What’s the easiest way to make a cold winter day even worse? A garage door that doesn’t work. Luckily, we here at the Overhead Door Company of Western Kentucky have seen every sort of garage door disaster imaginable and we know how to prepare for all of them. By following the easy precautions below, your garage door will not only survive but thrive during the later winter months.
The Details Matter
If you used Overhead Door Company of Western Kentucky to design your dream garage door, chances are, you put some thought into the details. Maybe you added some windows, interesting metal work, or a particular handle. Regardless of the features, you took your time to make sure that you got the exact look you desired. Don’t let these details fall by the wayside. Take the time to make sure that those windows are properly sealed, the metal is polished, and the handle is free of any snow or ice. After all, they looked amazing when you purchased them, and you want to keep them that way.
Keep It Clean
In case you haven’t heard, wood and water aren’t the best of friends. Same goes for steel and H2O. In addition to harming the functionality, the aesthetic damage to your garage door can be considerable during the frosty months. Warping, rust, and water damage can all be prevented by washing your garage door with a mild cleaner and giving it a wipe down with a soft towel. Just make sure to save this for one of the days when you don’t have to throw on a parka to do it.
Grease it Up
Ensuring your garage door’s moving parts – the rollers, tracks, springs, and hinges – are properly lubricated is imperative during the cold, snowy month. The elements can cause corrosive damage and buildup on everything listed above. This, in turn, leads to friction in your system and your motor having to work much harder than it should. Putting in the effort by adding a little elbow grease – and, in this case, literal grease – can go a long way. Spraying your system, with a thin, even coat of a lubricant like WD-40 should do the trick.
Check the Balance
Balance probably isn’t something that springs to mind when you’re thinking of garage door maintenance. If you think about it, when you’re pulling something straight up that weighs a few hundred pounds, you ideally want to spread out the weight as evenly as possible. Alas, it’s not always that easy during winter time. The combination of water and cold air can cause the metal elements of your garage door to warp which can lead to one side pulling more than the other. If you think this might be the case, check to see, but never, in any circumstance tinker with your setup yourself as doing so can be extremely dangerous.
If you are in need of any repairs, a replacement door, or would like to get more information on how to keep your garage door in tip-top shape this winter, call the Overhead Door Company of Western Kentucky at the number below.
(270) 554-5162
Spring Fling: Easy, Breezy Garage Door Updates
/in Uncategorized /by Houston WiltseySpringtime is the perfect opportunity to get out and get going on any home improvement projects you might have. It’s also the perfect time to make a few upgrades to your garage door. The Overhead Door Company of Western Kentucky has put together a list of things you might want to consider adding, upgrading, or, at the very least, checking out on your garage door while the weather is perfect.
Weatherproof Now
Even though the mercury is rising and winter may be the furthest thing from your mind, it’s good to do a little bit of planning to prepare for when the cold returns. Consider adding a weather seal to the bottom of your garage door. This heavy-duty strip of rubber does just as good a job at keeping out the snow and cold in January as it does the showers in April.
If you’re looking to go bigger, it may be time to upgrade to a Thermacore® door from the Overhead Door Company. This series of doors features our sandwich construction of steel-polyurethane-steel as well as between-section seals with thermal breaks to reduce air infiltration. That means when you close your garage door, you’re truly sealing out all the elements.
Pay Attention to More Than Just the Door
Torsion springs, hinges, rollers, and tracks are vital to your garage door working properly, yet they rarely get the attention they deserve. While making sure your door is sealed for when the seasons change, check on these lesser-known parts as well. While it’s important to make sure these elements are working properly, it’s not something you should try to do yourself – after all, they do have the tension that comes along with holding up a heavy garage door. Always make sure to call a trained professional in order to avoid injury.
Install a Keypad
Even if you already have an opener in every car – and one in the kitchen drawer for safety – a wireless keypad outside your home can still be a wise investment. Despite your best efforts, there will always be those times when one of your openers seems to magically disappear and in those instances, you don’t want to find yourself locked out.
It’s also a great addition if you have kids. Now you don’t have to worry about them forgetting the opener when they leave the house. They can simply punch in the code whenever they return.
