garage doors Archives - Garage Tailors

Winter Garage Door Maintenance

February 6, 2018 by Rick Scully

With all this snow, ice and fluctuating temperatures, our garages weather storms and thaws that take its toll on our homes. Especially, cold winter days affects the exterior areas of our home including the garage door and the mechanisms that allow it to continue to function flawlessly and effectively.

Neglecting the changing weather conditions will lead to unforeseen hiccups in the early morning work routines to get to work causing stress that we can all easily avoid. Here are some ways to prepare and avoid possible problems which an overnight winter freeze can cause for homeowners.

Replacing Broken Garage Door Springs

Broken garage door springs are a very common garage door repair. Garage doors with the adequate number of garage door springs installed for the size and weight of the garage door will last on average ten thousand cycles. One cycle is one opening followed by one closing of the garage door. If there are two vehicles leaving and entering the garage at different times of the day, these springs may last about 5 years. If you have a more hectic family lifestyle than two cycles per day, you may want to invest in extended lifespan torsion springs which cost more but can last up to 4x longer.

To assess whether the garage door springs may need replacement, take a look to see if there is rust on the springs. Rusty springs may mean that your garage door springs are on the way out. To prevent rust build up and maximize the life of the garage door springs, spray the springs down 3 to 4 times per year with WD-40. If there is already rust on the springs, you’ll want to test them further.

Garage Door Balance Check

A garage door balance check will help determine if the torsion springs are losing their effectiveness and will need replacement. The garage door balance check should be done once a year especially in the winter when springs are most likely to fail. The garage door balance check is easy to do.

To check door balance, lift the door halfway up and let it go. If the springs are in good working order, the door should sit completely still as it is let go. If the door drops or sags as it is let go, the torsion springs are showing wear and tear. It’s probably time to change the garage springs to avoid any issues.

Garage Door Cable Repairs

If the garage door doesn’t work, it may mean the garage door cable is broken. The garage cable or sometimes called aircraft cable is used to prevent the garage door spring from flying off like a bullet if it were to snap. The cable is located near the bottom corner of the door and loops up to the top of the door where it counterbalances the tension of the spring. The cable itself is under a lot of tension so it’s not advisable for the average person to try to replace it.

Instead, prevent damage to vehicles and belongings or injury to family members by checking the cable and preventing a cable failure. To check garage door cables, do a visual inspection and look for corrosion, rust, or fraying garage door cables. If any of these signs appear, call in a specialist to replace the cables.

Have Smooth Running Garage Door Rollers

Garage door rollers make sure the garage door rolls up smoothly and quietly. They either have open ball bearings or enclosed ones. If they have open bearings, then they should be lubricated 3 – 4 times per year to ensure long lasting rollers.

If you see that there is damage to either the rubber or nylon parts of the rollers then it’s time to replace the rollers. Other signs that the garage door rollers need replacement include wiggling of the rollers in the track as the door rolls up or down. Or, if you see the roller is locked and / or you hear grinding of the door as it opens or closes, the rollers are in need of replacement.

When the Garage Door is Frozen Shut

Each year, the weather stripping should be checked for cracks, breaks and pliability to assure that it is doing its job. Not only does it help save energy and keep the garage and vehicles warm for an easy to start to the day, but it also prevents the garage door from becoming stuck.

If on an icy morning, the garage door has becomes frozen shut and you have checked that the door is not damaged in some other way, check to make sure it is unlocked. Then, use the release cord to manually open the door. If the garage door will not open with some moderate effort, then you may need to use a hair dryer or heat gun and alternatively, hot water to melt the ice below the garage door.

On days, where you suspect an overnight freeze, be sure to apply some rock salt around the base of the garage door. Also, it’s a good idea to apply WD-40 to the weather stripping along the bottom edge of the door to improve your chances of avoiding a garage door being frozen shut.

The Annual Garage Door Check Up

If you garage door is functioning well, an annual garage door checkup is the best way to ensure that all the parts are operating well and to replace or repair parts before they malfunction. You can take all these steps yourself or call a professional service such as Aurora Overhead Doors Inc. to do the repairs safely.

Get Inspired to Decorate the Garage for Christmas with More than Just Lights

November 28, 2017 by Rick Scully

We’ve all seen the extraordinary Christmas light shows on people’s houses during the month of December. We may have even driven around neighbourhoods at night looking for these fabulous labours of love with choreography and even music synchronized to match. If you haven’t seen some of these amazing homes, here are one or two below that will definitely amaze anyone with their talent and creativity.

With the cost of electricity in Ontario having increased significantly not to mention our own lack of talent or time to complete such a magnificent light show project, we may be looking at other ways to contribute in the festivities. Being festive with your garage door doesn’t require extensive work. It can just as easily be simple and elegant.

