When looking to update your home, adding an awning might not be something that you have considered before. Adding Pittsburgh awnings can not only improve your homes curb appeal, but it can also provide you with some additional benefits as well.

Improved Energy Efficiency

It is not uncommon for homeowners to cringe when they receive their monthly utility bill. Some homeowners will often try to find ways to cut down on cost and save money. One way to effectively do this, is to cut down the amount of direct sunlight that comes into your home. This is where having awning installed on your home, come into play. An awning over your windows can cut down on the amount of heat that is transferred into your home.

In the summer months, it is ideal to block some of the heat from the sun from entering your home, the complete opposite happens during the winter months. For homeowners who want to best of both words, should invest in a retractable awning. Retractable awnings provide homeowners with the flexibility that they want to control the amount of heat and sunlight that enters through their windows.

Minimize Harmful UV Damage

Harmful UV damage happens so subtly that most people don’t even notice that there is damage until after the damage is already done. The most common aspects of a room to be damaged from the harmful UV rays include: flooring, wallpaper, fabrics, and hanging pictures. Generally, you won’t be able to notice the difference, until you compare an item side-by-side another item that hasn’t been in direct sunlight. It is easy to preserve your furnishings by installing an awning over your window to filter out those harmful rays.

Additional Space

During the warm summer months, many homeowners like to live outside on their decks and patios; essentially having an extension to their living space. These places are often gather places for friends and family to eat, BBQ, and enjoy each other’s company. An awning is a great addition to cover and protect your additional living area, keep things shaded and cooled so that you can enjoy being outside, even during the heat of the day!

Improve Curb Appeal

When selecting the right awning for your home, there are a wide selection of materials and styles to select from. Find the right style that will complement your home, and you’ll have a more inviting and charming home.

If you’ve decided that the added benefits from having an awning installed on your home is the right decision for you, contact the experts at Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors to get started on selecting your perfect Pittsburgh awnings!

Having a garage door that opens and closes on command with the push of a button is something that most homeowners take for granted. In fact, relying on your garage door to always open when you need it to, can result in some serious problems when something breaks and doesn’t work the way that it should. When a mechanical garage door breaks, there is the possibility that you could get locked out of your home when you lose access to a working garage door. While garage door problems are not that unheard of, some problems are more common than others. We’ve outlined three of the most common Pittsburgh garage door repair that we encounter.

Garage Door Won’t Open at All

When you push the button on your garage door controller, you expect your door to respond to the coordinating command. While this is expected, this doesn’t mean that it always happens which could be the result of a number of different reasons. The first thing to check is the batteries in your remote to ensure that they are still good and working. If your batteries need to be replaced, and your door still isn’t working, you could have problems with your cables, tracks, the motor or sensor. To get your door repaired and back to fully working condition, contact Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors.

Loud Screeching and Grinding when Opening or Closing Your Door

When your garage door starts to make loud screeching, and grinding noises it is generally annoying. While it might be tempting to ignore the sounds, and try to get used to them, there is generally a simple solution to fix the problem. The cause of the noise is generally caused by dirt or debris that has collected in the tracks, or a lack of lubrication. To fix the problem, clean the tracks and lubricate the relevant parts with an oil or lubrication that is specifically designed for garage doors. If you would prefer not to perform your Pittsburgh garage door repair yourself, the professional technicians at Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors are happy to assist!

Broken Torsion Spring

When your torsion spring breaks, you will know it! When torsion springs break, they sound like a loud firework that has been set off in your garage. It is natural for springs to break, due to the limited number of uses that each spring is designed to withstand. When your torsion spring breaks, do not attempt to repair it yourself. Always call a professional to come and do the repair work for you, as torsion springs are very dangerous to work with, due to the high amount of tension they contain when wound.

At Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors , we have years of experience in helping homeowners will all of their garage door repair needs. If you are in need of a new garage door, or repair for any type of garage door, call the professionals today!

As any homeowner will know, overhead doors are the largest, heaviest, moving object in your home. These doors are generally used multiple times a day, giving you enough reason to pay attention to the general care and maintenance of each door in your home. Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, knows that large rolling doors can be extremely dangerous when not well maintained, and in proper working order. Therefore, we’ve provided a list of safety tips to ensure that you and your family are protected.

Garage Door Safety Tips

• Mount garage door openers and control buttons out of reach of small children. It is recommended they be placed at least 5 feet from the floor, and in a location where you can have a clear view of the door at all times.
• Garage door remotes are not toys; therefore, it is imperative that young children do not play with the remotes.
• Set a good example for small children, show and explain to them how to operate a door safely.
• Know how to use your doors emergency release feature.
• Do not attempt to perform repairs to your door yourself. This could lead to serious injury and damage.
• Visually inspect your door on a regular basis. Check the springs, cables, rollers, and pulleys for signs of wear. If you spot any areas of concern contact the professionals at Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors for service and repairs.

While garage doors provide easy access to your home, they can also pose a security risk when not properly secured. We’ve provided a list of tips on how to secure your garage door, to protect your home and your possessions.

Garage Door Security Tips

• When leaving for an extended period of time on vacation, be sure to unplug the garage door opener unit, or use the vacation mode. This will prevent your garage door from being opened by remotes and unwanted visitors.
• For enhanced security, consider purchasing a garage door opener with rolling code technology. This technology changes the access code for the garage door opener each time the transmitter is used.
• Wireless keypads allow for users to open the overhead door with the use of a PIN. This feature allows for family and those with the PIN to open the door without the use of a key or remote. It is important to never share your PIN with anyone other than family. Don’t leave the PIN written down where it can be found and used by anyone.
• Do not leave your garage remote in your car, or with a parking attendant. It is important to treat your garage remote with the same level of security as your house key.
• Be sure that the door leading from your garage into your home is always locked. This will provide you with greater security and safety.
• Before going to bed for the night, check to make sure that your garage door is closed and your entry door is locked.

By following these simple safety and security tips, your garage door can serve a useful purpose in protecting your home. If you are ever looking to upgrade your garage door, or needs repairs or service, contact the professionals at Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors !

While most garage door openers have similar designs and functions, there are different options available. All garage doors are equipped with a trolley that is attached to the door, pulling the door open, or pushing it closed. Each trolley is also connected to a motor that drives the trolley along a rail. The biggest difference between the different models of openers is how the motor moves the trolley up and down the rail. There are three main types of openers that are commonly found on residential garage doors.

Chain-Drive: this particular model uses a metal chain to drive the trolley, opening and closing the garage door. While this option tends to be the most economical choice available, they also create noise and vibrations that can become irritating over time if the garage is connected to the home, located next to or under living space. For a garage that is not attached to the home, this model is a great choice!

Belt-Drive: this model is very similar to that of a chain-driven model, except it uses a belt rather than a chain to move the trolley. This model is also quieter than the chain model, and consists of fewer moving parts. With fewer moving parts to worry about, the belt drive model requires less maintenance than other models.

Screw-Drive: Instead of relying on a chain or belt to move the trolley along the rail, the screw-drive model uses a threaded steel rod. The rod’s rotation is what moves the trolley along the rail, raising and lowering the door as it moves along. This model is generally quieter than the chain-drive model, and like that of the belt-drive, has fewer moving parts, thus less maintenance. But it is much louder than the belt/chain driven machines.

Depending on the model of garage door opener that you select, there are added features that can make one model more appealing than another. To learn what options are going to work best for your specific needs, visit with the professionals at Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors and get the opener that you’ll be satisfied with for years to come!