Category: Blog

If you’re choosing a new garage door, then one of the factors you consider in your decision might be sustainability. Lots of people are trying to do their bit to make their daily habits a little more eco-friendly. Luckily, since garage doors can last decades before they need replacing, there’s already no a lot of waste involved. But choosing the right materials and supporting sustainable manufacturing practices are small changes that can contribute to a big difference.

Here are some of the most sustainable materials you can choose for your garage door…

Wood from responsible sources

Wood is a relatively sustainable material because it is produced naturally in the earth rather than manufactured, making it renewable. But it is not a limitless material, and the negative effects of deforestation have been documented around the world. If you opt for a wood garage door, do some research into the suppliers to ensure that they source the wood responsibly and follow environmental regulations. Responsible practices may include replanting trees after harvesting others for manufacturing.

Recycled materials

Recycling materials rather than wasting them is another sustainable practice. Garage doors can be made from recycled or reclaimed wood as a more environmentally-friendly option. Waste steel and aluminum can also be used to manufacture garage doors, making this a sustainable process that doesn’t involve cutting down trees.

Insulative materials

If your garage and garage door are properly insulated, this means you need to use less energy to keep your garage at a comfortable temperature. This is especially important if your garage is attached to your house. So, it’s important that you choose insulative materials for an eco-friendly garage. Wood is a better insulator than metal, making it a greener choice.

Aluminum is the worst insulator of the commonly used garage door materials because it is lightweight and thinner than steel. If you opt for a steel or aluminum garage door, then you should add insulation to your door to improve this property.

The pros and cons of windows

Will adding windows to your garage door make it more or less eco-friendly? The answer is complicated. They will let light in during the day, meaning you’re less likely to need lights switched on inside. But this depends on the size of the windows and how much light they let in. You may still need some lights on inside, mitigating their benefit. Make sure you opt for energy-efficient lightbulbs in your garage. The downside of windows as that they will let in more of the cold from outside (or the heat during summer), increasing your heating and cooling demands inside.

How sustainable and eco-friendly can you make your garage door? Contact Carolina Garage Door if you need any help choosing the right materials and style, or installing your garage door in Winston Salem, Greensboro, Kernersville, and High Point.

Often, new year’s resolutions revolve around looking after our bodies or our bank balances more carefully. Unfortunately, more often than not, these new year’s resolutions fail by around February. We fall back into old, familiar habits and forget about the things we pledged to do.

The same can be said for garage door maintenance. We have the best intentions to look after our homes and garages, but then life gets in the way and we forget to do those little checks or put off booking a garage door tune-up.

Make 2020 the year you make a change and start taking good care of your garage door! Here are a few things to prioritize this year with your garage door…

Give it a once over

Here’s something you can do right now while it’s on your mind. Go out to your garage and open the door. Pay attention to how it opens and how much noise it makes. If you notice loud or unusual noises, if the door doesn’t open smoothly, or if it looks crooked, then it’s worth calling a garage door repair technician to arrange a tune-up for it. Don’t put it off!

If it opens fine, check around all the hardware to ensure everything’s in good condition. Make sure there are no loose bolts, that the cables aren’t frayed, and that the springs aren’t damaged. Monitor the door when you close it as well to spot anything unusual in the way it operates. Remember, if something seems off, call a professional.

Plan a maintenance schedule

A quick inspection like the one we’ve just described should be done at least every few months, if not more frequently. To help you stick to this for the year ahead, schedule a date and time for all your routine inspections. This could be once a month or every two months, for example. Put them in your calendar and even set a reminder on your phone to make sure you stick to your maintenance resolution.

Book a garage door tune-up

If it’s been a while since you last had a professional tune-up for your garage door, then call a repair technician now to schedule a time for them to come around. If you’ve had one in the last 6 months, for example, and your garage door and opener still seem in good shape, then plan when you’re going to book your next one. Mark your calendar for 3 months from now, for example, when you’re next due professional maintenance. And, in the meantime, pledge to call a professional if something goes wrong with your garage door.

If you need a garage door tune-up or repair in Winston Salem, Greensboro, Kernersville, or High Point, then contact Carolina Garage Door today.

Once your child starts crawling and then walking, their surroundings are like an adventure park waiting to be explored. Parents and grandparents know to childproof their homes to keep children away from sharp objects, chemicals, and other dangers. But, often, the garage is forgotten about. Sure, you don’t spend much time in there, but there are lots of things in the garage that could pose a threat to your curious child.

Here are some quick tips for childproofing your garage and garage door.

Keep the photo eyes clear

All modern garage doors now come with safety features like auto-reverse. This feature depends on two sensors at either side of the garage door, close to the ground. If something is stopping these sensors from “seeing” each other (like a small child in the path of the door), then the garage door won’t close and may reverse its direction. Keep these sensors clean and clear of debris so they can properly communicate with each other.

