Having a garage door in your home automatically improves the value of your house. If you put your home on the market to sell, your garage door is an attractive advantage point over homes without garages. Potential home buyers may desire garages over a finished basement or attic. To further improve the value and safety of your home, update your garage door! You don’t have to sell your house to reap the benefits of a new garage door. It might be time to replace your garage door if you have constant maintenance issues, a high energy bill, and a lack of security. A modern garage door improves your home’s value, but it also keeps you safer and will save you money in the long run. It will save you money on future repairs and lower your monthly energy bill. A new garage door will also increase your use of your garage; it won’t just be a storage space if you don’t want it to be. A broken garage door can discontinue use, preventing you from using valuable square footage in your home! Replacing your door leads to more and better use of your space.
Your updated garage door will reduce maintenance, save energy, improve security, and increase your home’s resale value.
Reduce Maintenance
A garage door that’s already aged and well used will inevitably take time and cost money to repair when you need to in the future or when you list your home on the market. For example, a wooden garage door will need maintenance to avoid a buildup of mold, and a steel garage door could have dents and rust from weather damage. The wear and tear on any garage door affect its purpose and functionality. A benefit of replacing it with a brand new one is that you will have less maintenance and will not need regular repairs. Thanks to our technologically advancing society, modern garage doors are made with eco-friendly and sustainable materials that require less maintenance but still look classic.
Additionally, you can easily paint or clean a modern garage door to keep it looking nice and fresh. Old garage doors’ paint was easily chipped and required constant attention, but new garage doors have a long-lasting finish to keep a clean finish for years. While you should still follow routine maintenance, a modern garage door should last several decades before you need to do any repairs. You will also have fewer emergencies in the future if you replace your garage door now.
Simple Preventative Maintenance:
- Clean your garage door
- Check on, repair, or replace the weatherstripping
- Test the balance of your door by manually opening and closing it
- Inspect the hardware and tighten any loose bolts
- Clean and lubricate the spring, chain, and screws
Save Energy
Since the average family opens and closes their garage door three to five times a day, the wear and tear on your garage door can weaken over time. A new garage door with a new garage door opener will be able to handle use a lot better and you can trust it will open and close properly when you need it to. A great incentive and the huge benefit of a brand new, modern garage door is the fact that they are made to be energy efficient. An energy-efficient garage door properly controls your home’s temperature, and your energy bill will be guaranteed to be lower. In addition, it will cost less to cool or heat your home because your garage door can keep the weather out and a comfortable temperature in. To make sure your new garage door is as energy efficient as possible, ensure it has insulation, and keep an eye on the weatherstripping on your garage door and any windows.
Improve Safety and Security
Your garage door is your most significant piece of security equipment for your home! Of course, garage doors are designed and installed to protect your home, cars, and possessions from intruders and animals. Unfortunately, burglars have learned new ways to break into your home through your garage by using wire hangers to disengage your garage’s automatic setting. An old garage door model can be an open invitation for a robbery or worse. The FBI reports that burglaries represent 16.1% of property crimes and 62.8% of all burglary offenses occur at residential properties. Installing a new garage door ensures your family’s and possession’s safety throughout the day and night. Modern garage doors also have new safety features like revolving garage codes and the ability to control everything from your smartphone.
To improve the safety of your home and garage it’s important to also pay attention to the following:
- Secure your garage windows and doors and add privacy blinds
- Close your garage door
- Don’t leave your garage opener in your car
- Hide the red automatic release cord
- Connect your garage door to your smartphone and receive alerts each time it opens
Old garage doors aren’t just an invitation for thieves and burglars, but they can be a safety hazard in your home if it doesn’t function properly. The photo eye sensors that detect movement under the garage are the most critical function of your garage door. The garage door will immediately reverse if it detects anything in the way of the photo eye sensors, preventing the door from accidentally shutting on things or people in the way. If these sensors aren’t working correctly, the door can harm and injure people, property, and animals.
Old garage doors can also pose a health threat in humid, wet climates. Poorly ventilated garages cause mold buildup. Mold buildup is costly to repair and could be life-threatening. In dry, hot climates, like here in Arizona, a poorly ventilated garage will damage your belongings in storage and, as stated above, is not energy efficient. Your garage will heat up on the 115-degree summer days, act like an oven, and bake everything in it!
Increase Your Home’s Resale Value
When the time comes to sell your home, you will want to make sure you are doing everything you can to increase your home’s resale value and keep up with all repairs and maintenance for each component of your house. Replacing your garage door will boost the value of your home, and studies show that investing in a new garage door has the highest return on investment than any other home renovation project. New home buyers will love your new garage door as it not only guarantees more security for the home but also looks great. If you are putting your home on the market, spend a few thousand dollars to update your garage door, and you will receive thousands more back in selling your home. This simple investment will be worth it. According to remodeling.hw.net, people in the Mountain Region who replaced their garage door before the sale of their home recouped 93.8% of the cost of the door.
Updating your garage door enhances your home’s curb appeal. These simple tips to follow will help you discover your home’s style and improve your modern garage door more than ever:
- Add unique features like barn door cross beams, vertical lines, windowpanes, or horizontal beams to give your garage door a unique look
- Accessories with trim, lightning, and even shrubbery around your garage door
- Pick a great color that matches your home’s aesthetic; go a classic natural wood, vinyl white, or even a bold color
- Paint your exterior front door the same as your garage door, it will complement your home’s appearance and make it cohesive.
When To Buy a New Garage Door
Besides the fact that an updated garage door will reduce maintenance, save energy, improve security, and increase your home’s resale value we’ve just learned, that you should buy a new garage door if you have significant issues a professional cannot repair. Even if you don’t have apparent issues, you could have underlying problems that will become a big headache.
- Wear and Tear: over time, your garage door can be worn down from regular wear and tear. For example, those who open their door only four times a day will have a door that will last longer than those who open their door over eight times a day. This is personal to your situation and should be assessed when considering purchasing a new garage door! Heavy rain and snow will also lead to more frequent maintenance.
- Failure to open or close: a faulty opener, misaligned sensor, or broken remote could be the culprits of why it won’t open or close. If you constantly have issues trying to open or close your door, it’s time for a brand new one.
- Damage to the door: dents and scratches are normal to accumulate over time, but even minor dents impact the door’s functionality. Rather than replacing the panel with a dent, it’s better to replace the whole door.
You will reap the benefits of a new garage door, especially if you have issues with your old, current one! It will automatically improve the value of your home, you will save on your energy bill, and you will have fewer headaches because a new garage door is a very low maintenance. The improved security and safety alone will be worth it