 Are you considering insulating your garage? An insulated garage is very energy efficient since it consumes a lot less energy than a detached garage. Insulation reduces heat transmission into the garage which further limits transmission into the environment. Insulation also reduces noise. You should definitely consider it if you live along a busy or noisy environment. If you are thinking about having a garage door installed, you may be considering having windows.Windows in garage doors are great if you work in your garage often, because they allow natural light in. However, you may be wondering if windows can affect the insulation.
What are my options as far as garage door insulation? There are basically two types of insulation: polyurethane and polystyrene. Polystyrene is a tough block of insulation that is put between two layers of your garage door. The insulation is not permanently attached to the door. You can compare it to the filling in a sandwich. On the other hand, polyurethane is an injected foam insulation that is fixed to the garage door. It is bonded to the two outer layers of the door. Which type of insulation works best? Polystyrene costs less. However, polyurethane gives double the insulating R-Value, which means much better insulation. It also helps to make a door stronger. Polyurethane foam that is fixed on wooden and metal insulated garage doors it bonds to the door chemically and makes the door tougher. How do garage windows affect insulation? It is advisable for some homeowners to have windows installed on their garage door. For one, you can open them during those warm days and let in fresh air. This way, you can avoid leaving your garage door partially open for ventilation, which can damage it. Also, a lot of people use their garages to store items like paints, fuel, anti-freeze, garden supplies, pesticides and fertilizers. Such items tend to give off fumes as can a car, especially if there's more than one in the garage. Windows also bring in natural light to your garage and they do add financial and esthetic value to your home. There is also a disadvantage to having garage windows. It is that they reduce your garage insulation. Heat can be lost through the windows which means more energy is consumed to keep the garage adequately heated. What can be done? The good news is that there is a way around this. Get garage windows that are made of insulated glass. This glass keeps the heat in just like the insulation on the door so they are very green and energy efficient. Who sells garage doors with windows? Raynor and Midland offer insulated glass garage windows to go with their insulated garage doors. Each of the two companies have their own selection of products. The Raynor Garage Door company has doors made like French doors, others with carriage door designs and those with mixed panels. You have more than 180 options of powder coat colors so there is something for everyone. This is under the company's StyleView range and there is also the Innovations and Wood Collection Series. Midland Garage Door company have the thermo-steel raised steel panel doors as well as Series24 options with a rugged steel exterior. Raynor and Midland doors and insulated glass garage windows are available from Amarillo garage door company Willow Creek Overhead Door. Call Tony Hall today to find out about your garage door options, and he can find one that fits your needs and budget.
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 One common winter challenge is your garage door getting stuck. The door may stick because snow or rain that was at the bottom of the door has frozen.
How do I prevent my garage door from sticking in the winter? One way to prevent a stuck door is by coating the bottom of the door using a water displacing spray. Before you do this, lift the door up and clean out the bottom ridge. Get off all the dirt and clean the concrete floor as well. Then, sprinkle table salt over the area where the door rests on the concrete floor. If the door is starting to stick already, apply the spray again and pour on more salt so that the door doesn't completely freeze over the floor. What about rubber stripping for garage doors? Ice can collect on the weather stripping or rubber under on the garage door or along its tracks and stop it from opening and closing smoothly. To prevent this, coat the rubber using the water displacing spray or floor wax. The coating of wax prevents the door from getting stuck and the door will slide and open without any problems. Avoid petroleum-based products for coating the rubber as it can degrade it. What about latex paint? Is your garage door or its frame is painted with latex-based paint, the door might get stuck because of chemicals in the paint. The same chemicals that make the paint adhere so well can also get the door to get stuck which is known as blocking. Blocking can be particularly bad just after the door has been painted. Freezing temperatures also don't help the paint dry completely. If the problem keeps recurring, it may come down to removing the latex paint and repainting the door with another kind of paint. Acrylic and alkyd paint are made to stop blocking. What about automatic openers? An automatic opener should do that just that — it should open automatically. However, even your automatic garage door may seem like it is getting stuck when the temperatures are really low. What might be happening is that the opener may be reacting to changes in temperature. Modern openers have adjustment buttons at the back or under the lens of a light. If you do make adjustments, do it gradually. Big adjustments can put undue pressure on the door and damage it. Who offers garage door repairs in Amarillo? If these steps don't work, call in the experts. Amarillo garage door company Willow Creek Overhead Door will be glad to take a look and advise you accordingly. They are very familiar with dealing with garage and overhead door problems resulting from cold, icy Amarillo winters. If you need weather stripping or a repair for hail or snow damage, call Willow Creek Overhead Door today for a free estimate.  