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Garage Tip #13

Academy Overhead Door offers an affordable kit to maintain your garage, to purchase one talk to our service techs or call 719-481-2649 ...

Showing posts with label Garage door colorado springs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Garage door colorado springs. Show all posts

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Garage Tip #13


Academy Overhead Door offers an affordable kit to maintain your garage, to purchase one talk to our service techs or call 719-481-2649

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have the experience and skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Garage Tip #12



About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have the experience and skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Garage Tip #10



About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have the experience and skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Garage Tip #9




About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Friday, May 15, 2015

The I-Factor: Choosing An Insulated Garage Door

If you’ve already determined your garage door is a good candidate for insulation, the next step is to figure out which of the many options works best for you and your budget.



There are a few ways to retro-insulate an existing door. You can use a special insulating kit purchased from the manufacturer for your specific door (click here to purchase one for your door) or you can go totally DIY and use either polystyrene panels or expanding spray foam from your local home improvement store. The biggest issue with either the panels or the foam is the wear every time a roller-panel door is opened or closed. The panels or foam tend to degrade quickly, usually over the course of just one winter. One exception to this is the swing-out or swing-up door: added insulation will stay in better shape on these types of doors since there aren’t as many moving parts to provide friction.

Another option is installing an already-insulated door. There are two main types of manufacturer insulated garage doors: sandwich construction and vinyl-back construction.

Sandwich Construction is probably the most effective insulation option, consisting of two metal skins bonded together with one of two types of insulation hidden between.


  •  Polystyrene sheets cut to fit and glued between the panels are good for occasional heat retention and high durability (the doors resist denting and other lifetime damage). 
  • Polyurethane expanding insulation injected between the layers of an assembled door produces even insulation across the entire inner surface of the door. This type of insulated door is best if you want to maintain a fully–heated garage space.


Vinyl-Back Construction uses expanded foam cores on the interior of the garage door, strengthening the door against dents and adding temperature control without the expense of a second interior steel skin. The advantage is mostly in price since the door will not be as durable or effective as the sandwich style.

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have the experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Garage Tip #8


For a simple DIY to waterproof your floor, click here.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Garage Tip #7


For a simple DIY on how to paint your garage floor, visit this link

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Friday, May 8, 2015

Shrewd Ways To Effectively Heat Your Garage

In most climates, the only way to get year-round living use out of the garage is to heat it. If done properly, a garage furnace can turn the room from a storage shed into a comfortable living space that can be used for anything from a workshop to a home theater.



By far the best option in terms of price and effectiveness is a natural gas heater. There are two good types for garages: a forced-air furnace or a low-intensity infrared tube heater (high-intensity tube
heaters are dangerous in a garage). They both require electrical hook-up and outdoor venting and you’ll need to choose the correct size to fit your garage according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Considering what the space is used for helps this decision. A wood shop, for example, would function
well with a tube heater because the heated coils do not stir up dust. These heaters work by heating
objects – such as the concrete floor – which then keeps the air warm. They are very effective and cost less to run over the long term, but you have to keep everything (including yourself) at least three feet away to keep from overheating.

If you’re using the garage as a home theater, exercise room or office, forced air might be a good choice. Forced air is less expensive initially (about half the price of an infrared heater) and slightly safer since you don’t have to be so careful of things near the furnace overheating. It’s also easier to install. It takes much longer to recover once the door has been opened, but you feel the warm air right away as opposed to the infrared taking a while to heat the objects in the room.

Note: if your garage isn’t insulated with at least 4” insulation, installing a heater will just heat the great outdoors. Another issue is that every time you open the garage door, you lose most of the heat - a heated garage should mainly stay closed and have an insulated door.

If you’d like to read more about how to install a forced-air furnace or low-intensity tube heater, check out this link at Family Handyman.com.

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Garage Tip #6




About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have the experience and skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Friday, May 1, 2015

How To Choose A Garage Door: To Insulate or Not?

In the quest to keep energy bills low, many homeowners consider insulating their attached-garage doors to create a better barrier against the great outdoors. While insulating the door can be beneficial, it can also be expensive without much return on investment. A few lifestyle questions are worth asking first.

academyoverheaddoor.com



Is your garage used for living or storage space? This is probably the most important question. Most garages are in use as storage and there’s little point in stabilizing the temperature. Even with an insulated door, the garage will only stay noticeably warmer than the outdoors if it already has a source of heat. If your garage is one of the more unusual types in use as work or living space instead of storage, insulating the door should drastically reduce how hard your heater has to work.

How good is the insulation between your garage and house? If you already have good insulation in the adjoining walls, you already have a decent barrier between you and the weather. If you don’t have good insulation, however, insulating the garage door may be a good way to cut down on energy leakage. In this scenario, you may want to consider adding good weatherstripping and seal to the door as well, since even a small draft can significantly change the temperature inside.

