FAQ's
- How do I order?
- Who does your installation?
- What sizes do your doors come in?
- I am interested in a wood door, what are my available options?
- Can I get a Rush Order?
- Should I go with Stain grade, Paint grade or a metal and glass door? What are the differences?
- How long does a finish last?
- Can I order my door unfinished?
- I’ve heard that wood doors are expensive to maintain, how can I tell when it’s time to refinish my door?
- How do I maintain my door?
- Why Ziegler Inc. for my garage doors?
- I have an unusual sized garage that requires an unusual size, can you help?
- What about the head space, my garage has very little overhead clearances (headroom) above the door. Can you still install a sectional door?
- How Do I Program My Remote?
- What is the procedure for tracking my order?
Q: How do I order?
A: You can use Design Build Quote hereand get your project quoted now. If you prefer to speak to a live person then call our office at 714-437-0870 to talk to a qualified designer today!
Q: Who does your installation?
A: Ziegler installs all of its doors in all of California. Outside of CA we use installation partnerships and qualified installer referrals.
Q: What sizes do your doors come in?
A: Ziegler is a custom manufacture so size is almost irrelevant. We build any door in any size but we do offer some common sizes too for easy ordering. It’s always recommended to have a least 1” over hang on each side for adequate weather seal.
- SINGLE DOORS: 8’X7’ | 8’X8’ | 8’X9’ | 8’X10’ | 8’X12’
- DOUBLE DOORS 16’X7’ | 16’X8’ | 16’X9’ | 16’X10’ | 16’X12’
Q: I am interested in a wood door, what are my available options?
A: This is a great question and we get asked this all the time, there are many options for real wood and even some engineered simulated wood options as well. First if you are looking into a wood door vs. a steel door then you already know that a wood door calls to people for its status, personality and character and how it represents your individuality! We offer some standard options like Cedar, Mahogany, Oak and Reclaimed but we can build your door out of any wood in the world. Cedar and Mahogany are great choices for all climates due to natural Tannin in the wood. This Tannin is a natural bug deterrent and acts like a wood preservative (in a way), this makes them great choices for any climate but the natural wood grains are vastly different. Oak is a very dense wood (same as Mahogany) but is a great choice if you want to stay away from the deep color variations in Cedar and Mahogany, Oak is a better choice if you are looking to stain in lighter colors or greys. Reclaimed wood can be a little pricy but since the wood has already been aged the finish can be very warm and requires very little additional finish. We also offer plywoods, Duratemp, Extiera or LP as an alternative cost effective alternative to solid woods that can be made to look like real wood through Faux finishes.
Q: Can I get a Rush Order?
A: We do offer a 4 week rush on Garage Doors and Gates for a 50% service charge. We do not offer rush orders on driveway gates, one off projects and Carriage Doors.
Q: Should I go with Stain grade, Paint grade or a metal and glass door? What are the differences?
A: These are great questions and probably the most common. As mentioned previously about wood types, stain grade finish Cedar and Mahogany are the most common woods used and make a great comparisons for stain finishes, when choosing a wood these are things to look for. Cedar is a soft wood with soft blended grains and the wood color variations are dramatic from light to dark. Cedar has a lot of character in the colors. Mahogany is a dense wood with bold tight grains and the wood color is more consistent which makes for a rich look and feel. If you want to go paint grade then you are typically wanted something more traditional and almost any woods can be used, we like to offer alternative composite based materials that have a resin injected into the materials for weather resistance or use a marine grade plywood for strength and durability. However if you are looking for the durability of a solid wood Hemlock, Cedar and Mahogany look brilliant when painted too!
Q: How long does a finish last?
A: there are many key factors to longevity of a stain finish. A north or east facing door tends to last the longest about 5-7 years. South facing and West Facing doors the least about 3-5 years. This has to do with afternoon temperatures and increased exposure to harmful UV rays from the sun. The product used to coat the door make a big difference here as well! We use a large polymer finish with UV coating impregnated into the finish to offer some resistance to the sun but the reality is nothing on the market is going to offer 100% protection. Large polymers break down slower than small polymers, most home improvement stores sell small polymer product because they are cheaper to manufacture. Since 1969 Ziegler Inc. prides itself on quality and the finish is a very important part of quality to Mr. Ziegler.
Q: Can I order my door unfinished?
A: Absolutely! We offer factory finishing as a service to our customers but it is not required. In fact if you are ordering out of state then your door only comes unfinished.
Q: I’ve heard that wood doors are expensive to maintain, how can I tell when it’s time to refinish my door?
A: You want to catch the break down before it penetrates the wood. Everything on your house requires maintenance and the professional builders will tell you to repaint or refinish your entire house every 5-7 years to prevent dry-rot and water damage. There is a unique trick to telling when the top layer of finish is starting to break down; this is when you start to see a white chalky look to your wood finishes. This is the effect of horizontal UV starting to break down your finish. It will show in a lineal pattern and look like white powder or chalk on your door (any wood on your house). This is the best time to catch it and keeping an eye out for this will keep your maintenance costs way down! At this time only the top layer of clear has started to break down and now is a good time to sand it and have a new clear coat applied. If you don’t catch it at this point then the finish will crack and open up allowing water to penetrate the wood. Once this happens you would have to take the finish all the way down to the wood and re-stain or tone the door and apply 2 coats of clear. The key to maintaining everything on your home is routine maintenance and keeping your house clean and the same is with our doors. We have wood doors installed 20 years ago that still look as good as the day they bought it and simple maintenance is the key.
