Protecting Your Garage Door Springs This Winter

The freezing temperatures that can come along with winter are hard on your garage door springs. Find out how you can minimize the effects of cold on garage door springs in the winter time. 

Cold Weather and Your Garage Door Springs 

Cold winters often bring snowball fights, sledding, and cozy evenings at home. Unfortunately for a garage door, the low temperatures can cause issues with your garage door springs. The springs on a garage door maintain the doors balance, as well as offset the weight of the door itself. This allows the door to be raised with minimal effort and lowered gently to prevent damage. The main problem during the cold weather is that garage door springs become more brittle when they are very cold, leaving them vulnerable. Fortunately there are several ways to reduce the cold weather’s effect on your garage door springs.  

Rest the Garage Door Springs on Warmer Days 

Garage door springs are under the most tension when your garage door is closed. This means that during cold weather months, the springs are likely to be under tension almost 24 hours per day. If you happen to have some unseasonably warm days, consider leaving your garage door open for a couple of hours each day to allow the springs to rest. 

Proper Garage Door Maintenance 

There are several factors that can prevent the failure of a garage door spring including preventing rust, proper spring lubrication, and regular door maintenance. Repair leaks in your garage, and check your system regularly for rust damage. Garage door springs should also be properly lubricated up to 3 times per year. Professional garage door service is recommended at least annually. A qualified garage door technician will inspect and lubricate your garage door system thoroughly to ensure that everything is in peak condition.  

Keeping You Garage Door Springs Warmer

During the coldest days of the year, you can protect your garage door springs by keeping your garage warmer than the outside. The best way to do this is proper insulation, particularly on your garage door. Well insulated garage doors and walls will help maintain a reasonable temperature inside the garage and protect your garage door springs as well.   

If you are interested in more information about service for your garage door springs, call the professionals at Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. at 724-443-1437. 

Ideas for Decorating Your Garage for the Holidays

The holiday season is in full swing! There is no better time than now to put up your Christmas decorations and start sprucing up your home for the holidays. At the same time, don’t limit yourself to just decorating inside your home with Christmas decorations. Take the time to decorate your garage door in a way that will make you want to jump with joy. With a few inexpensive supplies and a little imagination, anyone can turn their garage door into a fantastic postcard with a holiday theme. Here are some exciting garage door decorating ideas, perfect for making your garage door the talk of the town.

Projections For The Holidays

The market is full of affordable holiday projectors online and in-store, perfect for entertaining your entire neighborhood. Consider investing in a projector if you want to display elaborate holiday-inspired scenes or special effects on your garage door. 

A Giant Gift Box

Make your garage door a gift that keeps on giving. Turn up the festive charm by embellishing it with a grand ribbon and giant red bows. To create a giant curtain for your garage door, you can cut colorful strips from sheets, and adorn it with felt balls, plush fabric, or huge ribbons. 

Lighting and Garlands
For a classic and elegant holiday look, decorate your garage with Christmas decorations, lights, and garlands. For a wintery glow, add sparkling snowflake lights, alternating with red and green lights. Your home exterior will be adorned with holiday warmth without being overbearing.

Christmas Winter Mural

If you’re looking for ways to make your garage look cheery and festive, the winter months are a great time to get creative. This holiday season, consider painting a mural on your garage door if you want to take your decorations to the next level. Grab some exterior paint and primer and create your very own wintery masterpiece. 

Now anyone can transform their boring garage door into a vibrant holiday delight with these effortless garage door decorating ideas. Whether you need a residential or commercial garage door, look no further than Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. Get in touch with us at 724-443-1437. 

Safety Tips for Garage Doors

A garage door is a convenient addition to any home, allowing safe, convenient entry and protecting your garage space and the contents from the elements. It’s important to utilize proper maintenance and operating procedures to ensure it’s safe to use your garage door. Here are a few tips to follow to make garage doors as safe as possible. 

Periodically Test the Electronic Controls

Electric sensors and control units enable modern garage doors to open and close safely. However, if these devices malfunction, your garage door may not sense that a person or animal is in its path.

When a garage door’s electronic controls sense that something is in its path, it reverses course as a safety feature. A garage door without functional electronic controls is a huge safety hazard and can cause serious injury. 

Test the sensors by passing an object in front of them when your garage door is closing; it should immediately stop closing. Your sensors are mounted to the side rails a few inches from the ground. 

Regularly Examine Your Garage Door for Signs of Wear or Damage

Each month, examine the components of your garage door, like the rollers, hardware, springs, and cables, to confirm that nothing is stretched or broken. If something looks broken or worn out, don’t use your garage door until a professional examines and fixes the damaged component. 