Are you planning to insulate an existing door or purchase a manufacturer-insulated one? If you own an

Amarr door, DIY insulation kits are available for purchase. It’s possible to use spray foam or polystyrene boards from your local home-improvement store, but these solutions are not very effective since the insulation tends to break down quickly with use. If your garage is used more for living space than storage space, purchasing a manufacturer-insulated door is probably the best way to go.


If you feel you have a good candidate for garage door insulation, check out this related post: The I-Factor: Choosing An Insulated Garage Door

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents cant trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and instillation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Garage Tip #5



About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Friday, April 24, 2015

Garage Tip #4




About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

How To Paint Your Garage Door: Techniques

After choosing a good type of paint for your garage door and getting everything prepared, it’s time to get painting!

There are three main techniques for applying a good coat of paint: brushing, rolling or spraying.

Brushing

Pros: uses very little equipment, easy to set up and clean up.

Cons: takes practice to apply an even coat without streaking or brush marks. Often takes more than one coat of paint to fully cover.

Tips: Choose a good quality (not the cheapest!) brush at least 4” wide and begin from the top of the door, working across and downward. Keep the brush only moderately full of paint to prevent drips and keep strokes even and about the same length to allow brush marks to melt out. Don’t go back over places you’ve already painted since the paint flashes over (dries on the surface) fairly quickly and if you disturb it you’ll have unsightly streaks and divots in your finished coat.

Rolling

Pros: easy set up and clean up, applies paint rapidly.

Cons: difficult to even cover panels, leaves a textured surface that usually needs to be brushed out. This is probably the least successful way of painting a garage door, though it’s the quickest overall.

Tips: use medium nap roller cover to hold a lot of paint without leaving a lot of texture. A 6’ paint stick is invaluable to working quickly and efficiently. Keep the roller full of paint rather than letting it run dry and apply in long vertical rows slightly overlapping. Do two rows at a time and quickly brush out before the paint has a chance to flash over if you don’t want the roller texture look. Use the brush to make sure paint has evenly coated the corners and inner crevices of the panels.

Spraying

Pros: produces the most professional results.

Cons: equipment can be finicky and set up takes a while since everything around the door needs to be carefully covered to protect from overspray.

Tips: work quickly and evenly in long sweeps, angling the sprayer downward, straight on and upward at each panel to ensure all angles are evenly covered. Don’t gild the lily: when the paint covers, let it dry before doing more or you can very quickly add too much and end up with a drippy mess!

(Watch this great tutorial from a professional painter for good tips on spraying your garage door.)

Previous: Techniques

First Painting Post: Paint Type

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can't trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Friday, April 17, 2015

How To Paint Your Garage Door: Preparation

Today we’ll cover preparing an existing garage door for new paint.

Timing is key: choosing a calm day will prevent dust or leaves blowing onto the clean door or into the fresh paint. You’ll want paint to cure at least twelve hours before getting wet (just because it feels dry doesn't mean it’s completely cured!), so it’s best to plan a time with no rain in the forecast for a day or two.

Stabilize Substrate

Use a flat scraper to remove any loose or peeling paint from the old door. It’s worthwhile to be very patient with this step since any loose paint on the door can chip off into your new coat and leave unsightly bumps and flecks in the surface. After the loose paint is removed, rub down scraped spots with steel wool until the edges feel smooth. Give any rusty places a good rub with the steel wool or a wire brush to remove whatever loose material you can.

Wash

Rinse the door and wash it with dish detergent and warm water. Rinse again and allow to completely dry. It’s important to remove any dirt or shavings from sanding and scraping because debris can cause the new paint not to bond to the old.

Mask

Carefully protecting any attaching components (trim, siding, cement beneath the door, handles, hinges, windows, etc.) will save a lot of headaches later. Remove anything you can, but cover everything else. Being meticulous with masking paper and painter’s tape pays off in the overall quality of the finished project. A neat application of painter’s tape is especially important because that line will be the edge of your new coat of paint. If you’re planning to spray the door, thorough masking is much more important than for rolling or brushing and you may want to consider even covering components like coach lamps since the overspray can float a long way.

Prime

It’s not always necessary to apply primer, but it will give you the best chance at an even, professional-looking coat of new color. Oil-based primers like Kilz cover pretty much anything and offer a good base to apply your final coat of that perfect color.

Next: Choosing an application technique.

Previous: Choosing a paint type.

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can't trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Garage Tip #3



About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can't trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Friday, April 10, 2015

Garage Tip #2



About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can't trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

How To Repaint Your Garage Door: Paint Type




If you’re eyeing your faded or peeling garage door and thinking about running out for a can of paint, read this first! There are several ways to successfully apply a coat of paint that won’t come chipping right back off by the end of the summer. All you need are a few tools and some basic preparations.

The first decision to make is what type of paint would work best for your door.