Q: How do I maintain my door?
A: If you live in California, CALL Ziegler Service 714-437-0870, we offer annual and bi-annual maintenance programs at a reasonable price. Since we built the door we know exactly what to do and we keep a record of everything we have done to keep you door looking and working great! Be careful of sharks that will try to drive up your maintenance costs! If you live anywhere else in the world (and this is true of any garage door), you should have an established well reputable company (always get 2-3 bids) to come and service your door at least once in the first year and maybe every other year after that. Things that you the homeowner can do is, keep the dirt from building up on the door by using a car duster and whipping it off now and then, do not spray with a hose! This dirt when combined with morning dew creates a layer on the finish that begins to cause degradation on the top coat and assists the UV to penetrate the top layer. Something as simple as dusting the door once in a while can extend the life of the door! Another neat trick is, “All” garage doors have springs and this is the most forgotten part of the door, springs dry out and bind causing an array of problems like not closing evenly, loud noises, cables to stretch, doors to fall off track or not open or close at all. Simply oiling them with “Garage Spring OIL” (not WD-40 this is bad for the springs) will make your door work better for longer. We recommend oil once a year minimum.
Q: Why Ziegler Inc. for my garage doors?
A: The Ziegler family has been building wood garage doors, decorative garage doors, modern garage doors since 1969. We are the preferred brand by most residential builders and designers in southern California. Many of the local Architects even use our designs on their plans over any other Door company. We have been selling and shipping our doors now across the country and into other countries for more than 20 years and have recently been specked to build for government dignitaries in Washington DC over all other door builders. The designers choice because we break the mold and refuse to build standard doors, we will build you any design, with any wood at any size with any opening. We are specialists in unique and difficult applications that 90% of the industry won’t or can’t do. As land values have surged so have the expectations in quality & style related to our homes. Ziegler Door has established itself as the premier wood garage door supplier to Southern and Northern California builders both big and small. We believe in developing and maintaining relationships built on trust. Customers can trust that we strive to be the best at what we do, and we do Quality well!
Q: I have an unusual sized garage that requires an unusual size, can you help?
A: Ziegler door loves to build custom we are the Mercedes of doors and customization and unique applications is what we do! We can build your door to fit any opening but difficult jobs like this do require a site visit, call our office at 714-437-0870 to arrange a visit with one of design specialists.
Q: What about the head space, my garage has very little overhead clearances (headroom) above the door. Can you still install a sectional door?
A: Ideally, standard headroom requires a minimum 17” of space from the top of the garage header to the opening. However, Ziegler Inc has specialized in all forms of custom applications from Zero Clearances, Flush mounted openings, high lift applications and many more that can accommodate any clearances. Using special track options we can push the limits and make your door work in any headroom. Every job is different so we won’t build your door without making a site visit or two to ensure that everything is just right.
Q: How Do I Program My Remote?
A: If you don’t find the following information helpful call Ziegler at 714-437-0870 we pride ourself on service and are happy to assist you. Most openers now have learning mode. If you locate the learn code button on the opener (usually its red), most likely on the back or under the light cover then follow these steps;
- Within 30 seconds, press the Transmitter button once until the Radio Signal Indicator stays lit—solid.
- Locate the learn code button on the motor
- Press and release the Learn Code Button (LED light will blink)
- Then press the same Transmitter Button again within 30 seconds and the Radio Signal Indicator light will go out. The door may react and open or close to stand clear of the sensors.
Rolling Coded Openers vary slightly typically Chamberlain & LiftMaster Models
- Within 30 seconds, press and hold the button on the transmitter (LED light will blink)
- Press and release the “learn” button on the motor unit
- Release the button when the motor unit light blinks. It has learned the code. If light bulbs are not installed, 2 clicks will be heard. The door may react and open or close to stand clear of the sensors.
Autos with Homelink can be tricky and it is best to contact homelink directly to be sure your make and model are compatibly with your opener. More than 99% of cars are but some years make and models are not. http://www.homelink.com/home/welcome
Q: What is the procedure for tracking my order?
A: We have a detailed step by step process on keeping projects on task. We follow a 12 step procedure shown below;
The Steps
Step 1) The first step is accepting your quote by signing and returning to your sales person.
Step 2) Secure your position in production with a deposit. All orders require a 50% deposit.
Step 3) Artwork created ready for customer approval
- At this stage it is important to have your decorative hardware picked out
- No materials are order until a project is approved
- The production time line begins on approval
- Having your locking mechanisms for you new gates and doors is vital during this stage or by stage 5 at the latest
Step 4) With your approval we can now order the project materials.
- This process can take up to 2 weeks for milling and drying
- To ensure premium wood quality and material accuracy
- During this period paint/stain colors must be approved with sample
Step 5) Stain/paint Color approval received with signature
Step 6) Materials received and inspected for quality flaws
Step 7) Project is moved into Production schedule waiting for builder table
- This can be as much as 1 week timeline
Step 8) Project is given to a builder and reviewed by QC and Production Management
- Frame is constructed and a temporary layout is performed
- Measurements are carefully verified by QC and Shop Manager
Step 9) Stain is applied to all T&G applications and any area of possible wood expansion
- Prevention method to ensure quality
Step 10) Door is assembled and is ready for finishing
Step 11) Stain or Paint is applied per color selection on step 5
Step 12) Door is scheduled for install with customer