Issue No 19 | September 2024
Our Services
Atlas Overhead provides full garage door service. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whether you have an emergency garage door repair or have an irregular work schedule. We can come and perform any repairs at your convenience.
Feel free to contact us today for any of your garage door repair needs. If you have any questions, please call us toll-free at:
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Our VIPs enjoy the comfort of knowing that we will come out annually to inspect their garage door system, perform preventative maintenance, and provide advice on improving the lifespan of their garage door systems.
Today's Tips
Following these simple tips can extend the life of your garage door and its components.
01
Don’t use your garage door as your primary means to enter and exit your home
03
Lubricate your system regularly
02
Have an annual inspection of your garage door system
04
Test the safety features twice a year
TIP 01
Don’t use your garage door as your primary means to enter and exit your home
Entering and exiting your home by using your garage door can induce extra wear and tear on your springs and other garage door components, especially in extreme weather conditions. An average garage door should operate an average of 10 years before needing to have components replaced. Using your garage can reduce this down to as little as 2-3 years.
TIP 02
Have an annual inspection of your garage door system
Almost every garage door system undergoes some mechanically stressful times, especially during extreme climate changes. Have an expert evaluate every component of your garage system at least once a year to ensure that any worn, damaged, or end-of-life parts are replaced before those components fail.
TIP 03
Lubricate your system regularly
Be sure that all of the moving parts that are in friction with other parts are lubricated. Some of those parts include the chain, the hinges, and opener rail.
Be cautious on lubricating with the correct type of lubrication. Some lubricants can dry out seals prematurely. Feel free to inquire with us on the lubricants that we recommend to ensure the longevity of your moving parts.
TIP 04
Test the safety features twice a year
Ensure that all your safety features are working correctly. Whether you have stop sensors, auto-reverse, or battery backup functionality. Sometimes these components may fail and give no warning that they are no longer functioning correctly.
CHOOSING A GARAGE DOOR
If you’re looking to replace your aging garage door, here are some key things to consider before purchasing a new garage door.
Don’t purchase a garage door online
It is our experience that most of our customers that purchased a garage door online had issues and were unhappy with their purchases. Whether it was in the quality of the shipping, the quality of the materials in the manufacturing of the garage door, the difficulty of the installation, or any combination of the above

Get an “In-Person” quote from a reputable service company
Even though we would like to have everyone as our customer, we understand that shopping around is prudent. Nonetheless, ensure that the service company you choose does an “In-Person” inspection, informing you of everything that will need to be performed to correctly install your garage door and that there are no “unforeseen” costs.
Ask about the maintenance after installation
Various types of doors require different maintenance, such as wooden garage doors. These doors need to be recoated every couple of years. Although they are beautiful, sometimes the time and money to maintain them can exceed your planned budget. Ask one of our representatives to discuss alternatives to wooden doors, before choosing which one you want installed.


Do you need insulation?
One of the things to consider is, “will you want to spend time out in your garage?” Many do-it-yourselfers spend a lot of time out in their garage, working on projects. Insulating your garage doors will aid in keeping the garage comfortable during inclement weather. Also, discuss with your service company, the various types of seals that will help keep your garage more resistant to temperate weather.
Consider some options to prevent dents from the inside of the garage door
Many people think that 25-gauge steel is thicker than 24-gauge steel, but unfortunately that is not correct. The lower the gauge, the thicker the steel is. The thicker the steel, the more resistant to dents your garage will be. Insulating your garage door also adds another layer that will help prevent dents from the inside of the garage. Most garage door manufacturers also provide an internal covering that also helps prevent dents to the outside of the garage door.


Upgrading your opener and springs with your new door
When choosing a new garage door, some considerations are the age of the existing springs and the garage door opener. If you are upgrading to a heavier door, you may have to upgrade to heavier-duty springs. At the same time, you may want to inquire with your installer if you may need a new opener.
At Atlas Overhead, we don’t want to sell you new components, just to make a sale, we’ll inspect and make recommendations based on our experience. Sometimes when upgrading to a heavier door, a more robust opener is recommended.
Looking for a quieter opening/closing garage door?
Many times, some companies will just replace the panels of a garage door, but at Atlas Overhead, we will change the rollers and hinges as well. Depending on the level of upgrade that you’re going to, we may recommend upgrading to a new quiet chain drive or even a belt drive opener.
As part of our inspection and the purchase of your new garage door, we’ll also inform you whether or not you’ll need a new rail system, should your door be a lot heavier than your existing one.
One of the key take-aways, from meeting your in-person installer is “don’t be afraid to ask any and all questions” that come to mind before, during, or even after the installation of your new garage door. We want you to be 100% satisfied with your new installation.

