GARAGE DOOR SELECTION, REPAIR, AND MAINTENANCE TIPS
Installing an efficient garage door on attached garages is practical and makes good financial sense in the long run. High quality, insulated garage doors reduce heat loss in Winter and heat gain in Summer, subsequently lowering your energy bills. The best garage doors have insulation values as high as R-18, an indoor steel skin covering the insulation, and a thermal break between the indoor and outdoor skins. Find “Homeowner Approved” garage door repair companies in Charlotte here.
SELECTING A GARAGE DOOR
Smaller windows placed high on the garage door make it more difficult for someone to see indoors, making theft less likely. Double-pane glass or acrylic plastic works well and, if you need more light, you can install a tubular skylight in the ceiling rather than have larger windows in the door.
AUTOMATIC GARAGE DOOR OPENERS – CONVENIENCE AND SECURITY
Available in many sizes, quality levels, and designs, automatic garage door openers offer both convenience and security, and can be retrofitted to most garage doors. Using a wall-mounted or portable remote control, homeowners can open or close their garage from a distance without bending to lift the door or having the inconvenience of getting out of the car. This feature can be especially useful during inclement weather. Also, when in the down position, the garage is automatically locked, and safe from would-be intruders.
SELECTING A GARAGE DOOR – SAFETY TIPS
If you have children, select a garage door with pinch-resistant panel edges. Designed so there is no open gap when the panels come together, these doors make it less likely that little fingers will get pinched when the door is moving. Similarly, automatic stop/reverse functionality and photocells prevent damages and injuries by preventing the door from closing on items in the door’s path. To help prevent injury, some experts suggest testing and adjusting the safety reverse periodically, to assure it is working properly. Start by opening the door, placing a 2 x 4 on the floor in the center of the door opening, and then activating the door. If the door does not reverse when it hits the board, then the feature is not working properly. Finally, always hire a professional garage door installer to work on broken springs. Serious injuries are common when less experienced “do-it-yourselfers” attempt to replace or repair a broken spring.
GARAGE DOOR REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE TIPS
Apply WD-40 to garage door rollers and hinges and, most importantly, the springs, three to four times yearly.
Make sure that worn or frayed garage door cables are serviced by a professional technician as soon as possible.
Ensure that all the bolts on the garage door and track are tight, so that your door does not work itself free and/or fall down.
Check your garage door springs to make sure they are rust-free.
Check the garage door’s balance by pulling the emergency release on your door while it’s closed, lifting the door to waist level, then letting it go. If the door flies open or forcefully falls to the ground, the springs require adjustment.
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