Have Your Cake and Eat It Too!

Did you ever think that a new garage door could almost pay for itself?

Garage door replacement ranked No. 2 in “cost recouped” on a list of 35 common home remodeling projects in Remodeling Magazine’s 24th annual Cost vs. Value Report.

The average midrange garage door replacement cost was estimated at $1,291. Resale value of the project averaged $1,083 – an 83.9 percent return on investment (ROI) at resale. In some cities, such as Charleston, W. Va., Honolulu, Providence, R.I., and San Francisco, the ROI for a new garage door was more than 100 percent.

Upscale garage door replacements were estimated to provide a 69.8 percent ROI – No. 4 among the upscale projects listed in the survey.

What does that mean to homeowners? You can have your cake and eat it, too. A new garage door can add to the beauty of your home as you live in it and enjoy it today, while also providing a high level of payback – nearly 84 cents of every dollar spent on the garage door replacement – when it’s time to sell.

What’s more, garage door replacement was one of the least expensive projects listed in the survey. That means a new garage door may be the quickest, easiest, and least expensive way to enhance your home’s appearance and get a great return on your investment.

In addition to providing a great ROI, a stylish new garage door can add to the beauty of your home. If you have a front-facing attached garage, a new door adds instant curb appeal. An attached garage can make up a third or more of the front of the home. Replacing a garage door can be the difference between a “plain vanilla” home and a stylish, attractive home. After all, haven’t you ever drive down a street you’ve driven down hundreds of times before and notice something “different” about a house that has enhanced its look? Could it have been a new garage door?

If you’re seriously thinking about a new garage door, here’s something else to think about: once you’ve picked the model and style that’s right for you, sit back and leave the installation to the professionals. This isn’t a job for the weekend warrior. A garage door is the heaviest moving object in your home. It is actually a system that includes springs, cables, rollers, tracks and other hardware. Some of the elements of this system are under high tension. If improperly installed, this system can cause injury or even death.

Proper installation and even repair projects are best left to experienced professionals.

Garage Door Spring Tips

An important component in the mechanical make-up of garage doors is the spring system.

Without springs the doors would not rise and fall. These components should be in good, strong working condition at all times for the doors to function properly. The counterbalance springs do the actual lifting and closing.

When the doors rise the springs unwind. This provides the necessary power to do the lifting. When the door closes, the weight of the door winds the springs back up until the door is entirely shut. At this stage the springs are fully tensed again.
The springs need to be adjusted periodically.

When the typical door weighs about three hundred pounds and involves the co-ordination of pulleys, cables and springs, this is inevitable. It is not difficult to do a cursory check up. With safety glasses on one can pull on the red emergency release cord so that the doors are opened manually. By lifting it halfway and observing if it stays in place or falls, one can determine if it is out of balance. If it falls, then it is not in balance.

There are other assessment suggestions described on the site for testing the poor performance of the doors. When the doors need adjustment, it is time to call the technicians. While at your home the experts can provide other services as well such as installing an automatic opener. This is a convenient addition since it permits one to control opening and closing without leaving the vehicle.

One must not forget the springs are stretched very taut while holding open a three hundred pound item. If improperly mounted the damage it could do to a person could be devastating. When there is a problem call your local licensed and insured garage door professional.

Garage Doors in the Kitchen!

Wait… what? Garage doors in the what?

It’s true. For those wanting to easily alternate between eating in a conditioned environment and eating al fresco, the simple choice just might be a garage door in this unlikely location. Just take a look at these four stylish examples and see what you think:

What do you think? Would you like this unconventional door-type in your kitchen?

Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/

The Garage Door and the Broken Spring

If you think you have a garage door broken spring you should know for certain because generally when a garage door broken spring happens you may have to open you garage door manually.

Hopefully you know where the manual override is located so you can open you garage door manually.

If your garage door broken spring happens you may also have other problems with your garage door. This is a good time to call your garage door service company and schedule an inspection of your garage doors and also have them repair the broken spring. They may have to replace both springs. Just because one garage door spring breaks it doesn’t necessarily mean the other one is bad but since they have both been on there for the same length of time it is probable that the other spring has fatigue and may break soon. You don’t need to take that chance. Just have both garage door springs replaced or however many garage doors you have and then only pay for one service call.

