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Fargo Garage Door Trends

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Fargo Garage Door Trends

As the Fargo area continues to grow and evolve, so does our community’s housing market. And with the majority of Fargo garage doors facing the street, it’s becoming increasingly important to put time and resources into your home’s curb appeal.

While most never give a second of thought to their garage door, it’s time to change that mindset. Let’s explore easy-to-implement garage door trends gaining prevalence in the Fargo area.

Grain

With the rise of wood/reclaimed wood in the realm of modern design, garage doors having been taking note. Many people believe that wood offers a sense of elegance. In fact, many homeowners upgrade their home’s interior doors to wood for this reason.

However, wood doesn’t make for a sturdy, resilient garage door.

The strength of steel with the aesthetic versatility of wood. With our Impression Fiberglass doors, the strength of steel with the aesthetic versatility and beauty of wood. These magnificently engineered doors feature an artfully molded wood-grain fiberglass surface while concealing durable steel construction, and provide quality, beauty and value to your home.

Additionally, fiberglass doors have higher R-values, increasing the insulation in your garage and reducing energy usage.

Windows

Sometimes all it takes to completely change the look of a garage door are windows. From squares and arches to rectangles and side verticals, windows set your door apart.

We are seeing a good number of homeowners adding large windows into their garage doors this year. These additional windows increase the natural lighting into the space and give the door an appealing, open look. It also makes the garage door seem larger than it actually is.

Adding large windows to the garage door reduces the need for artificial light, so you can work inside your garage without using overhead lights. Windows also let you see outside the space, which helps you feel less confined in the small space.

Color

For those opting out of the natural wood look, statement-making colors are becoming the popular alternative. And making this color change can be done without having to replace your door.

This is an opportunity to really let your personality shine. Choose a color that uniquely reflects your home’s design and/or your personal taste. However, if you plan to sell your home in the near future, you may want to consider a color that appeals to a wider range of people.

Take note that certain paints don’t adhere to certain garage door materials, so make sure to do your research or contact us to learn more about which paints are best for each material type.

Unique Styles

Yes, there are garage door styles different than the ones you grew up with. And they are beginning to flood our neighborhoods.

Some of the new Fargo garage door styles we are seeing installed include:

  • Carriage
  • Modern Aluminum
  • Courtyard
  • Traditional Wood
  • Thermacore

For once, give thought to letting your garage door dictate the style and personality of your home.

Tech

While these area of your garage door doesn’t necessarily add to its curb appeal, updated technology is becoming a popular trend for Fargo garage doors.

The most popular garage door tech we see among our customers are:

  • OHD Anywhere App & Smart Wall Controller
    • Monitor the current position of your door
    • Instantly know whether or not someone is operating your garage door
    • Operate your door from anywhere
    • Access the history of your garage door use (including dates and times)
  • Battery Backup
    • In the event that your home is victim to a power outage, a battery backup allows you to continue operating your garage door.
  • Conversion Kit
    • With a conversion kit, your garage door opener features a CodeDodger security system. This system continually roles your code among billions of combinations, making it impossible to grab your code.

While we aren’t saying you need to follow these trends, we do recommend at least considering them. Not only do they add marketability and personality to your home, they also increase safety.

For all answers to your questions, contact our team today.

Debunking Common Garage Door Myths

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Debunking Common Garage Door Myths

The amount of information at our fingertips is overwhelming. With this plethora of information available to us, everything we read and hear is true, right?

We all know that isn’t true. So, when it comes to our garage doors, how do we know what is fact and what is fiction? Common sense is a good start, but not everything about garage doors is so simple.

Let’s debunk some of the most common garage door myths.

MYTH 1

No Maintenance Required

While garage doors are inherently reliable, they are not invincible. With many moving parts and thousands of cycles per year, your garage door requires the same TLC your car and lawn require.

By taking 15 to 20 minutes each month to check for issues, lubricate, and make any small adjustments, you can easily avoid the major issues related to improper preventative garage door maintenance.

