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4 Ways to Enhance Your Curb Appeal With Your Garage Door

Curb Appeal — Plano, TX — Plano Overhead Garage DoorYour curb appeal speaks a lot about your property; it’s your home’s first impression you give to your guests, your neighbors, and home buyers.

Your garage door can help increase the aesthetic look of your home and your landscape with a mere change in colors, materials, and design. Learn about four ways to improve your curb appeal using your garage door.

1. Paint a New Coat 

Services & Warranties to Consider From Garage Door Companies

House Exterior — Plano, TX — Plano Overhead Garage Door

When you shop for a garage door, the door itself is one of the most important options, but where you buy the door from is important as well. Not every garage door company is the same, and as a consumer, you should be on the lookout for certain garage door services and warranties.

Follow this guide to learn what to look for in a reputable company and some key features to help make your decisions.

Garage Door Sample Software

The 411 on Common Garage Door Mishaps and Emergencies

Common Garage Door — Plano, TX — Plano Overhead Garage DoorIf you use your garage door every day, you probably take its function for granted. But that might change if you encounter a problem with it, and chances are you will at some point. Learn about some common garage door emergencies and mishaps and what you should do about them.

Garage Door Won’t Open

A garage door that won’t open is one that could impact your schedule severely. Several different things might cause a garage door to not respond to commands to open. An expired battery in the opener, a power outage, and a disconnected trolley are all possible culprits. In many cases, you can open the door manually using the emergency pull or lift the garage door up from the outside once you disconnect it.

Choosing the Right Garage Door for Your Garage Needs

Right Garage Door — Plano, TX — Plano Overhead Garage DoorWhile many people own a garage, not everyone uses theirs the same. Some people park in their garage, and others convert it into living space. For this reason, there is no perfect garage door. Instead, you’ll need to consider your personal needs and wants to find the perfect garage door solution for you. To learn more, keep reading.

High Security

A secure garage door is useful for a variety of reasons. For starters, you may store valuable items in the garage, such as yard equipment, and a secure door is better at keeping out potential burglars. Similarly, if you have an attached garage, a burglar could access your home via the garage, giving them access to everything you own and your family.

3 Garage Door Opening Systems for Your Home Upgrade

Garage Door Opening Systems — Plano, TX — Plano Overhead Garage Door

If you want to improve your home’s exterior appearance, consider a new door for your garage. An upgrade for the old door to your garage improves curb appeal, enhances security, boosts the value of your home, and makes the garage areas safer. An entire door replacement is costly, but you can improve the appliance with an automated opener.

An automatic opener can make it safer and convenient to use the bulky door. The following are the door technologies you can choose for your garage door project.

1. Chain-Operated System

Common Problems Affecting Garage Door Openers

Garage Door Options — Plano, TX — Plano Overhead Garage DoorA garage door opener is one of the essential parts of a garage door because, as the name implies, the openers help you open and close the garage door. Garage door openers can malfunction when you least expect it, which could mean that your car will be locked in or out of the garage.

Here are some common problems you could experience with your garage door opener.

The Garage Door Doesn’t Close All the Way

A garage door may fail to close due to several reasons. The first common cause is a malfunctioning close limit switch. When the garage door set-limit switch isn’t set properly, the door will not close all the way. This also causes the door opener to pull back up or reverse when you try to close it. To adjust the set-limit, the garage door professional will need to turn the screw feature on the motor to adjust how far the door will descend.

4 Garage Door Options to Consider

Garage Door Options — Plano, TX — Plano Overhead Garage DoorGarage doors are an important part of any home. Because of that, many homes have identical styles of door. If you want to make your home stand out, an uncommon garage door may be the best choice. If you would like to know more, check out these four garage door options to consider.

1. Contemporary Doors

One example of a contemporary door is sterling doors. They combine steel and glass to create a sleek appearance. From the outside they appear as if they are one continuous piece of glass, almost like a glass wall.

Other newer options include garage doors that are steel, but have realistic wooden features applied to them. This allows for unique colors and styles of wood such as driftwood to be applied without paying for custom or scarce wood.

Authentic wooden garage doors are making a comeback as well. With options from African Mahogany to Cedar, and endless staining options; wooden garage doors allow for endless possibilities.

