Tag Archives: garage door replacement
Phone Conversation: “My garage door is frozen!”
Homeowner: My garage door is stuck from the Winter’s cold? What can I do to unstuck it?
Garage Door Dealer: Can you see ice at the bottom of the door?
Homeowner: Ah, yes.
Garage Door Dealer: Well then your garage doors weather seal is probably frozen to the concrete. This happens when the bottom of the door sits in water or wet snow that eventually freezes when the temperature dips.
Homeowner: So what do I do?
Garage Door Dealer: Well, to get the door unstuck, break off the ice or use warm water to melt the ice. Then raise your garage door and clean and dry the area to prevent the door from refreezing when you’ve finished.
Homeowner: That sounds simple. I tried to force my door open and break the ice.
Garage Door Dealer: That could rip your weather seal and then water, snow and cold air could get into your garage. Then you’d have to replace the weather seal.
Homeowner: I don’t want to do that. Well thank you for your information.
Garage Door Dealer: Just one more idea. Think about waxing your door with the same wax they use on cars. This can be a great way to prevent ice from sticking to your [more]
Is It Time for a New Garage Door?
You’ve repaired and replaced, repaired and replaced, but your old garage door still isn’t working right. There comes a time when pouring all that time and money into a faulty door just doesn’t make good fiscal sense anymore. In some parts of the country, garage doors are continuously pounded by harsh weather conditions including snow, sleet, ice, and hot sunshine. Here are some ways that homeowners can know when it’s finally time to get a new garage door.
Dents: A dented garage door is not necessarily a safety hazard, but it is certainly an eyesore! Even if your yard is immaculately kept and the rest of your house looks terrific, the sight of a dent or dents in the garage door will wipe out any positive impression when people drive up to your property: and this could result in a loss of value to your home too if you’re considering selling.
Rust: Rust is not only unsightly, but it is also a sign that your garage door will soon be experiencing operational problems if it isn’t already. Rust is a symptom of corrosion in a door’s metal parts, and these parts may break or fall apart unexpectedly resulting in inconvenience or even [more]
GARAGE DOORS: WE’RE #1
In the new 2016 Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com), an upscale garage door replacement leaped to the top spot in the rankings of 11 upscale projects studied, while a mid-range garage door replacement again ranked third of 19 mid-range projects. The 2016 report compares the average cost for 30 popular remodeling projects with the value those projects retain at resale in nine U.S. regions and 100 U.S. markets. Garage doors have been included in the annual report since 2010.
We’re #1!
In the new study, the approximate $3,140 cost for an upscale garage door replacement delivered an estimated value at sale of $2,830, equating to a 90.1 percent Return On Investment (ROI). Far behind in second place was upscale siding replacement (fiber-cement) at a 78.1 percent ROI. The garage door’s new status as the number one upscale project should help to boost sales of upscale doors in 2016. The typical $1,652 cost for a mid-range garage door had an estimated value at sale of $1,512, or 91.5 percent of the original cost. Topping the list was attic insulation, recouping 116.9 percent, followed by manufactured stone veneer at 92.9 percent. At 91.5 percent, a garage door replacement still holds excellent value as [more]
The Ficticious R Factor
The garage door industry association, the Door & Access Systems Manufacturing Association (DASMA ) is in the process of performing U factor testing and eliminating R rating on all garage doors. This has been expected for some time as the major manufacturers (Clopay, Overhead Door, Wayne Dalton, CHI, Amarr/Entramatic and others) have been battling over who has the highest R-Factor.
Forty years ago a company, by the name of McKee Door, did testing on a 10′ x 10′ insulated door that didn’t have weather seals around the perimeter. They determined that they may as well have a 12 inch diameter hole in the center of the door due to air leakage. Perimeter seals are a major factor in buying an insulated garage door. Regrettably no one in our industry provides anything close to the kind of seals that the window entry door industries provide on their products.
So while consumers and door dealers get hung up on polystyrene/urethane doors with fictitiously high R-Factors, they are doing nothing less than selling the consumer a bill of goods. It’s reminiscent of the same commotion that energy tax credits and pinch-proof doors provided and flooded the industry for a number of years.
A conditioned air space and an [more]
Garage Door Replacement is among the Best Home Investments
Remodeling Magazine has released its 2016 Cost vs. Value report, which states that a garage door replacement is among the leading remodeling investments. The report, which evaluated 30 popular home remodeling projects in 100 markets across America, is based on how much real estate experts estimate those projects will increase a home’s value at resale.
Garage doors were among the top three best investments in both mid-range and upscale home remodeling projects. Among the 30 remodeling projects that real estate experts evaluated, garage door replacement was the number 1 remodeling project with the greatest return on value by far in the upscale project range. Among mid range remodeling projects, only adding attic insulation and replacing vinyl siding with manufactured stone veneer had greater recoup values than garage door replacement. The 2016 recoup value of garage door replacement was higher in both mid-range and upscale remodeling projects versus the 2015 values.
