Garage Transformations

Many houses built throughout Perth in the 1970’s and 1980’s adapted the concept of the double brick garage. The most common solution for builders at the time was to use a variety of centre brick pillar designs which would not only provide support to the overhead brick work, but would allow the builder to fit two single roller doors to the garage, thereby providing dual access points.

As garage door technology improved toward the end of the 1980’s and engineering became more creative the introduction of the double tilt door and the sectional garage door replaced the need to use two single roller doors. Double Colorbond sectional garage doors are now the standard door for the majority of builders throughout Perth and Australia.

Over the last 20 years family vehicle sizes have increased significantly, which has resulted in the demand for increased garage openings. Specifically, the demands for garages with increased heights and increased widths. Many older style garages simply do not suit modern vehicles and can prove to be a headache for homeowners across the Perth metropolitan area.

Catering for the increased vehicle heights and widths is easy when building a new home, but what choices are there for people who have purchased pre-existing homes with these hold style garages with a centre pillar or dual archways?

We have the solution for you

At Dynasty Garage Doors, we have invested a lot of resources in developing economical and custom designed solutions for homeowners who face this very issue with there garage door. No job is too small or too large and the outcomes speak for themselves.

Not only can we remove centre columns and excess brick work, but with our innovative design solutions we can totally transform the look of your house and increase your homes curb appeal through our garage door renovation.

If it can be done, we can do it.

The Economical Solution to Curb Appeal

The practical benefits of an increased garage door opening space speak for themselves. What very few people think about is the huge impact this type of project can have on your homes appeal from the street. It is our belief that these double garage transformations provide the most economical improvement to your homes curb appeal available. With so many designs to choose from, we can help you maximise your investment and give you that WOW factor you may be looking for.

What is the Price range for these projects?

Every project presents its own set of challenges. The cost of creating your new opening space depends on several factors, including existing structural supports, roofing design, brick recycling, materials required and of course the amount of labour needed to complete the job.

Significantly increasing your opening space is only the first stage in creating your new and improved double garage. The next step is selecting the type and style of garage door you want. The cost of a new sectional garage door is dependant on the material and design you are after.

The following prices provide you with a guide only, as to the typical cost of transforming your two single roller door garage with a central brick pillar into one large opening fitted with a double Sectional Garage Door. These prices are indicative of the total cost of the finished job.

$4,000 – $6,000 – Standard Colorbond Sectional Garage Door

$5,000 – $9,000 – Custom Sectional Garage Door – Alipanel, Clearlite, Insulated,

How long does it take?

1½  days!

Yes that is correct. We have this down to a fine art. For the vast majority of our projects your new garage door will be installed by lunch time on the second day.

Recent Examples

Take a look at some of our more recent examples.

Increased Width – Insulated Smooth Panel Sectional Garage Door – 1½  days

 

Increased Height, Increased Width – Insulated Timber Look Sectional Garage Door – 1½  days

Increased Height, Increased Width – Insulated Smooth Panel Sectional Garage Door – 1½  days

Increased Height, Increased Width – Colorbond Sectional Garage Door – 2 days

Call us today for a free measure and quote.

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What is the best Garage Door Opener in the market and why?

This question can only ever be answered from two perspectives.

The most common response to this question is the subjective narrative, put forward by Garage Door Companies that want you to buy a garage door opener or garage door motor that most benefits their ability to generate a profit. The result is simple, Quality will always be compromised by a focus on profit.

The second response to this question is the objective one, most often put forward by Garage Door Companies that have experienced the pitfalls of using inferior products and the significant benefits of using garage door motor and garage door opener brands with a long history of quality and reliability.

Currently our market is flooded by a range of roller door motors and sectional door motors, that are not only manufactured using inferior materials and engineering, but they are also rebranded, repackaged and sold using unsubstantiated claims of quality and reliability.

So how can a customer determine which garage door openers are considered ‘the best’ and which garage door motors are simply in a group which could best be called ‘the rest’.

Factor 1:- History

This above all else is the most important consideration to make when buying a garage door opener or garage door motor. If you can not find previous versions of the ‘Brand’ dating back at least 20 years then any claims on quality, superiority and reliability made by any company or individual trying to sell you a garage door opener should be dismissed quickly.

In Australia only brands like, Merlin, Chamberlain, ATA, B&D, Superlift and Boss Guardian have a long trading history. Customers can make comparisons by comparing the performance of previous versions of these motors.

