Great ideas at Wayne-Dalton

The First Garage Door (1954)

You could say that Wayne-Dalton was conceived on innovation. Emanuel Mullet, founder of Wayne-Dalton, purchased Ervin Hostetler's garage door business and moved it to the Amish community of Mt. Hope, Ohio. Emanuel saw the potential of Ervin's invention, which was a wooden door that folded horizontally to store itself overhead.

Thermowayne™ and Thermospan™ Garage Doors (1981)

Wayne-Dalton introduced the first foamed-in-place insulated garage doors for the residential (Thermowayne™) and commercial (Thermospan™) markets. These doors combined energy efficiency and strength in a way never before seen. Their patented thermal break allowed Wayne-Dalton to tout that the garage door is no longer the weak link in any energy efficient home. The integral struts that are roll formed directly into each of the garage door sections add tremendous strength.

The idea for an energy efficient garage door actually came from the oil embargo and energy crunch in 1973. Thermospan™ and Thermowayne™ are what put Wayne-Dalton into the role of industry leader.

Wayne-Dalton's TorqueMaster™ System (1994)

Wayne-Dalton's revolutionary TorqueMaster™ counterbalance system helps prevent injuries that can be caused by the exposed springs generally used on garage doors. The TorqueMaster system shields springs - and their dangerous force - safely inside a steel tube. Because the springs are enclosed in galvanized steel, the TorqueMaster system is safer and more attractive than traditional systems. Also, the TorqueMaster system's spring cannot be accessed by anyone unless all the tension is relieved.

Even installation is safer and easier. Once the door is set, the installer simply winds the springs by using a screw gun or electric drill. This is radically different from other counterbalance systems. Torsion springs have to be dangerously wound with a steel rod -- and with extension springs, the door has to be manually lifted into the horizontal track before assembly can begin.

With the TorqueMaster system the springs are pre-lubricated, which eliminates some maintenance requirements and helps protect the system from corrosion.

See Also: idrive® for TorqueMaster®

Pinch-Resistant Design (1995)

Another industry first, Wayne-Dalton's revolutionary pinch-resistant garage door design is engineered to help eliminate injuries caused when fingers are caught in door panel joints during downward operation of the door. The shape of the contact point between two door panel sections is designed to push fingers away as the door closes, helping prevent fingers from getting caught in the door joint. It was the first integrated pinch resistant design in the U.S.

See Also: Model 9100, Model 9700 Garage Doors

Remodeling Readers Choose Wayne-Dalton

Wayne-Dalton was recently recognized as the most preferred garage door brand in the Remodeling Brand Use Study conducted by Readex Research.

Quantum® Residential Garage Door Opener (1997)

The Quantum® residential garage door opener is a state-of-the-art product with numerous innovative security and safety features. For instance, rolling access security codes help prevent would-be burglars from electronically stealing the access code and entering a homeowner's garage. Just as thieves can steal cellular phone numbers, similar devices are now being applied to garage door openers. Quantum's technology causes the system to change the access code every time the remote control is used.

The Quantum garage door opener offers eight levels of safety:

• Contact Obstruction Sensing: If the door comes in contact with someone or something during the down cycle, it will automatically reverse within two seconds.
• Obstruction Warning Light: The garage door opener courtesy light will flash when the safety system is activated, of if the photo eye sensors are obstructed.
• Maximum Run Timer: During the down cycle, if the garage door opener does not shut off within 21 seconds, the unit automatically returns to the open position.
• Photo Eye Sensors: A closing door stops and reverses if the infrared beam is interrupted; an open door will not close if the beam is obstructed.
• Logic Eye Sensors: A closing door stops and reverses if the infrared beam is interrupted; an open door will not close if the beam is obstructed.
• Emergency Pull Release: Red release pull cord to disengage opener for manual opening and closing.
• Thermal Motor Protection: Motor thermal automatically shuts opener down to prevent overheating.
• Entrapment Release (Power Failure): Door can be lifted off something when not in the fully closed position, without having to pull the emergency release cord.

Tamper-Resistant Bottom Bracket

All residential garage doors are equipped with a tamper-resistant bottom bracket, which reduces the risk of injury to a homeowner who might attempt to adjust or repair the door and accidentally release door components under tension. To loosen the screws on the bottom bracket, a special tool is required that would not ordinarily be found in common household toolboxes. Only a trained professional should service door items that are affected by spring tension.

Remodeling Readers Choose Wayne-Dalton

Wayne-Dalton was recently recognized as the most preferred garage door brand in the Remodeling Brand Use Study conducted by Readex Research.

Wayne-Dalton's Fire Safety Standards

Unlike other brands, Wayne-Dalton insulated garage doors are manufactured from thermoset resins, which will not drip or melt in the event of fire. Thermoset-foamed plastic will cauterize during flame erosion, leaving a protective barrier that resists the spread of flames.

Thermoset resin materials also reduce the amount of smoke generated in a fire. Considering most homes now come with attached garages, these features are important since they can help reduce dangerous smoke and slow a fire before it reaches the house.

Wayne-Dalton's Quick-Install Features

• With Wayne-Dalton's Torquemasterspan™ system, the installer simply winds the springs by using a variable speed screw gun or electric drill, which is simpler and safer than traditional systems.
• Wayne-Dalton has factory-installed all hinges, bottom bracket, and bottom retainer on every door. This eliminates the task of sorting a variety of hinges and other hardware, and then having to attach each one to the door.
• idrive and prodrive garage door openers offer exclusive wireless photo eye sensors, so installation is simplified because the need to drill through walls or run unsightly wiring is eliminated.
• Twist-Lock/Slide-Lockspan™ track reduces the amount of bolts required for assembly. This innovative locking system saves time on installation and eliminates excessive parts.

Wayne-Dalton's Foamed-In Place Insulation

Patented, foamed-in-place polyurethane core.

The core provides an insulation R-value of 10, more than twice as much as common polystyrene insulation board that is the same thickness. It's chemically bonded to each steel section, creating a composite structure with higher strength, greater rigidity, improved dent-resistance and better thermal protection.

To understand how R-value and heat flow are related, it is easier to think of your garage not as a single entity, but as a part of a system with the external environment. As with most everything in nature, heat will want to redistribute itself in an effort to reach a state of equilibrium, or equal temperatures on both the inside and the outside of your garage. To do this, heat must pass through the garage door to reach the other part of the system.

• In the summer, heat is produced outside of your garage. Thus, it is naturally hotter outside of your garage than inside and heat will try to "get in" to even out the system. If a garage door has an R-value of 3, 1/3 of the heat will get through the door and into your garage. This does not mean that the internal temperature will be 1/3 of the external temperature, though. It means that as more heat is produced externally, 1/3 of it will enter your garage. Insulating your garage door can help keep the heat out.
• The opposite is true in the winter. Heat is produced inside your garage in the winter, either by heating or by the effects of the sun. As it is cooler on the outside of the door, heat will try to escape to the outside through the door and other parts of your garage to even out the system. If keeping your garage warm in the winter is a priority, then choose a door with a higher R-value.