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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]

Adore Your Garage Door

Whether you’re planning to build a new home or are doing a remodel, it’s unlikely you think much about your garage door. Still, it’s the largest moving part in your home and the broadest piece of curb appeal on display. Today’s best garage doors are detailed to blend into the aesthetics of the home’s design. Their architectural frame occupies a major portion of the front landscape and has a major impact on the street perception of the home.

Garage doors can have character too. In many homes, the garage doors often incorporate carriage house motifs that greatly enhance the architectural character of the home and the neighborhood. The latest garage doors offer increased style and function that can enhance the aesthetics of any home. And they are safer to use than ever before.

Decorative options are helping homeowners differentiate their doors adding a dynamic architectural accentuation to their home with a selection of glass inserts and new styles of hardware. Homeowners and builders alike are expressing increased interest in carriage-style garage doors, designed to fool the eye and mimic old-style sliding or swing-up doors. These are drawing the most attention due to their distinctive architectural styling and for traditionally styled homes this is [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]

Cleaning and Preventative Maintenance

Make your garage door last longer and operate efficiently

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 [more]

June is Garage Door Safety Month

Top 10 Garage Door and Opener Safety and Security Tips

The International Door Association and the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association have designated June as Garage Door Safety Month.

First United Door Technologies will be working to increase public awareness, throughout the month, of the possible hazards of garage doors and automatic opener systems, and the need for periodic inspection and maintenance to keep them safe.

It’s important that the public is aware of garage door safety and that safety checks should be done to insure it’s in proper working order by using these ten garage door safety and security tips.

Make sure garage door opener control button is out of the reach of small children.
Do not let children play with garage door remote controls.
Consult the owner’s manual and learn how to use the garage door’s emergency release feature.
Visually inspect the garage door each month. Look at springs, cables, rollers and pulleys for signs of wear. Do not attempt to remove, adjust or repair these parts or anything attached to them. A trained door repairman must make adjustments to these parts, which are under high tension.
Test the garage door opener’s reversing mechanism monthly by placing a 2 x 4 board or a roll [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]

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]

Ready Your Garage Door for the Winter

The garage door is the main access point to the home for more than 70 percent of homeowners, and as the Winter weather approaches, it’s important for homeowners to ensure the operation and safety of your household’s main point of entry.

First United Door provides some helpful tips to ensure your garage doors are ready for Winter.

Weather Stripping

Check the weather stripping around the garage door to ensure it is keeping out the cold air, and replace any damaged or missing seals.Clean the weather stripping with a good all-purpose cleaner. Lubricate it every 2 or 3 months with a SILICONE-based lubricant. Never use a petroleum-based lubricant on weather stripping as it will dry up and crack. Don’t forget the weather strip between your door panels. 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 is too tight, the door will not function properly. So if your weather stripping has lost its flexibility, it is best to replace it.

Maintaining the Hardware

Older garage doors can malfunction in the cold weather, so garage door maintenance and inspections are even more important during the Winter months. Metal parts of a [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]