Photo: Lands End Development

After all, who among us has not heard of nightmare scenarios involving garage doors not closing all the way or doors making annoying noises when opening or closing? Most of the time, these issues are brought about by simply not investing time and money in maintaining your garage door. And while it is always best to leave it to the professionals to do the garage door repair for you once a serious problem does come up, know that are some easy ways in which you can do preventive maintenance to prolong the life of your garage door and preserve its quality.

In the following post, we will provide compelling reasons why you should consider repair and preventative measures, as well as a couple of easy and effective maintenance tips.

Top Reasons Why Regular Garage Door Maintenance is a Must

Photo: Houghland Architecture, Inc.

1. Ensure Convenience and Value 

Why do homeowners tend to integrate the most modern garage doors in the first place? Without a doubt, they realize the benefits that an equally modern garage brings to the table. They not only serve as protection for your vehicles but they also give you the same security from heat, cold, and other elements.

Once your garage door starts to show signs of wear and tear, your garage loses its first line of defense, so to speak, and ultimately fails to fulfill its purpose. And obviously, that will leave your house very vulnerable to different kinds of invaders, human or otherwise, as well.

2. Retain the Functionality of your Garage Door

Photo: SV Design

What could be better than making the most out of a specific fixture or part of your home? Garage doors are no exception to this. In fact, it can be argued that this should specifically be applied to garage doors, considering the myriad headache-causing problems that arise from them.

From the simple state of being able to open and close smoothly to not making those unwanted noises, keeping your garage door functioning smoothly would undoubtedly give you fewer concerns to think about. Who does not want a day-to-day scenario of being able to park one’s car smoothly in one’s garage, without having to put up with an eye (and ear) sore of a door every time? You know you want it.

3. Helps You Avoid Bigger Repairs in the Future

And a lot of homeowners who have been there can attest to this. This is why you should start paying attention to the small problems that begin to manifest themselves from the start, like any signs of jerking, unusual sounds, or debris that may be building up around its tracks.

Keeping this in mind can certainly spare you from the hassle of having to do larger, more costly repairs in the long run and can even make the repairs more efficient and easier to conduct. This underscores the integral link between preventive maintenance and garage door repair, and how both work in efficient synergy with each other.

How You Can Help in Maintaining Your Garage Door

Photo: KGA Studio Architects, PC

Wash it Regularly.

The seemingly simple act of cleaning your garage door can immediately do wonders in helping it preserve its quality. This should effectively help clear out bits and pieces of debris that could accumulate and bring problems in the long run. Look for signs of rusting in various spots. A good habit that you should consider adopting is to clean your garage door as well while you are washing your car.

Always Do Manual Inspections.

Certain parts of your garage door should be subject to closer inspection than others. Its rollers, for instance, tend to become damaged or worn out. This should be done regardless of its material. The same applies to the cables that have the vital function of lifting the door; check whether they are still stable and do not have signs of damage.

But be sure to limit your activity to just observing, though, as it is never recommended to repair it yourself due primarily to safety concerns. Always being in the know about the current state of your garage door will allow you to be always a couple of steps ahead when addressing potential issues that you might encounter. Of course, this will also allow you to contact a repair company as soon as possible to quickly remedy the issue and prevent it from becoming more complex.

Conclusion

As you can see, garage door repair is not just about having your garage door functioning again after a period of being broken beyond usability. It also involves continuous maintenance to make sure that the repairs, once they are needed, won’t be as huge and expensive every time. This is the key to extending the life of your garage door and preventing its usual problems altogether.

Our garages often become storage rooms full of stuff. Keeping in mind that a typical two-car garage is roughly 400 sq. ft, this is a substantial amount of real estate you cannot overlook. Whether you’re doing a home renovation or your family is growing, your garage, traditionally reserved for a car but now holding “stuff”, can easily be repurposed into a variety of uses.

If you don’t own a car or prefer to park it on the drive, you can transform your cluttered garage into stylish additions with just a little effort. Here are a few solid ideas to jog your creativity.

Home Office

Photo: Design Sponge

Converting your garage into a home office is one of the simplest conversion options. Well, the complexity or simplicity of the office will depend on the level of ambiance you want and the type of work you do. You will essentially need electrical outlets and an internet connection.

If you’re going to have an expensive laptop in your home office along with important files, and then spend hours per day in there, the room and garage door needs to be properly insulated against cold and damp. You will, therefore, need to install an insulated garage door if you don’t already have one. Other than saving you from inflated utility bills, you will be able to make your home office more comfortable.

Another important factor to consider is the noise level –of course, you want your home office to be as quiet as possible. And one way of ensuring this is by hiring garage door opener installation expert to install a whisper drive opener. Beyond that, you can also bring in some space-saving storage solutions to keep things a bit more organized. If your garage doesn’t have enough natural light, consider installing garage doors with transparent door panels.