Why is the design of a garage door important? A garage door is part of the exterior design of a home. It should therefore look like part of the house and not a separate addition. Apart from esthetic value, the design matters because it adds to the fiscal value to a home. A garage door must also serve the function that it is installed for which is to keep your car secure and protected from the elements. The better it is in quality, the better. One that can be operated by remotely from the car for instance is a more secure and convenient option. When choosing a garage door for your new home, consider the following: What should you consider when choosing a garage door? One basic factor is size. The door must be of the right dimensions to fit your garage. There are various measurements that have to accurately be taken such as head room, side room and other dimensions. You may need to get a door customized to fit your garage. Leave this to an expert. Which material is best for garage or overhead doors? The two most common material options are wood and steel. Steel is more durable because it is a metal. However, wood can also be treated to prevent damage by the elements. Both come with a wide array of design choices. Do I need an insulated garage? These days, the garage is constructed as part of the house rather than a completely separate unit. Therefore, even if you don't spend much time there, it needs to be well insulated so that it is cool in the warm months and warm when temperatures drop. Otherwise, you home will be losing heat or retaining too much of it because of your garage. When the heater or air conditioner is on, more energy than necessary will be consumed because warm or cool air will be escaping through a garage that is not well insulated. It is better to choose a door that is already insulated rather than install one that you will need to get insulated. Good insulation will also make it possible to convert the garage to a home office, workshop or guest room should you choose to do so later on. How much will a new garage door cost? Your budget will determine whether you can get the garage door that you set your sights on. If you have to make another option, choose the best that you can afford. You can upgrade later on. Who can do it for you? Amarillo garage door company Willow Creek Overhead Door offers friendly, affordable, outstanding services. If you are building a home in the Amarillo area or are remodeling, owner Tony Hall can help guide you in choosing the best garage door for your house. Contact Willow Creek Overhead Door today for more information or visit our website to see Raynor and Midland garage door styles and designs we have available.  Is your garage door protected against the potential perils of winter? If you don't take precautions, your garage door will need major repair because of snow and ice damage. Having to do that while enduring the chilly temperatures and snow is not appealing. So how can snow and ice and the brutal winds of winter damage your garage door? Here are some possibilities. Can snow damage your garage door? One part of your garage door that can get damaged is the gears on the opener, which can become stripped or damaged should the door freeze over into the floor. Damage can also occur on the opener when struggling to free the it from the ice and snow that has build up on the threshold of the garage door. How can you prevent snow damage to your garage door? You can prevent damage is by minimizing chances of the door becoming frozen into the floor. You can keep it free of snow and ice build-up with a simple mixture made with products that you have in your home. Mix a teaspoon of dish soap, a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol and half a gallon of warm water. Mix them well and pour them over the garage threshold. You will be able to open it without any problems. Do this every now and again and not just once. Has your garage door become dented from snow? Another form of damage that is popular over winter is garage doors that have been dented as the result of cars sliding because of ice and snow. The damage may be minimal or major depending on how much impact a car had and the material that the door is made of. Sometimes, the damage is so bad that the door may fail to open and close. At other times, the damage may be minimal and require only a paint job to cover it up. Either way, it's best to call in the experts to assess the damage and be sure that there is no any major work. You may assume that there is no damage until a jammed door tells you otherwise when you need to drive you car into the garage or get out of it and go somewhere. Have your done weather stripping? This is another precaution that will help preserve your door.Weather stripping entails putting in rubber vinyl around the door to keep snow and ice out. This need to be changed over time and this is also a job that is best left to the professionals. Who can fix garage doors? Amarillo garage door company Willow Creek Overhead Door repairs and installs garage and overhead doors. If you just have a question about your garage door, don’t hesitate to call Willow Creek Overhead Door. Their knowledgeable, friendly staff can tell you everything you need to know about maintaining your garage door during volatile Amarillo winters.  Why does R-Value matter when it comes to garage doors? R-value is the measure of thermal resistance to the flow of heat. It is commonly indicated on manufactured items to show how energy efficient a product is. The value is arrived at based on the thickness of the insulation material and its chemical properties. Why is R-value important? In most houses, the garage door is the largest opening. It's also exposed to the elements. It therefore plays a big role in regulating the transfer of heat in and out of a home. Good insulation will ensure that your home is as energy efficient as possible. You can measure the insulation of a door by its R-Value. Apart from overall energy efficiency,insulation is essential if you have converted your garage into a home office, a workshop, an extra bedroom or guest wing. You will need it to be warm during the chilly months and cool in spring and summer. What is best when it comes to R-Value? Generally speaking, the higher the R-Value of a garage door, the higher the value of its insulating material. While this is true, there are other facts that you need to understand. For instance, a door or other item that has an R-Value of R-16 does not necessarily have double the thermal resistance and will not necessarily cut your energy costs by half. The fact is that an R-Value of R-16 reduces heat flow by 5% and improves energy efficiency by 5% compared to an R-8 value. What are the options when it comes to garage door insulation? Today, there is a choice of garage doors that are insulated and those that are not. If you can, it is best to buy one that comes with built-in insulation. If you are considering changing your garage door, go for one with insulation. Contact a Professional If you want to insulate the garage door that you have rather than spend on a new do, you can do so. There are kits for doing this yourself. However, it is best to leave the job to a professional. They will do it the right way for maximum energy efficiency in your home. They will know the right R-Value for your garage door based on your climate, which you may get wrong. They can also examine your door and fix other problems before they get out of hand and that are interfering with the smooth opening and closing of your door. Who can do garage door insulation for you? Amarillo garage door company Willow Creek Overhead Door offers some of best service, products and prices around. Call them today for installation of a new door with insulation or to insulate your existing one.  If you are reading this article, you have likely experienced first-hand, and cursed, the winds of West Texas. The areas of Amarillo, Texas and the Texas Panhandle have one thing in common, and it is the powerful gusts that often hit these areas.
