Garage doors have continued to evolve over the last century, and now they are available in many different sizes, shapes, materials, and designs. As a homeowner, you will have to replace your own door or doors sometime during the years, and shopping for a replacement is going to be an entirely new experience as you face the many decisions that this once-simple job now entails. What it all actually boils down to, however, is a few basic styles of doors decorated in different ways. Probably the most common type of garage door is the overhead pull-down type. This style has been used since the 1920s because of its basic simplicity. It was originally engineered by C.G. Johnson, and the style is essentially unchanged from the hinged panels mounted on a track and rollers which are then lifted by a spring mechanism. This is the style of door that is more popularly known as a roll-up door. Something you might not know is that this man Johnson went on to invent the first electric garage door opener in 1926. Although we consider these openers to be a product of modern technology, they have actually been around for almost a century. A door that similarly operates by running up onto the ceiling on tracks and rollers is a single panel door. Instead of being made up of hinged panels, the entire door consists of only one large panel. The door still slides up and over the doorway allowing vehicles free clearance, but it does require some external room in which to operate. You may have heard these doors referred to as monolithic. A third similar type of door is a sectional garage door. This style utilizes 6-8 panels which also roll up into the garage's overhead space. Benefits to having a door like this include the fact that all of the panels connect individually to the track making the door a much more reliable entry plus, a car can be parked right up to the door, and the door can still be raised without having to move the car. Swing hung garage doors are hinged directly to the door frame and require a great deal of space in order to open. These doors often have beautiful styling and can add to the curb appeal of your home. However, do to the space requirements, they aren't recommended for those who have short or narrow driveways. Swing hung portals are often made of wood. A door that is most often used commercially and is made of steel or fiberglass is the roller door. It can operate on a rolling, spring-loaded mechanism, a motor, or a manual pulley. It opens without needing any exterior space, but it isn't the type of door you're going to want to use to make your home look more attractive. They can also be problematic when the time comes that they need repair. Doors come in steel, wood, aluminum, and polyethylene, both new and recycled, and most of them contain insulation to block air leaks leading to improved energy efficiency and usability. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6984005
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It is important to perform maintenance for the things you have purchased. Performing regular maintenance for your garage doors will benefit you in two ways. First, you don't need to spend money for the garage service. Regular maintenance will keep your doors always in a good condition and you don't need professional help to prevent damages. Second, proper maintenance will help you extend your garage door's life. Below are the steps to maintain your garage doors: 1. Purchase oil-based lubricant to maintain the inside part of the track. When performing this step, your door should be in closed position. Spray the lubricants to the inside track carefully especially to the curve part of it. Then, spray to the roller of the doors, exactly on the area where the stem meets the roller. You can also check rollers and hinges, in case there are damaged you need to fix it immediately. If you find that your roller or the bottom of the hinge needs replacement, it is recommended to call a professional door service. It is because these parts are the center of the tension to lift the door. Try to replace these parts by yourself will only cause further damages. 2. The next step to do is inspecting your hinges and fasteners. Check if the nuts and bolts are tightened. These parts are essential and if they are loose, they can ruin the door operation. Lag bolts should also be tightened since they have the task of connecting the track to the wall. Replace them when they have reached their lifespan. 3. If your spring is located on a shaft over the header of the door, then spray the lubricant carefully across the spring length. Make sure that you don't spray the lubricant to the cables. 4. If your spring is located on the side, open your garage door before inspecting the spring assembly. Then, check the safety cable that runs through the spring. The cable is usually located on the back of the track to the front wall. If you can't find this cable, then it is a good idea to call a professional door service. They can add the safety feature so that your spring won't fly all over the place. Maintaining your garage doors is actually very simple. As long as you know the vital parts of the doors, it would be very easy to perform regular checking. You only need to spray the lubricant gently and ensure that all parts are in a good condition. As the result, you will find out that your door will last for years without any serious damages. