Depending on the size of your garage, your garage door can be a major focal point of your home. You’ll spend days, or even weeks, finding the perfect landscaping, window shutters, and outdoor lighting, but what about your garage door?

Don’t think a standard white door is all there is. With so many to choose from, it’s important to know the different types, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they work.

By the time you’re done reading these tips, you’ll have a better understanding of the type of garage door you want for your home.

Garage Door Materials Make a Difference

The material your door is made of makes a big difference on the look and feel of your garage and home. Garage doors have been around for a while, and there have been many innovations.

Aluminum Doors

The most common door you’ll see is made from the lightweight, and relatively inexpensive, aluminum. These doors come in several different colors and styles, but many garages have simple white. What makes aluminum a big seller is lack of maintenance.

It doesn’t rust, which is great for humid climates and being lightweight, it doesn’t put stress on the opening mechanism. Stress can lead to costly garage door repairs. This can extend the life of the opener and keep down repair costs. The biggest problem is they can’t take a beating. Dings and dents happen.

Steel Doors

If the aluminum door is a lightweight when it comes to damage, a steel door is a heavyweight for sure. They come in many of the same colors and styles, but they handle contact much better. However, they are not rust proof, especially if they do develop dents and dings.

They’re a bit more expensive than aluminum, but they have the same low maintenance aspect and can include insulation. This is a big plus if you have a heated garage.

Wood Doors

When you choose a wood door, you’re getting a great product, but also a higher price. Wood doors give your garage area a more natural look.

They’re also heavy and can take a beating. The weight can put a strain on your mechanical opener, so choose a heavy duty one.

Wood doors require regular maintenance including painting and sealing every few years. If you’re looking to increase your curb appeal, then wood doors are perfect.

Celebrate Your Style

What kind of home do you have? Did you make it look like a country cottage, Victorian, or something more modern? No matter what style you chose, there is a garage door style to match it.

Generally, wood doors go great with country and Victorian homes. You can even accessorize with fancy handles and hinges.

Ranch homes do well with horizontal patterned doors, while modern homes are great with simple plain designs.

It’s suggested that you match the door with windows and other doors. It helps tie the whole design together and create a sense of cohesiveness.

It’s Your Door, Do What You Want

With the garage door taking up so much visual real estate, its important to take your overall design into account. Don’t get a garage door that looks great in the showroom, but not your home.

Are you looking for a new garage door? Is your old one worn out and dingy? Contact us today for an estimate and we’ll make your garage the belle of the neighborhood ball.

Is your garage so cluttered you can’t even think of parking a car inside it? It’s not just you. It turns out that’s true for about 25% of garages.

Of course, the other 75% of garages don’t necessarily sparkle, and you can still find your garage space so overstuffed you can’t find anything in it. Unlike so many of life’s problems, you can solve this one.

Let’s go over some awesome tips that will help you organize your garage quickly.

Sort the Garbage from the Good

Sorting is the first step in de-cluttering any space. You can create as many piles as you need, but you need three piles at a minimum. A few common choices include:

• Keep
• Throw away
• Donate

Remember that you can donate old clothes and tools that are clean and in good working order. You can even get a tax deduction for donations to Goodwill.

Once the trash and donations go away, you end up with a much more manageable amount of property in the garage.

Shelving

Most people’s first choice for organizing is shelving. It sits up against your walls and leaves space for a vehicle or two in the garage. Not to mention that utilizing vertical space is the best way to make the most out of a space.

You can elect for plastic, wood, or metal shelving. Metal shelving is a popular choice because it’s available in most home improvement stores. It’s also fairly easy to assemble.

One thing to watch out for is the weight or duty rating. If you plan on storing heavy tools or auto parts, look for heavy-duty shelving or shelves rated for a couple hundred pounds.

Bins

Once you get the shelving installed, you face a choice. Pile objects and boxes on the shelves, or take organizing to the next level with bins.

