Garage Door Replacement vs. Repair: Making the Right Decision for Winter in Pennsylvania

Bracing for Pennsylvania’s harsh winter? Your garage door becomes more than an entry point; it’s a crucial barrier against the cold. Here, we dissect garage door repair and garage door replacement on five important metrics to guide you in winterizing your home.

Cost

A Garage Door Repair generally demands less money upfront. Think of it as a patch-up job for isolated issues like broken springs or faulty sensors. But beware: frequent repairs add up, making this option less economical over time.

Conversely, a garage door replacement comes with a higher initial price tag. Yet the long-term benefits can outweigh the upfront cost. Energy-efficient designs contribute to lower heating bills, an important consideration during Pennsylvania’s intense winters.

Time Investment

If you’re short on time, garage door repair can often be done within a day. Repair is your quickest route to sealing off the cold. A garage door replacement, though, needs a longer time commitment. Between selecting a new door, installation, and potentially removing the old one, you’ll need to plan ahead.

Energy Efficiency

In terms of winterizing your home, a new garage door has the upper hand. Engineered with superior insulation and sealing features, a new door keeps your garage and home warmer. An older, repaired door may lack these advanced features, which may leave you with higher heating bills.

Longevity

Repairing an existing door extends its life, but often only for a short period. These quick fixes don’t prevent future issues, particularly if your door has significant wear. A garage door replacement offers a fresh start with a lifespan of up to 15-20 years when well-maintained. The upfront investment translates into years of reliable operation and fewer repair concerns down the line.

Aesthetics and Home Value

When it comes to elevating the look and resale value of your home, a garage door replacement is the clear winner. A new, modern design refreshes your home’s exterior. Repairs, while functional, don’t contribute to visual appeal or add value to your property.

Conclusion

Winterizing your home is non-negotiable. If a quick, affordable fix is what you need, opt for a garage door repair. but for long-term reliability, energy savings, and a bump in home value, a garage door replacement is worth considering. Act quickly, as Pennsylvania’s unforgiving winter waits for no one. Secure your home — and peace of mind — by making the right garage door decision before the snow starts falling.

The Role of Commercial Cold Storage Doors in Food Safety and Compliance

Food safety is a crucial aspect of the food industry. Food-borne illnesses can have severe consequences, including legal actions and loss of customers. One of the essential components of food safety is maintaining the optimal temperature of food products. For this reason, commercial cold storage doors are a vital tool in the food industry. In this article, we will discuss the role of commercial cold storage doors in food safety and compliance.

What Are Commercial Cold Storage Doors?

Commercial cold storage doors are specialized doors designed to maintain the temperature of refrigerated or frozen rooms. They are used in a variety of industries to store perishable food items like seafood, meat, and dairy products. These doors regulate the temperature and prevent heat transfer from one room to another.

The Importance of Commercial Cold Storage Doors in Food Safety

The primary goal of commercial cold storage doors is to maintain the optimal temperature of refrigerated or frozen rooms. Optimal temperature control ensures the freshness and quality of perishable foods. Without effective temperature control, bacteria can develop and grow, leading to food spoilage and food-borne illnesses.

In addition, commercial cold storage doors help comply with the United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) regulations, which are designed to ensure the safety of the food supply.

Types of Commercial Cold Storage Doors

There are various types of commercial cold storage doors available in the market to meet different needs. You can choose overhead-acting doors, which are ideal for high-traffic areas, or side-sliding doors for smaller spaces. These doors can also be customized to have maximized insulation, high-speed functions, or a combination of both. The idea is to reduce heat transfer and ensure optimal temperature regulation.

Get the Ideal Commercial Cold Storage Doors for You

Commercial cold storage doors play a crucial role in ensuring food safety and compliance with regulatory standards. They protect perishable food items from bacteria growth and prevent heat transfer between rooms, ensuring optimal temperature control. With different types available in the market, there is a solution for every cold storage need. By investing in the right commercial cold storage door, companies in the food industry can ensure their products are safe, compliant, and fresh for consumption.

At Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc., we offer a wide range of high-quality cold storage doors designed to meet the demands of the food industry. Contact us today for more information.

How Fire Doors Can Save Lives in the Event of a Fire

Each year there are an average of over 350,000 house fires in the US. Thankfully, most result in only property damage, but many people are injured by burns or smoke inhalation and nearly 3,000 people die each year in house fires. 

Fire doors help keep the number of deaths low and using them properly can help get it even lower. Here’s how fire doors can save lives in the event of a fire.