Keep remotes and keypads out of reach

If the remote to your automatic garage door opener gets into the hands of a child, they could easily get themselves hurt. Make sure the controls to your garage door opener, whichever form they’re in, are out of reach or locked away if necessary.

Keep tools out of reach

Most people store their tools and other sharp, heavy objects in the garage. Find a place to store these that’s well out of reach or secured with either child locks or actual locks. And make sure you always tidy them away after you’ve used them. Don’t leave them lying around for little hands to get hold of. The same goes for storing chemicals and gasoline.

Keep vehicles locked

If you store a car or other vehicle in your garage, make sure you always lock it before leaving the garage. If a child can get inside the car, they might be able to release the handbrake and roll the vehicle. A small incident like this probably won’t injure the child, but it could damage your car and garage door.

Regular garage door tune-ups

Your garage door can be extremely dangerous, especially if it’s not maintained properly. Broken garage door springs can fly off and seriously injure someone, or a damaged door can suddenly drop. Make sure you arrange regular maintenance and tune-ups for your garage door and call a garage door repair technician if you notice any problems with it.

If you need a garage door tune-up or a new garage door with modern safety features, then contact Carolina Garage Door. We operate around Winston Salem, Greensboro, Kernersville, and High Point, NC.

There are lots of different materials you can choose for your new garage door, even the lesser-seen glass garage doors. But, the two most commonly used materials are wood and metal. Typically, either aluminum or steel are used in metal garage doors, and various types of wood can be used, such as plywood or cedar.

If you’re in the market for a new garage door, this article will help you decide whether you should go for wood or metal.

The benefits of metal garage doors

• Highly durable – Metal garage doors, especially steel ones, are extremely tough and can stand the test of time. It is difficult to scratch or dent metal doors, and they are not sensitive to the elements like wood doors, which can warp due to moisture and expand in the heat.
• Lower cost – With average prices of $740-$1,140 installed, metal garage doors are generally the cheaper option compared to wood doors.
• Low maintenance – Unlike wood doors, metal doors don’t need sealing, sanding, and refinishing. In general, metal doors are much easier to maintain, which could mean you save money on garage door maintenance in the long-run.

The benefits of wood garage doors

• Better insulation – Wood is a much better insulator compared to metal. This means that the inside of your garage will stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter without you having to run AC or heating inside. As well as saving you money on energy bills, this could also mean you don’t have to spend extra to insulate your garage and garage door.
• A luxurious aesthetic – Most people consider wood to add more of a luxury appeal to the front of their home, compared to metal. It can also be matched to other elements of your home like the front door or window frames, creating a cohesive, elegant look.
• Adds curb appeal – With better aesthetics also comes improved curb appeal. If you’re looking to sell your home, then installing a new wood door could raise interest in your home and perhaps even add to its value.

Whichever you choose, Carolina Garage Door can help you choose the perfect garage door and install it at your home or business. Get in touch for our installation services or for a garage door tune-up around Winston Salem, Greensboro, Kernersville, and High Point.

Maybe you’ve backed your car into your garage door, your kids have been messing around too close to it, or strong winds have got the better of it. Whatever the cause, damage to your garage door is bound to happen sooner or later. And when it occurs, the question is whether the damage can be repaired or whether you need to install a new garage door entirely. The third option of ignoring the damage until it becomes unavoidable simply isn’t an option. Or, at least, it would be a very dangerous and costly option.

The best thing to do is to call a garage door technician to assess the damage and recommend the best course of action for you. They may be able to repair the damage easily, or it might not be possible if the damage is extensive. They’ll be able to advise you about the cost of both options so you can decide which is worth it. If you have a particularly old garage door, then replacing it is probably the better option in the long-run.

To give you an idea of which option is better in your case, here are some common cases of damage to garage doors and whether you can repair them or not.

Damage to the hardware

In most cases, any damage and degradation of the hardware integral to operating your garage door can be resolved by replacing the parts. For example, a broken garage door spring or cable resulting from wear and tear can simply be replaced with a new part. However, it is essential that you leave this type of job to a professional as it can be an extremely dangerous process.

Damage to garage door panels

Most garage doors are divided into sections. So, if you back up into your garage door or if minor damage occurs any other way, then it will probably be isolated to one or two of these panels. As long as the damage is not too severe, chances are that you can have the panel replaced rather than replacing the entire door. Replacing a garage door panel could cost you around $500, including the labor costs, which is certainly less than buying and installing a new garage door.

When replacement may be necessary

If damage to your garage door is more extensive, covering multiple panels, if the garage door is severely bent, or if the tracks have become bent, then investing in a new garage door is likely to be the safer and more cost-effective solution. Extensive repairs will add up in cost and may leave you with a weaker garage door that is more susceptible to fail in the near future.