A garage door itself can last for a long time. If it is metal it can be repainted if it begins to look tired. A wood garage door may have problems sooner because the weather will make a wood door swell and shrink unlike a metal garage door. But a metal garage door can also encounter problems. A metal garage door has working metal parts. When metal works and is used and has strain on it and has to carry weight thousands of times then the garage door parts may start to wear out. So having your garage doors inspected once in a while by a garage door service company is a good idea.

When a garage door service company checks out your garage door they may look at the hinges that make the garage door roll up. They will check out the light sensors to make sure they are working properly. They will also check how easily your garage door rolls up or operates. If it is uneven they will make the necessary repairs. This may be as simple as oiling the bearings or adjusting the chain pulley if the door has one. They will also check out your garage door openers and may even replace the batteries in them if they can.

At some point you may decide to freshen up the outside of your home. You can do this by calling your local garage door company and looking at replacing your garage door. Since you have a lot of choices for styles and looks of garage doors you can really change how the outside of your home looks for very little money as compared to remodeling your entire home.

A properly operating garage door is a safe operating garage door. If a garage door spring or tension bar breaks it only takes a second or two for it to come crashing to the ground. So an annual or bi-annual inspection is a good idea.

Garage Door. Garage Door Springs.

Why Steel Garage Doors Are Always a Good Choice

Recent studies have shown that there is only one type of home improvement you can do on your own that will actually improve the value of your home above and beyond the price that you have paid for it, and those items are steel garage doors. With all other home improvement projects, you will only get a portion of the investment back when you sell your home, but when it comes to steel garage doors, you will get every penny back.

People replace their garage doors for a variety of reasons, but usually it is because they have worn out over time or through overuse, or they have become ruined by the weather or moisture. Of course, there are also those cases when someone drives through a garage door or accidentally bumps it enough to throw it off its tracks and break the structure that is holding it in place.

Whatever your reason for replacing your garage door, you should first think about steel garage doors before choosing any other type.

Why Would You Want Steel?

The main reason why people choose steel is because it is easy to care for. In fact, it takes no caring at all! Unlike wood doors that need to be painted and maintained, steel doors will last for decades without you ever having to do anything to them. They are coated with a sealant that protects them from moisture and if they ever get dirty, you simply hose them off.

The other benefit of steel garage doors is that they can be insulated. For people who live in very hot areas, this is an important benefit since an insulated door will help to keep the hot sun out of the garage, which in turn will keep the entire home’s temperature lower. In the winter time, the same is also true except that the insulation keeps in the heat from the home, essentially lowering the heating bills.

Don’t You Have to Paint It?

Steel doors are made in a variety of colors already so you can choose something that is close to your home’s color, or you could even choose a different color altogether to create something of an accent to your home’s design. However, if you don’t find a door in the exact color that you want or you want to match it to some other feature on your home, you can always paint it yourself. By simply painting your new door with a coat of primer, you will be ready to put on just one coat of paint that should last for years.

Where Should You Buy It?

Most people just leave this decision up to the contractor or installer who is putting in the door, but if you are doing it yourself or you are just looking for a better selection than your local home improvement store has, then you might want to check online. Steel garage doors come in a variety of sizes, strengths, and colors, and you will surely find one that suits your purposes.

What Type of Garage Door is Best for You?

Modern-day garage doors are not limited to the wood of centuries past or steel of decades past.  You can also get garage doors made of other materials like aluminum and wood composites. But which of these many materials is most cost-effective and durable? Which looks best? We’ll examine the pros and cons of each material.

Steel is by far the most often picked material for garage doors. They aren’t terribly expensive, they’re quite durable and require very little maintenance, and they can come in pretty much any style you might demand. Steel’s appearance is flexible, as it can be painted or formed into panels, and can be treated with a gel stain that makes it look similar to wood.

When you’re actually doing your shopping there is a few things to keep in mind about steel: it’s a pretty ineffective insulator, and probably requires an outside source of insulation to keep your garage habitable and save you energy. Also, steel panels tend to vary in their thickness, usually varying with the price, and if you want a steel door that will withstand basketball games, you’ll have to pay for it. Aluminum doors are similar to steel in many ways, especially in that they have faux wood texture options, and various finishes and paints to change their appearance. They are on the whole much less heavy than steel, and usually cheaper, but they’re even more likely to dent. Again- if you’re not hosting basketball games in front of your garage door, or have kids that like to play handball, you’ll probably be fine going for the cheaper, thin aluminum garage doors.

