A garage door plays an integral role in the safety and security of your home, so it's important to maintain it properly. A garage door that doesn't work right can be an annoyance and a safety hazard, particularly if you live in an area prone to severe weather. Luckily, there are simple things you can do to improve the performance of your residential garage door and extend its lifespan. To get the maximum value from your residential garage door, follow these tips.
1. Optimize Opening and Closing Speeds
Adjusting your garage door's springs and cables can optimize how fast it opens and closes. Over time, your springs and cables can become loose or stretched out. Adjusting and recalibrating the door operation mechanisms keeps the door opening and closing at the expected speeds.
2. Update Security and Safety Features
The garage door plays a crucial first-line defense role. As such, you must make it robustly secure to ward off any threats, foremost among them being burglar attempts. A quick security upgrade would be installing an automatic locking system and a safety beam.
You must also keep the door safe for people and pets. Safety upgrades include a security bar, a child safety lock, and a sensor beam that automatically shuts down operation when an object is detected in its path.
3. Lubricate Parts To Reduce Noise Levels
A squeaky residential garage door can be an irritant. Garage door components are typically smoothed with some sort of lubricant; a little application once a year should be enough to reduce noise and keep everything running smoothly. If your bearings are really starting to hum, you can contact a residential garage door repair service to replace them.
4. Update Insulation for Better Energy Efficiency
Garage doors in older homes do not always seal effectively and can be highly drafty. You may not realize you're wasting energy, but replacing your insulation will help keep your house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
Finally, you can improve energy efficiency by powering it with solar energy. You don't have to replace anything else but still enjoy lower energy bills each month. It will also make your door operable regardless of power blackouts.
5. Refinish and Repaint To Update the Look
If you have an older door that has scratches, dents, and dings, it's worth giving it a fresh coat of paint with an aluminum-based garage door paint. Because your garage door is so prominent, it will have a huge influence on the curb appeal of your property.
Updating your garage door has several advantages in terms of security, safety, efficiency, and aesthetic appeal, so you should consider it a valuable home improvement project. Contact a residential garage door service to explore your ideas for improvements
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