Factor 2:- Manufacturer or Rebranded/Rebadged

If a Customer has adequately researched the existence of a BRAND’s history, then it is unlikely they will need to consider this factor. The influx of new motor BRAND names in Australia is largely an illusion. Many Garage door openers on the market are rebranded versions of motors being sold under different names.

It is no co-incidence that a search for manufacturer head office locations throughout Australia for these rebranded garage door openers ends in an address or contact number for a local garage door company who simply sells the item as a reseller.

Brands like Chamberlain, Merlin, ATA, B&D and Superlift have offices in each capital city throughout Australia and contact numbers for customer assistance. Of those Brands only two of them are a manufacturer. Chamberlain/Merlin and ATA.

If a customer is in doubt, they should ask these two questions – Who is the manufacturer? Is this a Rebranded Motor?

Factor 3:- Manufacturer Warranty

If a customer ignores the warnings above and is still entertaining the idea of purchasing a rebranded non genuine product, then this factor should be the final nail in the coffin of the inferior products being offered in the market.

Put quite simply, a genuine manufacturers warranty, is a warranty that is offered and honoured by the manufacturer of the garage door opener. A warranty offered by the re-seller, distribution agent or retailer is not a genuine manufacturer’s warranty and is likely contingent on the seller’s ability to continue operations and or service their commitments.

Factor 4:- The Comparative Claims

If a company or salesmen starts to compare the garage door opener, they are trying to sell you with another brand, you would do well to ask yourself Why? Amongst other techniques used to sell inferior quality garage door openers, is the technique of comparing them to other well established and well-respected brands.

Claims like “more powerful than a Merlin”, or “just as good as Merlin”, or “better than an ATA”, should not only serve as a red flag, but also point you in the direction of the very products they are comparing themselves to. The reason is simple, the salesperson wants to create the illusion that their cheaper and unproven product is somehow just as good as the well-established, well respected and long-lasting garage door opener brand

Our Opinion

At Dynasty Garage doors, we supply and sell the garage door openers which we believe will provide our customers with the most satisfactory results, coupled with after sales support. Much of our opinion is based upon our experience with the responsiveness of the manufacturer to those concerns expressed by our customers.

As an example, we know that when we install a Merlin Garage Door opener, our customers are receiving a product that is backed up by a Company in Chamberlain/Merlin that has continually demonstrated impeccable customer service over many years. We know that any faults during the warranty period are rectified by the team at Merlin and that our customers can call a customer service team member to discuss any issues they may have.

We are continually hounded by Australian Re-sellers trying to sell us garage door openers with claims that they are better than Merlin or superior to ATA. Our independent testing on Garage door Motors and experience debunk these claims quite quickly, as does our search of websites like Alibaba where anyone can purchase one of these mass-produced garage door motors directly from China.

We are always on the look out for products that are outperforming their competitors and will act accordingly in the best interest of our customers.

Contact us today for a free quotation on your replacement garage door motor.

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Coastal Corrosion of Garage Doors

Given its climate and location on the coast, Perth residents are fortunate to enjoy one of the best lifestyle environments in the world. However, its proximity to the Indian Ocean does provide some residents with a few hidden challenges that they may not be aware of.

Coastal corrosion of Garage Doors is a very common problem for homeowners who live within a very close proximity of the coast, particularly those who have a property with certain orientation. Perth’s afternoon sea breeze, also know as the Fremantle Doctor, brings with it moist ocean air across the Perth Coastal plain. Residents of Perth who live in a house facing south/west are the most effected by this daily blast of ocean air.

The salt particles contained within this sea breeze is what causes corrosion of exposed steel fittings including those used to support and operate garage doors. The closer someone is to the coast, the more advanced the corrosion usually is.

Torsion bars, flag brackets, bearing plates, tracks, cables, steel hinges and motor chains are the most common areas where advanced corrosion can be spotted. As many sectional garage doors are not sealed around the edges, the salty air easily deposits salt onto the exposed fittings causing corrosion to commence.

We recommend homeowners who live in coastal areas should conduct regular checks of their garage doors and fittings as well as regular servicing. Should they spot advanced corrosion on any of your garage door components, we advise them to contact their local qualified garage door company and get the issue checked out to ensure there are no safety issues.

What can I do to slow down the corrosion of my garage door fittings?

Simple steps such as regularly applying lubricant to castors and hinges can prolong the life span of most garage door fittings. In some circumstances it may be advisable to apply some form of antirust treatment to the tracks and brackets (not hinges) When in doubt your local hardware store or Bunnings store would likely be able to provide you with some reliable advice as to the best treatment for your specific needs.