Preparing for Decorating the Home Exterior and Garage Door

Of course, the first rule of thumb is to make sure the vehicle is not in the driveway taking away from the design. So, if you haven’t already decluttered your garage so you can park your vehicle inside your garage, it’s time to do that and possibly get a garage renovation completed so it’s possible store all your items off the garage floor where the vehicles can get maximum space for parking safely.

Next, with some of the décor made specifically for the garage door, you may want to consider giving the garage door a wash before the cold weather sets in. This will leave a beautiful palette with which to work your decorations and design.

Great Christmas Decorating Beyond Lights

One of the great traditions of Christmas is the garland. Hang them so they outline and frame your garage door, the front porch or the door way. Add some accessories to dress them up to give them either a traditional look or a more modern look while matching the colours of the house.

Then, there are garage door covers. They get clipped to the front of the garage door. The designs are made for up and over garage doors which is the majority of garage doors. They won’t affect the operation of the garage door. Assure your vehicle is parked inside the garage and the whole neighbourhood will be able to enjoy your choice of Christmas scene.

While not for the garage door, Christmas lawn decorations or roof decorations can be mounted along the edge of the driveway or over the garage.

Replace old Christmas Lights with LED lights

While we may not like the increased fees related to our electricity bills, we can do something about it. We can swap out or replace all our incandescent light bulbs for LED lightbulbs. One of the reasons includes the fact that they are highly energy efficient. Incandescent light bulbs use electricity to zap a filament in order to create light while LED lightbulbs excite diodes to create light. Of the two methods, the LED lightbulbs use up to 90% less electricity than the traditional incandescent bulb. So, saving energy is the best way to keep lighting up the night during the Christmas season.

In addition to the significant energy savings of LED lightbulbs, they also last tens of thousands of hours. From 10,000 hours to 25, 000 hours or even more are some of the service life ratings you’ll find on the shelves this Christmas. For the investment, the LED lightbulbs outweigh the old incandescent bulbs handily.

LED lightbulbs are easy to work with as decorative items. Since they use so little electricity to create light, they also generate low levels of heat too. This means that we can grab the bulb without burning our fingers or melting other Christmas decorations. On the other hand, if you remember incandescent bulbs, you’ll remember they ran very hot and would melt the décor that they touched including trees and other plastic items.

If getting true colours in your light display is important to you then you’ll want to compare LED to incandescent technologies. Incandescent light bulbs only generate one colour which is white. The bulb gets painted to generate any sort of colour so when the paint melts off or gets chipped off, we get multi-coloured bulbs. On the other hand, the diodes of LED lightbulbs can actually generate true blues and other colours. The bulb itself is never painted or coloured in order to create a colour. LED lightbulbs can therefore generate the most true and brilliant colours possible. Even if you’re not a stickler for design, you’ll appreciate the brilliance of LED coloured lights compared to the traditional painted bulbs of incandescent lights.

Lastly, the LED lightbulb has been exploding in popularity so you can easily find these lights where replacement incandescent lights are almost impossible to find these days. The choice is easy. Go green and red as well as a variety of other colours with LED lightbulbs this Christmas.

Christmas Decoration Storage

Finally, if you haven’t carved out a space to store your seasonal decorations, then make sure you include that with any garage renovation that you’re planning. The ideal space for storing seasonal items is up high in the overhead platform or storage areas of the garage since they don’t need to be accessed but once a year. Since they are only accessed once a year, it’s better to leave storage space within easy reach for items we’ll use regularly such as tools, sports equipment, automotive accessories and more.

While some hints and tips is all we can do to help with your Christmas design and décor, we can do much more when a garage renovation is what you need to be effective and organized. Get a complimentary in-home consultation if an improved way to get the most out of your garage storage is what you need.

Overhead Storage

March 5, 2013 by Rick Scully

A recurring theme in helping my clients with garage organization is getting stuff off the floor. Having hooks to hang tools and racks to store equipment keeps the garage neat and maximizes your space. But there’s often an overlooked way to get even more storage space from your garage. Overhead, there’s a whole new area for storage.

Overhead racks are an ideal place to store items that you use infrequently. It’s a great place for storing garden furniture in the winter, as well as camping gear, out-of-season sports equipment and seasonal decorations. Tires can also be stored on overhead racks, but it’s best for tires without rims. Tires with rims are heavy and you likely don’t want to lift that much weight over your own head.

Where can I place overhead storage?

Selecting the ideal area for ceiling storage depends on the height of your ceilingand whether you have an entrance to your home from the garage. Over the garage doors, for example, is an ideal spot if your ceiling is 10 feet or higher. The tops of the rear and side walls make excellent storage areas as well, provided that you leave enough clearance for parking and walking below.

Types of overhead storage solutions

Ready-made

There are ready-made durable racks made of steel with a scratch-resistant finish. The ceiling unit is 48 x 96 inches and is secured to the ceiling joists. The rack can extend from 16 to 34 inches from the ceiling and holds up to 750 lbs.

