Garage Doors by Madden Door and Sons, Inc.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. My garage door won't close unless I press and hold my wall button, and/or my remotes don't even close it at all. Why?

Your garage door operator has safety sensors located at the bottom of the opening on the inside of the garage. These sensors send an infrared safety beam across the opening, which if blocked, will not allow the door to automatically close unless you hold the wall button. If you look carefully at these sensors (which look like little cameras), you want to verify that the small L.E.D. lights on them are on - constant! If they are off or are blinking, the sensors are either blocked or out of alignment. Check to see that the actual lens surface is clear (sometimes spiders and other insects climb on the lens surface).

You can realign them by simply moving the sensor left or right, up or down, so that it is aiming directly across the opening at the other sensor. Try it with both sides, being sure that the small L.E.D. lights are on (verify on vs. off by blocking with your hand, if blocked, should either be off or blinking, if not blocked or out of alignment, should be on solid).

2. My garage door won't open - the motor tries to lift it, but can't. I disengaged it from the opener, and I cannot lift it! What's wrong?

Confirm first what type of door you have - is it the "flip-up" type or the sectional type (that rolls up). If the flip-up type: Check the springs on the sides of the door to see if there is any separation in the coils of the springs. If so, your spring(s) are broken. If you have the sectional roll-up type: The springs should be located directly above the garage door and can only be seen when the door is closed. - Look about one foot above the garage door to locate the springs mounted around a steel tube that runs the full width of the door. Those spring coils should be intact (no gaps). If you see a gap, you have a broken spring. In either case (whether you have the flip-up or the sectional), do NOT run the opener as it may further damage the opener gearing. If the springs are not broken, the door could be jammed and need servicing.

3. Does Madden Door perform services on all types of doors?

Madden Door performs services on flip-up type doors, sectional roll-up types, as well as commercial rolling steel types (that roll up into themselves like a roll of carpet would). We also offer limited service gate operating systems (residential), as well as many commercial sectional doors & operators.

4. Where can I find parts to fix my door and/or operator?

Madden Door has an extensive selection of parts for most garage doors and operator brands. You can pick up at our facility located in Martinez at 4300 Arthur Rd (click here for a map and set of directions). We also ship U.P.S.

5. What forms of payment does Madden Door take?

We accept Visa & Master Card, as well as checks. For more information, contact us via e-mail or call us at (925) 935-4580.

6. What kind of guarantee does Madden Door offer?

On new doors & operators: One full year from date of installation on parts and labor. Additionally, most of our door models have lifetime warranties, and the openers also have extended warranties. On services performed (example, we come out to adjust your existing garage door and/or opener), we offer a 90 days labor warranty related to any services we perform.

7. What kind of garage door operator should I get?

That depends on several things. First, consider the type of garage door you have - is it the 1-Piece flip-up type or a sectional door? There are differing models of operators that work well in some cases, not so in others. For example, on 1-Piece flip-up garage doors, we strongly recommend using ONLY the Genie Pro 8600 screw drive operator - it is geared well to suit the function of that flip-up type door.
On the other hand, if you have a sectional garage door, often a chain or belt drive operator will work better - if not for the simple geometry of being able to fit into more limited clearance space, while in other cases for noise reduction. Of course, having a quieter operator is most relevant to the customer who has an already quiet door!
A visit to our demonstration showroom will help to better understand these issues.

8. What kind of garage door should I buy? Custom vs. standard, wood vs. steel?

That depends on a lot of things. Consider your weather exposure, duration of time you will own the house, usage, activities that occur around the garage area, importance of how the door looks and, of course, budget. But consider this: Most often, the garage door is one of the primary items that you see when looking at a house. Therefore,
we recommend for the best understanding of which door is best for YOU, take a visit our showroom at 4300 Arthur Rd. in Martinez. We offer a NO commission, honest sales approach so that every customer gets what s/he expects, and as a result, is satisfied with that selection.
We have the doors on display for several reasons - to illustrate differences in strength, noise, maintenance, design, function, cost and reliability.
Bring in or email * a picture of your house that includes the garage door area - we can design one of our beautiful Raynor steel garage doors right on that picture for you, so you can actually see the house with the new door on it BEFORE YOU BUY!
Call for more information 925.935.4580.
* If you are planning on sending an email picture, please call us first at 925.935.4580 - Please just ask for Scott.

9. If I buy a steel garage door, does it come painted and can I get a specific color?

All of our panel steel sectional garage doors come painted. The most common colors in all models are white or almond. Because we carry varied models and brands, there are some models also available in claytone/taupe, gray, hunter green or dark brown (in certain models - so just call or email us and we can clarify your options). In any case, you can paint your garage door to your own house color, as long as you prep the door accordingly. Here's how:

1 gallon warm-to-hot water. Add 1/4 cup of Ajax or Comet, stir to create a mild abrasive solution. Once mixed, take a soft cotton towel and saturate it with the solution, washing the front surface of the garage door like you would wash a car. (First rinse the garage door with water - do not powerwash it. If it has been years, you will likely have to rinse and repeat, depending on how much sap/other debris have settled onto the surface). If the door has windows, just wash over them as well, but use caution on the surface of the window (depending on what type of windows you have - call us first on this - don't want scratches!). Once done, rinse the door thoroughly so that you rid the surface of any of the solution. We then recommend letting the door dry out (overnight is best), and the next morning simply dust it off in case any pollens have started to settle. NOW YOU'RE READY TO PAINT - apply an exterior latex paint with either brush or spray application. Follow the principle rule of painting - more coats, applied thinly, are better than less coats, applied thickly. Do NOT paint the area between the sections, as this causes the sections to "pop", making noise because the paint sticks to itself. Hint: If you want to paint the areas that are not accessible on the surface of the garage door, you can simply open the door part-way to get to those edges - paint them, and keep opening the door so that it can dry on the edges in the open position.

10. If I buy a wood garage door and need it painted or stained, what's the best way to proceed?

If the door is going to be painted, we definitely recommend having it pre-primed. On our Carriage House Door series, they can come pre-primed and sealed - it is the best coverage on the door surface to start protecting your valuable asset. Once it is installed, you can paint the front surface of the door with exterior latex paint, and simply paint the entire surface with the door closed. Then, you can paint the sides and top edges as you open each section (letting it dry in the open position). If it is stain grade, there are many ways to stain. We recommend having a professional do this. They can offer advice as to how the wood should be finish-applied, based on what you want in look (some can have high varnish or more of a natural wood look - this also depends on the species of wood chosen to be stained, and other variables such as the weather exposure the door faces). We also work with another company that does painting and staining of garage doors, and can refer you to them for a reliable source to protect your investment, so feel free to email or call us for more clarification.