Garage Doors are a lot like people. Age catches up to us all - Rust can make movement difficult and
cold affects us as we get older.
Age:
In todays' modern garage doors Torsion springs provide over 90% of the lift needed to raise a garage door so they are critical to your doors' operation and just like my body; torsion springs simply wear out over time. The question is, how much time?
How long a garage door spring will last depends on how often the door is used and the cycle rating of the springs. One cycle equals your garage door being opened and then closed. For most the magic number is ten thousand. That’s the number of cycles the average non-coated garage door spring should last under perfect conditions.
The average garage doors open and close 3-5 times a day, 300+ days a year - at 10,000 cycles they should last between 6 and 10 years. But, if your “significant other” works or runs errands during the day, or if you have kids in and out of the garage for school or to get their bikes and sporting equipment – you’re going to burn through ten thousand cycles a lot faster. An active family could easily use up ten thousand cycles in as little as a year.
Rust:
Rust is another common cause of garage door spring failure, particularly in wetter climates. A buildup of rust increases coil friction on the moving spring. Combine that with the corrosive damage of the rust itself, and you have everything you need for early torsion spring failure. A little quick and easy preventive maintenance on your part can keep rust at bay and increase the life of your garage door springs. Every three months or so, spray the spring coil with a light silicone spray. This keeps the spring lubricated and prevents harmful rust buildup. NOTE: NEVER use WD-40 (it will drip all over your car’s paint job!
Cold:
When the weather gets cold many of us feel it in our bones… we get stiff and move slower. Guess what so does steel. Now consider the garage door torsion spring. It’s steel, coiled under great pressure, sitting quietly overnight in your cold garage. Yep… that load bang you heard is your spring or springs breaking!
What can you do?
At Precision Door we’ve addressed these issues with superior design and construction. Our heavy-duty, high-cycle springs are rated at a minimum of 33,000 cycles to ensure up to 4 times the life expectancy of standard springs. Then we have our springs powder coated to eliminate rust and minimize the need for lubrication.
This means you’ll save on the hassle and inconvenience of having to replace your worn out springs more often, as well as the cost of more frequent service calls by your garage door contractor. Yes, these springs cost a little more – but last so much longer that they’re more than worth it!
How can you tell if your springs are Getting Old?
Here’s a tip… they’ll tell you! It sounds crazy but it’s true – if you know what to look for. This is a great preventive maintenance item to add to your spring cleaning to-do list.
To test the balance of your garage door, pull the red-handled emergency release cord. This disconnects the door from the opener, allowing you to open your door by hand. While raising and lowering the door a few times, listen carefully for any squeaking noises. This is the sound of hinges that need to be lubricated. Your garage door hinges will generally need to be lubricated once a year (remember to use silicone).
The next step is to lower your door all the way down, then raise it to about two-three feet off the ground and let go. Did your door stay in place with little or no downward slide? If yes, your springs are still working fine. But if the door feels heavy and sags, your springs are showing their age and starting to wear. Contact your garage door contractor for a thorough inspection.
Seattle - Salt Lake – Spokane – San Diego
Garage Doors for Every Taste
April 5, 2013
March 22, 2013
Is it Live or is it Memorex??
If you're old enough to remember that famous TV Commercial line, you'll understand....
Sometimes the line between real and imitation is just too close to call.... Take a look at this beautiful garage door. Is it wood - with all it's beauty (and maintenance) OR... Is it aluminum with it's long term advantages and low maintenance?
Hard to tell isn't it... well - It's Aluminum!
I've had to actually touch these to know they weren't wood - it's that good... so go wild - imagine your home with a door that looks like it cost $12,000 for about half the cost... AND twice the life...
So... when you see the neighbors amazing new wood garage door.... more than likely it's aluminum!
Interested?
Sometimes the line between real and imitation is just too close to call.... Take a look at this beautiful garage door. Is it wood - with all it's beauty (and maintenance) OR... Is it aluminum with it's long term advantages and low maintenance?
Hard to tell isn't it... well - It's Aluminum!
I've had to actually touch these to know they weren't wood - it's that good... so go wild - imagine your home with a door that looks like it cost $12,000 for about half the cost... AND twice the life...
What about this Glass door??? Yep... Aluminum too...
So... when you see the neighbors amazing new wood garage door.... more than likely it's aluminum!
Interested?
Seattle - Salt Lake - Spokane - San Diego
March 14, 2013
Remodeling Plans? -Think New Garage Doors!
If you're contemplating home remodeling projects, you should be thinking about upgrading your garage doors. New garage doors will have a big impact on two key factors - Curb appeal and ROI.
In many current home designs the garage doors can be up to 30% of what people see from the street. New, upgraded doors can make a significant statement on curb appeal. If your garage doors are clearly visible to passersby, you shouldn't ignore them during a remodel. In fact, you should put extra thought into their design. While some people think anything will do, but the truth is a garage door should be a style that reflects the house's architectural style and color. Consider a garage door with windows or window panels as one way to add style and let in some natural light.
Secondly, garage doors have consistently ranked as one of the top 5 projects in terms of return on investment, often beating out Kitchen and bath remodel expenses.
So when you plan out your homes upgrades, don't forget the garage doors!
Looking for additional selection factors?
Looking for Ideas? You'll find some great garage door looks in our Gallery.