Enough with the Noise
What’s the worst part of most garage doors? It’s gotta be the sound, right? Unfortunately for most folks, they don’t have the Legacy® 920 Belt Drive Garage Door Opener. This powerful 24-volt motor has enough juice to silently lift any garage door up to 500 pounds with hardly a peep. That means no more notifying the entire neighborhood when you’re headed into the office extra early on a Monday. Plus, with a battery backup and smartphone capabilities, you’ve got plenty of options to choose for what you want to use as your remote opener.
Interested in finding out more about garage door upgrades? Call us at the Overhead Door Company of Western Kentucky for more tips or to set up your appointment today!
(270) 554-5162
Curb Enthusiasm: How to Make Your Garage Door More Eye-Catching
/in Uncategorized /by Houston WiltseyCurb Appeal. The technical definition is the attractiveness of a property for sale and its surroundings when viewed from the street. Translation? It’s when a house has some pop! The easiest way to add to the curb appeal of your home? Sprucing up your garage door! Think about it, it’s the largest, most visible item on the front of your home and it’s usually the first thing people see when they drive by.
Adding visual intrigue to your garage door has its advantages, especially when it comes time to sell. Below, the Overhead Door Company of Western Kentucky has listed a few tips to bump up your home’s style to help you attract a few more eyes and dollars when you decide it’s time to move.
A Home Improvement Project That’s Actually Worth the Effort
According to Remodeling.net, adding a new garage door is the number one return on investment when compared to other home improvement projects. Adding windows, a new set of hinges, some interesting light fixtures, or a tasteful finish will instantly make your garage door look more distinguished.
And there’s no easier way to figure out which features you want than by using the DoorView® Garage Door Designer App. It’s simple, just upload a picture of the front of your home and start experimenting with our massive selection of garage door styles and features.
Add a Little Color
Slapping a fresh coat of paint, possibly even in a bold color like burnt orange or light blue, will instantly brighten your garage door and set it apart from every other one beige or brown one on the block.
If you’re looking to get even more adventurous, you might even consider our Envy™ Model 956. These doors combine aluminum with glass paneling to instantly give your home the sleek, modern feel of that trendy restaurant you’ve been trying to get reservations at for weeks.
Before You Do Anything, Clean
We’re not just talking about taking a broom and sweeping away the cobwebs and dust around the edges of your garage door – we’re talking about giving it a true deep cleaning.
Consider renting a power washer. It’s amazing what a simple high-powered stream of water can do. When used correctly, it removes dirt and grime that can build up over the seasons leaving certain parts of your home (i.e. your garage door) looking dull. Blasting it with the power washer will not only leave it sparkling clean, but it also makes it easy to paint and upgrade.
If you’re looking for any additional tips on how to add curb appeal to your home, or if you’re looking to upgrade your garage door call the Overhead Door Company of Western Kentucky today.
(270) 554-5162
Simple Tricks to Keep Your Garage Door From Freezing Shut
/in Uncategorized /by Houston WiltseyWe’re in the home stretch of winter folks. That means slushy, sleety, wet, windy, and all-around gross weather is on its way out the door.
Last month, we here at the Overhead Door Company of W Kentucky went over some ways to help you maintain your garage door during the winter. However, to help get you through these fleeting, frosty February days, it helps to know a few additional tricks to keep it from freezing shut.
Sometimes, You Just Gotta Shovel
Shoveling is a pain. We’re not trying to argue otherwise. But there’s a reason we throw on our snow gear and scrape our big plastic shovels against the concrete – it works. If you don’t want your garage door to freeze, you have to try your best to keep it clean. Just brushing away excess ice and snow in between the times when you go out to shovel the full driveway is usually enough to prevent the build-up that causes garage doors to freeze shut.
Feel the Heat
If you keep your garage door clean on the outside, you might as well try to keep it warm on the inside. Keeping a pair of small, sturdy space heaters handy will not only make the morning trudge to your car a bit easier, they’ll also help to keep the weather seal (that’s the fancy name for that thin piece of rubber on the bottom of your garage door) from cracking and the battery in your opener from draining – just make sure to be mindful of the cords and unplug them when you’re not using them.
Look in the Pantry
Ice melt is helpful to have around for the entire winter yet it’s something we usually don’t think about until it’s too late. In those instances when you need something to break down icy build-up, look no further than your pantry for assistance. Both table and Kosher salt are serviceable replacements for the heavy-duty stuff. Just sprinkle a little seasoning near the weather seal, let it marinate and watch as your garage door returns to its former glory.