My Garage Door Springs look Rusty – should I be worried?

The short answer is NO! Genuine Steel springs which are stronger than galvanised springs will naturally oxidise. Many installers smear a layer of grease over these springs which serves to not only provide a layer of protection from corrosion, but to also reduce the amount of noise the springs make when they unwind or wind up. It would take a significant amount of corrosion to wear away 5-6mm steel coil compared to the 1-2mm thick steel which makes up many garage door fittings.

What Garage Doors are the most corrosion resistant?

Although most garage door companies will offer special powder coated tracks, hinges and hardware with the standard Colorbond Sectional Garage doors, we believe our range of aluminium framed garage doors fitted with custom designed aluminium tracks provides the best protection from the corrosive forces of the sea breeze. Get in touch with us today for more information and garage door advice.

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Garage Door Renovation

Some older style garages were not designed with todays modern vehicles in mind. They are either too short, not wide enough or don’t provide enough headroom. At Dynasty Garage Doors we are well experienced at helping our clients renovate and modernise their garage space. Although our area of expertise is garage doors, we work closely with a team of qualified tradesmen who can help with any renovation requirement.

Earlier this year one of our clients asked us if we could help them widen their garage door opening space and increase its opening height. Their garage consisted of two older style roller doors behind two brick arches with a dividing brick column.

With the help of one of our building contractors, we removed the arches and the door opening space was increased significantly. Our tradesman expertly inserted the required structural supports and repositioned the brickwork to provide a structurally sound opening space.

The new opening space allowed the clients SUV vehicles to easily enter and exit the garage without having to be too concerned with limited side room. The bonus for our clients was the ability to open their car boot (tailgate) without it contacting their new garage door.

We finished the clients new look garage off with a modern insulated thermofine sectional garage door manufactured by Danmar Garage Doors fitted with a Merlin MS105MYQ Commander Elite garage door opener. As our client’s garage faces the sun for the majority of the day, they now enjoy a much cooler garage which helps to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool the remainder of their house.

As you can see from the before and after images, the transition is amazing. Get in touch with us for your next garage door renovation.

 

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Garage Door Warranties – What to look out for.

In recent years there have been several ‘less than ethical’ practices within the Garage Door Industry surrounding the area of Warranty. 

Although the great majority of Company’s within our industry are genuine in their treatment of customers, their remain a few that choose to push the ethical boundaries by offering inducements that, when investigated further, are not what they seem.

The two most common inducements in question are Warranty and Free Annual Servicing. Below are the 5 most important questions you must ask yourself when comparing New Garage Door product offerings

1.Who will honour warranty if the Company offering the warranty goes out of business?

With only a few exceptions, Garage Door Manufacturers only offer a 1-2 year warranty on parts/labour for all New Garage Doors. They do this for very good reasons.

If you are offered an extended Warranty (eg 10 years), then it is pertinent to ask the Salesperson, ‘Who will honour my warranty if your Company goes out of business?’

Unfortunately, many customers have fallen victim to this very issue. If a Company goes out of business for any number of reasons, it is highly likely that any extended Warranty on your Garage Door will disappear with it.

We are pleased to say this is not the case at Dynasty Garage Doors

2. How much is the extended Warranty going to cost me?

A Warranty is not only used to provide the customer with product confidence, it is also used by business to lock in future revenue streams. All extended warranty on Garage Doors comes with the mandatory Annual Service or Scheduled Maintenance. By accepting the terms of an extended Warranty, you are agreeing to paying the ongoing Annual Service fee in order to keep your Warranty alive.

3. Is a Company really going to work for FREE next year and the year after?

If a Company offers you one or two years free annual servicing as part of the inducement to attract your business, it may pay to stop and think about it for a moment.

This is a tactic often used to create a point of difference with a competitor. However, by offering you free services in the future a Company or business is effectively committing to setting aside significant time for which it will earn no income whilst still incurring its own costs.

Put simply, business does not survive by spending more than it earns. A business offering “free-time” for the next 1 or 2 years is more likely to be one of those examples of an entity that goes out of business.

Think quickly, ask the Company for the equivalent value of the servicing fee as a further discount. If they can give free money away in 12 to 24 months, why not get it up front.

4.Has the Company, its owners or other important people involved in the Company ever been involved in business practices which have caused individuals to lose money or warranty?