READ MORE: Preventative Garage Door Maintenance

MYTH 2

Everything Is DIY

While certain maintenance tasks, as we covered above, can be done by yourself, your garage door is more dangerous and complex than you might think.

For example, the only thing you should do to the spring is nothing. This is an ‘observe only’ feature and should be treated like a museum artifact. Existing under an extreme amount of tension, a garage door spring can be deadly.

As for major adjustments, broken parts, missing panels, dysfunctional opener, and other significant problems, make sure to contact a technician. We have seen to many homeowners turn a small, but complex, fix into a major repair.

MYTH 3

Noise = Character

We’ve all met a garage door with a loud voice. However, this isn’t simply a personality trait. It is likely a sign of a serious issue and could potentially be dangerous.

From loose bolts and dry moving parts to worn weather strips and broken springs, there are multiple culprits of garage door noise. While replacing a worn out weather strip is a DIY project, most of the issues need to be dealt with professionally.

LEARN MORE: Why Your Garage Door Is Noisy & How To Silence It

Myth 4

Can’t Accessorize

When it comes to your garage door, it’s not an ‘it is what it is’ situation. There are various ways to make your garage door safer and more versatile.

OHD Anywhere App and Smart Wall Controller. With the OHD Anywhere™ App and Smart Wall Controller, you are given the ability to control, and monitor, your garage door from anywhere.

Battery Backup. Whether due to severe weather or a random fluke event, a power outage means a paralyzed garage door. In the event that your home is victim to a power outage, a battery backup allows you to continue operating your garage door.

Conversion Kit. Just as credit card skimmers steal credit card information, code-grabbers have the ability to steal your garage code. With a conversion kit, your garage door opener features a CodeDodger security system. This system continually roles your code among billions of combinations, making it impossible to grab your code.

Safe-T Beams. With our self-diagnostic Safe-T Beams, your garage not only reverses in the event that your sensors detect a obstruction, but they also possess the ability to:

  • Alert you of improper installation or malfunctions
  • Send you a self-diagnostic code – each code represents a unique problem and solution
  • Adjust sensitivity
  • Automatically reverse door if any component malfunctions

Myth 5

Insulation Is Just An Upsell

In an extreme climate like ours, insulation is extremely effective and can reduce the amount of heat lost through the garage door by over 70 percent.

In the winter, this means protection from frozen pipes, high energy bills, garage doors being frozen shut, and creeping cold air. In the summer, it protects from heat creeping into your home.

Moreover, garage door insulation technology has come a long way and is now very affordable and very easy to install.

If you are unsure about the truth associated with these myths, contact our team today.

Signs You Need To Invest In A New Garage Door

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Signs You Need To Invest In A New Garage Door

When it comes to home improvement, most homeowners are looking for something they can fix easily, quickly, and that will add value to their home. What most of these homeowners don’t realize, is that investing in a new garage door meets all these criteria. Your garage door is one of the first things people see when they look at your home. It’s also the one thing allowing you in and out of your home each day and protecting your precious belongings. Unfortunately, most homeowners completely overlook their garage door. When they do finally pay attention, usually it’s because something catastrophic has happened. Don’t wait for catastrophe. Prevent it. Let’s explore the undeniable signs that you need a new garage door.

Speed

While your garage door isn’t going to open and close at the speed of light, it should move without hesitation and with some gumption. If your garage door isn’t moving like it used to, it’s time to consider investing in a new garage door opener. Has your garage door always been too slow or obnoxiously fast/aggressive? Call us today. An installation mishap is a likely culprit.

Noise

“Dad’s home!” I’m sure we have all been, or lived, in a home where a garage door opening could be heard, and sometimes even felt, from any room in the house. It becomes your home’s alert system for incoming parents, siblings, and children. That noise that you view as part of your home’s character may be potentially dangerous. Sudden sounds, such as grinding, crunching, grating, squeaking or banging, can be a warning sign that it’s time for a replacement.

Aesthetic

First impressions are everything. It’s extremely important for homeowners to remember that styles change over time and curb appeal has the potential to add significant marketability to your home. New garage doors can make a big impact when it comes to how your home looks from the outside. Want to know what a new garage door would like on your garage? Use our DoorView app and see for yourself.

