather than the entire door?
A. Yes, you can replace just one section for most garage doors, depending if the model of garage door that you are replacing is still in production and is not a custom-design. Also, paint matching may be an issue as color variations can occur over time.
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Q. Why would my garage door need service?
A. A garage door raises and lowers with the assistance of springs. Broken and or worn springs will cause the door to be heavy and thus cause an extra load on the garage door opener. The extra load can be dangerous for reversing mechanisms and cause premature failure of the garage door opener. Having a technician check the garage door springs, rollers and garage door opener is good preventative maintenance for your garage door.
