Author Archives: 1st United Door Technologies
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 [more]
NEW INTELLIGENCE IN GARAGE DOOR OPENERS
A New Generation of LiftMaster Garage Door Openers and Accessories Enabled By MyQ™
1st United Door Technologies debuts a new generation of LiftMaster residential garage door opener models enabled by MyQ™ technology, a patented, two-way intelligent communication system embedded in the new units that will take homeowner freedom and convenience to an entirely new level.
LiftMaster, the number one brand of professionally installed garage door openers and access solutions, introduced the groundbreaking technology into two units of a new line, the LiftMaster Elite Series™ Belt Drive 8550 and the Premium Series Chain Drive 8360. They clearly demonstrate how wireless technology works alongside MyQ-enabled accessories.
Paving the way as the new intelligence in garage door openers, these models feature an enhanced logic board that functions as a new, smarter ‘brain’ inside. As one of two radios on the board, the patented MyQ technology, utilizes a two-way communication system that enables these advanced units to open and close the garage door as well as manage other household devices.
For the first time ever, the garage door opener can wirelessly send and receive messages and commands to other household devices that are plugged into LiftMaster accessories enabled by MyQ technology, expanding the garage door opener beyond only [more]
Preparing Your Garage Door for Hurricane Season
Hurricane season officially is here.
It’s an opportune reminder to homeowners in hurricane prone regions to prepare in advance to make sure your home is secure if a storm hits.
The garage door is the largest moving part on your home and may pose a major threat to your property if you live in a hurricane prone region.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA), the loss of a garage door during a hurricane can cause an uncontrolled buildup of internal pressure resulting in a blowout of the roof and supporting walls.
Code-compliant garage doors are critical to preserving a home’s structural integrity during a hurricane. Because of their size, garage doors are more susceptible to wind damage than other exterior openings – especially two-car garage doors. Unless you have a tested, hurricane resistant door installed, high winds can force it out of the opening.
To meet the International Building Code, garage doors must have additional bracing, heavier gauge tracking and other necessary hardware to help keep them in place under extreme winds.
Homeowners with an older garage door may not even realize that it poses a threat. A reinforced door is a small investment that can minimize major damage and property loss. And, if [more]
HOT NEW PRODUCT: MOTORCYCLE GARAGE DOOR OPENER
This is one of the hottest new products of the year!
Deciding Between Garage Door Repair or Replacement
On an older home, a homeowner may find a need for garage door replacement. Sometimes the door has reached a state that will require such a replacement, but sometimes the problem can be fixed with garage door repair. Knowing what problems can be repaired while what other problems will require replacement can help a homeowner have an easier experience in their efforts to maintain the value of their home.
Some problems that can arise can be easily remedied with garage door repair. If the door is not moving well on its track, sometimes the fix can be simple. Though it is often best to call a professional service to address these repairs, working to diagnose the problem can save time and money for the homeowner. Looking to make sure the brackets that mount the track to the wall are not loose, and checking for dents in the track is a good place to start. Cleaning the tracks to remove dust and grease can also help the door run more smoothly. Loose bracket bolts can be tightened, and small dents can be fixed with a rubber mallet, but severely damaged tracks will require a garage door replacement service to replace the tracks.
With [more]
Garage Door Safety Needs To Be A Priority
Many families use the garage door more than the front door. Armfuls of groceries and the kid’s bikes and toys all go in through the garage door. The potential for an accident is high with so much activity swirling around. That is why garage door safety needs to be a priority in every household.
The first question homeowners need to ask is how old is the garage door and opener? A garage door over 10 years old is due for an inspection by a qualified garage door specialist. The specialist will test the springs for any weakness, inspect the opener, and track system for any signs of wear and tear. The homeowner should never attempt to adjust the springs or tension devices. The components are under a great deal of tension, and serious injury can occur.
As a homeowner, there are tests that can be conducted to test the safety of the garage door. First off, if the garage door does not have a reversing feature it is recommended that the door be replaced. New safety regulations require all new installations have this feature. To test the feature place a block of wood under the door as it closes. The door should [more]
Garage doors don’t often make news headlines
Garage doors don’t often make news headlines. But they did recently, as a woman in Holland, Ohio had a mural painted on her house depicting Oprah Winfrey. The mural was to commemorate the 25 years of her talk show, which ended recently. This shows one extreme example of garage door customization. There are other more practical options to upgrade your home’s exterior using garage doors.
Customized garage doors are an easy way to personalize your home as well as add curb appeal and value. They can make a home look more attractive and inviting, and they are generally affordable.
When deciding on new garage doors, one of the most important things to consider is what kind of material you want to use. The two most popular garage door materials are wood and metal. Wooden doors come in a great variety of colors and textures, from natural wood that can give your home a rustic feel, to popular wood paneling used to make your garage look like a carriage house. Metal doors also come in a great amount of varieties, and can be made to look similar to wooden doors.
A newly popular trend with metal garage doors is to paint them a shade lighter [more]
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 [more]
Friday Funny!
The worst garage door opener installation… EVER!