Yes, It's Cold - Don't Warm-up Your Car in the Garage

Yes, we know - it's getting cold out and on those frosty mornings it's really tempting to start the car up in the garage.

DON'T DO IT!!!
You're literally playing Russian Roulette with your life. It takes less than two minutes for gas fumes to reach lethal concentrations in a garage where a car is being warmed up—even if the garage door is open.

Don’t ever warm up a car in an enclosed space. Having a warm car on a cold winter morning just isn’t worth the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Always open the garage door before starting your car. Once it’s started, immediately drive out and away from the garage, and close the garage door.  According to a study from Iowa State University, large concentrations of gas still remain trapped inside a garage even after the car is driven out. If, like mine, your garage is attached to the garage, fumes can quickly spread into the house and remain for hours.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can result in illness and even death. Carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen supply to the brain and is particularly dangerous because it is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can include headaches, dizziness, tiredness, flu-type symptoms, nausea and loss of consciousness. Poisoning can happen to anyone, but children, the elderly and those with health concerns are especially susceptible.

Precision Door features a great Carbon Monoxide Alarm that will trigger your garage door and open it when harmful levels of CO are detected.

Batteries are Important When Using Garage Remotes

We get many calls about problems with a garage door remote control. Often the problem is a simple one... an old or weak battery. Yes, batteries are important when it comes to garage door remotes.
Here's a check list for solving many problems:


Replace the battery first!
• Old batteries cause a large percentage of the problems experienced with garage door remotes. Many remotes use standard 9-volt batteries or round watch-style batteries that can often be found around the house or at the local drug store/camera department.

• Even if the remote is relatively new, it is still important to try replacing the battery. Some remotes sit on warehouse shelves for a long time.

• To access the battery on some remotes, you may have to split the case in half. This is typically the case if you notice a small round indentation on the edges of the remote. The attached visor clip can usually be removed and works great for this. If the clip is not available, or the remote is not a visor-style remote, a dime or a penny usually works fine. Place the end of the visor clip or the coin into the indentation and twist. The case should snap apart. Other remotes have a small sliding door to access the battery, similar to a TV remote control.

Reprogram the Remote
If replacing the battery does not solve the problem consider reprogramming it.

• If the remote has a row of small switches inside, make sure the position of the switches match the position of the switches on the back of the garage door opener.

• If the remote is programmable, follow the programming steps found in the owner’s manual for the garage door opener.

• If you cannot locate your owner’s manual, check the manufacturer’s website. Most garage door openers manufactured in the last five to 10 years have manuals that can be found online.

Replace the Remote Control
• If the above steps did not resolve your problem, you may need a new remote control.

How to Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

It seems like everyday we read another story about someone going to the hospital or worse from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Just today in the Seattle are two men died - sitting in their car in the garage.

The vast majority of these accidents are just that - accidents and can be avoided with a little care.
1) Don't run your car inside the garage. I know it can be cold but open the door and back it out!
2) Shut the car off before closing the garage door. CO builds up quickly and it doesn't take much to make you sick.
3) Consider a Carbon Monoxide Alarm.

Note: Precision Door offers a unique CO Alarm that also opens the garage door automatically.

Please Please Please - be safe out there!!

Simple Change Dramatically Improves Curb Appeal

Sometimes we get caught up in trying to improve our homes' curb appeal by focusing on the wrong things. For example, recent research suggests that a major Kitchen remodel (perhaps the most common and most expensive option) returns only about 53% of the investment.

Here's a question. What part of the home makes up the most curb appeal real estate? The garage door!

In many homes the garage door represents as much as one-third of what people see from the curb. That is the definition of curb appeal and, a new garage door returns over 86% of the investment. 



Before and After - Great New Curb Appeal



Take a look at this picture - it's the same home same neighborhood - just a new dramatic look with garage doors.

It's a simple change that dramatically improves the curb appeal.