Another trend includes hardware customization. Handles, knockers, clavos, and other decorative hardware help boost the appearance and give the garage door more depth.

5 Signs You Should Replace Your Garage Door

Brown Garage Door — Plano, TX — Plano Overhead Garage DoorThe garage door is an important part of your home, and it is also a significant investment. So how do you know when the time comes for you to replace it with a newer, better functioning, or more attractive model? Learn about five different signs that could signal you need a new garage door.

1. Advanced Age

Garage doors are easy to forget about, especially if they work well over the years. But if your garage door is older than 15 years, you run the risk of running into problems. The average lifespan of a garage door is 15 to 30 years, but careful and regular maintenance could win you a handful of more years. Even if your garage door isn’t exhibiting any outward signs of problems, the older it gets, the more likely it is that it will break down.

If you purchased your home instead of building it, make sure you know the age of your garage. If you have lived in your home for more than a decade or plan to sell your home, you may want to consider replacement.

2. Disappointing Appearance

If your garage door is original to an older home, or if it just doesn’t look great, you can improve the look of your home by getting rid of it entirely. There are other fixes, like painting it or adding decals, but neither of those has the same longevity as an entirely new garage door.

Garage doors come in a number of different styles, materials, and colors, and if yours is positioned to be very visible on the exterior of your home, you can drastically improve your home’s overall appearance just by replacing the garage door. Clashing colors, old-fashioned styles, and even just personal preference are all reasons to look at getting a new door.

3. Visible Damage

Whether caused by natural disaster, the passage of time, or an accident, any visible damage on the outside of your garage door harms its appearance and can even affect its function. Wind, hail, and sun exposure can leech away color and break down the door’s material, which doesn’t look nice — but it doesn’t compare to the structural problems that ensue from large dents caused by small or large auto accidents.

4. Strange Sounds

Some garage doors are quieter than others, but none of them should make loud clanking, squeaking, or squealing noises when opening or closing. These sounds have a lot of different possible culprits like loose nuts and bolts, damaged rollers, unlubricated components, and worn hinges — all of which should be inspected by a professional.

A repair specialist can make some simple changes to improve the sound of your garage door, but if the problems are widespread or persistent — or even if your garage door is just plain loud in its normal operation — you can deal with the sounds by replacing it.

5. Operational Difficulties

Your garage door has one job, and problems with its function can be very inconvenient. If your door doesn’t respond to the opener, the issue could be a simple error with the battery or connection. More serious problems like the door not opening, not staying open, or not staying closed, could compromise the security of your home.

A replacement door will work much more reliably for the next several years, especially with maintenance services. It can be worth the hassle if it means fewer operational difficulties.

If you notice one or more of these signs with your garage door, reach out to Plano Overhead Garage Door to learn about replacing it with a newer and better one. We offer a variety of different styles and brands. Visit our website to learn more about our services. 

Polyurethane-Injected Garage Door: What You Need to Know

Polyurethane-Injected Garage Doors — Plano, TX — Plano Overhead Garage DoorIf you’ve decided to install an insulated garage door, then look at polyurethane insulation. These doors may cost a little more than other options, but they come with a cost value that gives you specific returns on your investment.

How does this kind of insulation work, and what are the advantages of using it?

How Does Injected Polyurethane Insulation Work?

While some garage doors use sheets of an insulative material between the layers of the door, polyurethane works differently. Here, you inject a foam between the layers.

The polyurethane expands during the injection process. As it expands, it fills all of the space inside the door. Then, as it hardens, the foam sticks firmly to each side of the door and its frames, creating a solid layer of insulation.

4 of the Most Useful Garage Door Opener Safety Features

Garage Safety Features — Plano, TX — Plano Overhead Garage DoorInstalling an automatic garage door opener is a great way to make your garage door easier to use, especially for elderly or disabled users. However, this isn’t the only reason to invest in a garage door opener, and automating your garage door can also make it significantly safer.

Many modern garage door openers are fitted with a variety of useful safety features that can make both your garage door and the garage itself safer to use. However, some of these optional features are more useful than others. If you are looking for a new garage door opener that will also improve safety in and around your garage door, keep an eye out for the following useful features.

1. Automatic Lighting

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