4 Things to Consider Before Hiring a Pittsburgh Garage Door Dealer

Having a Pittsburgh garage door that opens and closes on command is a luxury that many people take for granted. It isn’t until your garage door needs to be repaired or replaced that many begin to look into finding a reputable garage door dealer. But how do you ensure the dealer you are considering hiring is reputable and professional? Here are a few things to help you ensure that you entrust your garage door needs to a reputable dealer.

Experience

One of the easiest ways to determine if a dealer knows what they are doing and can help you with your garage door needs is to look at how much experience they have. Garage door dealers that have been in the business for decades will have all of the technical knowledge and experience necessary to install your garage door properly. If you’re considering a new company, find out if the owners and/or management have experience in the door and operator industry. How much experience do they have?

Workmanship

Another aspect to consider that is equally as important and easily verifiable is the satisfaction of previous customers. Can they provide letters of recommendation from other customers? What do online reviews have to say about the company? If possible, try to talk to multiple previous customers to hear about their experience firsthand. Find out if they were satisfied with the workmanship and overall quality of work that was completed. You should be cautious when a dealer is unable to put you in touch with any satisfied customers—take that as an indication that you should look at other options.

Code and Regulatory Compliance

When it comes to installing garage door systems, there are numerous requirements in place that pertain to the safety and installation of garage doors. As a result, all federal, state, and local codes and regulations must be strictly followed. When interviewing potential dealers, ask how they comply with codes for your location. If they cannot adequately explain how they adhere to codes, be wary, this may be a major warning sign. All federal, state, and local codes and regulations are in place for the safety and protection of homeowners. Therefore, they should be followed at all times. If a potential dealer cannot demonstrate that they are aware of regulations and are in compliance at all times, you should immediately walk away and continue to search for a dealer that is.

Insurance Coverage

Another important feature to consider is that a dealer should carry the proper insurance, not only for their business but for their employees as well. Start by asking for a copy of the company’s certificate of insurance to verify that they do in fact have insurance. This will also help you to know when their coverage is up to guarantee that they will be covered for the duration of your installation. Be wary of companies that hesitate to provide you with a copy of their insurance, as it can be a warning sign. In the event that a dealer attempts to explain that they do not need to carry insurance, it will be in your best interest to walk away and continue to search for a dealer who is more than happy to provide proof of insurance. As a general rule, you can expect that a reputable garage door dealer will carry the proper insurance and won’t hesitate to provide you with proof of insurance per your request.

Being able to find a reputable garage door dealer for your Pittsburgh garage door repairs and replacement needs don’t have to be a daunting or a seemingly impossible task. In fact, by asking a few important questions you can find a trustworthy and safety-conscious dealer, such as Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors. Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors has been in business since 1950. We’ve been able to provide quality garage door services that our customers have come to know and expect from us. Don’t trust your garage door needs to just anyone, trust them to Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, a licensed and insured garage door dealer with years of experience.

What You Need to Know About Overhead Doors

Those looking to purchase an overhead door of Pittsburgh have several options, often more than they realize. Whether you decide to purchase an overhead coiling door or an overhead sectional door, there are a few differences that you’ll want to consider between the two. Not only do you need to decide on what type of door will best fit your needs, but you’ll also need to take into consideration durability, maintenance, security, installation, and overall lifetime costs.

Roll-Up Vs. Sectional Doors

An overhead roll-up garage door is sometimes referred to as a rolling steel door or a coiling door. This type of door is fabricated using individual metal slat sections that are interlocked. When the door opens, the door coils up on itself above the door, wrapping around a drum. This allows the door to be stored in a compact area, minimizing the need for excesses space to store the door. This specific type of door is installed by mounting the guides and assembly to the wall on either side of the door.

Sectional doors are similar to roll-up doors, but they utilize larger metal sections, and can open in a variety of different configurations. These configurations include retracting up, or up and over, the floor of the garage, beyond the opening of the overhead door. If there is not enough clearance for the door to open straight up, the door tracks will curve, allowing for the door to retract horizontally over the garage space. This can result in issues if there are fire sprinklers in the ceiling of the garage, HVAC, or lighting that is already installed or will be installed.

Durability and Maintenance

The quality of the material that is used to construct the door will have a significant impact on the overall durability and lifespan of the door. Heavy-duty materials that are typically used in overhead coiling doors are designed to last for a prolonged period of time and can withstand heavy usage. On the other hand, sectional garage doors are better equipped for low volume usage.

Coiling doors eliminate the need for springs, which means they require little maintenance. In fact, some models of coiling doors are built to withstand upwards of one-million open and closed cycles without any maintenance required, compared to sectional doors that rely on numerous parts to operate smoothly. When more parts are used, there is an increased need for maintenance and repairs. Because there are more parts that require replacement more often, this increases the overall maintenance costs over the lifespan of the door.

Safety and Security

Regardless of the type of garage door, each comes with its own safety and security features. Due to its design and features, the coiling door has an advantage over sectional doors. This advantage comes from the small, multiple interlocking sections, their enclosed parts, springs and counterbalance shaft. Sectional doors rely on exposed springs and cables which leave them more susceptible to damage. Any failure that occurs with the springs or cables results in the door instantly becoming unbalanced. If cables were to break, the door would free fall to the ground, causing damage or harm to anything beneath it.

If you’re looking for installation specialists to install your overhead door of Pittsburgh, Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors is an authorized commercial and residential garage door dealer. With a wide selection of both roll-up and sectional over head doors available, you can get the door that will best fit your needs at Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors.

How to Clean Your Retractable Awning

Now that spring is in full swing, many homeowners are elbow deep in their spring cleaning. While many focus primarily on the inside of their home, it is just as important to prepare the exterior for summer. Homes with Pittsburgh awnings will need to take special care to clean and care for their retractable canvas awnings. Over time, canvas awnings can become stained. The elements can weaken the fabric’s sewing threads, resulting in the fabric eventually beginning to disintegrate. Once the fabric begins to disintegrate, the appearance and structural integrity can be jeopardized. Regularly cleaning your canvas awning can help minimize these risks and give your awning a longer lifespan.

Here is how to best clean your awning, as part of your spring home cleaning.

• Start by getting a bucket filled with cool or lukewarm water. Add three ounces of mild laundry soap, such as baby laundry soap, per gallon of water. Do not use detergent. Mix the soap and water solution until foamy.
• Before you use the soap and water mixture, take a household broom to remove all cobwebs, leaves, and debris taking up space on the underside of your awning.
• With all the foreign debris removed, you are now ready to begin washing your awning. Start by wetting down a manageable portion of the awning with a garden hose, with your soap and water bucket within reach.
• Scrub the awning with a stiff brush saturated with the mixed soap and water mixture. Work in a circular motion to effectively work the solution into the awning fabric. Try to limit the area you clean at a time to prevent the soap from drying on the awning.
• Use a garden hose, to rinse off the soap solution and dirt and allow the awning to air-dry.
• Continue to scrub your awning in small sections until the entire awning is cleaned.

Regular cleaning of your Pittsburgh awnings can help to prolong their lifespan, causing it to last for years to come. If you are looking to add retractable awnings to your home, contact Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors today.