How to Increase Your Home's Curb Appeal

If you are looking for a way to update your home, as well as add style and interest to your home's look, you may want to consider adding a garage and selecting a great looking garage door. After all, by adding a garage you gain more livable space-whether used for the vehicles, as a storage room or perhaps a family gathering space. Of course, once you have decided to add a garage, then the next step is to choose what type of door(s).
As you begin the process of selecting a garage door, you may be surprised at the many choices and styles available. Not only do garage doors come in virtually any size, but they can be customized to fit the look of your home. There are 4 basic types of garage doors available:

• Flush panels which are flat and typically have a textured panel that can be used to compliment the house exterior and not be overly noticeable.
• Long raised panels will offer add to the home's overall look, as well as give depth and character to the door.
• Short Raised panels work great with homes that have a Victorian look as well as in homes that have the details and lines of Tudor and Colonial homes.
• Painted Panels will add personality to the raised panel when the sloped part of the panel is painted in a contrasting color.

Of course, you may also choose to have windows install in your garage door. These will not only add some personality but also provide additional light. Double paned windows are recommended by many professionals as they allow natural light in but will keep extreme temperatures out.
As you begin considering the style of the garage doors, you will want to determine what type of door you would like as well. Most doors are either wooden or steel. Wooden doors are generally more expensive, are available in a wide variety of styles, as well as types of wood, and allow for easy painting or staining.
Steel doors are more budget friendly, making them the more commonly used door. You can purchase them in a variety of colors, or easily paint them to match your home. They come in 3 types:

• Single layer doors, are the most economical and are made from a single sheet of galvanized steel.
• Double layer steel doors have galvanized steel on the outside with a thick insulating layer on the inside. This backing offers soundproofing.
• Triple layer doors are similar to the double layers except that the inside layer has an additional galvanized layer on the inside. These doors are the most impenetrable, and make the area nearly soundproof. You can even get them with an extra thick layer of insulation making them a better thermal resistor (R-value). If you are considering this extra layer, be sure that it has a value of least a 3, but it can be as high as 10.

For more details and information on garage doors please visit www.premiumgaragedoorservice.com.
Article indpendently authored by Janet Slagell. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Premium Garage Door Service.

How to Choose a Garage Door

For many home owners the garage is an "extra room" where families can visit, play games, work on hobbies and much more. For others, it is used primarily for vehicle storage and a tool shed. Regardless of what you use your garage for, it is an important feature of your home and as such you will want to put some thought into the door selection.
5 Steps in Choosing a Garage Door
A garage door is an easy way to give your home a new look and there are many styles, types of materials and options to consider. Use these steps to make your garage door selection easier.

1. Determine your budget. Garage doors can be expensive, with wood and fiberglass doors being the most costly. Should you plan to have insulation added, then plan on an additional 10%. Of course, if you live in a region where winter temps often dip below the freezing point, or where typhoons or hurricanes are common, this extra expense is well worth it and will soon pay for itself in energy costs and peace of mind. Another added cost, is whether or not you want windows as part of the garage door. Also, when looking at the doors, be sure to ask about maintenance costs and warranties.
2. What's your style? Is your home reminiscent of the Old South? Then you may want to use recessed paneled doors. Does it have a modern flare? Then look at doors made of contemporary materials such as wood and copper or aluminum and glass or perhaps having panels that does not look like a garage door. You may even want to look around your neighborhood to see what style garage doors others have used. Doors can be made from wood, aluminum, fiberglass, and contemporary materials like glass, copper, or a combination of wood and zinc. You may also want to think about what color, if any, you would like for your garage door. Most doors come already finished in neutral colors, but you may wish to accent the other colors in your home's exterior.
3. Decide whether you want your door to roll-up or tilt when being opened. Tilting doors often allow moisture and debris into the garage but are cheaper in price. Roll up doors are composed of several sections, save on space, and are stronger, but they are more expensive.
4. Decide whether you want windows. Having windows can add style and break up the plain look of a door. You can select from curved, square rectangular or arched windows. However, keep in mind their placement in the garage door in regards to what can be seen through them from the outside.
5. How much maintenance do you have time for? Metal doors dent and show imperfections like scrapes caused by branches. Wood doors can accent your home's exterior features, but can be easily damaged if not maintained as per instructions; fiberglass doors are long-lasting but are not recommended in colder climates.

For more information on garage doors, please visit www.premiumgaragedoorservice.com.
Article indpendently authored by Janet Slagell. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Premium Garage Door Service.