For ready-made overhead storage on the side walls, there are 24 x 48 inch cantilevered racks that can be attached to the wall studs with sturdy metal brackets. These shelves can hold lighter items of under 200 lbs.

Custom-made

Garage Tailors Garage can create custom-made overhead storage that opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Canadian garages are rarely a standard size or shape and this limits what is available in ready-made storage solutions. Having overhead storage custom-designed to fit your garage ensures you are making good use of every inch of available space.

Ready-made overhead racks come in limited sizes and are often wide and open on all sides, making it difficult to see and reach items stored in the middle. We can design and make overhead platforms out of wood to any shape, size or depth you need.

Garage Tailors Garage attaches custom-made overhead storage to the ceiling using aircraft cable. These sturdy cables can support more than 1000 lbs. And we’ll finish your platforms to complement the design of your garage. The possibilities are endless. We can even install pot lights underneath to create a lighted workspace or create something as elaborate as the mezzanine we recently built for a client, complete with a space-saving retractable ladder.

Often clients will choose a combination of ready-made and custom-made storage to make their garage space work for them. If you’re ready to get organized, consider overhead storage.

Green your Garage Transformation

January 10, 2012 by Rick Scully

When you’re transforming your garage into the space you’ve always wanted it to be, there can be more to think about than shelving, cabinets and flooring. Think energy efficiency when thinking about ways to make your garage green.

Many houses have rooms directly above the garage, and if the garage ceiling is not properly insulated, the room and the room floor can be cold.

There are other ways you can make your garage more environmentally friendly:

Energy efficient lighting

Often a garage was built with just a single bulb. If you’re planning on doing anything in your garage other than parking your vehicle, this isn’t enough. As part of a Garage Tailors Garage transformation, we install fluorescent lighting as an energy efficient solution which also makes your garage a comfortable place to work and maintain.

Paint

Use BEHR paint with less than fifty VOC (Volatile organic compounds) which also have freeze and thaw capability. And, while an insulated garage is ideal for lower overall home utility costs and more comfortable connecting rooms, if your garage isn’t insulated, this particular paint won’t crack with the weather extremes.

Flooring

The flooring we use are also green, using low VOC while being mold resistant, easy to clean with a long lasting finish.

Garage doors

Many garage doors and windows let the heat out. By instalingl energy efficient doors and windows, your heating costs go down and your garage is a more comfortable room to work in. I refer people to Aurora Overhead Doors, a company that does a great job.

In with the old

If a customer has things that are re-useable, I’ll use them. One customer had a Rubbermaid cabinet he was happy with, so rather than sell him a new one, we incorporated it into his storage plan.

Insulated light switches and outlets:

Use switches with foam gaskets that insulate and help secure the connection between the house and the garage.

Finishing details

Caulk between the walls and the floor. Over time and seasons, the connection can expand and contract, leaving gaps where heat can escape. Caulking improves the insulation factor while providing a pleasant finish to the garage space.

Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder

October 13, 2011 by Rick Scully

For most of us, the garage is likely the largest room in our house. Our cars are probably our second largest assets. It makes sense to use this space to house and protect our vehicles.

During spring and summer, however, we leave our cars on the driveway to have easy access to things like lawn mowers, bicycles and gardening tools.

It’s during the first cold snap of the year as we’re putting everything away that we look into our garages and wonder how two cars are going to fit. Seeing everything that’s filling up the garage, we experience paralysis. Often, there’s no clear way to start the clean-up process, so it doesn’t get started at all.

I call this Seasonal Garage Anxiety Disorder (SGAD): All the stuff is preventing us from using our garages for what they’re meant for and it causes concern.

In the next two blog entries, I’m going to help you cope with your SGAD! But first, we have to think about motivation: how badly do you want to get your car in that garage and why?

If the garage is de-cluttered to make room for vehicles, we can:

say goodbye to scraping ice off the windshield before the sun comes up
get into a warm car – in the middle of winter
worry less about security, especially for those who spend much of the winter down south

One of the main objections to cleaning out a garage is the amount of decision making that has to happen. It requires some tough choices about what to keep and it’s usually a full day’s worth of work.

I’ve encountered garages that were full of furniture – both from parents who have downsized and children who were moving out, seasonal decorations, winter tires, garbage and recycling bins. Some of the clutter has value, but there is only an emotional attachment to the rest.

The feeling of relief that’s experienced once all the stuff you’re not using is gone, will give a sense of release and freedom necessary to move forward with new activities and projects.

How great would it be to have shelving and storage systems that allowed garden tools, holiday decorations and toys to be found without digging through boxes? Easy access and storage for seasonal items like paddles, kayaks and canoes and tires? A discreet space for your garbage bins?

Garage storage systems, whether it’s cabinets, wall organizers, shelving, or a combination, can keep the garage organized all year round. So when next fall comes, we’re not standing in front of our garage doors, wondering where we’re going to park our cars, we simply drive them in.

Stay tuned for the next blog: How to get Started.

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