Looking for pricing? Free Estimates in Seattle, Salt Lake, Spokane and San Diego
In many current home designs the garage doors can be up to 30% of what people see from the street. New, upgraded doors can make a significant statement on curb appeal. If your garage doors are clearly visible to passersby, you shouldn't ignore them during a remodel. In fact, you should put extra thought into their design. While some people think anything will do, but the truth is a garage door should be a style that reflects the house's architectural style and color. Consider a garage door with windows or window panels as one way to add style and let in some natural light.
Secondly, garage doors have consistently ranked as one of the top 5 projects in terms of return on investment, often beating out Kitchen and bath remodel expenses.
So when you plan out your homes upgrades, don't forget the garage doors!
Looking for additional selection factors?
Looking for Ideas? You'll find some great garage door looks in our Gallery.
Looking for pricing? Free Estimates in Seattle, Salt Lake, Spokane and San Diego
March 11, 2013
Maintaining a Commercial Garage Door
If you have a commercial warehouse or garage, you need to be very particular about your garage door maintenance. Commercial garage doors often get heavy use and that means they need maintenance frequently. So, if you don't want to experience any hassles after opening up your garage, ensure that you get your garage door serviced by a professional regularly. The smart money is on signing up for a planned maintenance program with your local commercial door professional.
If you want to keep your garage door as good as new, then you should concentrate on two main factors - regular inspections of the garage door and regularly maintaining it.
Inspect your garage door
Make sure that you inspect your garage door regularly. These inspections will help you identify the problems in the door at an initial stage. If you detect minor faults with your door early, you can avoid facing major repair expenses by getting the faults corrected before they become a major problem.
If any part of the door is not functioning properly or you are experiencing problems in opening and closing the door, then you should get your door checked thoroughly by a professional.
Get Your Commercial Garage Door Repaired
Commercial garage doors are often opened and closed several times in a day. This makes them more susceptible to damage, and if not repaired at the right time, they start losing their efficiency and speed over a period of time. So, it's important that you lubricate the parts of the door, tighten the components, and replace old parts of the door with new ones at regular intervals.
If your commercial door professional feels that repairing the door is not worth the cost, then you could consider upgrading your door to a newer model as well.
At Precision Commercial Door Services we specialize in Keeping Your Doors Open for Business!
Seattle and Salt Lake
If you want to keep your garage door as good as new, then you should concentrate on two main factors - regular inspections of the garage door and regularly maintaining it.
Inspect your garage door
Make sure that you inspect your garage door regularly. These inspections will help you identify the problems in the door at an initial stage. If you detect minor faults with your door early, you can avoid facing major repair expenses by getting the faults corrected before they become a major problem.
If any part of the door is not functioning properly or you are experiencing problems in opening and closing the door, then you should get your door checked thoroughly by a professional.
Get Your Commercial Garage Door Repaired
Commercial garage doors are often opened and closed several times in a day. This makes them more susceptible to damage, and if not repaired at the right time, they start losing their efficiency and speed over a period of time. So, it's important that you lubricate the parts of the door, tighten the components, and replace old parts of the door with new ones at regular intervals.
If your commercial door professional feels that repairing the door is not worth the cost, then you could consider upgrading your door to a newer model as well.
At Precision Commercial Door Services we specialize in Keeping Your Doors Open for Business!
Seattle and Salt Lake
March 6, 2013
Garage Door Education: R-Value 101
Garage Door Education: R-Value 101
Posted on March 5, 2013 by amarrgaragedoors.
The garage is often the largest opening to a house, making it very vulnerable to weather extremes. An insulated garage door can help reduce the transfer of heat or cold air into your garage and other areas of your home, thus improving your home’s overall energy efficiency.
When doing research on different types of garage doors, you may have come across an “R-Value” measurement associated with garage door insulation.
What is R-Value?
R-Value is a measure of thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry. Specifically, R-Value is thermal resistance to heat flow. Many manufacturers use R-Values to show the energy efficiency of their product. This number is calculated based on the thickness of the insulation and its chemical properties.
The Truth About R-Values
The higher the R-Value, the better the insulating properties of the material.
This above statement is true. However, an R-16 value is not twice as good as an R-8 Value. It does not offer twice as much thermal resistance or twice the energy savings. A value of R-16 offers a 5% reduction in heat flow and a 5% improvement in energy efficiency over a value of R-8. See chart for R-Value comparisons.
For more information about garage door insulation and energy efficiency, visit http://www.amarr.com.
Posted on March 5, 2013 by amarrgaragedoors.
The garage is often the largest opening to a house, making it very vulnerable to weather extremes. An insulated garage door can help reduce the transfer of heat or cold air into your garage and other areas of your home, thus improving your home’s overall energy efficiency.
When doing research on different types of garage doors, you may have come across an “R-Value” measurement associated with garage door insulation.
What is R-Value?
R-Value is a measure of thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry. Specifically, R-Value is thermal resistance to heat flow. Many manufacturers use R-Values to show the energy efficiency of their product. This number is calculated based on the thickness of the insulation and its chemical properties.
The Truth About R-Values
The higher the R-Value, the better the insulating properties of the material.
This above statement is true. However, an R-16 value is not twice as good as an R-8 Value. It does not offer twice as much thermal resistance or twice the energy savings. A value of R-16 offers a 5% reduction in heat flow and a 5% improvement in energy efficiency over a value of R-8. See chart for R-Value comparisons.
For more information about garage door insulation and energy efficiency, visit http://www.amarr.com.
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