You have to wonder sometimes, is there anything that hasn’t been touched by fake news? It’s looking like that’s a resounding… No! Even garage doors are being affected by the world of fake news. The danger of this is that some of you who are out there trying to shop around for your new garage door won’t know what to believe and what not to. So, we’re going to cover that right here.
We are experts who can help you with any question you might have about garage doors. We can also give you the real facts, rather than the myths that are being spread around by fake news. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest myths about garage doors that are out there right now.
Garage doors are all the same
There are those who will tell you that you don’t need to shop around for a new garage door because they’re all the same. That is so far from the truth. Let’s just start by looking at the material that could be used to make a garage door. Some of them are made of metal, others are made of wood. Some are even made of aluminum. Whatever the material is, there will likely be advantages and disadvantages that come along with each different kind. You’ll need to decide what is important in terms of material characteristics for your needs.
Garage doors are made with different thicknesses as well. If you feel like you’ll need your garage door to be a little more heavy‑duty, you’ll want to go with a thicker one, maybe 2".
You’ll have to consider if you want insulation in the garage door you choose also. That decision can easily be affected by whether you have a single garage door or double garage doors. If you typically have to open and close your garage door more than two or three times a day, it may not be worth it to choose an insulated garage door option because you’ll be losing a lot of heating or cooling every time the door is opened.
You should never insulate your garage door
Who needs insulation, it’s a garage, right? Wrong! Plenty of people will benefit from having an insulated garage door. People use their garage spaces for all kinds of different activities. If there are going to be people spending time in the garage for any length of time, there is plenty of reason to have an insulated garage door. If you install a weathertight insulated garage door, it can end up saving you a bit of money on your heating or electricity bills. Who doesn’t want to save money?
Repairing a garage door is something anyone can do
No, it’s really not. It can actually be very dangerous for you to try and repair your own garage door. Especially in the case of the spring system, you should have a professional come and do that for you. Don’t be afraid to take on some of the maintenance, like regular lubrication of the appropriate parts, but leave the repairs to the experts. You can tighten bolts and test the door to see that things are working yourself. Then, if you find that something isn’t functioning right, contact us at Environmental Door. We will make sure your garage door is performing at its best in a safe manner.
There is no maintenance needed for garage doors
You don’t have to perform any maintenance on your garage doors. If you don’t though, you run the risk of having a big problem pop up one day that’s going to cost you a lot of money to fix. Or even worse, you might end up with someone getting hurt because your garage doors aren’t functioning like they should. Your garage doors need to be physically inspected, need to be regularly lubricated and need to be tested for functioning sometimes. In many cases, the garage door gets more use than any other door in your house. It’s also exposed to the elements because it’s on the exterior of your home. Refer to this guide for help with knowing what you need to do to keep your garage door in good working order.
Garage doors are supposed to be noisy
It’s true that garage doors will make some noise—they’re made of moveable, metal parts—but they aren’t supposed to be nuisance‑level noisy. Many times when there is a problem with your garage door system, you will notice a different sound coming from it when it’s operating. Listen from time to time to make sure that everything sounds normal. Any one of the components of your garage door could be in need of repair or replacement. If you hear anything out of the ordinary, don’t shy away from contacting us.
Garage doors never hurt anyone
Garage doors have definitely hurt people before. Every year there are numerous accidents involving garage doors that could have been avoided in many cases. Without regular maintenance, garage doors can become unsafe and cause a risk of injury to you or someone you love. As is stated in the US National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, there are over 10,000 garage door accidents every year. They include bumps and cuts, and even some crushed bones. Don’t let this happen at your house by keeping your garage door well‑maintained.
Most of the accidents reported are caused by malfunctioning automatic reverse mechanisms. These are the components that cause the door to roll back up should something cross the garage threshold under the door. There are two different kinds: one mechanical and the other photoelectric. You can test each of them. The mechanical one can be tested by putting a wood block under the door. When the bottom of the door touches the block, it should roll back up to the open position. The photoelectric one can be tested by passing your foot over the threshold while the door is coming down. This should trigger the sensor to reverse the door back up to the open position. If you find that your automatic reverse mechanisms aren’t working right, please get in touch with us.
Garage door repairs always cost a lot of money
There is definitely a misconception out there that you’re going to have to spend a lot of money if your garage door needs repairs. While it is true that some repairs can be pretty expensive, that’s not always going to be the case. And if you’re maintaining your garage door properly, you won’t likely need much in the way of repairs anyway. Here are ways you can avoid having costly garage door repairs:
- Schedule and keep up with regular maintenance on your garage door and its working systems. You want to be proactive here, not reactive. One good option is to look into our tune‑up program. It works a lot like your car maintenance program does.
- Making sure to get a quote before any repairs actually get started is a smart way to safeguard yourself against repairs that are more expensive than they need to be. Most service companies will be happy to give you a quote over the phone even. If they aren’t accommodating when you ask for something to be confirmed as far as price goes, then you might just want to move on to a more reputable garage door service company. Also ask for any information that might keep this repair from needing to be done in the future.
Cheap electric garage door openers work every bit as good as more expensive models
There are plenty of places in your daily life that you can buy the cheapest version of something and it will turn out just fine. But this isn’t the best idea for buying a garage door opener. This door is the largest moving piece of your house. Do you really want to scrimp on something that facilitates the movement of the largest moving piece of your house? For many households, the garage door gets opened and closed more than any other door in the house. So, you want your door to be durable. You also want it to be safe for everyone in your home to use.
You certainly get more for your money when it comes to garage door openers. Cheap openers like some of the ones you might find online will often have a trolley‑type mechanism that pulls the door open. They’re made of three parts that don’t work in the quietest fashion, aren’t the safest for functioning and aren’t as stable as something that might cost you a bit more. There are usually a lot of bolted parts that will loosen over time and cause unnecessary noise from your opener. You might also be purchasing an opener that doesn’t come with a programmable remote and is missing some of the other things that make garage door openers the convenient entryways we want them to be. Yours may only come with a wall button that has to be pushed manually to open and close the garage door. You need to make sure you know what you’re getting when you choose a garage door opener. So, it’s not always best to go cheap.
Is there more you want to know?
If you’re anywhere in or around Grand Rapids, give us a call at 616-453-0164. We’re happy to answer questions you have about fake news you might have heard about garage door openers. We’ll help you sort out the myths from the facts.
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