Garage Door Operator Back-up System

Ride through any housing development built in the last 15 or 20 years, and one aspect of the homes jumps out: the garage is right up front.

So it follows that a recent online survey found that 71 percent of homeowners use their garage door as the primary access point to their home. It’s so common that many people no longer carry house keys.

The problem comes when there’s a power outage and access to your home can be impeded.

I had a guy tell me he was trapped outside of his house several days. The power went out, his family was out of town, he didn’t have a house key, and he ended up at the neighbors’ for four or five days.

For getting out in a power outage, modern garage door openers have an emergency pull cord. You give a yank, and it disengages the door, allowing you to open it by hand. (If your garage door is balanced and working properly, you should be able to open it with two fingers.) But there are people who don’t know how the pull-cord works, and the process can be too much for the elderly or people with disabilities. And even if you can open the door to get out, there can be a big problem.

It’s not so much about getting out, it’s about getting in. When you do get out, you have to get back inside and re-engage the garage door opener to make sure it’s locked. Otherwise, the garage — and your home — may not be secure.

The convenient, no-hassle solution is a garage door opener with battery backup. The battery back-up openers control only the doors, not the lights. That’s to save power. The opener will operate for 20 up-and-down cycles, which should get people through almost any power outage.

All of us have become very dependent on garage door openers. They’ve become a necessity instead of the luxury item that they were years ago. It’s a very small investment to control the access to your home.

Garage Doors: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

If you’re trying to sell your home, or simply want to raise its value and overall look, you may need to consider replacing your current garage door.

An attractive and stylish garage door instantly improves the curb appeal of your home. It’s also a less time consuming and less expensive way to upgrade the exterior of your house than a major project like installing new siding or completely renovating your yard. You should especially consider replacing your old garage door if it is dented, scratched, or if its color clashes with the exterior of your house.

But color is not the only option when it comes to garage doors. Garage doors now come in a wide variety of styles, sizes, shapes, and decorative options. Even if your home is ultra modern, you can find a decorative steel garage door to match it.

Traditional homeowners will have no troubles finding a wide selection of beautiful options to match that style as well. Carriage house style garage doors are a great way to upgrade the exterior attractiveness of your house. Carriage house doors resemble the classic wooden doors that are found on many stables and carriage houses of old manor homes. They have a gently curved top that looks stylish and high class, and feature a row of small windows near the top of the door.

For a more rustic look, taking the same steel carriage house doors and gel staining or faux painting them will them the feel of yesteryear. If you’ve got children and pets that love to play in your garage or driveway, you want to consider a tough and durable steel garage door. These materials resist dents and scratches better than wood or glass, and will look good for a long time.

By choosing a stylish and updated option you can increase attractiveness of your home’s exterior. By doing so, you’ll also automatically increase its resale value as well. You can also replace a broken, damaged, or non-functioning garage door with a new working model. By upgrading this often overlooked part of your home, you are investing in your house and increasing its curb appeal.