Encourage Safe Habits

Make sure that your kids and family members understand safe garage door habits. Your family should understand that the garage door remote isn’t a toy or something for kids to use. Store the remote where it isn’t easily accessible to ensure children don’t accidentally gain access to it.

Teach your kids to stay away from the springs and garage door hardware, as these components can cause injury. Tell them to wait until the garage door is completely open and finished moving before going underneath it. 

Increase the Safety of Your Garage Door

Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. has the experience and knowledge to fix any issues that cause your garage door to pose a safety risk. Contact us at 724-443-1437 to get started. 

Why Fall is a Great Time to Replace Garage Doors

If your garage door is starting to show signs of wear and tear or it just doesn’t work properly, it may be time to replace it. While it might seem inconvenient to replace your garage door, fall is a terrific time for garage door replacement for a few different reasons.

You’ll Better Insulate Your Home Against Chilly Winter Temperatures

Your garage door plays an important role in insulating your commercial or residential space. A door with poor insulating properties or damaged areas will make it harder and more expensive to keep your garage at a comfortable temperature. This will also cause rooms beside or above the garage to be less energy efficient. 

It’s Easier to Install a Garage Door in the Fall

Replacing a garage door exposes the garage to outside temperatures during the replacement period. Installing your new garage door in the fall means that you won’t be exposing your garage space to ultra-cold temperatures. 

Winter is a less-than-ideal time to install a new garage door. Unexpected precipitation and frigid weather can affect your garage space, and unfavorable travel conditions can delay the arrival of your new door.

Fall is less likely to have weather-related delays, and if delays do occur, they’ll have less disruption on your home or business. 

You’ll Have More Convenient Access to Your Home

The fall and winter months are busy times for homes and businesses. You may have a host of holiday gatherings to attend or expect high customer volume. A new garage door makes it fast and convenient for you to open, close, and access your garage.

Thanks to smart garage technology, you can even open and close your gatrage door when you’re away from your home. If out-of-town holiday guests show up early or you need to allow employees unexpected access to the space, you can do so remotely. 

Get Started on Your Garage Door Replacement

Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. is ready to help with your residential or commercial garage door replacement. Contact us at 724-443-1437 to get started. 

Solutions for Loud Garage Doors

When you open or close your garage door, it’s worrisome to hear a lot of noises or screeching when it’s operating. If you have a residential garage, you may worry that the noise is disruptive to your neighbors. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to fix a loud garage door. 

Adjust the Chain Drive

If your garage door opener uses a chain drive, you should check that the chain is properly adjusted. Though chain-drive garage door openers tend to be a bit noisier than other alternatives, tightening the chain may reduce the noise that it makes. 

Replace Worn-Out Rollers

The rollers are attached to the sides of your garage door and sit inside of the track. They help your garage door move smoothly when you open and close it.

When the rollers start to wear out, they make more noise. If worn-out rollers are the cause of your loud garage door, replacing them will solve this issue. Consider replacing your rollers with nylon rollers; nylon rollers are the quietest roller option for your residential garage door. 

Check the Placement of Your Garage Door Opener

It’s normal for a garage door opener to vibrate a little when it opens or closes your garage door. If your garage door opener isn’t installed in the correct location, these vibrations will cause your garage door opener to rattle against your ceiling.

You can solve this issue by installing anti-vibration pads that stifle the vibrations. Another option is to reinstall your garage door opener so that it doesn’t come into contact with your ceiling. 

Lubricate Your Door

Without proper lubrication, your garage door’s components will rub against each other and cause excessive noise. Regular lubrication will help the hinges, springs, and roller bearings operate smoothly and quietly. 

Get Help with Your Loud Garage Door

Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. is ready to help you diagnose and fix the source of noisy residential garage doors. We also offer garage replacement. Contact us at 724-443-1437. 

Decorate Your Garage Doors This Summer

A garage door isn’t uncommon to have connected to a house. However, it can be a little outdated looking just being painted. What’s the best way to spruce up your garage door? How can you make it look amazing without overdoing it? We’ll go over some ideas to get you one step closer to having an eye-catching garage door area.

First Things First 

Renting- If you rent, you may need to get the owner’s permission and make sure they’re okay with you making the changes. They may have conditions to negotiate to ensure it’ll still look nice. They may only let you make changes to the surrounding grass, or say potted plants or decorations only.

Own- If you own your home, then this isn’t an issue to update your door. Now you just have to figure out if you want to plant flowers, pot plants, paint the garage door or change it completely. 

