Boosting Your Home’s Curb Appeal With Garage Door Repairs

Garage doors can be damaged in a variety of ways, from inclement weather to a momentary loss of vehicular control. Some unsightly dings, dents and damages may be merely cosmetic, causing no loss of function but negatively impacting your home’s curb appeal nonetheless.

If you’re thinking about selling your home in the near future or simply want to make sure that your home is the envy of the neighborhood, springing for some garage door repairs can be a great first step. Contacting a local garage door repair specialist to figure out what your garage door needs in order to be restored to its former glory can pay off in spades in the long run. 

While severe damages may often require a full replacement of the garage door in order to restore functionality, minor imperfections can usually be repaired with a simple panel or window replacement.  A simple assessment from a local company specializing in garage door repair can help you to determine what your garage door needs in order to look its best again, boosting your curb appeal and helping you to ensure that your home is in high demand if you make the decision to list it.

Even if your garage door has no cosmetic imperfections that you can see, it’s wise to carefully inspect the astragal, or bottom section seal. Prospective buyers will scrutinize every detail of your home to discover projects and repairs that could be waiting for them. Making sure that your garage door is in perfect condition and in need of absolutely no maintenance makes for one less concern in a buyer’s mind.

Garage Door Replacement-What You Need to Know

Your garage door, just like any other part of your property, will need to be repaired or replaced at some point over the life of your home. In some cases, the garage door repairs will be minor ones like panel replacement or realignment, things that can be handled with relative ease and speed by a garage door repair technician in your area.

There are situations, however, that will call for a full replacement of your garage door. If the door is hit by a vehicle moving at a fairly high speed or subjected to abnormally severe weather conditions, repairs may simply be out of the question. As general rule, homeowners are advised to replace their garage door any time the total cost of repairing it is fifty percent or more of a full replacement. In the long run, a full replacement of your existing garage door may be actually be more cost effective than continuing to repair it over time. 

Even if your old garage door is still in reasonable working order, you should consider replacing it if you’ll be applying other upgrades to your home’s exterior. Springing for a new paint job or exterior home covering, shutters and doors will give your home an incredibly dramatic facelift, but the effect will be somewhat diminished if you’re holding on to an aging garage door.

Your local garage door dealer or repair technician can help you make the most cost effective and reasonable decision regarding your garage door upgrades, and choose the best option for your home. Even the most complicated replacements can usually be completed over the course of an afternoon, making a garage door upgrade one of the quickest ways to make a positive impact on your home’s exterior appearance.

 

Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Garage Door Safety

Because your garage door has one major function, to open and close on demand, it doesn’t always register with homeowners and parents just how important it is to understand proper garage door safety measures. Your garage door is likely the largest and the heaviest moving object in your home; keeping your family safe depends upon everyone understanding how a garage door should and should not be used. 

Kids love pushing buttons, but they need to know that the garage door is not a toy. Push button controls for your garage door that are mounted on the wall need to be installed at least five feet off of the floor so as to be out of the reach of small children, and adults should make sure that all remote controls are kept out of kids’ reach.

When the garage door is moving, fingers and hands should be kept clear of door sections to avoid serious injury. Playing under or near the garage door, or trying to “outrun” it as it drops, are risky activities that can have serious consequences. Similarly, adults should keep in mind that exiting the garage by attempting to race the door as it goes down is just as dangerous, and also sets a bad example for children. 

Attempting to complete your own garage door repairs is also not advised in most cases, the electric operating mechanism does present a risk of electrocution if mishandled. Springs and cables, which are under an immense amount of pressure, can cause very severe injuries or even death if they’re handled improperly. In the case of any garage door repairs, it’s always best to contact a local garage door repair specialist or technician to ensure your own safety.

Garage Door Accessories for Safety, Appearance and Convenience

In order to make your garage door even safer and more convenient, there are a variety of garage door accessories on the market today. Console control pads that disable remote access, vacation locks and lighted pads to manage systems that feature rolling code openers are among the most popular. Advanced console access panels and specialized remotes help you to control the times when your door is operational, take advantage of increased security measure, control lighting in your garage and even obtain reports to let you know if you’ve remembered to close the door.

