Author Archives: 1st United Door Technologies
Garages That Say, `Welcome Home’
When the car became the dominant means of transport in this country, every new house of any size had to have a garage.
Many if not most of these garages were given a prominent front-row spot – they faced the street. The phrase “attached garage” was a price booster. To be able to walk straight to it from the kitchen without braving the elements was a sign of arriviste luxury.
Often necessitated by lot size, a garage door dominates. Even when it’s not protruding, but set flush in the structure’s front, it manages to draw the eye, to make you look at – because they are closed most of the time – blank walls. The house becomes a backdrop.
“Welcome home, cars,” seems to be the greeting. Here’s the problem: Our cars are bigger and our garages are bigger. Most of our garages face the street so you can’t miss them. Bulky, boring garages make houses look bad and cheap. In certain neighborhoods, the homes look so much alike that the only way to find your house is to use the garage-door opener and see which one goes up.
There is a need to make the front elevation of the home inviting, and not [more]
The Garage Door Remote: Serious Business!
When installing an automatic garage door opener, you will find they come equipped with a garage door remote to allow the door to be operated from inside the vehicle, the home or any other location within range of the remote control. Unlike the remote which operates numerous appliances in the house like your television set, the garage door remote does not operate on infrared, which needs a direct line of sight for the signal from the remote to access the controller.
Since the garage door remote doesn’t have to see the opener to operate it will send the signal through walls and doors and, based on the quality of the opener, over distances as far as 150 to 200-feet. This allows a person operating a vehicle to open the door from the end of their driveway so the door is open before their vehicle reaches the garage door. They can also utilize the garage door remote to close the door once inside, prior to exiting the vehicle, to remain protected from the elements and other risks which may be present.
When building garage, you can also consider installing garage door rollers in your garage door. Choose the right remote to open the [more]
Garage Doors: A Home Improvement Trend
What is one of the hottest home improvement trends?
Garage makeovers, because the right garage door will not only enhance the beauty of your house, but increase its value too. Just as much as having the wrong garage door, a damaged or unkept one will decrease the value of your home.
Garage doors are often the single largest feature for the front of the house and will play a major factor in complementing the overall style of your home. Consumers often consider the garage door as just something to cover the opening where you park your cars. But this should never be overlooked. Garage makeovers will make a difference and bring undeniable advantages to your home.
So, what is the right door for your home?
First and foremost, it is to select a design that can be well-integrated to your existing architectural style. You don’t want your new garage door to stick out like a sore thumb; you want it to appear as if it has always been a part of your property.
Quality is next. There are many garage doors in today’s market with varying degrees of quality. Martin Garage Doors offers you the finest quality for your money. Keep in mind that quality [more]
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 [more]
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/
Paint It!
Garage doors often suffer from wear and tear. In order to make sure that your garage door stays in top shape, you need to paint it periodically.
All aspects of the weather from sun to snow can be harmful to the appearance of your garage door. Discoloration of the garage door is mainly because the sun directly falls on your garage door, the rain soaks all the metal parts of the garage door which will cause it to rust over time. Also, there are chances of snow getting freeze into your garage door during winter which melts due to the heat from your house and then re-freezes. All of the above can harm the state of your garage door.
When you first install your garage door, take a photo of it so that you can compare its condition. the photo you take when the door is new will remind you of how your door really should look. But if you have taken another and more recent photo of your door, you will easily be able to see the wear and tear your door has suffered. This is a sure indication that you should do the necessary maintenance work as early as possible [more]
A Healthy Garage Door: Get a Check-Up
Your garage door should get a regular check-up to maintain its health!
Watch and Listen to your door. Strange sounds or motions can be signs of trouble. Popping, banging, snapping, grinding, or an oddly moving door generally indicates an UNSAFE door.
Monthly visual inspection. Stand inside the garage with the garage door closed. Look over the garage door springs, cables, rollers, pulleys and mounting hardware, such as hinges, for signs of wear or damage. Look for cable wear or fraying. Is the mounting hardware becoming loose? If something doesn’t look quite right – or doesn’t sound quite right – it could be the symptom of a more serious issue. Have the garage door system inspected by a trained service technician.
Monthly door balance test. If your door is equipped with an automatic opener system: CLOSE the door and disconnect the automatic opener. (Do not disconnect while the door is open.) Once you are able to lift the door manually: Lift the door. It should lift smoothly with little resistance and should remain fully open. If it is difficult to open or does not remain open, the door may be out of balance and should be serviced by a trained service technician.
Monthly reversing mechanism [more]
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 [more]
Up and down. Down and up. Day in. Day out. Double time on weekends.
Your garage door, typically the largest and heaviest moving object in your home, works without any complaints and is at your command with the press of a button. Give it some attention.
Regular garage door maintenance should be done once a year. Getting a professional who looks at all the bearings and springs and just makes sure its operating properly is the thing to do. Usually this amounts to minor adjustment on the torsion shaft bearings. Then the homeowner can lubricate the bearings about every three months since it’s so dry here.
Homeowners should always listen to their garage doors. Once the door is operating properly, it should move up and down quietly and efficiently. There should be no added noise. Any unusual noise probably means something is wrong.
Besides making it easy to get in and out of your home, automatic garage doors are a safety investment. If you have to get out of your car to open the garage, you’re exposing yourself to anybody who is outside. If you drive in, you simply close the door behind you. All garage door openers today are random rotators which means it rotates to a new code each time. So every time you press [more]
A Great Fix-Up Starts with your Garage Door
What’s the one home fix-up project that takes only a couple of hours and yields the biggest bang for the buck of any exterior home renovation?
Here’s a clue: This project adds style, energy efficiency and security to your home and the preparation is easy and mess free – all you need is an Internet connection and a telephone. For most people, the answer does not immediately come to mind: it’s a stylish new garage door.
Think about it. If your house has an attached garage, the garage door may comprise more than one-third of your home’s front facade. If that home is more than five years old, your garage door probably is a solid colored, raised-panel door that looks like every other garage door in the neighborhood.
A new door, quickly and correctly installed by a local professional, will differentiate your home and add style, value and curb appeal. The hottest new style in garage doors is the carriage house design. It’s available in steel, wood or composite materials and in many price ranges.
A garage door is an important home improvement project. It is typically the first thing people notice when they pull into your driveway or pass your house. Doors also [more]