When it comes to your home’s garage, there are quite a few things that you need to think about and make sure of. After all, having a faulty garage door is something that nobody really wants to deal with. As you begin to think about the ways you can minimise the number of garage door repairs, one thing you will realise is that many of these repairs originate from a bad installation. What this means is that you need to make sure that you install your garage door properly, and there are plenty of ways to do that.
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Knowing What Garage Door Will Suit Your Needs
Getting the best garage door for your property is going to play a big role in reducing the number of garage door repairs that you will need to do. There are three main types of garage doors: wooden, aluminium, and fiberglass. There are also steel and glass garage doors, but these are far less common. What you need to know about these doors is how well they can be maintained. For instance, wooden doors are usually mediocre at insulating the garage, but they can be expensive to keep maintained. Aluminium doors cannot insulate your garage, but they can be maintained with little effort. Fibreglass doors also cannot insulate very well, but they don’t require much maintenance unless the glass breaks. These are things you need to consider before investing in a garage door.
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Considering a Garage Screen Door
Most people don’t think about screen doors on their garages, but it can actually do quite a bit for your garage. Just as screen doors for your house keep unwanted bugs out and prevent people from easily getting in, a garage screen door can do exactly that when you have the door open. If you want to keep the wind from kicking up debris into your garage, then you might want to think about having a screen door installed alongside the door.
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Choosing Your Garage Door Springs
Another part of your garage door installation that you will need to think about are the springs. The springs essentially ensure that the garage door can lift and close without an issue. With a good set of springs, you won’t have to worry about frequent garage door repairs at all. A good set of springs are going to be able to lift the heavy door. If your budget allows for it, you should look for extension springs as well. On average, these can have a 10,000-cycle lifetime. The highest-end ones can even go up to 30,000-cycle lifetime. For reference, one cycle is one opening and one closing of the door, so theoretically, you go through at least two cycles a day.
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Considering the Garage Door Opener
Just as you will need to think about the door springs and door material, you will also want to think about what kind of garage door opener is going to reduce the number of repairs that you will need to do. Understandably, a higher quality opener is going to be more expensive than a lower quality one, so you will need to keep this in mind when you are budgeting. The most important aspects to look for are going to be the amount of horsepower the opener has. You will need enough horsepower to properly lift the weight of the door. Something else to consider is whether you want an exterior keypad to increase ease of use and security.
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How Long Can the Door Last?
Assuming that you are keeping up to date on repairs and maintenance, one of the things you will also want to think about is just how long your door will last. Garage doors are expensive, so it is important to budget for them. Typically, a good door with good materials should last several decades. The most variable part of your garage door is going to be the openers and springs, as these might not last as long as the door itself. For instance, if you go in and out of your house eight times a day, your typical springs will last about three years. However, these are easy to replace.
When in doubt, approach your local garage door experts for advice. A qualified garage door specialist will help to ensure your garage door runs smoothly for years to come.