They Starve the Fire

Fires thrive on oxygen. As a fire rages inside a building, the oxygen quickly burns up, but this usually isn’t a problem for the fire as it keeps pulling in a fresh supply of oxygen. 

However, closed fire doors help inhibit the flow of oxygen, helping to smother or at least weaken the fire.

They Slow the Fire

In many cases, buildings aren’t necessarily sealed enough that the fire will extinguish itself because of a lack of oxygen. However, limiting the oxygen does slow the spread of the fire. This offers anyone in the building extra time to escape. 

They Protect Escape Routes

The flames themselves aren’t the biggest danger to people trying to escape a fire. In fact, many people die of smoke inhalation before the fire ever reaches them. 

Fire doors help keep escape routes clear of the treacherous smoke and gasses that accompany a fire. Sometimes that’s all you need to safely make it outside.

Interested in Fire Doors?

While any door will offer a certain amount of protection, the big problem is that they might be open at the time of the fire. Then they become useless, except as fodder for the fire if they are wooden! 

Fire doors are designed to close automatically in the event of an emergency. Plus, they are made from materials that won’t burn easily, which does more to help slow the spread of the flames. 

Interested in installing fire doors in your home or business? That’s a great choice! Learn more from the experts here at Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc!

How to Save Money and Energy with Storm Doors

A storm door is a second door usually installed to serve a number of protective and convenience purposes. But apart from their main functions, storm doors can also serve as money and energy savers. Below are some ways you can save money and energy when you install storm doors.

Weather Barrier and Lower Heat Conduction

Installing a storm door outside your primary entrance door can help save energy in a couple of ways. First, the storm door acts as a weather shield or barrier, thus ensuring that any impact of air leakage through the regular entrance door is significantly reduced. Secondly, a storm door establishes an extra layer of insulation that helps limit heat conduction through the primary door.

More Affordable Replacement to Primary Doors

A storm door is a great money-saving investment for anyone who has an old but functional primary door. This is because the cost of installing a storm door is lower than that of a regular door.

Protect Your Primary Door

The functions of a storm door include protecting your primary door all year round from adverse conditions such as snow, rain, ice, wind, and more. This protective cover can extend the lifespan of your primary door and help save you money on primary door replacement over time.

Safe Access to Energy-Saving Sunshine

A storm door can be a valuable asset for those who love the feel of mild sunshine, particularly during the summer and spring seasons. Moreover, adequate utilization of the natural energy provided by the sun can imply less dependence on electric power. This can also imply lower energy costs and more savings.

Closing Thoughts

Adding a storm door is money well spent because of the extra money and energy-saving benefits it brings. Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. offers a wide variety of storm doors for diverse residential and commercial buildings.

Why Choose Us?

• Onsite Professional staff
• Quality workmanship
• Honesty and integrity
• Fully-insured

Call us today at (724) 443-1437 for more information on all storm, entry, and patio doors.

Adding a High-Speed Door to Your Business

Is your business in the market for a new commercial garage door? If so, it’s important to ensure you’re getting the most out of your purchase. This can be achieved by installing a high-speed door.

Adding a high-speed door to your business can be an excellent way to improve the efficiency of the staff and the overall workflow.

What Are High-Speed Doors?

High-speed doors are high-performance doors that open and close quickly and are typically used in commercial and industrial settings. They can be made from a variety of materials, such as fabric and rubber, but most are made from aluminum or steel.

The Benefits of High-Speed Doors

Below are some of the benefits associated with using a high-speed door: 

– Durability. A high-speed door can withstand harsh conditions and a lot of wear and tear, so it’ll last longer than other doors.

– Energy efficiency. These doors use less energy than traditional garage doors because they don’t have as many moving parts. They also provide insulation from both heat and cold, which means lower utility bills year-round.

– Improve Operational Efficiency. A high-speed door will significantly decrease your wait time, and thanks to a lift system, it won’t take any extra effort on your employees’ part to raise or lower the door.

– Prevent Damage. The automatic control and opening/closing mechanism of a high-speed door help prevent damage caused by people bumping into the door while entering or exiting.

– High-speed doors also increase the security of your premises since they are harder to break through and have better security features. In addition, they can help improve indoor air quality by keeping out dust, pollen, and other airborne contaminants.

What Kinds of Businesses Can Benefit From Them?

Do you have a facility that regularly deals with traffic in and out or crucially requires quick access? If so, you might want to consider adding a high-speed door. What makes them so beneficial is that they are extremely versatile and can be tailored to your business’s needs. They are therefore ideal for industries such as food processing plants, breweries, warehouses, emergency rooms, distribution centers, and more.

