Most of us are fairly careful about maintaining our homes and automobiles; but without careful, periodic attention to the garage, both can be for naught. Your garage door is the most prominent feature of your home – it accounts for up to two-thirds of what people see when they look at your house. Let it fall into unsightly disrepair at your own peril! Garage door maintenance is extremely easy. Here are just a few steps to take to make sure your garage door looks good and continues doing its job:

Every six months, you should

1. Remove dirt and grime from the windows with regular glass cleaner.
2. Wipe down the surface of the door using household detergent and water.

Once per year, you should

1. Do a thorough inspection. Here are a few important things to check for:
   • Are there any rollers with bent shafts, worn-out bearings, or broken wheels?
   • Are any of the hinges bent or loose?
   • Are there any missing or loose bolts or screws? If so, tighten them up.
   • Are the extension spring-lift cables running properly in the pulleys? Is there any rubbing taking place?
2. Take a few minutes and lubricate all of the door’s moving parts.

If you run into any hiccoughs along the way, contact your Virginia garage door repair experts!

Before cars, when the wealthy primarily drove carriages, they kept them in the same barn-type structure as their horses. When the car came along, it seemed natural to simply replace the carriage with the car, right next to the horses and riding gear. Naturally, though, this began to stink up the cars, which upset car owners. So some intelligent individuals settled upon the idea of larger garages that would house only cars – and large numbers of them – for a monthly fee..

This lasted for a while until people decided they needed a more convenient option for stowing their automobiles. Many began building sheds exclusively for housing their cars near their homes. First the shed had outwardly-opening barn doors. Then came the advent of the sliding track, which made it possible for doors to slide to the side, rather than opening outward – this was more practical but required a very wide garage. Innovators then designed a door that was divided into folding sections, making it possible for the door – sliding to the side – to retract into the garage, decreasing the width required of the garage.

In 1921 and 1926, C.G. Johnson invented the overhead folding door and then added an automatic opening for people with disabilities. Today, electric openers have become a standard of convenience for all garage doors.

And there you have it – the history of the garage door from your Virginia garage door repair experts!

When purchasing a garage door, you have three options: steel, vinyl/fiberglass composite, and wood. There are a variety of considerations to take into account in order to decide which type will work best for you. You need a door that will fit the aesthetic of your home, as well as provide you with appropriate durability and meet your specific needs in terms of maintenance and convenience.

1. Wood doors. These provide a custom, timeless, rustic look to your home. Wood doors tend to take a little more maintenance, as they need to be painted about as often as the wood trim around your house.

2. Composite doors. Vinyl and fiberglass are notable for their durable quality – they won’t crack or dent, even under forceful impact. These tend to be lighter, so they’re ideal for those who don’t have a garage door opener and must open their door by hand.

3. Steel doors. These create a sleek, professional look for a home or business. Steel doors can be insulated, which will go a long way toward keeping your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They usually come with a longer warranty.

They’re also low maintenance – unlike wood doors, they never need to be painted. Steel is the strongest of the materials, so just one door will last a long, long time.

To see some of the options available to you, or to set up an appointment, feel free to contact The Garage Door Group, your Virginia garage door experts!

Most people aren’t professional pianists, but no one likes finger injuries. If you’re like us, you would prefer to never hear the words “amputation,” “avulsion,” “crushing,” or “fracturing” associated with your family members’ fingers. And yet, the Product Safety Commission has found that nearly eight thousand finger injuries take place yearly in household settings.

The most common cause? Surprisingly, it’s not lawnmowers, snowblowers, or garbage disposals, but garage doors. What’s worse, 20% of those injuries happen to children. Most often, these injuries result from placing fingers in between panels while closing the door by hand.

Now, as your premier Virginia Garage Door provider, we love our kids just as much as you love yours. That’s why we’ve decided to offer the FingerShield protection system from Amarr Garage Doors. The FingerShield system is the most comprehensive to date, and includes the following features:

• Protected Section Joints
• Track Mounts
• RollerShields
• Hemmed Edges
• Curve Shields
• Safety Hinges
• Reduced Hole Sizes

You’re doing everything you can to make sure that your kids stay safe. That means that you can never be too careful around the garage door. But with the help of the FingerShield protection system, you can rest easy, knowing there are seven extra layers of protection between your kids and a vicious finger injury.

AYour child may or may not be a world-famous concert pianist someday, but it doesn’t hurt to keep that option open. So give us a call to learn about getting FingerShield at your home.

Are you still getting out of your car each time to manually open your garage door? If so, you need an automated garage door, quickly! This product is a staple in nearly every home in America.

The #1 reason to own an automated garage door is, without a doubt, convenience. But, just like the fixtures in your bathrooms, or the appliances in your kitchen, your garage door should provide functionality, safety and attraction.

3 Reasons why you need an automated garage door:

1. Protection
2. Convenience
3. Safety

Key safety features

Good news! By law, every automated garage doors must come with a safety feature that will keep the garage door from closing if there is anything beneath it. This will keep your children, pets and neighbors safe from harm.

Another already installed feature is the automatic locking system, which will keep you car tucked away safely inside the garage every night.

At The Garage Door Group, we offer a variety of additional safety features and designs to ensure you have that attraction and guaranteed safety with each and every door we offer. We are your Virginia garage doors com experts. Call us today!