Coming home to a garage door that doesn’t work, especially in the cold, rain or snow, can be frustrating and maddening. With winter just around the corner it is appropriate to discuss winterizing your garage door. This will help to extend the life expectancy of the door and also give homeowner’s peace of mind that the door will function properly when needed most.

Step 1: Appearance is everything

Tools Needed: Mild Detergent, Car Wax

Remember the old adage, “appearance is everything”? Well it also applies to the garage door. The exterior of the door should be cleaned once a year with a mild detergent. Restrain from using any abrasive cleaners as it will strip the paint from the door allowing for rust to build-up. And there is nothing appealing about a rusty garage door. Once the door is cleaned and rinsed thoroughly car wax may be applied. This will help to protect the door from ultraviolet rays, acid rain and dust. It will also add a nice sleek finish, sure to have neighbors scratching their head on how you did that.

Step 2: My lips are sealed

Tools Needed: All-purpose Cleaner, Silicone Lubricant

Alright maybe not my lips but at least my garage is sealed. It is essential to check the weather stripping and look for areas that may need replaced. The weather stripping ensures a tight seal when the door is in the closed position which helps to keep the wind and cold weather drafts outside where they belong. It is also a good idea to clean the weather stripping with an all-purpose cleaner, rinse thoroughly with water and apply a silicone lubricant. Steer clean from petroleum based lubricants as those tend to dry out the weather stripping which will then lead to cracking.

Garage doors with windows should also be examined to be sure the seals are tight. If not then frost will accumulate between the windows as temperatures reach freezing.

Step 3: It is what is on the inside that counts

Tools Needed: WD40 or similar

Lastly it is time to look on the inside of the garage where all the moving parts are located that are vital to the operation and functioning of the garage door. Prior to lubricating the moving parts remove old grease from the track and rollers with a cloth. Once the grease has been removed it is now ready to lubricate the rollers, hinges and track. Wipe away any excess oil with a cloth. Now it is ready for smooth operation.

After following the above steps you should have no worries about whether your garage door will work or not. And with the proper care and attention it can last for years to come.

Have you ever driven along an otherwise-attractive street and found your eyes riveted on someone’s dingy, unpainted garage door? It got your attention, but certainly not in a good way. No matter how nice the property might be, that one eyesore can change your opinion in a heartbeat. That’s because it sticks out like a sore thumb and detracts big-time from the curb appeal of that particular abode. Having seen or imagined such a spectacle, it’s easy to see what effect a similar door could have on your own garage. Stand back and take a look at your own curb appeal, and you may decide you need a new door.

Replacing a garage door is no longer a difficult job; you just need to know what to look for. Your first decision will be in the type of door you want to buy. Basic styles include roll-up, retractable, side-hinged, or sectional with hinged sections. Although any style will look lovely and add to the look of your home, most people choose doors that retract up into the ceiling of the structure as they take up the smallest amount of space.

If you’ve never had an automatic garage door, you’re in for a treat. Manual doors hardly exist any more, because the convenience of being able to open and close the door from your car has made manual doors very unpopular with consumers. Door openers keep you out of the elements and don’t require you to get out of your car outside your home when you come home late at night. They have also made the once-tight and inconvenient space more open and usable. It isn’t difficult to install an opener, and prices are nominal.

The style of the door your choose should be something that will blend in with the décor of your home. Doors come in wood, fiberglass, and steel, each with their own pros and cons. Wooden doors, although attractive, have lost a lot of favor, because they lack the durability of steel and need more maintenance to keep them looking nice. Wood also expands and contracts with the heat and cold, and it can develop unsightly cracks as it spends years exposed to the weather.

A fiberglass door is a good choice when you want to let in more light or near oceans where salt becomes a factor. Fiberglass is tough and durable and will look nice for many years with only a little cleaning. It is not necessary to paint or stain it.

Steel doors are also a good choice, because they a low-maintenance, don’t crack, warp, or otherwise succumb to the weather, and they always look stylish. They are coated so that they do not rust, and they do not need to be painted. Some of these doors have been designed with steel that’s imprinted with a wood grain so that if you choose to stain it, it will give the impression of wood. If you buy a more expensive door, it will not dent so easily. Repair, when required, can be more difficult than with the other types of doors.

Homeowners looking for ways to make their house “green” or eco-friendly shouldn’t overlook the hardest working door in the house.