You can get inexpensive plastic bins that let your separate belongings into general or specific categories. You might use a large bin for holiday decoration storage, while smaller bins can hold screws, nails, or paint brushes.

Overhead Storage

For items you only expect to use every few years, you can also opt for overhead storage. Overhead storage racks hang over the parking space. Racks range in size from around four feet wide by four feet long to four feet wide by eight feet long.

If you do go in for overhead storage though, make sure that the rack won’t interfere with your garage door track.

Parting Thoughts on How to Organize Your Garage Quickly

It’s possible to organize your garage quickly. It just takes a little prep.

You must sort through your belongings. Some things you’ll keep. Other things will go straight into the trash, or off for donation.

In terms of storage, most people elect for shelves along the walls or a ceiling storage rack. Just watch out for garage door tracks when installing that overhead storage.

Plastic bins will help you take that pile of things you keep and make it easier to find what you want in the future.

Looking to upgrade your garage? Want an estimate for a new garage door? Reach and contact Premier Door Corp today.

Many people stuff their garage to the brim, filling that space with as much storage as possible, and then ultimately forgetting about those items. While it’s a great spot for that, problems can arise if the garage becomes over cluttered and those items begin to damage the garage door.

Garage door repairs can get out of control if you let them compile. Routine garage door maintenance and simple fixes could avoid an emergency, but unfortunately, hasty decisions, coupled with inadequate research can turn into high-cost service invoices.

The following tips can help you avoid garage door headaches. Here are five different ways to keep car garage door repair costs low.

Invest in Quality

Two garage door elements dictate costs:

• Door materials
• Quality parts

Chances are, your garage door is as old as your home and quite possibly outdated and inefficient. Consider better overhead garage door materials when replacing or upgrading your door. You should also replace the other parts when you are doing an overhaul to your door.

Always choose a garage door company offering quality materials and parts to save in the long-term. Cheap parts equal poor material and build quality. You’ll replace cheap parts often, creating a money sink.

Maintenance and Tune-Ups

Take time to check the garage door’s parts for wear and tear.

A simple lube job can extend the life of the garage door by preventing friction. This gives you enough time to research a quality garage door pro for the larger repairs.

DIY the “Easy Stuff”

Garage door parts are quite simple and inexpensive. You’re paying for the service when having the overhead door repaired. You can save a great deal of money by ordering parts and fixing small issues yourself.

DIY fixes could include:

• Re-bending or replacing misaligned tracks
• Swapping a damaged spring
• Re-aligning the safety sensors

Most parts range from $50 – $100 at hardware stores. You can find many garage door repair tutorials through blogs and YouTube. Be careful if you DIY, as garage doors are quite heavy and dangerous as you swap parts.

Become Educated about Garage Door Repairs or Replacement

As expected, nefarious people prey on distressed homeowners. Garage door scams are common during emergencies and natural disasters.

What happens?

• Outrageous service pricing
• Unnecessary repairs
• Costly, overpriced parts

Be wary of home repair red flags from individuals you can’t verify. Educate yourself about garage door workings to know if their quote is legitimate. Make repairs a priority, but don’t forgo due diligence else you may spend way more than expected.

Stay Safe

You advertise what’s in your home every time you open the garage door. Unbeknownst to you, are the prying eyes of potential intruders. The garage is a common entry point for burglars.

Burglars can cause costly damage to the door as they force their way inside. Avoid this by keeping watch and using quality garage door materials. A home security system can deter this costly occurrence, too.

Call Us when Garage Door Repairs are Too Much

Don’t have the elbow grease and patience to complete your DIY repairs? Does it look like your garage door repairs are going over budget? It’s time to call us.

We’ve provided North East Illinois with top-notch garage services for over 16 years. We’d love if you become our next, satisfied customer.

Give us a call, 847-625-999, or fill out our Contact Form. We’ll repair your garage door or garage door opener the right way, the first time.