You probably think you can deal with little things niggling at you, that as long as it opens and closes they don’t matter, you’ll get them fixed at a later date…
Well, small problems can actually be hiding bigger problems and as your garage door is the largest moving component of your home, you should do something about them. You don’t want a member of your family getting hurt!
We’ve compiled a list of seven signs it’s time for you to change your garage door, whether due to its appearance, or other factors. Read on to find out more.
1. Your garage door is making too much noise
If it’s making a grinding noise when you open and close the door, you should identify the source. If you don’t have time to do it yourself, call an expert and have them come perform a tune-up service call. If you leave it too long, what you thought was just an irritating noise could become a serious problem and cause injury to a member of your family.
2. Your garage is too cold
If you spend any time at all in your garage you need to be comfortable, and if you use your garage door as the main entrance to your home, you need to ensure that cold, humid air isn’t seeping into the house. A proper insulated and weather-sealed door, with at least R-12 level thermal insulation will keep your garage at a comfortable temperature.
3. The paint keeps flaking
If you keep having to repaint your garage door to cover up flakes and rust, it’s probably time to look at investing in a new door. Nowadays, there are tons of styles to choose from and you can get some really attractive, low maintenance metal garage doors made from galvanized steel to protect them from fluctuating temperatures and coated with baked-on paint that is more durable than sprayed-on paint. Make sure you find out about the galvanization and how many coats of paint are on the door before you buy.
4. You keep having to get it repaired
If your garage door is costing you an arm and a leg in repairs, it may be time to take the leap and invest in a brand-new door. A good quality garage door and its parts should last for at least twenty years. And at least with a new one, you can guarantee there won’t be any injuries!
This article from Remodeling Magazine reports that garage doors generate the third highest return on investment in terms of house renovations. In fact, if you invest $1,650 (the average price) in a new garage door and sell your house within 12 months, you’ll get up to 91.5% of the value back! $1,650 may sound like a big investment, but if your house is worth $250,000, it’s only 0.7% of the home’s value! Definitely worthwhile!
5. Your opener isn’t working
What’s the point of having a garage door system equipped with an electric garage door opener if it doesn’t work? If your garage door opener is older than your grown-up kids, it’s time to replace it. After all, it’s a question of safety!
Since 1993, garage door openers have been equipped with rolling codes and two automatic reverse systems providing extra security as your access code cannot be stolen. In 2017, it’s possible to find openers that can be operated from your smart phone, and openers with extra batteries so you can still access your garage when there’s no power!
6. Your garage door is reducing your curb appeal
In fact, it’s having the exact opposite effect you would like. Instead of standing out for good reasons, it sticks out like a bunch of weeds in your perfectly manicured garden. This is something you especially need to remedy if you’re thinking about selling your house. Ask any real estate agent and they’ll say the same thing: Nice garages sell houses! It’s the first thing potential buyers see when they pull onto your driveway, so make sure it doesn’t detract from the overall look of your home – you can even get windows to match those in your front door!
7. Your garage door is difficult to open
If you need to lift your garage door manually, you should be able to do it one-handed, as a well-balanced door should weigh between 8 and 10 lbs. (3.5-4.5 kg). Even if you have an electric garage door opener, it should not be lifting more than this weight.
If we’ve convinced you…
Contact us at 705-324-1005, we’ll be more than happy to talk to you about this article or any other garage door-related questions you may have.
If you’ve decided to change your garage door, why not come down to our showroom or send us a request for a detailed quotation. You can also play around with our Design Centre tool or browse through our image gallery.
Add new comment