Need Advice: Someone Ran into our Garage Door

drtbk4ever

lv123, I think you and I are alot alike. We like to think the best of people and would prefer to solve problems amicably rather than be confrontational.

I admire that. In this case, you tried. You really did. Now it is time to move on. Get the guilty party's insurance information and contact your insurance carrier. They will take you through the steps you have to take to get this taken care of. Ask your insurance provider if they suggest you file a police report.

And if asked, explain to the guilty party that you tried to do things amicably, but you were very uncomfortable with their solution and given his take it or leave it offer, you had no other choice but to proceed through the insurance.

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Bill

A DIY Noob that knows just enough to be dangerous.

lv123

Some closure for those who were willing to provide their useful input: I decided to request his insurance information and the process is moving along. He hasn't been nearly as big of a jerk as he was initially. I should be receiving a check in a few days. Thanks for your input and discussion.

I assume I'll probably have better luck in a new thread, but does anyone have any firm opinions on Clopay vs Overhead doors? I'll likely be going with the basic entry-level steal door, so between Clopay T-50-5 / Overhead 170.

I assume at this price-point, the biggest difference would be in the service/installation quality, but it doesn't hurt to get some opinions (when they're helpful ... I'm not bitter )

Doorman54

From a hardware, craftsmanship standpoint I'd go with Clopay.

Whenever we get a job with Overhead product we all make a big "sigh".....

DangerMouse

www .facebook .com/ClopayGarageDoors might be a good place to start?

A quote from there: "I am extremely dissatisfied with your company. Your lack of communication and inability to deliver your product as promised has significantly decreased the ..." etc.

DM

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jbfan

I know nothing about either door company, but if you look hard enough I bet you can find this kind of post for each and every company.

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Doorman54

Truer words could not be spoken!!!

I am only giving my professional opinion. At work I get paid the same not matter who's product we hang.

firehawkmph

I've had good luck with Clopay doors I have installed. We have a local Clopay distributor and the people that work there are knowledgeable and stand behind their products.
Mike Hawkins

ThatDaveGuy

True, ask the guys that have to hang 'em or fix 'em if you want to know the skinny.

IMO Clopay isn't worth the effort to hang, it is very definitely one of those "you get what you pay for" things.

angelatc

That's very true. But seeing how the company reacts to those type comments is the real tell.

alexfrego

As a garage door pro, I would stay away from Clopay and Overhead Door. I'll start off with Clopay. First, the steel gauge of Clopay doors is thinner than other manufacturers. For example, their 24 gauge door is thinner than a 24 gauge door from another manufacturer. the steel sections are very flimsy and tend to buckle after a few years of normal use. Second, unless you opt for a hardware upgrade, you'll end up with a Clopay door with cheap, light-weight 18 gauge hinges and plastic rollers. These parts don't hold up as well as the heavy duty hardware. Third, you can't ever get Clopay doors to balance properly. This is because they come with galvanized torsion springs that lose tension with time. Sometimes, the door might be too heavy for the opener to open it so just won't open. Other times, you might have a more serious problem such as a cable popping of the drum, causing the door to become cocked in the opening.

Now, onto Overhead Door. Like the clopay doors, the steel sections are made of thin gauge steel that is very flimsy. Even the stiles (the frame-work where the hinges attach to) are very flimsy. Overhead Door also uses unique box-shaped hinges. Through time, the hinge bolts will work themselves loose and fall out. In some cases, the hinges might rip away from the actual door panel, requiring a repair or section replacement. They also tend to provide you with cheap plastic rollers and with this particular model (model 170), even if you have a 2 car door, they are typically installed with only one spring, rather than 2. This can cause problems later down the road if the spring breaks and the door slams down or if the cables come off the drums.

If they are available in your area, I strongly recommend the 1st United Door Technologies brand of garage doors. They make excellent garage doors. In particular, I recommend the model U224 since you are looking for an entry level door. It's a heavy 24 gauge steel door and the panels come with a lifetime warranty. What I like about this manufacturer is that even on their entry level doors, they provide you with heavy 14 gauge hinges, 11 ball bearing rollers, and heavy gauge tracks. They also use oil tempered torsion springs rather than the galvanized springs so that way you don't have to deal with having a tech re-tension the springs on a regular basis.

If 1st United Door Technologies isn't available in your area, then the only other brand I would recommend is C.H.I. but I would recommend asking about upgrading to heavy duty rollers. The heavy duty hinges are standard for this manufacturer but the 11 ball bearing roller upgrade isn't unfortunately.

These are just my observations and opinions after 13 years in the industry. I hope this helps! Best of luck on shopping for a new garage door!