Don’t let your garage door be nothing more than an afterthought. You may not look at your garage door all day long, but it is one of your most important doors. A dirty, worn-out door is going to make you stick out like a sore thumb! We here in Akron, Canton, and all of the beautiful cities in Northeast Ohio know a thing or two about form and function. Your garage door serves both masters. Take steps to improve its lifespan and functionality. This is especially true if you’ve just gotten one or are shopping for one. Let us help you through the process.
Top Considerations as You Shop for a New Garage Door
The most important consideration as you shop for a new garage door should be the safety and security of your family and belongings. Do you want to access the latest garage door technologies to improve the security of your garage door and its associate components? Consider that some garage door openers utilize something called a “rolling code” technology. This technology changes the security code every time someone enters or exits. With a billion combinations available, there is no way a bad actor will get your code and break in.
When you evaluate safety, consider garage doors that have sensors to detect people, pets or other objects as it opens or closes. Also consider the horsepower of the opener you choose. Horsepower ratings will range across models. If you want a heavier garage door, you need to go with a new garage door opener that has a lot of horsepower. Lightweight garage doors don’t require so much torque, so you don’t want to overdo it either.
Obviously, important final considerations should be cost and convenience. If cost is not your primary consideration when getting a new door, it is likely in your top three. Garage door repair professionals like us here at Prestige Door can help answer your questions when it comes to putting a package together that works within your budget. Convenience accessories like smart phone kits and wireless garage door tech may save time, but they increase costs.
Top Tips to Improve the Lifespan of your New Garage Door
As a home owner, you know more than anyone how much of a hassle it is when something major breaks down. Whether it is your washer, fridge, or even your pool pump equipment – it’s never fun. Your garage door should rank right up there with all of the “I hope they don’t break” items in your home. Home repairs are bad for your available time and your bank account. The good thing is you can take steps to mitigate the loss.
It really is incumbent on the home owner to learn how to take care of their home and everything in, on, and around it. The best way to make sure you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to repair things is to ensure they don’t get broken in the first place. Consider the following:
- Consult Your Owner’s Manual: We get it, no one wants to spend time thumbing through a boring manual, but it may have just the information you need to properly understand the functionality of your garage door.
- Consider Lubrication: We have talked about it before because it’s important. Make sure to keep the various components of your garage door well lubricated.
- Keep It Clean: Also take care to ensure your tracks are clean of dirt and debris.
- Conduct an Inspection: Whether you do it or you call in a pro, make sure you inspect your once a year.
Know Thy Garage Door
There is a simple fact of life: You cannot take of a thing you do not know. If you haven’t read your manual, start now. Go online and download a copy if you must. Get the information you need straight from the OEM. Or, feel free to call your local garage door repair expert to get your questions answered.
To know your garage door, you must also check it on a semi-regular basis. Remember, the tracks and rollers supporting your garage door collect dust and dirt over time. To avoid poor performance, stalling, or a potential derailment (heaven forbid!), make sure you conduct a thorough annual inspection and use a damp cloth to remove any dirt and debris. If you find there is too much debris to loosen, call a professional to help you loosen it as it could represent a safety hazard.
Remember that your new garage door is like a car. Over time, it isn’t so new anymore. Just like your car, you need to conduct annual maintenance on your garage door. Here at Prestige Door, we are happy to come to your home, no matter where, from Canton to Cuyahoga Falls, to have a look at your garage door and make sure everything is functioning smoothly.
Trust the Experts
When push comes to shove and your garage door needs servicing, there really is no substitute for the experience of a professional, expert garage door repair person. If you have issues with your garage door, whether new or not, don’t try to perform dangerous technical fixes if you do not have to. Sure, you may have seen a video on YouTube and think you know exactly what to do, but you may need special tools. In the end, what you end up doing may be a more dangerous or temporary fix. Even worse, you could injure yourself or damage your garage door.
Here at Prestige Door of Northeast Ohio, our mission is to provide our friends, family, neighbors, and members of our community with a trusted, affordable garage door repair and installation service. If you need a garage door but are having problems figuring out the model, have a look at our gallery. We are experts in new garage door installation and can advise you on exactly what you need to consider when making your selection. Got questions? We got answers. Contact Prestige Door today!