Safety

Most of us never think about the dangers of our garage door. They seem innocent and unassuming enough. What harm could possibly be done? Each year, over 30,000 people are injured in garage door related incidents. Nearly all these cases could have been prevented if necessary maintenance was conducted or they had invested in a new door. What Safety Issues Should I Be Aware Of? Broken Spring.  Powerful, essential, and extremely dangerous. Garage door springs are under an extreme amount of pressure and have the potential to cause life-threatening injury. If you suspect your garage door spring may be broken, contact a technician immediately. In some cases, an entire garage door replacement may be needed, as multiple factors may be the root cause of the breaking springs. Faulty Tracks. Faulty or outdated tracks are a common culprit to a wide variety of garage door safety issues. The issues eventually become unfixable and require complete replacement. Broken Panels. While one or two panels can easily be replaced, when multiple panels are compromised, it is time for a replacement. Ultimately, all these issues leave your loved ones and belongings vulnerable to intruders and severe weather. With safety as our number one concern, if you feel your garage door is no longer safe, contact us and we will find a necessary solution.

Water & Wind

While newer garage doors likely just require new weather stripping, water leakage and drafts, in older garage doors, are typically symptoms of structural issues. If water and wind are coming through the sides and underneath your garage door, you may need to consider a replacement.

High Electric Bills

Older models of garage doors use more power, so a replacement could save you money. Whatever the reason may be, if you detect any of these issues with your garage door, it is likely time to invest in a new garage door.

The Garage Door Questions We Are Asked The Most

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Our Most Frequently Asked Garage Door Questions

When it comes to your garage door, there’s no such thing as a bad question. Often, the answers to these questions aren’t simple. It’s those who assume they know the answers who put themselves on the fast track to safety issues, potential damage, and value-diminishing curb appeal. Let’s shed light on our most frequently asked garage door questions and their respective answers.

Should I Have An Insulated or Non-Insulated Garage Door?

While insulated garage doors aren’t a necessity, they do have their major benefits – especially in our climate.
  • Saves energy
    • By moderating the temperature in the garage, you’re reducing the amount of energy required to heat the rest of your home.
  • More durable
    • Insulated garage doors are uniquely constructed to make them stronger than single layer garage doors.
  • Quieter
    • Insulation adds noise dampening
  • Better protects cars and belongings
    • Cars and belongings stored in a garage with an insulated door is less likely to be subjected to freezing conditions.
  • More convenient
    • Keeping your garage warmer makes it easier to conduct other activities in it.

Should We Replace With A Metal Garage Door or Wood Garage Door?

The battle of materials. For most homeowners, wood and steel garage doors the two most popular options, and there are pros and cons for each. Garage doors are an investment and you want to be sure you are happy with your choice for years to come.

WOOD

Pros:
  • Timeless aesthetic and focus on craftsmanship
  • In most cases, significantly increases marketability of a home
  • More energy-efficient
  • Resistant to dents
Cons:
  • More expensive than steel
  • Requires maintenance and occasional repainting/restaining
  • Affected by the elements

STEEL

Pros:
  • More durable
  • Less expensive
  • Longer lasting
  • Can imitate the look of wood
  • Less maintenance
Cons:
  • May dent
  • May rust
  • Less choices
  • Typically not as aesthetically pleasing
Curious to see what each type of door would look like on your home? Explore our DoorView app , which allows you to upload a picture of your garage and see what all our options would look like on your home.

How Long Should My Garage Door Last?

The typical lifespan of your garage door, uninfluenced by outside factors, is 30 years. However, your garage door is only one piece of an entire garage door system. Your garage door spring, one of the most important elements of your system, has a typical lifecycle of 10,000 cycles. To put this into a relevant perspective:
  • 2 daily cycles = 14 year lifespan
  • 4 daily cycles = 7 year lifespan
  • 6 daily cycles = 3.5 years
With this in mind, you can expect to replace your garage door spring, at least twice, before replacing the actual door itself. If not properly maintained, expect to replace it at least once more. Additionally, your garage door opener should last anywhere from 10 – 15 years. Failure to replace your opener when required could lead to issues down the road and dramatically shorten your garage doors lifespan.