Plants and Flowers

Ivy- You can plant ivy to grow around your garage door. It looks beautiful and elegant as it drapes around it. However, you need to make sure the ivy you decide on can handle the amount of sun and shade the area gets. 

Potted trees- A small species of tree is always a wonderful look to arrange near your garage.

Hanging baskets- A beautiful way to delicately showcase your favorite flowers. Pair colors for a homier look, or choose bright, stand out colors.

Bushes- Rose bushes are a popular choice to dress up a yard. Especially a focal point like your garage door. 

Design

You don’t have to settle on just changing the color of your garage door. You can also consider changing it all together, especially if you’ve gotten some dings in it throughout the years. There are all kinds of designs with or without windows with different styles to choose from. Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc will make the changes for you if you decide to switch your door out. 

Color

There’s no limit to this unless your landlord gave you a specific color only. Matching a nice paint with the outside of your home can be tricky though.

With many ways to decorate around your garage doors, or designs you can decide on. There’s no reason to keep hating your current doors. Let’s get your garage door needs taken care of and your home looking even better.  

5 Things to Know When Buying a Garage Door

A good garage door is an important long-term investment in your property. The right choice of garage doors enhances the appearance of your home, adds security and protection to your property, and improves energy efficiency.

In this article, we’ll discuss the top five things you need to know before buying a garage door. Let’s get started!

In-Person Quote Works the Best

Although we live in an era dominated by online purchases, don’t be tempted to order your garage door online. Remember, each garage is different, so the best way to handle this is to get a knowledgeable salesperson to check the details of your garage and advise on the best design decision. An in-person quote may be the best director for this.

Know Which Material Best Suits Your Needs

Garage doors are made of different materials, and you have the privilege of choosing one that perfectly suits your needs and complements your property.

• Aluminum doors work well for humid areas because of their rust and corrosion resistance.
• Wood is a popular option that looks fantastic in most homes but requires regular maintenance to keep it looking its best for years.
• Steel doors are another popular option and come in various colors, designs, and price ranges.
• Composite wood doors provide the attractiveness of real wood but with enhanced insulation and moisture resistance.

Garage Door Installation Isn’t a DIY Project

Regardless of how handy you are around your home, don’t be tempted to install your garage door on your own. Although handling the installation as a DIY project can help you save a few hundred dollars, it’s best if you let professionals handle it.

Professional installers are trained on the right installation procedure and have years of experience in the field, making them perfect for this job.

Garage Door Warranties

Some garage doors come with warranties so that if any repairs or replacements are needed, you won’t struggle with financing. Most warranties have limitations, so it’s important to know what the warranty covers before getting your garage door.

Garage Door Insulation

You should also know about garage door insulation and its benefits. Insulated garage doors are slightly more expensive than hollow doors but are worth the extra bucks.

Insulated garage doors improve energy efficiency, increase the value of your home, are durable, regulate temperatures in the garage, and act as a noise barrier.

Get Your Garage Door Today

For quality and affordable garage doors, contact Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. and start exploring the many designs available!

Reasons to Upgrade Your Garage Door Opener This Summer

You’re arriving home after a long day and there’s a chilly torrential downpour. You use your electric garage door opener to attempt to park your vehicle and escape from the elements, but you quickly discover that it doesn’t work.

Until it stops working, most individuals give their garage door openers little thought. However, it’s more convenient to upgrade your garage door opener before it starts giving you significant trouble.

Here are a few reasons to upgrade your garage door opener this summer.

Your Current Garage Door Opener is Noisy

When you’re leaving for your early morning shift or arriving home after a late-night, you want to minimize any disturbance to your household or neighbors.

However, old electric garage door openers are prone to making a lot of noise; some even make a particularly annoying screeching sound.

Replacing your garage door opener with a more modern option will minimize any noise associated with opening and closing your garage door.

You’ll Have Better Control Over Your Garage Door

Updated garage door openers have innovative technology that makes it as easy as possible to open your garage door. New garage door openers have a better range and additional features that are a smart addition to your home.

Over time, garage door openers experience wear and tear. This makes them more likely to catch and refuse to open, causing you to have to manually open and close your garage door.

Or, the garage door may jam entirely and require an inconvenient emergency repair.

Newer Garage Door Accessories are More Efficient

New garage door openers use less energy than older models. Upgrading it helps you make your home more energy-efficient so that you can lower your utility bills and reduce your home’s environmental impact.

How to Upgrade Your Garage Door Accessories

Ready to learn more about garage door accessories that can enhance the functionality of your garage door? Contact Thomas V Giel. Garage Doors, Inc. at 724-443-1437 or contact us online.  

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!