Upgrade to a special-function high-speed door from Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. today. We have plenty of options to choose from and can custom design the perfect door for your needs. Contact us for more information.

Benefits of a Three-Layer Insulated Door

Garage doors are often thought of as purely functional items, but they can be much more than that. In fact, your door can be an excellent way to improve the overall appeal of your home or commercial building’s exterior while also increasing safety and security.

A three-layer insulated sectional garage door perfectly plays the security role and more. Having the best three-layer insulated garage doors is essential, and a great investment for your home or business—here are five reasons why you should invest in one today!

Durability

With three layers of protection, your door will be better able to withstand the elements and day-to-day wear and tear, making it more durable.

Protection From the Elements

Whether it’s extreme heat or cold, your garage door will help keep your home at a comfortable temperature. This will help protect your car and other belongings from weather damage. 

Energy Efficiency

Traditional garage doors are only single-layer, meaning they don’t do much to keep heat in or out. But a three-layer door has two additional layers of insulation, making it much more effective at regulating temperature. This can help save you money on your energy bills, as well as make your home more comfortable year-round.

Soundproofing

If you live in an area with a lot of traffic or other external noise, a three-layer insulated garage door can be a great way to reduce the amount of noise that comes into your home. Additionally, if you have a home workshop or studio, the door’s soundproofing properties can be essential to avoid disturbing your neighbors. 

Less Maintenance

Since sectional three-layer garage doors are made with high-quality materials and can withstand extreme weather conditions and the wear and tear of daily use, they require less maintenance than other types of garage doors. This also means you won’t have to replace your door often, saving you money in the long run.

Get Your Three-Layer Insulated Door Today!

If you’re looking for a high-quality, durable garage door, a three-layer insulated door from Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc is just what you need. Contact us today for an installation.

5 Reasons Your Garage Door Won’t Close

You leave your home and use your remote to close your garage door, only to see that your garage door refuses to close. While it’s frustrating when a broken garage door doesn’t work correctly, there are a few things that can impact its functionality. When you’re dealing with a major issue, it’s important to hire a garage door professional to fix the problem so that your garage door doesn’t incur additional damage.

Check out these five common reasons that your garage door won’t close:

1. You Have an Issue with Your Garage Door’s Sensors

Your garage door’s sensors prevent your door from closing on a vehicle or other obstruction. If your garage door refuses to close all the way, you might have an issue with the sensors.

Try wiping the sensors with a soft cloth to remove dirt and dust that can keep them from functioning correctly. If you observe that a sensor is blinking, it might need to be realigned. This is done by loosening the sensor and adjusting it until the light no longer blinks.

2. Your Tracks or Rollers Are Damaged

Damaged tracks and rollers are another frequent reason that a garage door won’t go past a certain point. If you spot components that are bent, a garage door repair professional can bend them back into place or replace them.

3. Your Trolley Isn’t Activating

The component that attaches from your garage door to the opening mechanism is the trolley. If your garage door isn’t moving at all when you try to close it, the trolley may need to be reactivated.

4. Your Door’s Limit Screw Needs To Be Adjusted

Your garage door’s limit screws are located on your garage door opener and tell it how far to open or close. If they’re too high up, adjust them downward with a screwdriver so that your garage door can fully close.

5. Your Garage Door Remote Has a Problem

Sometimes, the issue is with your garage door remote, not your garage door. Replace the batteries in your remote and confirm that it’s connected to your garage door. If it still isn’t opening, you may need to call a local garage door company for repairs.

Request a Service Call for Your Garage Door

Contact Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. online or by calling 724-443-1437 to schedule a service call for your garage door

How To Choose the Right Garage Door for Your Home

A garage door is an important functional item for your home’s exterior, providing you access to your garage while significantly impacting your home’s overall appearance. Here are a few things that will help you choose the right garage door.

The Material of the New Garage Door

The material for your new garage door affects its appearance, functionality, and durability. Some materials also require more upkeep to keep them looking their best.

A natural wood garage door is lovely, but it needs frequent refinishing. Composite is a more durable alternative that combines the appearance of wood with durability and longevity. Steel is a popular garage door material for many homeowners, thanks to its sleek look, multiple design options, and strong durability. Know that if you live on the coast, you’ll have to regularly wax your steel garage door to keep it from rusting.

The Garage Door’s Design and Style

Your garage’s door design and style should complement the architectural style and exterior details of your home.

For example, if your home has modern or Spanish-style architecture, a garage door with a barn door design will look out of place. However, if your home has a farmhouse or traditional architecture, a barn door-style garage door will complement its exterior appearance. Not sure which garage door will suit your home? Try out this tool to design and build your garage door.