Why is My Garage Door So Loud?

It can be extremely annoying and disruptive to have a garage door that bangs, squeaks, and shrieks. Moreover, these noises may be the sign of a serious issue. That noise that you view as part of your home’s character may be potentially dangerous. Let’s look at the most common reasons a garage door is noisy:
  1. Loose nuts and bolts
  2. Tracks are not properly aligned
  3. Lack of lubrication on moving parts
  4. Broken spring
  5. Worn out weather strip
  6. Dysfunctional garage door opener
Contact a technician to silence this noise.

Can I Make Repairs Myself?

While scheduled preventative maintenance is a DIY activity, necessary repairs should always be done by a specialist. Safety is our first priority at Overhead Door of Fargo. Most common garage door issues have the potential to cause bodily harm and extensive damage to your garage door system. If you have any questions regarding these issues, or require a repair, call us today.

Can I Accessorize?

While your garage door itself serves as a barrier between the inside of your home and the unpredictable nature of the outside environment, it’s the garage door accessories that really shine when it comes to protecting you and your family from unforeseen events. The most popular garage door accessories we see among our customers are:
  • OHD Anywhere App & Smart Wall Controller
    • Monitor the current position of your door
    • Instantly know whether or not someone is operating your garage door
    • Operate your door from anywhere
    • Access the history of your garage door use (including dates and times)
  • Battery Backup
    • In the event that your home is victim to a power outage, a battery backup allows you to continue operating your garage door.
  • Conversion Kit
    • With a conversion kit, your garage door opener features a CodeDodger security system. This system continually roles your code among billions of combinations, making it impossible to grab your code.

How Long Will My Garage Door Last?

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How Long Will My Garage Door Last?

  Besides a Fargoan’s love for Carson Wentz, nothing lasts forever. This holds especially true for your garage door.   One of the questions we answer most frequently is: “How long will my garage door last?”. Unfortunately, this question doesn’t possess a simple answer.  

What Factors Affect Garage Door Lifespan?

A multitude of factors determine the longevity of your garage door system:  
  • Weather conditions – our climate isn’t particularly garage-door-friendly
  • Maintenance and care
  • Product quality
  • Quality of installation

Garage Door Lifespan

The typical lifespan of your garage door, uninfluenced by outside factors, is 30 years. However, your garage door is only one piece of an entire garage door system. Your garage door spring, one of the most important elements of your system, has a typical lifecycle of 10,000 cycles. To put this into a relevant perspective:
  • 2 daily cycles = 14 year lifespan
  • 4 daily cycles = 7 year lifespan
  • 6 daily cycles = 3.5 years
With this in mind, you can expect to replace your garage door spring, at least twice, before replacing the actual door itself. If not properly maintained, expect to replace it at least once more. Additionally, your garage door opener should last anywhere from 10 – 15 years. Failure to replace your opener when required could lead to issues down the road and dramatically shorten your garage doors lifespan.

How Can I Extend/Maintain My Garage Door Lifespan


To learn more about the importance of proper garage door maintenance, check out our latest blog.

Lubricate. Once a month, lubricate your garage door spring, rollers, tracks, and weather strip. Proper lubrication keeps friction from causing excessive wear and tear. Use a silicon-based gel and apply liberally. Do not use WD-40 as it is not a true lubricant. However, feel free to apply WD-40 as a rust preventer.

Test Safety Reversal System & Sensors. Mandatory safety reversal systems make sure your garage door automatically reverses when coming into contact with an object or obstruction. The failure of these systems not only leave people, and belongings, vulnerable to the force of a closed garage door, but it can also lead to damage.

If your garage door comes into contact with an object and doesn’t reverse, it will continue to apply force until the resistance is eliminated. Some homeowners are unaware of obstructions causing their garage door to never fully close. This continual force puts excessive strain on your entire garage door system and can dramatically decrease its lifespan.

