Questions For Choosing The Perfect Garage Door

We know that buying a new garage door isn’t always easy, especially when you must decide if you should repair your current door or buy a new one. Since buying a garage door isn’t an everyday occurrence, we’ve prepared the following questions and answers; they can help you make a more informed choice.

What is your home’s architectural style?

• Bungalow? Country-style? Victorian? Whatever the style of your home, there’s a garage door to complement the design: classic, rustic or even all glass.
• Available in wood or metal, each material has its advantages and disadvantages. Looking for a maintenance-free garage door that is stylish? It does exist! Keep in mind that the most important factor is the design of your home. Since your garage door occupies 30 to 40 per cent of the frontage of your home, it is important that both elements are harmonious in design.

How much insulation do you need?

• Is your garage used only for parking your car? Is it also used for storage? Or is it more of a living space? The more you use your garage to do other activities (ex. crafting, game room), the more important it is to have the best possible insulation and seals for your garage door and its components.

What is your budget?

• Your budget is a very important consideration. Fortunately, it’s possible to replace a garage door for less than $1,000.
• If you foresee adding a row of windows or a door opener to your new garage door, plan for additional costs.

Is a door opener useful?

• Today’s door openers are on the cutting edge of technology. They even allow you to open and close your garage door with your smart phone.
• It is always helpful to have a door opener, especially on a rainy day!

Do I need windows?

• It may be a good idea to add windows to your new door, especially if there are none in your garage.
• 3rd or 4th section? It’s a matter of personal taste, but consider how you use your garage.
• You can use our online Design Centre to learn more about our various window styles.
• Remember to coordinate your new garage door with your home’s front door. If your front door has windows, adding some to your garage door may be more visually pleasing.

What size will my garage door be?

• Do you have a single door (9’ x 7’) or a double door (16’ x 7’)? If your home is a new construction, you can choose the style and size you prefer. If you are replacing existing doors, make sure to take accurate measurements before ordering.
• Is your current door frame a non-standard size? Most manufacturers produce garage doors in one inch increments to best fit any frame width.

Article Source : Questions For Choosing The Perfect Garage Door

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Test If Your Garage Is Vulnerable to a Hack That Opens Doors in Seconds

Garage door systems aren’t much use if they can be opened easily with a hacked child’s toy. Unfortunately, however, many garage door openers are vulnerable. This video can help you determine if yours is, and what to do if it is.

First, a little background: security researcher Samy Kamkar found that garage doors that use an insecure “fixed code” system can be easily opened. He created a device called OpenSesame (from an old Mattel toy called the IM ME), which can try every possible combination for those garage doors in seconds.

Garage doors that don’t use a “fixed code” wireless transmission but instead use a “rolling code” aren’t vulnerable to this attack. In the video above, Kamkar shows you how to check your remote.

If you want to secure your garage, you’ll have to change the opener, which costs between $150 and $250 but should be a relatively easy DIY project.

This Article Was First Appeared On Lifehacker : Test If Your Garage Is Vulnerable to a Hack That Opens Doors in Seconds

Metal Garage Door Construction Types

Insulated or non-insulated… what’s the difference? Most of the garage doors available on the market are made of galvanized steel. Others are made from aluminum panels (with insulation) or from fully glazed aluminum extrusions They are available in thicknesses ranging from 1 to 2 inches, with or without insulation. Here’s some basic information to guide you!

One, two or three-layers: what does it mean?

1 and 2-layer:

• Non-insulated garage doors are made from a single sheet of molded steel and are usually 2” thick to lend a certain amount of solidity to the structure of the panel (section).
• Garage door manufacturers offer an optional panel of Styrofoam insulation, covered with a sheet of rigid styrene to prevent the insulation from catching on fire.

3-layers:

• These garage doors are made from steel sheets with insulation between them. The insulation is usually made from Styrofoam or polyurethane.
• The doors with Styrofoam insulation come in thicknesses of 1⅜”, 1¾” or 2” (35 to 51 mm).
• The doors with polyurethane insulation have a thickness between 1⅜” and 2” (35 and 51 mm). The vast majority of these doors are 1⅝” or 1¾” (41 or 45 mm) thick.

Polystyrene or polyurethane: which is better?

It all depends on what you’re looking for. First of all, let’s define the two types of insulation:

Polystyrene:

• Commonly known as Styrofoam, it’s used to make coffee cups and protective packing material for appliances and other merchandise.
• It’s expanded: heat is used to expand tiny beads of polystyrene foam in a precise mold. Once the block is removed from the mold, it is cut to the desired size and shape
• In terms of insulation, it’s less effective than polyurethane. Inch-for-inch, polyurethane is twice as effective as polystyrene.

Polyurethane:

• This is a chemical composite of several products, which once mixed together can swell to fill up just about any space. This mixture forms closed cells, which lend it high thermal resistance.
• Polyurethane is found in all kinds of different things: the foam is used to make chairs and even bumpers for motor vehicles. It’s all a simple matter of the density of the foam. The higher the density, the more rigid the insulation. Since garage doors vary from 8’ to 18’ (2.4 to 5.5 m) in length, it’s necessary to find insulation of the correct density to ensure the right thermal resistance factor and the ideal rigidity in the construction of the panel (section).
• It is also used in front doors, which are 1¾” (45 mm) thick.

Are there any other factors that might influence my decision?

Yes, there are at least two more: durability and soundproofing.

Durability:

• This is also called tensile strength (the amount of pressure that can be applied to the middle of the panel before it breaks). This measurement is especially useful in places where your garage door may be exposed to strong winds or if you leave it open for extended periods (e.g. an entire day).
• Since polyurethane sticks to the walls of the door, it offers twice the resistance of a door of the same thickness insulated with a Styrofoam panel.
• Is an uninsulated door that’s 2” (51 mm) thick a lot less durable than a 1¾” (51 mm) door with polyurethane foam? Yes, by at least 122 %.
• • Don’t kid yourself. If you crash into your garage door at 15 km/h (9 mph), you will definitely do significant damage to it.

Soundproofing:

• It’s easy to understand why an uninsulated door would be less soundproof than a door of the same thickness that’s insulated, especially if it has polyurethane insulation.
• A non-insulated door is perfectly fine for an unheated garage (or shed). However, if your garage is attached to your home and you want to muffle outside noise, a door with polyurethane foam insulation would be your best bet.

 
Contact a garage door specialist in your area. He or she will be happy to give you advice on the best choice, based on your budget and how you use your garage door. The specialist will give you a detailed explanation of all the different garage door models available on the market and will use samples to demonstrate how each one is constructed.

This Article Was First Appear On Garaga : Metal Garage Door Construction Types