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By: Steve Dolan
What Kind of Garage Door should I buy?
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When looking for a garage door, you notice that there are
two major designs: tilt-up doors and sectional roll-up doors.
Sectional roll-up doors are more expensive than tilt-up doors,
but the extra cost is well worth it.
Tilt-up doors consist of a single panel of material. To open
the door, you have to pull it out and pivot it up to slide
it along the roof of your garage. Sectional roll-up doors,
on the other hand, are made of a number of horizontal sections.
Each section is hinged to the next section, allowing the door
a certain degree of flexibility. Because the door is mounted
on rollers, to open a sectional roll-up door you just have
to lift the door and it will roll into place along the roof
of your garage.
Sectional roll-up doors are superior to tilt-up doors. From
a purely practical point they take up less room. Because you
don’t have to pull the door out, there will be more
room in front of your garage door for things like your car.
The door will also take up less room in the garage, since
it can be placed higher up than a tilt-up door.
What should my Garage Door be made of?
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Garage doors, both tilt-ups and sectional roll-ups, are primarily
made from wood or steel. Of these two materials, wood is the
cheaper and – arguably – more attraction option.
If you decided to get a wooden door please keep in mind that
just like your deck, a wooden garage door will be more easily
damaged by the weather than a steel door. If you live in a
particularly hot or cold climate, you may find your self with
a warped or damaged garage door.
Steel garage doors are more expensive, but you will not face
the same problems that you would encounter with a wood door.
If you decide to get a steel door the main thing to check
is that it has been properly prepared to prevent rust.
Garage doors are also occasionally made with aluminium or
fibreglass. While both of these materials are less expensive
than steel doors, you should be careful when using them. Neither
material is as strong as steel so they will not hold up to
the usual wear and tear of a garage door. And once again depending
on your climate, they will not be as energy efficient as a
steel door if that is a concern to you.
How do I look after my Garage Door?
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Just like any other exterior surface on your house, your
garage door will need periodic maintenance to keep it working
smoothly and looking as good as the rest of your house. You’d
be surprised how the look of your garage door not only affects
the overall look of your house, but the perceived value of
your house too.
No matter what material your garage door is made of, it should
be washed regularly. If you have a wood door, you should repaint
the door every other year to ensure that the wood stays protected.
If you have a steel door, you can give it a yearly shine with
car wax
To prolong the life of the mechanical parts, you should lubricate
all moving parts with motor oil whenever the door starts to
feel sluggish.
Safety Concerns with Garage Doors
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Every year, children are seriously injured from accidents
involving garage doors. To avoid these preventable accidents,
the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that
you should only use automatic garage door openers if they
have an automatic reverse function. This will reverse the
closing of the garage door if an obstacle is encountered.
About The Author
Steve Dolan is a homeowner and DIY enthusiast. Go to http://www.allgaragedoorsweb.com
for articles and resources for all your garage door needs.
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