Garage doors can add curb appeal and increase a home’s value. However, like other home fixtures and appliances, they can also require regular maintenance to function properly.
One such maintenance task is ensuring the garage door’s photo-eyes are appropriately aligned. It provides the garage door does not close on a person or vehicle.
What is a garage door?
The garage door might make up up to 30% of your home’s front face. Therefore it needs to match the design of the house. Many companies now offer doors in materials like steel, aluminum, fiberglass, and urethane that can be painted or gel stained to match the homeowner’s desired look.
The essential components of a garage door are panels, trim, windows, and decorative hardware. Panels may be made of wood, composite, vinyl, or urethane. They are connected by strap hinges and mounted to a frame. Trim may be metal or wood, including cross bucks, v-bucks, z-bucks, and clavos.
Most newer garage doors have a safety feature that prevents them from closing if they come in contact with an obstacle. It is tested by grasping the base of the door as it approaches and pulling upward to see if the door reverses direction. Older garage doors with extension springs use containment cables to do the same thing.
What components make up a garage door?
If you have a garage door, it’s essential to know some parts that make it work. It will help you determine what is causing issues and can help you hire garage door services.
The motor that operates the garage door is called the opener. It is ceiling-mounted and lets you open and close your garage door using a keypad or remote. The springs (torsion or extension) and cables/pulleys help the motor lift and move the garage door up and down.
The stationary parts of a garage door are the horizontal track assembly, vertical door tracks and hanger kit, flag bracket, jamb brackets, and vertical shaft track. They allow the door to follow the contour of your roof construction and ceiling. The garage door panels are available in various styles, such as raised or recessed. They can improve your curb appeal, increase energy efficiency and help prevent intruders from breaking into your home.
What are the benefits of a garage door?
A garage door offers many benefits homeowners may need to know about. These benefits include energy efficiency, privacy, safety, and more.
Newer garage doors require less maintenance and repair than older ones. Insulated garage doors help reduce energy costs by limiting the amount of air that escapes the garage. In addition, many modern garage doors are designed with extra durability to withstand heavy weather conditions like rain and winds.
Many homeowners use their garages to store lawnmowers, bicycles, tools, toys, and pool equipment. A properly insulated garage door protects these items from the elements and makes your garage more usable. Furthermore, many contemporary garage doors are built with extra security measures to keep your family secure. For example, a new garage door can be programmed to reverse automatically when it comes in contact with an object. This feature can help ensure that a closing garage door does not injure young children.
What are the many kinds of garage doors?
You might not realize it, but various garage door types are on the market. Some are better suited for specific aesthetics, while others are more durable and functional.
The most common garage doors in the US are sectional. These doors feature panels broken into sections and held together with hinges, allowing them to bend. They roll straight up along a track toward the ceiling when open and can be found in various visual styles to complement any home.
Side-hinged doors operate like barn doors and are a good choice for homeowners with limited headroom. They swing to the side of the garage and hug the wall when closed, making them easy to navigate. You should regularly check the photo-eyes that prevent these doors from completing if they’re not properly aligned.
