How to Check the Balance of your Garage Door

Door Balance is an important indicator of the condition and safety of your garage door system.
With that in mind, it's a good idea to test the balance of your garage door a couple of times a year.
It's quick and it's easy. In fact you've probably done it without even realizing it.

Start with the garage door closed. If you have an automatic garage door opener, use the release mechanism (usually a red cord and handle). This will allow you to operate the door by hand.

With the opener released; you should be able to lift the door smoothly and with little resistance. It should stay open around three or four feet above the floor. If it does not, it is out of adjustment and you should have it adjusted by a certified technician.

LAST CHANCE TO EARN TAX CREDITS ON A NEW GARAGE DOOR

Now is your last chance to save 30 percent off the price of an energy-saving curb-appeal-inspiring garage door, courtesy of the U.S. government. The tax credit eligibility for qualified garage doors will expire on Dec. 31, 2010.

The savings come from a federal income tax credit, which is more valuable than an equivalent tax deduction, because a tax credit reduces your tax dollar-for-dollar, while a deduction only decreases the amount of income that is taxed. Through the end of this year, the U.S. government is offering up to a $1,500 tax credit for homeowners who buy and install qualifying insulated garage doors.

The government is encouraging everyone to save energy, and the tax credit is an incentive for homeowners. If your home has an attached garage, you’ve probably noticed that the room next to the garage is typically the coldest room in the winter and hottest in the summer. That’s because the winter’s cold and summer’s heat can enter the house through the garage, which increases the amount of energy your home needs for heating and cooling. That’s why insulated garage doors can make a difference in reducing your heating and cooling bills, and saving our valuable energy resources. Tax credits are available for qualifying garage door purchases placed in service by Dec. 31, 2010. A taxpayer may claim a maximum of 30 percent of qualifying home improvement products, and a maximum of $1,500 for qualifying purchases in 2009 and 2010. For example, if you replace two garage doors with two new qualifying insulated doors that cost $1,000 each, you may claim a tax credit of $300 per door, or a total of $600, provided you have not exceeded the $1,500 total over the two years of the tax credit period.To be eligible for the tax credit:

• The door must be an insulated residential garage door, installed on an insulated garage.
• The door must have a U-factor and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) equal to or less than 0.30, even if the door contains windows.
• The door perimeter must have a means to control air infiltration.
• The door must be expected to remain in service for at least five years.
• The garage must be part of the taxpayer’s principal U.S. residence.
• Qualifying doors specs here.

DON’T DO IT YOURSELF. Garage door installation is best left to the pros. Why? Your garage door is more than just a door – it’s a system that includes springs, cables, rollers, tracks and other hardware. This system is under high tension that can cause severe injury or even death if improperly installed. In short, it’s not a job for the weekend warrior. To properly install, or even repair, a garage door system, an experienced professional is always your best bet.

Simple way to prevent a Garage Door Break-in

All across the country police are experiencing an increase in home burglaries via the garage door.
And in most cases the homeowners seem to have done everything right with one glaring exception.

Homeowners have installed security systems, they've locked their garage doors and still getting robbed.. how? The burglars are using the homeowners own remote control.... In many of these cases the car was parked in front of the home.. with the garage door opener in the car.
One quick broken window and they have access.

So what's the simple solution? First, don't leave the garage door remote in an obviously visible location in the car... better yet.. get a key fob style remote. These small remotes stay with your keys and not your car. Call your local professional to order the right type for your opener.

Garage Doors – Know the Benefits of a Steel Garage Door

The garage door is an important and well used moving component of a house. It is used to open and close the garage repeatedly throughout the average day, protects the family vehicles, yard tools and a majority of a home’s storage. It is exposed to the elements and generally has a pretty rough and tumble existence. Let’s face it; this piece of a house must be durable, sturdy, and downright tough.

Garage doors come in a variety of materials such as steel, aluminum, wood, and vinyl. Aluminum is relatively inexpensive and fairly lightweight. Although it is metallic, it is thinner and therefore dents more easily.

A wood door is lovely and rich looking, but in order to keep it that way, there is regular maintenance that needs to take place. Annual repainting or re-staining is required in order to keep the wood from rotting or warping. A vinyl door is basically made of a hard plastic. It won’t dent like a metal, but it certainly isn’t as durable in terms of its brute strength.

Some benefits of a steel garage door include:
- Strength: steel is an exceedingly strong metal made from iron. The harder the metal, the less denting that there will be.
- Durability: this hardy material enables a long life for your door, at times calling for a lifetime warranty. It can handle the weather with ease.
- Low Cost: it is relatively inexpensive to purchase, especially in comparison to some of the fancier doors such as those made from wood.
- Low Maintenance: often arriving from the factory pre-painted and ready to hang. Will not warp or rot.
- Energy Savvy: this type may be insulated, providing the homeowner a way to reduce the use of high amounts of energy and the expensive bills that accompany the energy consumption. More than anything it is environmentally friendly.
- Attractive: a good looking product! They even come in wood grained surface patterns in order to provide the rich look of wood without the corresponding outlay of maintenance time.

