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Why Do I Need To Prepare My Garage Door For Winter?

Posted on by sagar

Why Do I Need To Prepare My Garage Door For Winter?

Here we go again. As winter approaches and temperatures continue to drop, keeping your home, its inhabitants, and its belongings warm becomes a central thought in your everyday life.

With your garage door as your home’s largest moving part and one of the cold air’s primary routes into your home, preparing your garage door for winter is an essential fall project for homeowners.

Not only does proper fall maintenance prepare your garage door for the large toll it takes during the winter months, but it also ensures your home and belongings stay warm and your energy bills stay low.

Let’s take a look at what goes into preparing your garage door for winter.

Eyes & Ears

First things first, simply look and listen for any glaring issues with your door. Any breaks, misalignments, unsavory noises, etc. will only worsen throughout the winter months, so make sure to not view these as trivial issues.

Like we’ve stated in many of our blogs, it is crucial to make sure any issues with your spring are taken care of by one of our technicians. While a broken spring is extremely dangerous now, winter will heighten this danger. Moreover, dealing with a broken garage door in the cold winter months is the last thing you want to deal with.

Keep It Tight

Whether you observed any issues in your ‘eyes and ears’ walkthrough or not, grab that wrench and tighten all bolts throughout your garage door system.

Your garage door lives under increased duress during the winter months, so making sure everything is tight and solid is just one factor ensuring it enters the winter fully prepared.

Weather Stripping

A worn, dry, and faulty weather seal is one of the quickest ways to present yourself with a drafty, snow-filled garage.

Check to see if your weather seal needs to be replaced. If it is old, tattered, and/or falling off, it is time to replace. If not, we recommend adding silicon oil along the strip. Silicon oil will keep the weather strip from freezing and sticking. Additionally, add this oil to the tracks, hinges, and rollers. Tip: Don’t use WD-40. WD-40 is not a true lubricant.

Check Batteries

Batteries are not big fans of cold weather. Have your batteries, in both opener and remote opener, checked to make sure they have their full power. If the batteries are weak or dying, you should have them replaced in order to prevent breakdowns.

Lubricate

Our winters are host to extremely dry air. Keeping your garage door parts lubricated will add seamless operation to your system and prevent excess frictional wear-and-tear. As mentioned above, use a silicone lubricant, to coat all of the moving parts, including the overhead springs.

Insulate

While this extends beyond simple maintenance, an insulated garage door is something all homeowners should give consideration to. As insulation technology continues to improve, the cost of these doors continue to become increasingly affordable and increasingly efficient. An insulated garage door keeps energy bills low and makes it easier to keep your garage a work/living space during the winter months.

Winter Tips

  • Sprinkle a substantial amount of table salt along the garage floor where the weather seal meets the concrete. Table salt not only significantly lowers the freezing temperature of water, it is also far less corrosive than other forms of salt.
  • Heat your car up outside. The heat generated by your warming car is likely to melt the ice and snow present in your garage door tracks and where the garage door meets concrete. After leaving your home, this ice refreezes and leaves you with a frozen door.

If you feel your garage door requires attention and care beyond the DIY realm, schedule an inspection and maintenance job today.

Fargo Garage Door Trends

Posted on by hash

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

Posted on by hash

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.

How Long Will My Garage Door Last?

Posted on by hash

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

Posted on by hash

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.