Home Gym

Photo: Garage Gyms

If you lead an extremely busy life –nowadays pretty much everyone does, right? –it can be challenging to squeeze in some time for the gym. Most people would like to keep fit, but the distance to the gym and the membership fee only serves to discourage them. If this sounds like you, or maybe you simply like working out in peace and privacy, turning your home garage into a gym can be a great idea.

Repurposing your garage, for this reason, can be as simple as stacking up a few weights, stringing up a punching bag and maybe adding an exercise bike. Again, just like your home office, the simplicity or complexity of your home gym will depend on your budget and exercise goals. But it doesn’t really need to have all the expensive machinery for a start, the most important thing here is that you have a separate space for exercise.

Guest Room

Photo: Gardenista

Converting your garage into a guest room is a creative way of utilizing this unused space. The room can come in handy when you have in-laws visiting, friends coming over or simply an annex for Au pair –whatever your reason. It’s however important that the room is properly weather proved before turning it into a bedroom.

First, you might want to install an insulated garage door or call a garage door repair expert to do insulation and damp proofing. You will also need to look at electrics and plumping and ideally, consider en-suite facilities to give your guests ultimate superior comfort. You will also probably need to do some repainting and upgrade the floor. At some point, you will require some help for a professional or two to successfully pull this off.

Movie Room

Photo: Sjoy Studios

Now, to some fun part –creating a movie room is really not as complicated as you may imagine. All you need is a quality projector, a couple of squishy sofas, a decent sound system and a soft rag and you’ve got yourself a fully functional home cinema.

You can, of course, beef up the level of comfort by having a professional insulate the room and add in heating, depending on your personal preferences and budget. After that, simply throw a mini-fridge in the corner for cold drinks and invest in a huge popcorn bowl and you can sneak away from the noisy living room to catch up with your favorite latest blockbusters any time.

Lounge

Photo: Instagram

Yet another creative idea for utilizing your unused garage space. Remove all the cluttered “stuff”, do some repainting, floor upgrades, proper insulation, and so on. And fill in some table games, comfy sofas, a TV to watch your favorite games and even a bar if the room allows. You can keep the garage door opener up during the summer for some fun indoor-outdoor experience. This is essentially a man cave, but you can get away with calling it a lounge –if anyone asks.

Evens Architects, Los Angeles

A simple way to make your property stand out while adding to its resale value is to focus on raising its curb appeal. After all, first impressions are often lasting ones. The good news is that you don’t have to break the bank to raise your home’s curb appeal! We’ve gathered some easy ways – most of which you can do yourself to add instant and effective curb appeal to you home:

A Fresh Coat of Paint Goes a Long Way!

Denis Mayer Photography

There is nothing like a fresh coat of paint to bring a house to life. If you have good DIY skills, it is a project that will take a few weekends, or you can always hiring a painting company and have it done in a few days.

Before you start painting, remember that you need to give the exterior a proper wash, scrape, and sanding. It’s better to paint from top to bottom to prevent messy drips and missed spots. Select a couple of shades or a main color and highlight to make the house stand out. The average cost of repainting would range from $1,500 to $3,500, depending if it’s a DIY effort or done professionally.

Repair or Replace Your Garage door

 Rick O’Donnel Architect

A garage door can occupy as much as 30% of the face area of the house. An old door with dents will look jaded, even with a coat of paint. Old garage doors often let in drafts, thereby adding to your utility bills. When upgrading the garage door, keep in mind both aesthetics and functionality as the doors come in insulated or non-insulated variants. A new door would cost you $300 to $1,500, depending on size, finish, and insulation.

If you decide to just repair your current door, you’ll want to call in specialists such as Pro-Line Garage Door Service. Most times the repair job you simply can’t do yourself, and this 25-year-old family company specializes in all types of repairs with a one-on-one service. Keep in mind that you will want to do the garage repair before you paint your house.

Focus on Landscaping

Creative Environments, Pools and Spas 

A little bit of lawn care and a few flowers can make a remarkable transformation to your home. Plant some planters around your doors and line your driveway with flowers or beautiful shrubs. If you are looking to sell your home, remember that in the past investments of only $400-$500 in landscaping brought returns of four times the amount. So prune the trees and bushes, and add flowerbeds – it’s worth it!

Clean and Repair Your Roof

 Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

Replace broken and missing shingles, and remove the dirt, moss, lichens, and algae that accumulate over time. This is a job best done by professionals and should cost you $600 to $800. For that small sum, the house will suddenly look younger and fresher.

Add Some Window Appeal

 RWA Architects

An easy way to improve curb appeal on a budget is with interior or exterior window treatments. This can range from adding shutters to painting or adding drapes and blinds. Adding window boxes with gorgeous colorful flowers also add a pop of color and coziness!