Wood garage doors are the original. They’re traditional, very classy-looking, and highly variable in style, model, colors, and finish. They can include windows, and can be raised panel or flat. No matter how good the wood-grain mimicry is, nothing can beat the warmth and character of real wood on the curb appeal of your home.

Wood is a slightly better insulator than steel or aluminum, but requires more maintenance. They can warp or rot under weather pressure, and are flammable. You have to be more careful with wood doors. They also tend to be more expensive than steel or aluminum, but of course that depends on the style you want to get.

Wood composite garage doors, on the other hand, are made from recycled wood, so they’re better for the environment, and also still hold that traditional-looking appeal. They can come in almost as many styles as the classic wood doors, and are almost as strong as steel, but less likely to dent. They can also easily be painted or stained, and so are very flexible in that way. Plus, they don’t rot, split, or warp.

All the types have their pluses and minuses, and depending on the weather where you live, how much you’re willing to spend, what activities you do near your garage door, and how you want your house to look, any of the five options may be your best. Consult with a garage door installation specialist to decide.

Protecting that Wood Garage Door

Natural wood garage doors can enhance the curb appeal of any home.

The beauty of natural wood with the random patterns of grain is not an easy look to duplicate with manmade materials. If you have a wood garage door, whether it is painted or stained to show the grain, routine care will keep it looking great for years to come.

Unlike the siding of your home, garage doors move with every button push on your remote or lift with your arms. This movement can add stress to the door’s finish and to the panels themselves. Check to see if stress has caused cracks or gaps to form in the finish coat. These cracks are the inroads for water, which can lead to more damage.

The best way to protect wood is with a durable, weather-resistant finish. These can fall into two groups: film finishes, like varnish or paint; and penetrating finishes, like oils and stains. Film finishes are more susceptible to movement-induced stress and can crack and flake. Penetrating oil finishes, by comparison, are more flexible and therefore hold up better. One advantage to maintaining garage doors is that they are relatively small and accessible, compared to other areas of a home. It is easy to reach the upper areas from a simple stepladder.

Cleaning before painting or staining may seem obvious to many people, it is often overlooked; however, its omission can lead to problems down the road. In their excitement for a new look, some people jump right in without the proper preparations. Wind-blown dust and dirt can get into the corners or gaps in the door’s panels. When refinishing, this debris can get into the finish coat and cause unsightly results. Prior to any finish work, the surfaces should be properly prepared. Loose paint or varnish should be removed by scraping or sanding. If mold and mildew are present, the surface may require some scrubbing with a dedicated cleaner. Power washing is an option, but should be used with caution; the high pressures of these machines can actually damage softer woods. Another way to protect wood while cleaning is by using a simple brush; this, along with a garden hose, can get the job done without the risks of power washing. After any “washing,” it is important to ensure that the surface has plenty of time to dry before proceeding. This time varies by climate and season and can range from hours to several days.

Unlike siding, you can access the back of a garage door; to protect wood on both sides, finishing will need to done on the interior and exterior. Wood is a hydroscopic material: It changes with the humidity levels of its environment. Wood swells in high humidity and contracts in low humidity. This expansion and contraction is a primary cause of many finish failures. If the inside of the door is not protected, it can cause finish stress to the exterior side. Because the inside of the door is protected from wind and rain, you will not need to maintain this surface as frequently, but it should still be checked regularly.

Inside and outside finish work can protect wood from the effects of sun, wind and rain; proper preparations can yield long-lasting and beautiful results. Whether you work with colorful paints or simple penetrating oils, your goal is to protect wood. The added stress of movement makes garage doors more susceptible to damage, but their accessibly can make quick work of the required tasks.

Got Wood?

Some things do come back in style if you wait long enough. Think hip-hugger pants, shag carpeting and, yes, even wood garage doors. The wood garage doors of the 1970s are back in a big way. It’s one of many design trends that have come and gone.