Whether you need garage door repairs, replacement, or simply a garage door tune-up to make sure everything is in good working order, contact Carolina Garage Door for our expert services around Winston Salem, Greensboro, Kernersville, and High Point.

Electronic door openers have made it so much easier and more convenient to get in and out of the garage. With a simple click of a button on your remote control, you can start opening and closing your garage door. Keeping the remote in your car as you exit or enter the garage means you can even start opening the door as you drive up to it.

Although they are popular, garage door opener remotes are not the only option for a secure and convenient way to open your garage door. Many households choose an entry keypad, either instead of or as well as a remote control. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of garage door entry keypads to help you make your mind up.

The pros of a garage door keypad

One of the biggest benefits of an entry keypad is that it’s always going to be there affixed to the wall. You don’t have to figure out where you left your keys or the remote control, and you don’t have to worry about losing these things. You can just go to the garage and enter your keycode.

Keypads are also a good option for families who all need access to the garage. You don’t have to have a spare key cut for each person or worry about your kids losing their keys. As long as everyone knows the code to your keypad, everyone can get in when they need to.

Entry keypads can also be much more secure than remote access or traditional key entry. As long as you keep your code a secret, no one else should be able to access your garage.

Potential cons of entry keypads

While you don’t have keys or a remote to carry around, you do still have to remember a code for your entry keypad. If you forget this code, then you could end up locked out and having to call a professional garage door technician to recode your keypad. Try to choose a secure code that you will remember or keep a note of it somewhere safe.

Also, as with any electronic garage door opening systems, an entry keypad depends on electricity. If you have a power outage, then the keypad will usually be rendered useless. Make sure you know how to open your garage door manually in case of an emergency.

In some situations, using a remote control to open your garage door may be more convenient. But the keypad has many of its own benefits. So, it can be useful to have both a remote and a keypad coded for your electric garage door opener, that way you always have one as a backup in case you misplace your remote or forget the code.

If you want to add this upgrade to your garage door or need a garage door tune-up around Winston Salem, Greensboro, Kernersville, and High Point, then get in touch today.

Are you looking for new ways to upgrade your home? You might be renovating with a sale in mind, or you might just want some fancy new features for yourself to enjoy. Whatever your motivation, the garage is a great place to target with these upgrades. Renovating a garage doesn’t disrupt your day-to-day life too much since it isn’t your main living space.

If you want to upgrade your garage, then here are a few ideas you might want to try out…

Upgrade your garage floor

Most garages still have their original concrete flooring, making it a cold and unwelcoming space. Applying a new floor to your garage makes it look better and even feel nicer underfoot. Here are some options for your garage floors:

• Epoxy
• Vinyl
• Polished concrete
• Rubber tile

Upgrade your garage door

New garage doors have lots of impressive features to boast about. The way garage doors are designed now means that they are more difficult to break into and much safer to be around than older models. So, buying a new garage door could boost your garage in lots of different ways.

If you don’t want to buy a new garage door, then there are upgrades you can make to your existing one. You could add insulation and replace the weather stripping to make it more energy-efficient. Or you could add smart technology to it, allowing you to open and close your door from your smartphone, among other things.

Upgrade your storage

If you want to create more space in your garage, the best thing to do is reinvent your storage system. A lot of garages end up as dumping grounds for all the things you can’t find a space for in your home. As a result, there is a lot of clutter, making it hard to find things and leaving you with not a lot of space to work with.

There are lots of different ways you can fully utilize your garage space. Install storage shelves and cabinets to organize efficiently, add racks and hooks to walls to make the most of vertical space, and you can even install ceiling storage to really get things out of the way. You could be left with lots more space that you can use in different ways.

Is your garage ready for an upgrade? We can replace your garage door or simply provide an upgrade or garage door repair for your current one. Get in touch for our overhead garage door services around Winston Salem, Greensboro, Kernersville, and High Point.

A lot of parts and components make up your garage door. One of the most important components is the electric garage door opener. If you have problems with this, then the functionality and safety of your garage door could be at stake. So, it’s important to know what warning signs to look out for in your garage door, how you can maintain or repair it, and when to call in a professional garage door repair technician.

Remote not working

If your garage door doesn’t respond when you press the remote and you’re sure that the problem isn’t with the remote or its range (make sure you check the batteries!), then there may be a loss of power to the opener itself. The simplest repair here could be that the unit has come unplugged. Check the power outlet and plug it back in if this is the problem. You could also try resetting the circuit breaker.

If neither of these resolves the problem, then it’s likely that internal components of the garage door opener have burned out or become damaged. In this case, call a garage door technician to determine if the problem can be fixed or if you’ll need to replace your door opener.