Check Spring. A broken spring is the most destructive issue with any garage door system. As the heavy lifter of your garage door system, any faults slowly affect all other garage door components.

Checking your spring on a monthly basis is crucial to proper maintenance. If any issues are detected, call a technician immediately. When your spring reaches its 10,000 cycles, make sure to schedule a replacement. A properly functioning spring will help to ensure your garage door lasts its entire lifespan.

Check Door Opener. The control center. As the captain of your garage door system, your garage door opener needs to be in working order at all times. Periodic checks ensure your garage door is opening and closing properly.

Make sure to replace your opener every 15 years.

Align Tracks. Track alignment is essential to smooth operation. Any alignment issues typically lead to strain on all other garage door components – similar to the garage door spring. While some alignment issues can be fixed by the homeowner, any significant issues must be handled by a technician.

While a homeowner can’t control outside factors, such as the weather and installation quality, he or she can control the care and attention they give their garage door system. With some much needed TLC, you can ensure your garage door lives a long and healthy life.

For a complete preventative maintenance checklist, jump over to our Preventative Maintenance Page.
 

Why Preventative Garage Door Maintenance Is So Important

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Why Preventative Garage Door Maintenance Is So Important

  While garage doors are inherently reliable, they are not invincible. As the most used entrance and exit to and from your home, your garage doors needs the same attention and care your car and lawn need. Unfortunately, they typically become neglected and overlooked.   With spring on the way, it’s the perfect time to implement a garage door maintenance schedule into your life. Need more convincing? Let’s take a look at why preventative garage door maintenance is so important.  

Safety

Each year, over 30,000 people are injured in garage door related incidents. From falling door injuries to DIY projects gone wrong, this number could be significantly reduced if more people conducted proper preventative maintenance. Reversal System. Your garage door is powerful. With the ability to exert deadly force on an individual, a properly functioning safety reversal system is extremely important. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that nearly 40% of safety reversal systems don’t work properly and it’s due to maintenance neglect. DIY Projects. Many are unaware of the potential danger of a garage door system, particularly the garage door springs. Garage door springs exist under extreme stress & tension. If not handled properly, a garage door spring has the potential to be deadly. Of the DIY related injuries seen each year, most are caused by those attempting to fix, adjust, or replace a spring. Along with bodily harm, an improperly functioning garage door leaves your home vulnerable to intrusion and theft.

Lifespan

Not only can improper maintenance lead to injury, it can also lead to shorter lifespan for your garage. Loose bolts, unaligned tracks, faulty safety sensors, lack of lubrication, etc. can all prevent a door from opening and closing normally, which can put excess wear and tear on your door in the long-term. When it comes to your spring, it has a lifespan of 10,000 cycles. However, if your spring isn’t continually lubricated or takes on excess stress due to other issues with your garage door, this lifespan can be significantly reduced.

Convenience

We all have things to do, people to see, and places to be. Unfortunately, this busyness is the primary reason most neglect their garage door maintenance. As we stated before, your garage door is the most used entrance and exit in your home. If your garage door isn’t working properly, you may find yourself stuck on either side. On top of that, it’s likely you will have to wait for a repair or possible replacement to take place. This is time most of us don’t have.

Added Home Value

As one of the most highly recommended renovations, a new garage door can net you a ROI of nearly 90%. Why? For the typical home, a garage door makes up 50% of the front facade, so a properly maintained and aesthetically pleasing garage door is more appealing to potential buyers Additionally, a garage door in optimal working order is likely to strengthen your home inspection.

Savings

While repair costs are typically minimal, a full replacement can be a different story. The primary reason behind the majority of our full garage door replacements is the owner’s lack of maintenance. Typically, one neglected area leads to issues in other areas and the snowball effect becomes catastrophic.   Additionally, improper insulation and/or improper closing can lead to increased energy bills.

By taking a 15 to 20 minutes out of one day each month, you can easily avoid the major issues related to improper preventative garage door maintenance. For a full preventive maintenance checklist, check out our Preventative Maintenance page.