The Specifications for Your Garage Door

You’ll want a garage door with specifications that can withstand your climate and weather conditions. If high winds are a frequent concern, you’ll need a garage door with a minimum level of wind resistance. Want to keep your garage at a more comfortable temperature and make your entire home more energy efficient? An insulated garage door will assist you with these goals.

Your Budget for Your New Garage Door

A gorgeous garage door with all the bells and whistles is of little use if it’s too expensive for your budget. Before you start shopping with a garage door company, decide how much you are wanting to spend and what features are most important to you.

Buy Your New Garage Door

Ready to explore potential garage door designs? Visit the Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. website to get started!

Benefits of Different Types of Entry Doors

You only get one chance to make a first impression, and the same is true for your home. The entryway and front door can determine if the home looks inviting and friendly as opposed to cold and unnatural. Choices of materials and colors can perfectly complement your home’s style or they can completely distract onlookers from its more attractive elements.

Your entry door can be a very enticing focal point of your house without breaking the bank or being overly ornate. Since entry doors can be made from different materials and offer options like glass panels and sidelights, there’s always a choice that’s perfect for your style and budget.

Let’s take a look at the most common types of entry doors and what they have to offer.

Steel Doors

If you are especially concerned about safety, a steel door is an excellent choice because it will be harder to break into. In addition to increased security, steel doors also offer these benefits:

• Energy efficient core insulation
• Double and triple-paned glass units to let in light and to reduce heat transfer
• Resistance to warping, shrinking, and swelling
• Reduction of outside noise
• Customizable options
• Easy maintenance that only involves wiping or rinsing off dirt, an
• More affordable options

Fiberglass Doors

The strength and resilience of fiberglass doors mean that you don’t have to use a storm door to protect them. They offer these advantages:

• Easy installation
• Durability and strength against harsh weather and heavy use
• Energy efficiency
• Lightweight construction to reduce wear and tear on hinges and framing
• Simple maintenance
• Secure against break ins
• Versatility of styles and color options

Wood Doors

Wood is a naturally beautiful choice that also has the ability to remain unaffected by changes in temperature because it is a poor conductor of heat. Other benefits of wood doors include:

• Aesthetics – wood doors invoke a natural rustic feeling that is pleasing to the eye and the emotions
• Durability – solid wood doors hold up well over time
• Return on investment – a solid wood door can last a long time while retaining its beauty
• Resistant to outside noises
• Fire retardancy
• Styles include different types of woods and finishes

If you would like to explore your options or need door installation services, the professionals at Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc., can recommend a stylish and appropriate entry door for your house style and budget and perform expert and secure installation. Visit our website today for more information or to schedule an appointment. 

3 Tips for Choosing the Right Storm Door for Your Home

Homeowners often look for projects to make an area more appealing or practical. A storm door can add beauty and energy efficiency to a home. Given the variety of storm doors on the market, finding the right one can require some research and deliberation. We’ve outlined some ideas for storm door selection to assist you in the decision making process. Check out these tips for choosing the right storm door for your home.

Storm Doors for Hot and Cold Weather

Glass panels in a storm door allow light and warmth to pass through, illuminating either the home or the second door. The heat from a glass door can be quite welcome in the winter, but the opposite may be true during the summer months. Heat may get trapped between the glass door and the entry door, causing the entry door to warp. Screens, on the other hand, allow heat to transfer freely between the outside and inside, which is more agreeable in warmer weather. 

Determine How Much Security You Need

A storm door can serve many functions. It can enhance the home’s appearance, allow sunshine and fresh air to enter the home, and provide added security. For people who desire extra protection against break-ins, a storm door with a high-end lock system may be a viable option. Some storm doors feature metal grilles or shatter resistant glass which will help deter any unwelcome visitors. 

Find the Right View

Some storm doors allow maximum visibility because they are made of glass from top to bottom. Others offer a view through the top half of the door only. A full glass panel allows a great deal of heat and light to pass through, so homeowners often choose doors with built-in blinds. Partial panels have a smaller surface area than full panels, so they are less likely to be broken by a stray ball or other object. A partial panel offers less visibility than a full panel does, but some owners prefer this type of storm door because replacement glass is more budget-friendly.

Storm doors are welcome additions to most homes. Adding or replacing a storm door requires sifting through countless options of materials and styles. Although there are plenty of factors to consider, we have listed some of the primary determinants in figuring out which type of storm door will work best for your home entry. Call Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. today for complete details on all entry, storm, and patio doors. For more helpful information about improving your home, browse the Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. blog.