Your door won’t close or suddenly reverses

In modern garage doors, safety sensors are fitted into the tracks to make sure a garage door doesn’t close on someone or something. If your garage door won’t close all the way, then there may be a problem with those sensors. First, check that there is nothing blocking the path of the garage door and that debris has not built up around the sensors. Also, clean the sensors to make sure that dirt and dust aren’t blocking its field of view.

If the problem persists, then the sensors may need adjusting or there may be a fault that means they are not properly communicating with the garage door opener. Call a professional technician who’ll be able to assess and repair the problem for you.

Garage door opener is making strange noises

Garage door noises can mean lots of different things. If the strange noises are coming from the electric opener, then it could just be loose hardware creating vibrations against the ceiling and other components of the garage door. Get a ladder and tighten everything up first. It could also be the gears and other components inside the opener grinding against each other. These parts may need maintaining by a professional to ensure that no further damage is done.

If you need garage door opener repair or maintenance, don’t put it off. Call us at Carolina Garage Door for expert and affordable services around Winston Salem, Greensboro, Kernersville, and High Point.

Is it time for a new door for your home garage? Whether your current one is too old, damaged, or simply out of style, choosing and buying a new garage door is an important decision. If you’re stuck or don’t know where to start, here are some of the key things you should consider before making your choice.

Material

The most popular materials used in garage doors are steel, aluminum, and wood. It’s important to assess the pros and cons of these materials to decide which is best suited to you. Some people like the rustic look of wood garage doors, which can also be stain and finished in a variety of ways. Metal doors can look more modern, but still offer plenty of choice as they can be painted different colors. Aluminum doors are nice and lightweight while steel ones are sturdier.

Style

There are various different styles of garage doors, such as sectional, single panel, roller, and barn style. You can compare the choice between single panel and sectional garage doors in one of our older blogs. Barn style doors can add a more traditional, rustic look to the front of your home.

Size

Most residential garage doors are pretty standard in size. The main decision to make is whether you need a single or double garage door. You might want to extend your garage so that it’s able to fit two cars or to make space for extra storage. Or, if you already have a large garage, you have the option of having two single garage doors rather than one double door.

Price

Your budget will help guide your decisions when it comes to material, size, and any additional features you’re eyeing up. Home Advisor puts the average cost of a new garage door at $1,094. But every garage door is different, so it’s important to get quotes from potential suppliers and installers. Make sure you’re within your budget before you start adding fancy extras.

Insulation

Insulation is an important factor in keeping your garage comfortable and energy-efficient. This is especially important if you spend a lot of time in your garage or if it is attached to your home. Steel tends to be the most insulative garage door material, but there are lots of options for adding extra insulation to your garage door.

Safety and security

Modern garage doors come with lots of useful safety and security features. They are much harder for thieves to break into compared to older doors. Plus, features like photo eye sensors make sure the door does not close on anyone or anything that is in its path. If you have an old garage door, it’s worth upgrading just for these new features.

If you need any more advice on buying a new garage door or are ready to buy and install yours, we’re here to help you around Winston Salem, Greensboro, High Point, and Kernersville. Contact us to find out more.

If you don’t use your garage for storing a car, then the space inside can go to waste. For many people, it is just a place to store clutter that you don’t use or want lying around the house. If you’re tired of the clutter and wasted space, then we’ve got some interesting ideas for other things you can turn your garage into.

A workshop

Does someone in your house have a hobby that could use a dedicated space? It might be woodworking, painting, renovating old cars, growing potted plants, or whatever else. You can put in a workbench, storage, and whatever else you might need. With a dedicated space for your hobby, you’re likely to spend more time on it – productive time that you can enjoy.

A kid’s playroom

Tired of the kids messing up the house? Then turn the garage into a comfortable and colorful place for them to play. This is especially good for garages that are connected to the house. You can lock the main garage door so that they’re safe, and they can come and go between the house and the playroom whenever they want. Add in storage units for their toys and a soft playmat or carpet for the floor.

A home office

If you work from home, it can be hard to find somewhere that allows you to work productively and distraction-free. Then why not turn your garage into your own home office? You can decorate it the way you like, put in windows to let in natural light, and move in all the office furniture you’d need.

A spare bedroom

Do you need an extra room for when friends and family stay over? Or perhaps you’re thinking of renting out a room to bring in some extra income? You can completely renovate your garage to turn it into a cozy spare bedroom.

A home gym

By turning your garage into a home gym, you’ll save money on expensive gym memberships and make it more likely for you to actually work out, since you don’t have to convince yourself to go all the way to the gym. You can buy the equipment that you’ll use and skip the ones you don’t, and you won’t have to wait to use a piece of equipment.

Whatever you decide to do with your garage space, make sure it’s secure from intruders and safe from extreme weather. A quality garage door from Carolina Garage Door will help you achieve this. Get in touch if you need a new door or garage door repair for your home around Winston Salem, Greensboro, High Point, and Kernersville.