With these advanced accessories, you’ll never again be forced to choose between turning around to double-check your garage door or suffering through an agonizing work day of wondering whether or not the security of your home has been compromised. To ensure the safety of your children, pets and reckless adults, there are a variety of infrared beam devices designed to interrupt and reverse the lowering of a garage door when an object passes through the beam. 

In addition to the many technologically advanced safety and access features, there’s also a wide assortment of fixtures and decorative accessories designed to make your garage door functional, as well as beautiful. Increasing your garage door’s functionality while increasing the exterior beauty of your home and boosting curb appeal can be as simple as opting for new features and fixtures. Your local garage door technician or specialist can help you find the items you’re looking for to increase the security, aesthetic value and ease of access that your garage door adds to your home.

Repairing a Damaged Overhead Garage Door

Garage doors can be damaged through a variety of circumstances. One of the most common occurrences that create damage to a garage door is when a driver accidentally backs into a closed or partially closed garage door. No garage door is meant to withstand that type of heavy collision. Whether or not the door can be repaired or needs to be replaced will depend on the amount of the damage and the type of garage door. 

When a garage door has been damaged in this way, the impact often affects more than just the door itself. The door rollers may be knocked off the rails, which can leave the door in a precarious position. The door may fall, causing further damage or injury. It is important to contact a garage door repair professional immediately to assess the situation and secure the door to prevent any further damage. 

Many times only one panel of a garage door has been damaged and the panel can be replaced. Other times the entire door and the hardware will need to be replaced. Regardless of the extent of the damage, it is quite possible that the door has been knocked out of alignment. Again, this is one of the items that your garage door repair professional will need to assess and repair if necessary. 

If your garage door has a window section in it, this is another area that is susceptible to damage. Flying objects or tree limbs from a storm are often the culprits that break the windows in a garage door. These window sections are generally easy for a garage door tech to repair or replace.

The Importance of Garage Door Repair and Maintenance

Just like anything else with movable parts, your overhead garage door does require a certain amount of ongoing maintenance to keep it functioning at its optimum level of performance. In addition, there are parts of your garage door that may need to be repaired or replaced over time. 

Having your garage door inspected and maintained annually can help alleviate problems in operation and avoid more expensive repair bills. Your garage door has several hinges which should be lubricated, along with the rollers for your garage door and the springs. You can purchase this lubricant from your local garage door repair professional, if you feel comfortable doing the lubrication yourself. However, having it done by the professional, along with a full inspection of your garage door may be a better option. 

During a maintenance inspection, a garage door repair specialist should check several different items. Checking the balance of the door is a critical part of that inspection to determine if your garage door is in need of repair. If a garage door is out of alignment, continual operation of the door while it is out of balance can cause additional stress on the parts. An out of balance door can also be the sign of a garage door spring that is in need of replacement. All the bolts and screws of your garage door hardware should be checked and tightened if necessary during your maintenance inspection. 

If you have a wooden garage door, keeping the paint on both the inside and outside of the door maintained is another important factor. Paint is not just there for aesthetics. The paint is there to protect the wood from moisture damage. Applying a fresh coat every few years will maintain both the appearance and the protective seal on your garage door.

Replacing Garage Door Springs Is Not a DIY Job

The tension that helps a garage door open and close smoothly is provided by your garage door springs. There are two different types of springs used for this purpose on overhead garage doors. The most common type are coil springs. These are mounted, one on each side, along the rails of your garage door. The second type is a torsion spring. This type of spring is mounted above the overhead door opening of your garage door. 

Over time, these springs can weaken and even break. Because of the amount of tension on these springs and their size, they can be extremely dangerous to individuals and property, if and when they break. Garage door repair professionals have been trained on the safe removal and installation of these springs. For safety reasons, a homeowner should not attempt to repair of replace garage door springs themselves. This is especially true of the torsion springs. 

If one of the coil springs on your garage door should break, a garage door tech will encourage you to replace both springs at the same time. This is not a ploy to get more money out of your pocket. If one of the two springs has already reached the breaking point, then the other spring is likely to be close to that point, as well. In addition, if only one spring is replaced, then your two springs will not match in tension, as once has years of wear, while the other is brand new. It is important to always replace both springs at the same time. 

Keep yourself and your property safe. Call a garage door repair specialist if you see signs that your garage door springs are weakening or if a spring has already broken.