Replacing your garage door opener
Have you been considering replacing your old garage door opener and have questions on which one is best for you?
Hopefully this brief article will help you decide on which one to choose.
Types of Garage Door Openers
There are 5 types of garage door openers:
1) Chain-drive garage door openers
2) Belt-drive garage door openers
3) Screw-drive garage door openers
4) Direct-drive garage door openers
5) Jackshaft garage door openers
Each of these have their own pros and cons. We’ll discuss these in more detail and their optimal implementation


Chain-drive garage door openers
These are one of the most popular garage door openers. As the name implies, it uses a chain to lift and lower a garage door. These are usually known to be the noisiest of all the drive types and are usually not recommended if the garage is located near a commonly used living space. These also require regular maintenance to ensure that the chain is well lubricated to ensure smooth and efficient operation.
The pros of choosing this type of opener are that they do have good durability and are usually one of the least expensive among the other drive types.
Some of the cons for this drive type, is as listed above, the noise level and the maintenance required.
Belt-drive garage door openers
These are the other most popular of garage door openers. As the name implies, it uses a rubber belt to lift and lower a garage door. This usually makes it quieter than their chain-drive counterpart. Due to their belt, being rubber, they do not require the same maintenance as a chain-drive unit, but are a bit more expensive.
The pros of the belt-drive openers are that they are usually the quietest of any of the other drive-types we discuss in this article. This makes it ideal for garages next to commonly used living spaces.
The cons for the belt-drive openers is the cost of the opener compared to chain-drive type of openers. Another con is the durability of the belt itself. The rubber belt does not last as long as a chain-drive.

Screw-drive garage door openers
These use a threaded steel rod to open and close the garage door. These have fewer moving parts compared to chain and belt type of openers, thus usually require less maintenance. Unfortunately, this type of unit fails under extreme temperature fluctuations and should only be used in moderate temperature locations. One of the better benefits of this type of opener is the speed in which it opens and closes the garage door.
Thus, the pros for this opener type is that it has less maintenance and the speed at which it opens and closes the garage door
The cons for this screw-drive opener is that it is sensitive to temperature fluctuations. It is quieter than chain drives, but noisier than belt drives.
NOTE: Atlas Overhead currently does not sell any of these drive types, due to the areas that we service and install garage door openers is not within the temperate range of most of these units
Direct-drive garage door openers
A direct-drive garage door opener has a motor that moves along a static chain, and the motor itself moves to open and close the garage door. These are usually comparable to belt drive openers in terms of quietness and they are reliable, due to fewer parts compared to belt and chain openers. These are not as openly available as other drive types and are usually on the “more expensive” side, compared to their counterparts.
Some of the pros for direct-drive openers are their reliability and their operational quietness.
Their cons are in their availability (both in parts and in openers) and their cost

Jackshaft garage door openers
One of the noticeable differences between this drive type and others, is that this motor is mounted on the wall beside the garage door, thus enabling more space of the ceiling. These are usually chosen for garages with high ceiling requirements (such as RVs). These are also chosen due to the higher security features normally associated with this drive type.
Some of the pros include their higher ceiling requirements and additional security concerns compared to other drive types.
Some of the cons include the costs compared to other types of openers and this unit requires professionals experienced in their installation.
This unit is not recommended for “do-it-yourselfers”.
Horsepower and Motor Strength
One of the confusions that some customers ask about, is: “Why some motors list horsepower and others do not?” The explanation is quite simple, only AC motors are rated in horsepower, whereas DC motors are not. Thus, if you see a garage door opener that is not rated in horsepower, then it is likely a DC motor. So, let’s delve into some of the differences between AC and DC motors.
Let’s compare them based on their pros and cons to understand which one may be more appropriate for your implementation.
An AC garage door opener’s motor is usually more reliable than a DC motor and has fewer maintenance requirements. These are usually chain drive motors and are extremely competitive in pricing. They usually consume larger amounts of energy than DC motors but are usually stronger (or have the ability to lift heavier garage doors).
A DC garage door opener is usually a much quieter operating motor and extremely energy efficient compared to an AC motor. A DC motor is usually associated with a belt drive opener. One of the other advantages with a DC motor is that it usually can have a battery backup, ensuring that the garage will operate, even with the loss of electricity. Another advantage with most DC powered openers is that they have a “soft open and close” feature and have better control of speed variation and torque.
With all that stated, let’s look at the horsepower of an AC powered garage door opener.
There is a “general guideline” for which a garage door opener is best for the garage door. A ½ HP (horsepower) motor is suitable for a standard single-car garage door opener made of steel or other lightweight materials.
A ¾ HP motor is ideal for heavy one car garage doors (one that has insulation, steel backing, and heavy panels – such as wood). These are also ideal for double-car garage doors.
A 1 HP motor is best for heavy or oversized garage doors and garage doors that are “carriage-style” opening doors.

Other considerations in choosing the right opener
Some of the other choices and options in choosing the right garage door opener, include the following:
1) Remote controls and/or keypads options
2) Smart home compatibility
3) Security features
Although a garage door opener may not have some of the desired remote controls, keypad options, or security features at the time of purchase and installation. Some of the garage door openers can be paired with them at a later date.
Contrary to that, if an opener does not come with “smart home compatibility” than it usually cannot be upgraded at a later date. So, you will have to decide if that’s functionality that you want when you purchase the garage door opener.
Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter
If you find this newsletter informative, please let us know. We welcome any comments or suggestions to help improve our future newsletters.
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Thanks again, from our family to yours. Please know that we greatly appreciate all of our customers and look forward to being of service to you in the future!
From the Atlas Overhead family
Phone: (877) 30-ATLAS or (877) 302-8527