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6687745 Despite a multitude of doors to choose from today, the traditional wooden garage door remains the most popular selection for homeowners. The following are a few of the reasons the wooden garage door remains a favorite choice. Price The cost of wooden doors is generally lower than doors made of steel or other materials. Painted, flat-panel wooden doors are the least expensive garage doors. Wooden doors with raised panels are more expensive than flat-panel garage doors but are still more affordable than doors made of other materials. Homeowners have a wide range of prices to choose from, and there is a wooden door to fit every budget. Wood Choices Wooden garage doors are available in different grades of wood. The most popular and least costly choice is painted wood. Manufacturers usually offer painted garage doors in several colors, and the homeowner can always choose to paint the door another color as a do-it-yourself project. Stain-grade wood is more expensive than painted wood and adds an elegant look to a home. Insulation Wooden doors provide better insulation than steel doors. Weather stripping can be added to the door for even better insulation. Wooden doors are excellent choices for garages that are used for play or utility areas because of the good insulation they provide. Styles The two basic styles of wooden doors are the roll up and the tilt up door. The roll up door provides a tight fit between the door and the door opening because it is installed behind the door opening. Roll up doors have four or more horizontal sections that are hinged together and roll on a track to open. Tilt up doors are installed inside the door opening, and the entire panel tilts out and then is pushed up to open. Tilt doors are a cost-saving option and are typically up to 35% cheaper than a roll up door. Customization The combinations of features for wooden doors are endless. The following are a few of the features available for wooden doors. Windows: Some homeowners want solid wooden doors, and others want doors with windows to allow more light to enter the garage. Wooden doors can be made with any size, style, and number of windows. Panels: Homeowners have a choice of no panels, rectangular panels, or square panels. The choice depends on the taste of the homeowner. The panel selection should complement the other garage door features as well as the home. Special designs: Carriage and barn doors are two specialized wooden doors that give homes a unique look. Both doors appear to open by swinging open or sliding along a horizontal track, but they open the same as a traditional section garage door. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1726966 If you want your home to have that classic, elegant and timeless beauty, then it is time to install wood garage doors. This is the reason why more and more homeowners choose the wood material for their doors instead of steel, vinyl, copper or aluminum. The wood garage door comes in many styles and designs that you would not find it hard to pick one that would complement the contemporary look of your home. One wood material to consider is timber which is less expensive and easy to repair compared with steel. This is because the timber will not dent and you can repair the timber door in small sections. Here are some wood garage doors from online retailers (garagedoorsinc.com, cgbaragedoors.com, etc) for your consideration: Model T Doors from Garage Doors Inc.: Each door has been expertly crafted by trained craftsmen that provide you with a design that will fit perfectly with your modern home. This sectional door style is typically consists of three or four sections. It is designed to simulate the sideway sliding or outward swinging typical of many garage doors on historical homes. The framework is constructed from 1 and 3/8 inches hemlock fir. The top and bottom rails measure 4 and 5/8 inches in width for extra rigidity and 7 and ¾ wide for end stiles to accommodate the expansion of end hinges. Back-paneled doors used luan mahogany for paneling to create a finished look to the inside of the garage and to add great sheer strength. A stain grade door is constructed with cedar skin and trim. True window panes are used on all doors that have glass design. Plantation Series Garage Doors: This carriage style door is available in many sizes and dimensions. Plus, you can have this door customized to meet your design requirements. The door's proprietary and unique construction makes it a perfect replacement choice for use in all weather conditions. Your design options include recessed or raised panels, stain or paint grades and custom glazing. The three-layer construction consists of an insulation, face panel and back panel. Clingerman Custom Wood Garage Doors: You can choose a wood door construction in swing or overhead style. All Clingerman doors are insulated come in either paint or stain grade. Choices of materials are Spanish cedar T&G, sapele mahogany flat panel inlay, pine T&G inlay, MDF plywood inlay, mahogany T&G inlay, MDF plywood inlay with 6-inch v groove and sapele mahogany flat panel inlay. Clopay Canyon Ridge Collection: This faux, rustic wood door replicate gives out the beauty, elegance and texture of real wood but with less maintenance. The five-layered door construction consists of steel, insulation, steel, cladding and overlay. The door features an overhead operation and a swing-out appearance. The overlay materials and polymer composite cladding with 1/2 -inch thickness are molded from true wood to replicate the natural texture and distinctive grain patterns. Available cladding materials are clear cypress, pecky cypress and mahogany. 7402 Churchill Carriage House Door from Wayne Dalton: The glass window options for this door are clear, bronze tint, gray tint and antique art. Also available is the shatter-resistant plexiglass. The door is complemented by decorative hardware with choices of coach house pattern or the classic Fleur-de-Lis style. This door is paint grade finish so you could paint it to match the exterior look of your home. Wood Garage Door from Zhejiang Ideality Automatic Door Co. Ltd.: The door panel is made of pine wood and the surface is waterproof painted to resist corrosion and protect it from the effects of weather. It comes with zinc alloy steel brackets for stable operation. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3924704 |