A little research will often bring up business history that some businesses and individuals would much rather remain hidden. Mistakes made in the past often point to the likelihood of failure in the future. Receiving offers of extended warranty and “free-servicing” from an entity or individual that has a record of failing to deliver is a likely Red Flag.

5. Am I getting a quality product and service?

This may sound simple, but it is often forgotten about when examining all the different ‘Sales pitches’ and ‘Special Offers’. A quality product installed by a quality installer within a quality Company is by far the most important factor in determining your personal satisfaction and the longevity of your garage door.

Remember an ordinary product installed well, will likely last longer than a quality product installed poorly. Ensuring you receive both is more than a worthwhile investment.

The Dynasty Garage Door Commitment

Dynasty Garage Doors commits to disclosing the full cost of any extended warranty to its customers. Furthermore, we guarantee our warranties through a network of like minded companies, so that our customers warranties will survive any unforeseen circumstance. Get in touch with us today and check out our garage door servicing and repairs page for more information.

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When does it make sense to repair your garage door instead of replacing it?

Replacing a garage door is not a decision to be taken lightly. Given the financial commitment required to purchase a new garage door, it is important that any customer be aware of the pro’s and cons’s of repairing their garage door ‘v’ replacing it completely.

How old is your garage door?

Although age can be an important consideration, it is not necessarily a defining factor. A door can be 25-30 years old, yet the panels and tracks may still be structurally sound. In these circumstances a restoration may be a feasible solution. Many people make the mistake of associating age with the need to replace the door completely. As we all know many products manufactured 20-30 years ago are proven to be superior to some modern manufacturing techniques.

What may go wrong with your garage door in the short term?

It is prudent to focus on all the components of your garage door and seek professional advice as to what you might expect to go wrong or what parts may need to be replaced in the coming years. Hinges and castors are relatively inexpensive to replace and maintain, however torsion springs, cables and other torsion system components may be significantly more expensive. Track systems and parts also evolve over time which may make it hard to maintain your door into the future.

What is the cost of fully restoring your garage door VS replacing it?

If your sectional door panels are still structurally sound, then it may be possible to do a full garage door restoration. A full door restoration will cost less than a replacement garage door, however it is unlikely to be cheap. Restoring a custom designed door may cost between 30-50% of the price of a replacement door, while restoring a colorbond sectional door may cost between 60-80% of the price of a replacement door.

Is there a practical advantage in replacing your garage door?

On some occasions there is a practical advantage to replacing a garage door. We are regularly asked by customers to increase the ‘clearance’ or ‘height’ of the garage door. Sometimes this is as simple as removing an older style roller door and replacing it with a Sectional Garage Door, which does not need as much head room.

This is just one example of a practical reason for choosing a replacement garage door. Other practical reasons include widening a garage, improving the appearance of your street appeal or upgrading to a more energy efficient insulated panel door.

Garage Roller Doors – Repair or Replace?

As a reminder – Roller Doors are those garage doors that roll up into a tight roll around the torsion bar (or Pole) that runs from the left mounting bracket to the right mounting bracket.

Typically, damaged roller doors are replaced not repaired. This is because the roller door is constructed out of multiple sheets of colorbond, which make up one single piece called a curtain. Whenever this curtain becomes bent or damaged it is unable to be repaired or put back into shape. Roller doors are like grumpy teenagers, they don’t like to be disturbed and can become difficult to manage if something goes wrong.

If you are looking at restoring or replacing your garage sectional door or garage roller door call us directly today for a free quotation.

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How to fix a noisy Garage Door?

Garage Doors and Roller Doors can, if left unchecked, make a lot of unnecessary noise, which can be very annoying for our customers and their neighbours. Although it is not possible to reduce or remove all door noise due to the mechanical operation of a garage door, it is possible to reduce or remove all unnecessary noise with regular general maintenance.

The majority of garage door and roller door noise comes from the following areas. All of them are treatable to varying degrees dependent on damage and other factors.

Sectional Door – Panel Design

Panel design is an important factor in the durability of all Sectional Garage Doors. Whether it be a Colorbond Sectional Door or a Custom designed Sectional garage door, the method by which the manufacturer designs its panels will determine whether the panels rub or couple smoothly during operation.

If the panels rub, in time this rubbing will produce an annoying grinding sound. On Colorbond Sectional Doors you will see the presence of black marks or rub marks. Applying Lithium Grease to these parts of the door will improve the doors operation and reduce the amount of noise being produced.

If the panels are damaged or have become corroded in anyway, the use of Lithium Grease may not produce any tangible results. In this case a door or panel replacement is likely necessary.