Garage Doors and Door Openers - Basic Proper Maintenance Can Save Money and Keep the Operation Quiet

Garage doors and openers work on very simple principles of mechanics, however, the majority of home owners do not have the tools, knowledge, or experience to install and service the various types available on the market today. Experience is exceptionally important when servicing garage door components for reasons of safety.
Almost all of the garage doors installed in residential buildings are made up of separate panels set on top of other panels. Above these sectional doors panels are usually two torsion springs coiled around a horizontal bar mounted on the header. The purpose of these springs is to act as a counter balance to the weight of the door itself. Without these springs, it is quite likely that the home owner or garage door opener would be unable to lift the door to open it. Extension springs may be present near the horizontal door tracks as well.
The easiest and best method for the home owner to test the torsion spring is to disengage the door opener by pulling on the manual/emergency release handle. Make sure that the door is completely open or in the closed position. Once done, manually move the door into a position where the bottom edge is about chest level. The door should remain near that position without traveling up or down a great distance on its own. A door which slams shut on its own is an indicator that the torsion springs may need adjusting.
A word of caution: these springs are under immense tension and can be very dangerous to adjust by the home owner. For safety reasons the door manufacturers and installers recommend to the home owner not to attempt to make adjustments to these components. Should the door opener be unable to lift the door or begin to sound strained during operation, the torsion springs may need adjustment by a professional installer. It is worth the small service charge rather than risking serious injury or death.
Over time humidity and age will cause the torsion springs to become dry. The maintenance a home owner can perform, which is considered safe, is to lightly oil the torsion springs as they become noisier with use. Oiling the springs will not only protect the metal from moisture, but also reduce friction which will save the hardware from greater wear and tear. If the garage door opener is of the traditional chain drive variety it will be necessary to oil the chain just as one would do with a bicycle chain. Many people can also lubricate the rollers attached to the garage door, the hinges and track. Basic household oil or graphite can be used to lubricate moving parts at the contact points. Grease is not advisable due to the viscosity and the messiness factor. Some of the rollers on the market are advertised as maintenance-free or self lubricating and may not need any additional attention. If at times a roller does need to be replaced, it is best to call a garage door installer or take the roller to a home improvement store to ensure an exact match and size.
Assuming basic proper maintenance is performed regularly, a home owner can expect the door components and garage door opener to last for several years beyond a non-maintained door. Even though some garage doors installed can be as low as $600, at an average $1000 to $1200 for an installed garage door, it obviously makes sense to take care of this home investment.
For additional information on the topic of garage doors and garage door openers visit www.premiumgaragedoorservice.com.
Article independently authored by Daniel P. Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflec the views and opinions of Premium Garage Door Service.

How to Choose a Garage Door

For many home owners the garage is an "extra room" where families can visit, play games, work on hobbies and much more. For others, it is used primarily for vehicle storage and a tool shed. Regardless of what you use your garage for, it is an important feature of your home and as such you will want to put some thought into the door selection.
5 Steps in Choosing a Garage Door
A garage door is an easy way to give your home a new look and there are many styles, types of materials and options to consider. Use these steps to make your garage door selection easier.

1. Determine your budget. Garage doors can be expensive, with wood and fiberglass doors being the most costly. Should you plan to have insulation added, then plan on an additional 10%. Of course, if you live in a region where winter temps often dip below the freezing point, or where typhoons or hurricanes are common, this extra expense is well worth it and will soon pay for itself in energy costs and peace of mind. Another added cost, is whether or not you want windows as part of the garage door. Also, when looking at the doors, be sure to ask about maintenance costs and warranties.
2. What's your style? Is your home reminiscent of the Old South? Then you may want to use recessed paneled doors. Does it have a modern flare? Then look at doors made of contemporary materials such as wood and copper or aluminum and glass or perhaps having panels that does not look like a garage door. You may even want to look around your neighborhood to see what style garage doors others have used. Doors can be made from wood, aluminum, fiberglass, and contemporary materials like glass, copper, or a combination of wood and zinc. You may also want to think about what color, if any, you would like for your garage door. Most doors come already finished in neutral colors, but you may wish to accent the other colors in your home's exterior.
3. Decide whether you want your door to roll-up or tilt when being opened. Tilting doors often allow moisture and debris into the garage but are cheaper in price. Roll up doors are composed of several sections, save on space, and are stronger, but they are more expensive.
4. Decide whether you want windows. Having windows can add style and break up the plain look of a door. You can select from curved, square rectangular or arched windows. However, keep in mind their placement in the garage door in regards to what can be seen through them from the outside.
5. How much maintenance do you have time for? Metal doors dent and show imperfections like scrapes caused by branches. Wood doors can accent your home's exterior features, but can be easily damaged if not maintained as per instructions; fiberglass doors are long-lasting but are not recommended in colder climates.

For additional information on garage doors, please visit www.premiumgaragedoorservice.com.
Article independently authored by Janet Slagell. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Premium Garage Door Service.