Replacing your garage door may be one of the smartest investments you can make this year. It’s an often overlooked project that comes with a lot of potential value. Here are a few benefits of replacing your garage door that you should definitely know about before making your decision.
The security of your home and your family are obviously of paramount importance. A garage door can either be a serious security flaw or a powerful deterrent. A lot of the differences comes down to when your door was manufactured. Doors that were manufactured prior to 1993 don’t utilize rolling code systems on the transmitter. This means that someone with the right technology can pick up the signal from the transmitter and then use that information to open your door whenever they please.
A criminal having the ability to open your garage door is obviously a huge security problem. Luckily, it’s a problem that doesn’t really exist with the most modern garage doors on the market today. New door openers utilize the latest in technology and tampering with them is nearly impossible. Many of them use Wi-Fi technology and if you’re connected to the internet you can monitor and control the door from around the world.
Curb appeal has a huge impact on a home’s value. What’s one part of the home’s exterior that is usually one of the first things seen? It’s the garage door! These doors are large and they immediately grab a person’s attention. Unfortunately, if it’s an old, outdated door, then the attention it gets isn’t going to be positive.
Why bother painting the outside of the house and investing in landscaping if you’re going to leave the same old garage door? Investing in a new garage door is almost a guaranteed way to increase the value of the home. One study indicated that more than 70 percent of homeowners saw an increase in their property value after installing a new door. That value increase was often between 1 and 4 percent.
Garage doors are big and heavy. As they age, their various mechanisms work less efficiently and are less reliable. What happens when that big heavy door falls on a person or a car? It’s an unfortunate accident that happens too frequently with older garage doors. Older doors may even continue closing over a person or vehicle after impact.
New doors are less likely to experience these kinds of problems for multiple reasons. First off, the door is new and its various components are new. This means it’s less likely to fail and drop during operation. But what about hitting the close button when there is a car or person under the door? New doors are equipped with sensors near the edge of the floor that will detect whether an obstruction is present. If something is detected in the way, then the door will immediately stop closing and reverse.
Older doors tend to have a much lower impact on energy efficiency. This is because heat can easily escape or enter through the doors. Most older doors are not insulated and they are not weather tight. Design trends have begun to change in the last decade and we’re seeing more doors that are heavily insulated and designed with energy efficiency in mind. If less heat is lost through the door, then less energy is required to maintain a comfortable temperature in the home. This means you save money each month.
Even the government has noticed the impact of garage doors on energy efficiency. The Energy Improvement and Extension Act that was signed into action in 2008 provides homeowners with tax credits for making specific changes that improve energy efficiency. One of the many changes that qualify for a tax credit is installing a new well-insulated garage door. It’s possible to receive a tax credit for up to $500.
Finally, there’s a matter of speed to consider. Every time a garage door opens, the heat from inside the garage escapes. This leads to a significant increase in energy consumption if you frequently use the garage door to enter or leave the house. New garage doors are designed to operate at slightly higher speeds, which means less time spent open and less energy wasted.
Many older garage doors suffer from a serious flaw. If there is a storm and a power outage, then it is impossible to open the garage door. This means that whatever vehicle you are driving can be stuck inside or outside of the garage.
Modern garage doors have backup battery power available to prevent this from happening. The battery is only utilized when there is no power from the main electrical connection. This small feature prevents you from being locked inside or outside of the garage during a heavy storm.
Are you still using the same garage door that came with your house? Maybe it’s worked faithfully for many years, but does it really represent your sense of style? Does it really look as good as it possibly could? Probably not. If you want a garage door that you really love, then you need to be able to pick it out yourself.
Garage doors actually come in a huge range of styles, shapes, colors, and materials. There’s no need to continue living with that same boring door that you’ve been staring at for years. Investing in a new garage door is a great way to express your personal style and improve the appearance of your home.
Don’t make the mistake of attempting a DIY garage door installation. If you want to ensure that the door works properly and doesn’t pose a risk to people or vehicles, then you need to have it installed by a professional. It’s a small investment that could prevent an expensive disaster.
For more information about garage doors, give us a call at
(303)278-6898. We will be happy to answer any other questions you may have.
Phone: (720) 996-2566
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