Excellent article on what Home Improvements to spend on... and what not to...
From Forbes...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41624719/ns/business-personal_finance/?gt1=43001
Garage Doors for Every Taste
February 23, 2011
February 22, 2011
A Little Care will Keep Your Garage Doors Working
Most of us have garage doors. But we usually do not think about them much until they need repairing. That is the time that you normally start looking for a garage door repair professional.
The truth is, you will be a lot better off if you do not wait until the doors stop working to call a service company. There is regular maintenance that the company can do to help keep your doors from breaking down. At these appointments, the service technician will inspect the doors thoroughly and look for any possible problems.
Garage doors are pretty simple devices. They operate through the use of springs and a low power motor to guide the open and closing of the door. Simple as they seem, it is still best to call in a professional when they are not working.
Door springs hold a lot of tension. For this reason, it is best and safer to have a professional do the replacement. These are the parts that most frequently wear out. If you are noticing that your doors are beginning to open and close more slowly, chances are the spring replacement will be needed soon.
If you cannot get the door open at all, it is possible that the remote control is the problem. If you cannot see any other problems, try replacing the remote batteries before you call in professional help.
Another potential problem is misalignment of the doors on their tracks. During regular maintenance appointments, your service person will inspect the tracks, as well as ensuring they are properly lubricated. He will look for any loose screws as well as areas that seem like they could cause trouble. An example of this is an area of the track that is becoming misshapen due to constant scraping while vehicles are backed out.
Go ahead and schedule an appointment for maintenance before the door actually breaks down. Precision Garage Door Service specializes in garage door repair, service, sales and installation of garage doors and openers.
The truth is, you will be a lot better off if you do not wait until the doors stop working to call a service company. There is regular maintenance that the company can do to help keep your doors from breaking down. At these appointments, the service technician will inspect the doors thoroughly and look for any possible problems.
Garage doors are pretty simple devices. They operate through the use of springs and a low power motor to guide the open and closing of the door. Simple as they seem, it is still best to call in a professional when they are not working.
Door springs hold a lot of tension. For this reason, it is best and safer to have a professional do the replacement. These are the parts that most frequently wear out. If you are noticing that your doors are beginning to open and close more slowly, chances are the spring replacement will be needed soon.
If you cannot get the door open at all, it is possible that the remote control is the problem. If you cannot see any other problems, try replacing the remote batteries before you call in professional help.
Another potential problem is misalignment of the doors on their tracks. During regular maintenance appointments, your service person will inspect the tracks, as well as ensuring they are properly lubricated. He will look for any loose screws as well as areas that seem like they could cause trouble. An example of this is an area of the track that is becoming misshapen due to constant scraping while vehicles are backed out.
Go ahead and schedule an appointment for maintenance before the door actually breaks down. Precision Garage Door Service specializes in garage door repair, service, sales and installation of garage doors and openers.
February 15, 2011
Winter means: Prepare Your Home for Power Outages
A recent study found that 93 percent of homeowners reported having experienced a power outage this year alone, with some outages lasting hours or even days. Everyone knows the family should prepare an emergency kit for storms and power outages and keep it in a central location - with items like flashlights, First Aid, Water etc....
But... How many remember the Garage??
Today, more than half of homeowners (55 percent) use the garage door as their front door, relying on an automatic garage door opener to gain access. However, during a power outage, you'll be faced with having to manually lift the garage door, creating security, safety and convenience concerns. Make sure you have backup options when the power goes out.
First - Know how to manually open and close your garage door during a power failure. Test your (and your families) ability to physically lift your garage door, your home’s heaviest and largest moving object. (Note: If the door seems excessively heavy it may need an adjustment from your Precision Professional).
To avoid being blocked from entering and exiting your garage during a power outage, check out a garage door opener with a battery backup system that continues to supply power to open and close your garage door for up to two days when the power has failed. These are available on number of garage door openers.
Finally, If snow is a problem... keep it brushed away from the base of the door prior to opening... that will insure smoother opening and less mess in the garage.
But... How many remember the Garage??
Today, more than half of homeowners (55 percent) use the garage door as their front door, relying on an automatic garage door opener to gain access. However, during a power outage, you'll be faced with having to manually lift the garage door, creating security, safety and convenience concerns. Make sure you have backup options when the power goes out.
First - Know how to manually open and close your garage door during a power failure. Test your (and your families) ability to physically lift your garage door, your home’s heaviest and largest moving object. (Note: If the door seems excessively heavy it may need an adjustment from your Precision Professional).
To avoid being blocked from entering and exiting your garage during a power outage, check out a garage door opener with a battery backup system that continues to supply power to open and close your garage door for up to two days when the power has failed. These are available on number of garage door openers.
Finally, If snow is a problem... keep it brushed away from the base of the door prior to opening... that will insure smoother opening and less mess in the garage.
February 8, 2011
Why an Insulated Garage Door?
How you use your garage impacts the garage door you need. If you have a workshop or do projects in the garage, consider an insulated garage door that protects against both heat and cold, and insulates against sound too.
February 1, 2011
Garage Door Remote now Working? - Check These Things First
We've all had the experience... you're in a hurry (either coming or going) and you push that magic little button to open/close your garage door and nothing happens....
It's frustrating, but there are a couple of quick things you can do
1. Make sure the power is on! Many people quickly blame the garage door opener as the cause of the problem without realizing that the power is out at their home or neighborhood. If you experience power outages often, it may be worth looking into a garage door opener that has a built-in battery backup. Certain Liftmaster, Chamberlain, and Craftsman branded garage door openers have this feature.
2. If you have another remote control, try it next. If neither one of them work, the problem may not be related to the remote control.
3. Try the wall switch. If the garage door opener works properly when you use the wall switch in your garage, the problem is most likely with the remote. These can be reprogrammed by following the manufacturers instructions.
4. If the wall switch also fails to open the garage door, consider calling your local service technician. The problem may be related to a defective control board in the opener, or it could be related to radio interference. Both of these problems require special tools to troubleshoot.
It's frustrating, but there are a couple of quick things you can do
1. Make sure the power is on! Many people quickly blame the garage door opener as the cause of the problem without realizing that the power is out at their home or neighborhood. If you experience power outages often, it may be worth looking into a garage door opener that has a built-in battery backup. Certain Liftmaster, Chamberlain, and Craftsman branded garage door openers have this feature.
2. If you have another remote control, try it next. If neither one of them work, the problem may not be related to the remote control.
3. Try the wall switch. If the garage door opener works properly when you use the wall switch in your garage, the problem is most likely with the remote. These can be reprogrammed by following the manufacturers instructions.
4. If the wall switch also fails to open the garage door, consider calling your local service technician. The problem may be related to a defective control board in the opener, or it could be related to radio interference. Both of these problems require special tools to troubleshoot.
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