Homeowners and remodelers should consider the STEELHOUSE™ Carriage House Door by First united Door Technologies. With an immediate impact on the curb appeal of any home, the available designs of the STEELHOUSE™ Door brings the traditional look and design of the old style wood carriage door without the problems that were once associated [more]
Are Cheap Garage Doors Really Worth It?
It’s easy to see where you may want to try and save money anyway you possibly can when it comes to buying a new garage door.
You think cheaper always better?
Obviously, the answer is no. Are there less expensive garage doors that are still high quality products? You bet!
There are some basic factors that you need to consider before choosing the one that would fit your specifications. These are the qualities of materials used, design and of course the garage door prices. The first thing that you need to do is to determine the design and style that you want and then allocate your budget. Once you have pictured something in your mind it will be easier for you to narrow down your search and focus on how much the door of your choice would cost.
It is normal to be worried about garage door prices because you want to get your money’s worth, right? If you are not careful you might end in getting a door with substandard quality or materials yet with a high price, the best technique here is to survey everything on offer and be selective. You should shop around and look at the various options and prices [more]
June is Garage Door Safety Month
Increasing Garage Door Safety Awareness
The International Door Association (IDA) and the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) have designated June as Garage Door Safety Month. Both associations and their affiliated manufacturers will be working to increase public awareness of the possible hazards of garage doors and automatic opener systems, and the need for periodic inspection and maintenance to keep them safe.
Just as your customers want their garage door system to operate properly every time they need it, they also want it to operate safely at all times.
The garage door is typically the largest moving object in your home. Properly maintained and operated, a garage door and its operating system allow them, their families and their vehicles convenient access to and from their home. They also provide security and protect against the elements. Newer, insulated garage doors even help save energy.
But moving garage doors can also cause serious injury. While there are some garage door system maintenance chores that your customers can – and should – perform on a regular basis, there are other tasks (including garage door installation and garage door spring replacement) that are best left to you, the dealer.
You have a responsibility to your customers to make sure [more]
A good time for cleaning and some preventative garage door maintenance
On a busy day your garage door may open and close 20 times, so routine maintenance is a must to keep it in good working order. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Regular garage door cleaning and maintenance will guarantee a great look and longer life of your door.
Appearance
Clean your garage door regularly with mild soap (like dishwashing detergent) and a soft bristle brush. Avoid using abrasive cleaners and very strong liquid cleaners which could damage the paint or cause delaminating. If you have a steel garage door, you can revive its luster by applying a car wax as it will protect against acid rain and dust. It is best to avoid waxing in direct sunlight to achieve better results. If there’s exposed wood, be sure to paint it.
Exterior Weather-Stripping
Clean the weather stripping around the frame and bottom edge with a good all-purpose cleaner. Lubricate it every 2 or 3 months with a Silicone-based lubricant to keep the stripping pliable. Never use a petroleum-based lubricant on weather-stripping as it will dry up and crack. It is important to let your weather-strip hang 1/2″ below the door base when you readjust your perimeter weather-stripping. If the weather-stripping [more]
The Original All Steel Carriage House Garage Door
The Original STEELHOUSE Door is an innovative “Modern Carriage Door“, manufactured entirely of steel.
The Original STEELHOUSE™ garage doors have two-sided steel insulated facing boards that are textured, roll formed and laminated to steel backers and then mechanically fastened and bonded to a 23 gauge steel section. Four-inch wide, two-sided steel insulated boards are bonded with epoxy cement and mechanically fastened to ensure positive attachment to the face of the door. All Original STEELHOUSE Doors come standard with CFC-free polystyrene insulation.
A “Reinforced Integral Truss System” (RITS™) gives the Original STEELHOUSE doors strength and rigidity that is unmatched by similar products. In addition to their distinctive style and curb appeal, the Original STEELHOUSE patented doors are half the weight and cost of wooden doors. Virtually maintenance-free, the Original STEELHOUSE doors will not warp, crack, or split. Quite simply, it doesn’t get better than that.
From a base of nine models and over 15 designer top sections, Original STEELHOUSE Doors offer more than 200 unique configurations to ensure diversity from one home to the next and from one subdivision to the next. Homeowners, builders, architects and municipalities alike, are using Original STEELHOUSE Doors to bring a fresh, handsome appearance to neighborhoods across [more]
When is it Time to Replace The Garage Door?
Garage doors are designed to last many long years. Products are available to help maintain the operation and beauty of garage entries, with a bit of annual maintenance. Many homeowners only think to replace garage doors when something happens that makes it necessary, such as being hit with a car or lawnmower.
Even without accidental damage, garage doors do suffer wear and tear over time, especially from the elements. Waiting too long to replace worn out doors and openers can create a serious safety hazard. Doors and openers that are worn cease to operate properly, and accidents can occur.
Energy efficiency is yet another reason to upgrade existing garage doors. Over time, the seals that help stop air loss around the garage doors weaken and wear out. Once these seals become too worn, air loss begins to occur, which creates an expensive power concern. For old doors that do not have insulation, replacing them with new, well insulated doors is an investment in energy conservation that can pay for itself in energy savings over the life of the door.
Signs to look for that a garage door is at the end of its useful life include lack of insulation and modern safety features, [more]