Children need instruction that the garage door and its openers are not playthings

When one door closes, another opens, so goes the saying. However, you may want to know who is opening and closing that door, especially if it's the kids who are playing with the garage door.

Posted 1 15 19 by E. Winkle

Unsurprisingly, it's big. And heavy. In fact, the garage door is the largest and heftiest moving device in your home.

To ensure your family's safety, instruct children that garage doors are not playthings to be around. Nor are garage doors to be opened and closed for amusement.

The garage door is a mechanism with moving parts and an electric motor that's coupled with high-torque springs. With proper use and maintenance a garage door should last as expected. But with misuse, especially as a plaything, it can be dangerous to your children and their playmates. If that's the case, your garage door might cause injury or break down sooner rather than later.

Because parents need to be serious about garage door safety, instruct your kids about the rules for playing in the garage, here are seven safety tips to teach your children.

1. Garage doors have been known to fly off the track, possibly crashing down to the floor. Therefore, playing near or with the garage door should be considered a "danger zone."
2. Don't play with the wall button or the remote opener (yes, kids love that remote clicker). These devices are for parent use only. Overuse and sudden reverses with constant "clicking" places stress on the precisely coordinated spring-cable-motor system.
3. Avoid being near a garage door when it is moving, and especially, never dart out the door opening when it is in motion.
4. Don't touch a garage door when it is moving. Fingers can get caught between closing panel sections.
5. The tight cables on both sides of the garage door should never be plucked when the garage is stationary or in motion. Cables are a component of the high-torque spring system. Springs are dangerous objects and can break without warning.
6. Don't play with the photo eye sensors near the floor on both sides of the garage door. They reverse the downward door cycle when an object or person interrupts the invisible beam. If the photo eyes are misaligned by an errant soccer ball, for instance, the safety system will be terminated and the garage door won't close for safety's sake.
7. Never climb on the interior side of a garage door. Some garage door reinforcement struts look like a ladder, and when adults are not around, these cross members might be tempting to climb when stationary, or ride when opening. This is a big no-no.

As a final point, if you have an outside keypad entry into the garage door, keep the code a top secret. Kids have good memories when they are curious. So safeguard the code by placing one hand over the other when keying-in the entry code.

You'll always need to open a safe and secure garage door, but beyond that, close the door to children using the garage door as a toy.

Garage Doors Top the List for home upgrades again this year

A recent study by Remodeling magazine verifies that replacing a garage door garners a hefty return on investment, and that additional improvement could attract the right buyer.

Posted 12 14 18 by E. Winkle

Let's hear some applause for new garage doors. Surveys reveal that replacement garage door cost versus return on investment (ROI) time after time ranks at the top for home improvement projects.

A recent study by Remodeling magazine verifies that replacing a garage door garners a 98 percent return ROI. Yes, garage doors are the top ROI for home upgrades. Could this be almost as good as leaving your money under the mattress? Perhaps not. However, in this instance, you're perking up the curb appeal of your home and that additional improvement might attract the right buyer should you list your home for sale.

Also worth mentioning is that new garage doors can add to your security and provide insulated comfort for garage projects during colder months. Thinking of a new DYI plan to utilize more you man-cave time right now?

What's the lowdown on this report? The Cost vs. Value Report is an annual register of popular home improvement projects in the U.S. as a tool for the building trades and real estate professions, and, of course, homeowners like you.

By comparison, the ROI for a deck addition is 83%, while a minor kitchen remodel came in at 81% and 74% for new vinyl windows.

So the next time you're thinking of remodeling your house, a new garage door might be a safer, more attractive investment alternative than keeping your money in a piggy bank — or under a mattress.

Videos to Help You Solve Garage Door Issues

Posted 11 3 18 by Staff

The Big Door. Like all mechanical things in your home, garage doors need to be maintained.

 

What kids should know about garage door safety. Keeping kids and your family safe within range of garage doors.

 

Garage Door Maintenance Checklist, Tips and Tests. What you need to know about your garage door.

 

Garage Door Won't Open. If your garage door won't open it could be a broken spring. Call us to fix the problem.

The useful life of a garage door

Regular maintenance and lubrication of the garage door's moving parts and torsion springs may extend the life of your springs and garage door.

Posted 11 12 18 by Staff

The manufactured original garage door quality influences how long a garage door will last in years.

Generally, garage doors should last about 15 years. However, higher quality doors of 45mm gage steel with polyurethane insulating foam insulation should endure somewhere between 20 to 30 years.

By comparison with the garage door interior workings, openers last 10 to 15 years, while garage door torsion springs fail after several years of open-close cycles, usually close to 10,000 cycles.

A new garage door will require painting after about 15 to 20 years, while a self-painted garage door usually paralells a home paint job, which is about every 10 years.

Regular garage door maintenance and proper lubrication of moving parts, of course, will extend the life of your garage door and help you avoid service calls. When applying lubrication, use a specialized garage door spray that contains a silicone or a white lithium base.

Should a new garage door include windows?

A garage door with windows looks better and lets in more light, but there is a downside.

Posted 9 2 18 by Staff

Choosing between a garage door with windows or not depends on if the positives outweigh the negatives.

The garage door window positives include better curb appeal, natural light brightening the garage during the day and it's a plus for people who work on garage projects during daylight while keeping the garage door closed.

Negatives involve less privacy (because even high windows can be tempting to prying eyes), and there's a reduction in energy efficiency.

And if you are thinking about installing your own garage door, think twice. Yes, you might be saving some money, but you'll need a full day to install it, not to mention the parts and dangerous winding of the torque spring, which requires special tools.

Hire a professional like us. A new door is installed in about a half day, we'll haul the old one away. And should something go wrong, you'll have us to call, as We stand behind our work.