The first revolution in garage door materials happened in the 1980s, when raised panel steel doors replaced wood ones. They continue to dominate the market today, mainly because they’re economical and low-maintenance. But for certain homes — especially custom homes or those with an Old World look — a big expanse of cold steel just won’t do. Frequently the garage door is a major part of the front of a home and people are finding that they can do something more interesting.

For this reason, wood has become the most popular option. But these aren’t the humble wood doors of two decades ago. For example, 1^st United Door Technologies offers wood doors in a carriage-house style that has an old-fashioned craftsman look. Made of the finest wood, they offer a much richer appearance and you can expect to pay four times or more what you would for steel doors.

Just as wood is beginning to catch on, the next wave of garage doors is already approaching. If you have a steel garage door, there are ways to ramp up its curb appeal. You can select different patterns or textures and install windows; and there’s always the do-it-yourselfer’s best tool: paint. But if you want your garage door to be a focal point rather than something to disguise, wood may just be worth its price tag.

Garage Door Romance

Can any homeowner live without a garage door?

People leave garage doors alone until they’re broken, even though they can make a family safe. Garage doors are primarily made from two materials, steel and wood.

The scale of drudgery that they entail differentiates steel from wood residential doors, confirmed the product manager of a leading manufacturer of overhead rolling doors. Not much is needed to keep in optimum state steel doors coated with baked enamel. The enamel is a protective covering, needing only minor touch ups for scratches, for steel doors.

However, steel doors can also be painted. There are also those who prioritize a blend between the doors and the rest of the home exterior, preferring a full bodied paint. No harm comes to galvanized steel doors from rain, sleet, or snow.

Wood doors, unlike their steel cousins, can be ground down, resulting in rifts and sagging, if they are not safeguarded. It is highly recommended that at least two coats of oil based paint, stain or other exterior finish are applied. A single coat must be applied on an annual basis to preserve the wood.

Those who heed this guidance can expect their doors to stay looking new for decades to come. In fact, wood doors often retain their new appearance longer than steel doors because they are more flexible. It is this suppleness that helps it resist impact. Wood cannot be distorted or wounded by a brief rap of a solid object. However, steel doors have been known to bow or succumb to damage.

Insulation is possible with flush doors of either wood or steel, but it is not possible with wood panel doors. Insulation only works if weather stripping is put all around the door.

The doors can be hushed and strengthened with insulation. To insulate the whole garage, more than the door should be taken care of. Measurements of the garage opening, head room, and side room, should all be taken into consideration when getting a garage door. The area from the top of the opening to the nearest impediment is the headroom.

Similarly, the side room measures the distance from the side of the opening to the nearest obstruction on the wall. Getting the hardware in is all about correct measurements. The homeowner should ask the dealer, who, quite often offer free estimates to the consumer, to measure the door opening. No matter the cost, garage doors are best mounted by the dealer.

Time After Time: Garage Door Maintenance

The garage door is one part of the home that requires a bit of maintenance recurrently to make it operate properly.

What materials is the garage doors fabricated from? Some garage doors constructed from explicit materials would require more maintenance and maintenance than others. The wooden garage doors require frequent repainting or re-staining to protect it. The garage doors are subject to all forms of inclement weather which might wear away it’s finishing, inflicting it to warp. A bent or warped floor hampers the graceful movement of the tracks and makes catastrophe of the mechanisms. The steel garage doors do not warp however it requires repainting to make it look nice.

You will also have to lubricate all of the shifting parts of the garage doors from time to time. This might allow the equipment to run smoothly and efficiently. Regularly applying oil to the shifting parts will make additionally defend parts to put on against the others and getting eroded.

To avoid the necessity for garage door repair you would have to just be sure you tighten all of the screws. The motion and vibration of heavy objects cause loosening of bolts and nuts after due course of time, so tightening them often with a screw driver would stop any need for calling garage door repair services.

You also need to make sure there aren’t any obstructions that block the pathway and the tracks of the garage door. Be sure that the transferring parts move freely and easily. To avoid garage door repair, you would have to make a daily schedule for upkeep of the garage doors. You’ll be able to fix a particular date of every month on which you’d carry this task. Maintaining the garage door often will help unnecessary garage door repair services.

Over time and even after common upkeep, your garage door may still require some skilled garage door repair services.