Sectional Door – Hinge Lubrication

Manufacturers of Sectional Garage Doors use different panel hinges for different brand designs. Some manufacturers choose hinges made of plastic composite materials whilst others choose to use Steel hinges. Irrespective of what the hinges are made of, they should not produce excessive noise during operation.

The most common cause of hinge noise from the plastic Composite hinges comes from the rubbing and friction build up with metal securing pins or metal castors. Metal rubbing on plastic will cause excessive friction problems over time causing motion slips in castors and grinding noises in panel hinges.

The use of silicon spray or lithium grease should reduce these problems and if used regularly prevent the noise from re-occurring.

Sectional Door – Bearings – Castors and Bearing Plates

Although not visible, bearings are essential components used in castor wheels and torsion assembly bearing plates. Bearings need to be lubricated with Non-Oil Based lubricants such as Silicon Spray. Oil based lubricants will attract dirt and dust particles, which have a corrosive effect on bearings which can cause castors to fail and bearing plates to collapse.

It is vital to ensure all bearings are regularly lubricated with Silicon Spray. This will not only alleviate bearing noise but will also increase operational longevity. Should the bearings collapse or show signs of significant wear then customers should contact their local garage door repair company immediately to arrange for replacement parts.

Sectional Door – Alignment

If a Sectional Garage Doors tracks are not correctly aligned, or if the door is not sitting in the correct horizontal position, the edges of the door may rub on the vertical and horizontal tracks causing a scraping sound. If this is left unchecked this could become a major issue and damage the door in the long run. Only an experienced garage door technician should attempt to safely realign a Sectional Garage Door.

Sectional Door – Springs

Sectional Garage Door springs provide the lifting power required to use the garage door effectively and efficiently. As a Sectional Garage Door is opened and closed the coiled spring rotates around the torsion bar and the spring completes a cycle of tensioning. This process can cause the ‘wire’ to rub if adequate lubrication is not applied. This most often results in a clunking noise. This noise can also occur if an installer has spread the springs to far causing a snake like appearance.

During installation installers will often smear the springs with grease, which will dampen the operational noise significantly. Applying lithium grease to these springs is advisable. The application of Lithium grease should be done whilst the door is in an upright position to allow the grease or silicon spray to penetrate the coil. If applied whilst the door is under tension, the grease or silicon spray cannot penetrate the coil and any tangible relief from the noise is unlikely.

Please do not attempt to make any adjustments to the spring. Only a qualified garage door technician should make or attempt to make spring tension adjustments.

Sectional Door – Cables

Sectional Door cables are the wire cables located to the left and the right of the sectional garage door. If the cables have become frayed or corroded, they can cause a distinct rubbing sound which can not be overcome without changing the cables. Frayed cables need to be replaced with urgency as they may break at anytime causing damage to your sectional garage door.

Please contact your local garage door repair company to change these cables. As these cables are part of the doors torsion system it is recommended that only experienced and qualified technicians attempt to change these cables.

Roller Door – Alignment

Roller Doors can, in time, come out of alignment due to several factors. During prolonged operation the door can track to one side and cause the door curtain to rub hard up against one of the tracks causing a metal scraping sound.

As there are several reasons as to why this may have occurred, it is recommended customers contact their local garage door company and book an inspection or service to resolve the issue. Roller doors, although simple to operate can be difficult to safely adjust.

Roller Door – Springs

As with Sectional Garage Doors, Roller Garage Doors operate effectively with the use of a torsion spring assembly. Roller Door torsion spring assemblies are concealed inside the roll of the door and are not visible to the user. If these springs suffer significant corrosion or become dry, they are susceptible to making a grinding or clunking sound during operation.

Although the application of lubrication will dampen the noise down, some roller doors are too large to effectively apply lubrication without removing the entire door and unwrapping it. This is not an effective solution and will likely cause door operation issues into the future. In these circumstances the installation of a new door is recommended.

Roller Door – Webbing

Webbing is the synthetic material which lines the sides of the roller door curtain. This webbing is stapled or fixed to the curtain to provide smooth operation of the door in time this webbing can become damaged and/or become separated from the curtain of the door. This will cause a metal on metal screeching noise as the door curtain and track rub.

Webbing is only fixed to the door during the manufacturing process and cannot be replaced retrospectively. If the webbing becomes damaged or removed from the door curtain, a complete door replacement is required.

A majority of your garage door noise at home could be a combination of any or one standalone factor mentioned above. Contact us today for a free no-obligation quote.

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