The garage door is not only an important functional item that needs to be able to withstand quite a bit of wear and tear. It also plays an integral part in the visual scheme of a home’s exterior. It is often at the front of a house and therefore highly noticeable. A high quality door made of an appealing and durable material is a smart investment in that most important asset of the family home.
For more info please visit our site @ www.garagedoorsaltlake.com

Top 10 Secrets about Today’s Garage Doors

(ARA) - In the last few years, garage doors have experienced a major transformation in their role on the American home. Today’s garage doors do a lot more than go up and down.

They deliver style. They can help sell your home in a difficult market. They can save energy and protect your house from powerful winds. They don’t need to be affected by power outages anymore. They can even tell you when you’ve forgotten to close them. Does your garage door do any of that? If your door is 10 years old or older, it probably doesn’t. Want a reason to replace your garage door?

There are plenty of reasons listed on GarageWowNow.com, a non-commercial Web site devoted to the new role of today’s garage doors. The site includes dozens of before and after photos that really tell the story.

Here are 10 little-known facts about today’s new garage doors. They can …
1. Add a unique style to your home’s appearance. Does every home on your street have the same garage door? A new carriage house garage door can differentiate your home and greatly increase its curb appeal. Today’s trendy looks range from hundreds of different styles of carriage house doors, contemporary doors and even raised panel doors in unique finishes and colors.
2. Help sell your home. Replacing your garage door could increase your home’s asking price anywhere from one to four percent, according to a 2006 nationwide study of real estate agents by Stratamark Research. In a tough housing market, you can differentiate your home by upgrading the one item that can comprise up to a third of your home’s front facade.
3. Save energy. Today’s garage doors offer insulation options that can save energy in both winter and summer. The federal government agrees. In 2006 and 2007, the IRS granted a tax credit to homeowners who replaced their garage door with a qualified insulated door.
4. Protect your home from powerful winds. Hurricanes, tornadoes and strong wind storms can reduce your home to rubble. Wind experts now recognize the critical role played by the garage door in protecting your home from high winds. Code-approved, wind-resistant garage doors are now widely available. In many wind-prone areas, these doors are not just helpful; they’re mandated by the building code.
5. Withstand power outages. The garage door is now used more than the front entry door, according to the 2007 Perfect Home Survey. Since most doors are now automated, how will you get in your home during a power outage? Thanks to garage door opener battery backup systems, your door can keep operating even when power is gone.
6. Tell you when you’ve left it open. An open garage, especially at night, is an invitation to thieves and vandals. Today’s garage door openers offer in-house monitors that alert you when you’ve left your door open – a security tool that provides peace-of-mind.
7. Operate at the touch of a fingertip. Exterior keypads are rapidly growing in popularity. The latest keypad models offer fingerprint-recognition technology that eliminates the need to remember codes and offers fast and easy secure access.
8. Replace your front door. A recent nationwide survey of consumers reveals that 71 percent of homeowners use their garage door to enter and exit their home every day. In today’s fast-paced society, the garage door is the new front door for the American home. The garage door is more convenient, and it commands more attention than the front entry door.
9. Reflect your personal style. Are you into a sleek modern look or the quaint charm of yesteryear? Today’s manufacturers are producing hundreds of distinct varieties that were not available 10 years ago. Why settle for a door that looks like every other door on your street?
10. Be installed by a pro. This isn’t a job for the weekend DIYer. It’s a complex and potentially dangerous task. It’s best done by a pro, who can do the job in a few short hours, haul your old door away and make sure your new door and opener are operating properly.

The content of this article was provided courtesy of ARAcontent

Simple Garage Door Repair Tips that Will Save Time & Money

If you own or rent a home, and have a garage door you have probably had, or will have a problem with it. Garage doors can be problematic. Sometimes they won't go up, other times they refuse to go down. It is possible, however, to fix some of the minor issues that are preventing your garage door from working well, and the best part is for some things, you can do it yourself.

These simple tips will help you determine if you need to hire a garage door repair professional to do the work .

Many garage door problems are related to automatic garage door openers. If your door will not open start by checking to see if the batteries in your remote are bad. Replace them and try the remote again. If that doesn't solve the problem, it's time to move on to the next possibility.

Modern garage door systems are required by law to have "safety eyes". This safety feature makes sure a door doesn't come down on your car or on you. Safety eyes are required to be placed down near the base of the door. You should see a small box on each side with a small light. These are small laser's and, if aligned properly, the lights will be "on". This insures that if something is in the way the door will not shut and will reverse itself. Check to see if anything is obstructing the path between the "eyes". Then check to see if the sides are lined up. If they are not aligned properly one or both of the lights will be flashing. Line them up and try opening the door again.

If this still does not solve the problem there are still some things to check before calling a professional. Is the door locked? Is the "Lock" switch on at the wall button? These need to be unlocked for your door to work. Sometimes doors are disconnected from their openers. Try opening the door by hand. If it slides right up it is disconnected from the opener. Open the door and push it back as far as it can go, walk over to the rope that hangs down in the middle of the garage and pull it back until you here a click. The door is locked in place now and should work. If none of these things are your problem than you should probably consult a Precision Door professional.