As the largest moving part on a home, the garage door plays an important role in energy efficiency and sustainability – two important criteria in green building design. Green building is about reducing environmental impact. With an average life cycle of 15 to 20 years, investing in a durable garage door that can withstand the rigors of daily use is money well spent for your home and the environment. Long-lasting eco friendly products help reduce the impact of manufacturing and building on the environment, as well as distribution fuel costs and general waste. When shopping for a door that is built to last look for galvanized torsion springs, 3-layer galvanized steel construction, a baked-on paint finish that resists fading and peeling, and CFC-free insulation. Insulated steel and composite polymer “faux wood” doors are becoming popular alternatives to real wood doors for two reasons: they are more energy efficient, and the construction material is UV resistant and impervious to moisture, meaning it won’t rot, warp or crack. Therefore, the door won’t need to be refurbished or replaced as frequently as one constructed from natural materials.

Energy Efficiency

An insulated door on your garage can help reduce household energy consumption if you have an attached garage. Since attached garages typically share one or two common walls with the house, any hot or cold air that travels through a door will ultimately reach the adjacent living areas. An insulated garage door can help stabilize temperatures in the garage to reduce heat losses or gains from common house walls. Replacing an older door with a new, energy efficient model can reduce energy loss through the garage by up to 71%, and keep an unheated garage 10 -20 degrees warmer on a cold winter day, according to a study conducted by engineers at Clopay Building Products. Three-layer steel garage doors featuring environmentally safe, CFC-free, polyurethane insulation foam injected between two sheets of steel typically offer the highest R-values. R-value is a measurement of thermal efficiency of a door, or how well it insulates. The higher the R-value, the more energy efficient the door is.

Sustainability

In coastal areas or regions where high winds are common, the garage door is a critical element in protecting a home during a storm. Because of their size, garage doors are more susceptible to wind damage than other exterior openings – especially two-car garages. Unless you have a tested, reinforced door installed, high winds can force it out of the opening. The loss of a garage door can cause internal pressure to build up, resulting in a total blowout of the roof and supporting walls – similar to an explosion. Investigate local building requirements and make sure your door meets them.

Garage doors come in a variety of styles and materials to match most any house. The different materials have a wide range of advantages and disadvantages because of their durability, strength and how insulated they keep your home.

Most garages are used for much more than just storing your car. Most become an additional storage space for all manner of sports gear, seasonal decorations and even an overflow pantry. Many times the garage is also home to a work shop. When choosing the materials for your garage doors all these uses need to be taken into account.

Also remember that the garage can typically take up from 1/3 to 2/3’s of the front face of your home so the choices you make in styles and materials will reflect on the value of your home.

Steel

Steel is a very popular choice for doors. It comes in different thicknesses that improve its’ durability. The thicker it is the harder to dent – think bouncing basketball. Because they can be embossed with a wood grain they are a very viable alternative to wood.

While they can be painted they can also be vinyl coated with a wide variety of colors that are guaranteed not to peel. Steel also won’t crack, rust, warp or fall apart because of weather.

While the steel itself is not a good insulator the garage doors can be bought with insulated cores. Not only does these help keep out the cold in the winter and heat in the summer, it also insulates sound which means that they will operate quieter.

If there is a downside to steel it would have to be that it can dent. And once damaged can be very difficult to repair.

Wood

While wood isn’t as durable as steel it is still a popular choice because of its’ natural looks and cost. Because wood can expand and contract from the heat and cold it is prone to peeling and warping. Because of this weathering a wooden garage door will probably require painting or refinishing every couple of years.

If the garage doors are meant to be painted to match your home, a composite wood product is a good choice. As strong as steel, composite wood is made of recycled wood splinters and resist rotting and splitting far better than normal wood doors.

If you are intending on finishing rather painting your door, using a high grade appearance wood can create a stunning look for your home. These doors can be made with cedar, redwood, oak or mahogany. While these doors are beautiful, remember that they are going to require a lot more maintenance and are among the most expensive type of garage doors.

Aluminum

Aluminum is quite popular because it is lightweight, won’t rust and is inexpensive. However it also has a major downside in that it dents very easily and is a poor insulator.

Fiberglass

Fiberglass garage doors usually have a aluminum frame with fiberglass panels. It is lightweight like aluminum and translucent. It is also resistant to salt air corrosion. For this reason fiberglass garage doors are sometimes chosen for areas close to the coast line.

It is not used very much though because it yellows with age and can be broken extremely easy, especially when it is cold. It is also a poor insulator.

Conclusion

So there you have the four basic types of materials for garage doors. Each has its’ own pluses and minuses. They range in price from aluminum as the least expensive to ornamental wood as the costliest.

When choosing the material for your garage door make sure that you consider not only the initial cost but the expected life of the material and the maintenance that will be required to keep it looking good.

A garage door repair company can help secure your garage as well as fix cables, broken springs, broken rollers, and perform other repairs. To know more visit, https://ramirezoverheaddoors.com/aboutus.html