In June 2013, thunderstorms produced hail that was the size of golf balls, and winds that moved at speeds of 81MPH. When the storms died out, the winds still prevailed, causing Interstate 40 to shut down for two hours east of Amarillo due to the blowing dust. Amarillo also suffered at least 7,000 power outages and the derailment of a train near Panhandle. So what does all this have to do with garage doors, you ask? Well, your garage door is one of your home’s best defenses against Amarillo winds, flying dirt, dust and debris. What precautions can be taken against strong Texas Panhandle winds? Residents and contractors are very aware of the potential damage that the high winds of West Texas can cause. Residential and commercial buildings are therefore constructed with fortification against these strong winds. The same constructional fortification needs to be done for garage and overhead doors. A door that is not wind-rated and tested can force it open. This can cause a buildup of internal pressure that can get out of control, causing a serious blowout of the roof and supporting walls of a home or business. The government has done its part to reinforce security by adopting the International Building Code (IBC). When this law was adopted, the issue of wind-load went past Florida to other hurricane hotspots including California, Utah, Nevada, Missouri, Kansas and Texas. How are garage doors fortified? A professional Amarillo garage door company will know how to install garage doors that can withstand extremes like high winds and hail. This is done in a number of ways. One is by adopting the WindCode. This is the registered name for garage door products that are have been tested and found to comply to the wind resistance requirements that are included in local, state and national building codes. The program includes the engineering, sales and marketing programs that are created to help buyers to understand code issues and choose the best garage door for specific regions. Another way that a garage door can be reinforced against high winds is with stiffeners. Those that are made of steel will have a steel stiffener installed. They are installed at the top edge of the garage door which prevents the door from jamming. Insulation is another way the professionals can reinforce garage doors against high winds. Insulation also creates a buffer layer that that the winds will run into rather than hitting the door directly and possibly bringing it down. Who knows how to install heavy-duty garage doors to withstand Amarillo winds? Willow Creek Overhead Door is the Amarillo garage door company to call to protect your home and property against the high winds, and subsequent flying dirt and dust of the Texas Panhandle. It’s a windy city out here in Amarillo, and you may not realize how important it is to have a heavy-duty garage door to protect your home and business. With more than 10 years repairing and installing garage and overhead doors in Amarillo, Willow Creek Overhead Door is very familiar with the area’s damaging winds. Contact these friendly professionals today for a free estimate.  Garage doors offer your vehicles a barrier against the outdoor elements. They serve as a fourth wall on the garage itself. They are the opening that allows you to bring vehicles in and out of the weather. They are the barrier which keeps flying rain, snow and dust particles away from the vehicles. They protect your car and truck from all the potential damage that the outdoor elements could bring. Getting the right door is imperative. Insulated or Uninsulated Garage Doors? Now, if you are thinking about installing or replacing an overhead door or garage door for your business or home, you have a question to answer: Do you want to get an insulated or an uninsulated garage door? Many people associate the need for insulated garage doors as something only those in the cold North need. The doors are supposed to protect the vehicles from the cold weather and allow for easier starting. It also helps keep the attached house a bit warmer by keeping the garage temperatures a bit higher than the outside temps. There is no need for that kind of protection in Amarillo, Texas, right? Wrong! Why Should Amarillo Doors Be Insulated? When you think about it, though, homes in Amarillo can get plenty of benefits from using insulated garage doors. Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle is known for its volatile weather: flooding in the fall, hail in the summer, snowstorms in the spring... Here's what insulated doors can offer:
Where Should You Go for a Commercial Overhead Door or Residential Garage Door? If you are ready to get that garage or overhead door in order, give us a call here at Willow Creek Overhead Door. Our Amarillo garage door company has proudly served the Texas Panhandle area since 2000. We are a full-service garage and overhead door company offering sales, service, and installation on garage/overhead doors, openers, and all related systems. We work with both commercial and residential customers. Give us a call today. |
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