Garage Door RepairElectric Garage Doors Repair | Garage Door Springs Replace

Metal patio covers should only be chosen when the area you wish to cover is very long or wide and requires extra support. Examples would be very large double carports, patio roofs that extend along the entire length of a house, more than 12 feet long or more than 12 feet wide, deck and walkways that extend for long distances with few supporting beams. You may want to consider patio covers in a blend of aluminum roofing with steel beams or supports. The simple single wide carports are best made from aluminum, as are deck and porch additions and small boat covers. If you are concerned about maintaining the metal frames, having to paint or treat them frequently, then go with aluminum. If strength is the issue than go with steel. Also if you live in a region where there are hurricanes or high winds, you may opt for steel posts, beams and then use aluminum roofing panels.

Carports, patio covers, park shelters and patio roofs that are free standing may be crafted from steel, however attached models can be bought prefabricated in do it yourself kits in aluminum that are easy to install. Remember that metal patio covers will use posts that are typically about 3" x 3", and these should be powder painted steel for protection if you are not going with aluminum. Save yourself a lot headaches later by choosing only powder painted or powder coated steel products that will rust less quickly. W' pan patio roofs are available in both aluminum and steel, but consider the difference. In aluminum they will be 19 inches to 32 inches in thickness, and in steel they will be about 24 gauge. ", .025" and .032".

What’s the price difference between metal patio covers and aluminum patio roofs?

The price difference between metal patio covers and the aluminum ones is very little. For example a 10 foot by 20 foot structure that has steel beams that are between 24 and 26 gauge will cost about $1,700 to $1,900 depending if there is a wall to attach it or if it will be freestanding. The same one in aluminum will cost $1,600 to $1,900 depending on the same factors, and on the size of beams, be they 25 inches or 32 inches square. Although metal is touted as being cheaper than the aluminum kits, in fact steel beams and posts and metal patio roofs are only about $50 to $100 different in price, and steel is often more expensive.

You will need to choose between metal covers and aluminum patio roofs depending on what your priority is, strength or ease of long-term care.

With the cost of things these days, sometimes it is just nice to do it yourself. It seems like every company out there in the world is trying to make a buck off of you, and in this case at least, you can save yourself some money. Garage door insulation is pretty easy to install, it doesn’t take much to make look nice if you are handy with a few tools and have a little patience. Take a moment and collect the things you will need, get your materials and your tools, and go out and conquer that garage door!

The Method to the Madness

Gather up the things you will need, plywood cut in the sections of your garage door, as many of them as you will need for the door, a roll of pink fiberglass, a box of screws complimentary to the material your garage door is made of (and I recommend a star head), and a gallon of paint in a good color that looks great with your house. You will need a powerful enough drill to get the job done, a set of really good scissors for the fiberglass, a power sander, and the painting materials you would need, like tape and paint brushes.

How to Get The Job Done

Cut equal sections of fiberglass and lay one at a time in the open space in the garage door. Screw the plywood onto the door, making sure that it does not interfere with the joint sections. Sand the section, rounding all edges and corners and making sure nothing is going to catch on something. When all of these sections are completed, tape off the area and paint the entire inner door section at once, taking care with the joints and letting the whole thing sit untouched for at least twelve hours.

The garage door opener is often taken for granted but is one invention that most of us couldn't live without.  Being able to open the door without getting out of the car is a godsend on those freezing winter mornings!  It's also much safer to drive back in at night without having to get out of the car.  That way you are not at risk of a criminal attacking you or trying to jack the car.  Of all the different garage door parts that belong to your garage, the silly door opener is starting to look even better now, isn't it?

There are three basic types of garage door openers on the market today.  The screw-drive system is powerful and requires the least maintenance due to having fewer moving parts.  A chain-drive system is a little more complicated but are the most common type used.  These are the least expensive but they do tend to make more noise.  The third system we're just starting to see is the computer-controlled drive that doesn't have the mechanical pieces, making it smaller and quieter.