Just Add Water
If you do go outside one morning and find that your garage door has frozen shut, it’s time to double down on the H2O. Pouring a small amount of warm (not boiling!) water on the weather seal could be the answer to unsticking it and preventing you from having to take more drastic steps.
If you’d like any additional tips or think you might need to replace the weather seal on your garage door, call the trained professionals at the Overhead Door Company of W Kentucky today!
(270) 554-5162
Winter Garage Door Maintenance
/in Uncategorized /by Houston WiltseyWhat’s the easiest way to make a cold winter day even worse? A garage door that doesn’t work. Luckily, we here at the Overhead Door Company of Western Kentucky have seen every sort of garage door disaster imaginable and we know how to prepare for all of them. By following the easy precautions below, your garage door will not only survive but thrive during the later winter months.
The Details Matter
If you used Overhead Door Company of Western Kentucky to design your dream garage door, chances are, you put some thought into the details. Maybe you added some windows, interesting metal work, or a particular handle. Regardless of the features, you took your time to make sure that you got the exact look you desired. Don’t let these details fall by the wayside. Take the time to make sure that those windows are properly sealed, the metal is polished, and the handle is free of any snow or ice. After all, they looked amazing when you purchased them, and you want to keep them that way.
Keep It Clean
In case you haven’t heard, wood and water aren’t the best of friends. Same goes for steel and H2O. In addition to harming the functionality, the aesthetic damage to your garage door can be considerable during the frosty months. Warping, rust, and water damage can all be prevented by washing your garage door with a mild cleaner and giving it a wipe down with a soft towel. Just make sure to save this for one of the days when you don’t have to throw on a parka to do it.
Grease it Up
Ensuring your garage door’s moving parts – the rollers, tracks, springs, and hinges – are properly lubricated is imperative during the cold, snowy month. The elements can cause corrosive damage and buildup on everything listed above. This, in turn, leads to friction in your system and your motor having to work much harder than it should. Putting in the effort by adding a little elbow grease – and, in this case, literal grease – can go a long way. Spraying your system, with a thin, even coat of a lubricant like WD-40 should do the trick.
Check the Balance
Balance probably isn’t something that springs to mind when you’re thinking of garage door maintenance. If you think about it, when you’re pulling something straight up that weighs a few hundred pounds, you ideally want to spread out the weight as evenly as possible. Alas, it’s not always that easy during winter time. The combination of water and cold air can cause the metal elements of your garage door to warp which can lead to one side pulling more than the other. If you think this might be the case, check to see, but never, in any circumstance tinker with your setup yourself as doing so can be extremely dangerous.
If you are in need of any repairs, a replacement door, or would like to get more information on how to keep your garage door in tip-top shape this winter, call the Overhead Door Company of Western Kentucky at the number below.
(270) 554-5162
Nine Easy Tips to Seasonal Safety
/in Safety /by Houston WiltseyOutside Awareness
Inside Considerations
Things to Keep in Mind
Your family and friends at the Overhead Door Company of Western Kentucky wish you and yours a merry and bright holiday season and thank you again for putting your faith in us!
(270) 554-5162
Fall Garage Prep
/in Uncategorized /by Overhead DoorAt Overhead Door Company of Western Kentucky™, we recommend performing some fall garage preparations to both extend your garage door’s life, and to make your garage a more comfortable space as the weather cools. If you’re in need of service or upgrades, give us a call today.
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Weather Ready Garage Door
/in Insulation, Weather /by Overhead DoorAs the seasons will be changing, we recommend a little checkup of your garage door. Along with routine maintenance, weather ready options are a great way to prepare for the colder temperatures!
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OHD Technology Anywhere
/in Garage Door Safety, Safety /by Overhead DoorImproving security at home may be a top priority this year. Try our Overhead Door Anywhere® Technology today for peace of mind when it comes to the largest entryway into your home.
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Extra Space
/in Space Saving Tips /by Overhead DoorIf organizing the garage has been on your To Do list, today is a great day to start! Find extra space you never knew you had with a few simple solutions and a little creativity.
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Practice Safety
/in Safety, Uncategorized /by Overhead DoorKeeping your family safe is important, right? Have you considered that while your garage door is handy, it is also one of the heaviest objects around your home. As June is Garage Door Safety Month, our team at Overhead Door Company of Western Kentucky™ is here to share a few reminders to practice safety.
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