When deciding what type of garage door opener is best for you, keep in mind that the higher end models tend to be smoother operating and open quite a bit faster than those on the lower end.  They won't close faster, however, as federal law regulates closing speed as a safety measure.  Another safety measure required by law is that if the door hits something on the way down, it will stop and go back up.  Also, if a person or object is in the path of the door closing, it will also reverse automatically and retract itself. This last feature works well and  is due to garage door sensors being installed that will identify anything in the way.  A beam of light shines between two sensors and if something breaks that transmit and receive signal, the sensor trips a notification to the garage door opener to not allow it to close.  Its a great idea for pets, children, or even those of us who move a little slower than others

The best way to learn more about the various types of garage door openers and which would work best for your garage is to go online and read up on them.  Simply do a search and you will find several manufacturers' and specialty websites with more information.

These days, the garage has become the dumping ground for all the bits and pieces that no one knows where to put. Garages become messy and cluttered and virtually unusable. Garage storage systems are the answer to getting the place organized and creating extra space.

Once a garage was only required to store the family car and maybe the children's bikes, a decent garage sport rack for balls and games, and some tools. These days we seem to have accumulated so much clutter, that the garage becomes so messy it can't be used for anything. We often use odd bits of furniture in the garage to store some of this stuff, but this results in a messy, disjointed space.

If the garage is going to be a storage place for a variety of items, a coordinated approach is best and this is where storage systems come in. When all the cabinets, bench tops, shelves and boxes match, the garage looks more spacious and everything is protected and easier to find.

You can choose from metal, wire or timber, in different finishes and colors for your garage storage and create a neat and good-looking space. There are even overhead storage systems that make excellent use of the space up near the ceiling.

Look online and you will find many websites that specialize in storage systems, and there many hardware stores that also sell them. You can design your own garage storage if you want to, and many companies have people who can help you do this. Modular units are very popular; you simply buy the units that you need, put them together and slip them into place. If you have some DIY skills, you will have no problem fitting your storage system. Or you might decide to let the professionals do the whole job for you, from design to manufacture to installation.

Your storage system will enable you to safely store valuable power tools, unsightly yard tools and out of season sporting gear. You can arrange the tools you use often where they can be reached easily and kept in good condition with correct storage. With everything locked away neatly, your garage will look good enough to be used for other things besides storing the car.

The uses you can put the extra space to are many. With your new garage storage system in place you have an extra entertainment space, a place for the kids to play and have parties or a hobby room for you and the family.

If you need additional security for the doors on your premises then exterior metal doors are probably the best solution. If the existing doors are timber type without any glazing you could probably up grade. This would involve placing extra locks on the doors. The frame is usually the weakest point with a timber door. More often than most, the frame will break first if forced. So in addition to the extra locks you will need to strengthen the frame. This can be achieved by fixing a steel strip on the inside of the frame in front of the lock keepers. The strip should be bolted right through the frame and held with anti tamper bolts. In addition to this “dog” bolts should be fitted to the hinge side of the door. Dog bolts are small, steel stubs, about ¾” long that will protrude into receivers in the frame when the door is closed. These will prevent an attacker having a go at the hinged side of the door. 

If upgrading the existing door will not meet the new security needs, then replacing the existing door and frame with a new security door set is the best solution. These doors are constructed with a steel inner frame and wrapped in a steel sheet. The joints of the steel sheet are either welded or folded. The whole unit is hot dipped galvanised to protect against corrosion. The door frame is also made from folded steel and is security fixed into the structural opening at a minimum of 8 points. These doors are quite heavy about 40 – 50 kg/m² so it is vitally important the surrounding walls are strong enough to carry the load.  

The door core can be solid wood for additional security or another filling such as honeycomb material making the door lighter. 

Vision panels are possible in a security type door. This consists of many layers of laminated glass held in position by a purpose made steel surround frame and bolted straight through the door using anti tamper bolts. 

Obviously, with a security door the locking system is very important. Multi point locking will make the door very secure. These systems will lock the door along the leading edge of the door and in addition, shooting bolts will project from the top and bottom of the door, engaging with the frame. Dog bolts on the hinged side will also be necessary.