Garage doors are made of a variety of materials including steel, aluminum, vinyl, fiberglass (check to be sure the material of the door is not brittle and crumbling before repainting fiberglass) and wood. Before choosing a paint, you’ll probably want to do a quick surface test first. Pour a little denatured alcohol on a rag and rub on the door. If paint comes off or feels tacky, it’s latex and you can go ahead and use latex over it. If not, you’ll either want to use an oil-based paint or put a primer coat of Kilz on first or you’ll go through an experience like THIS.

Direct To Rust

If you have a rusting steel door, your best choice of paint would be a product like THIS meant to go straight over rust. It’s still best to prepare the door with steel wool to remove the worst of the rust, but using an apply-over-rust paint best ensures the bond of the new paint to the old door.

Latex Paint

Latex paint is generally an easier choice to use since it has lower-intensity fumes and cleans up with water. A good quality paint-and-primer combination that covers easily and quickly can be pricey but worth with for ease of use and lifespan. Semi-gloss is the preferable finish since it will shed water best.

Oil-Based Paint

For staying power and durability, it’s tough to beat oil-based paint. In spite of a relatively long drying time, oil-based paints are easier to apply smoothly and have better color retention and bonding ability. They are slightly messier to apply than latex varieties since they’re not as thick; and you have to use paint thinner for cleanup instead of water. Because of the heavy fumes, safety goggles and a respirator with black “organic vapor” cartridges are a good idea.

Next up: Preparation

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents cant trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and instillation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Friday, April 3, 2015

DIY Garage Tip #1


About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can't trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Monday, March 16, 2015

Making the Garage Work

The garage is an American phenomenon, a huge five- or six-hundred square-foot space we tend to regard as a just a place to park cars and randomly stack stuff. Utilized correctly, however, the garage becomes a hardworking room.  Here are five ideas to quickly and inexpensively begin utilizing what used to be the least useful part of your home: because an organized garage makes the whole family feel like smiling!

1.) Create zones. Separate everything in the garage into types and organize one zone at a time – gardening items, household tools, games/sports, outdoor decorations, camping equipment, etc. Address zones one at a time to avoid being overwhelmed by organizational decisions.

2.) Hang everything. Organization begins when there is a place for everything. A few hooks and shelves provides a place for each item right on the walls to save space and make clutter disappear.

3.) Install a peg-board system. With plenty of options available at hardware and home-improvement stores, peg boards are a good alternative to the traditional work bench or tool box and allow you to keep tools and fasteners neatly accessible. (See this example at Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Bulldog-Hardware-131588-Peg-A-System-Ultimate/dp/B000WJ4XXY\)

4.) Platform-shelf unused walls. This saves valuable floor space – and since the average two-car garage has three 24-foot blank walls, there’s plenty of untapped room available. A 2-foot-deep shelf running the upper length of the three unused garage walls provides 150 square feet of storage space in the course of a weekend.  (Check out these instructions at http://www.familyhandyman.com/garage/storage/garage-storage-ideas-find-unused-space/view-all)

5.) Install an outdoor mudroom. Many homes don’t have interior space for a good indoor/outdoor transition, but what about that corner of the garage near the back door? Pre-made cabinets from the local home improvement store combined with closet organization items like hooks for coats and cubbyhole shelves for canvas totes can create a great mudroom in only a few hours. Save time, space and a lot of mopping!

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents cant trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and instillation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com



Tuesday, February 3, 2015

How to Choose a Beautiful Garage Door: Incorporate Style

The right garage door can really pull together the overall style of your home and give it harmonious character. It’s often a subtle choice between doors that add to your curb-appeal or don’t, so here’s some quick starter tips for finding the perfect fit.

Assess Your Home

Before choosing a style, it’s helpful to survey your home and make a short list of it’s overall characteristics. Do you have a Tudor with board-and-batten-look siding? A brick 70’s ranch? A gingerbread-decked Victorian? A stucco villa? A boxy 60’s contemporary? A tidy Colonial?

(Check out this link to help determine your house’s style: http://www.housepride.ca/housestyle/questionnaire.jsp)

Pay particular attention to windows and doors. Do you have square or arched openings? Are there any defining architectural details like muntin bars or leaded-glass decorative panes? Echoing the basic look of your windows and doors can really help your decision.

Basic Garage Door Types



Your neighborhood is probably full of traditional raised panel doors. They are typically made of steel or aluminum and can be insulated for better energy efficiency. This style of garage door blends well with many homes, though probably best with Colonial and Ranch styles. Possible customizations include windows in the top or second panel and a variety of colors.

Carriage house doors have become increasingly popular for many types of homes, though they work best in multiple garage door openings or with homes suggesting Mediterranean, Cottage, Victorian or Tudor styles. Carriage house doors can be made of wood or steel and have either a stained wood or painted finish. Possible customizations are almost limitless, including a wide variety of windows and trim options.


Contemporary doors are the rarest type and work best with custom homes built in an avant-garde or very clean-lined “modern” style. They are often made of glass and aluminum. There are not many customizations available for these types of doors since they tend to be a customization by their very nature.

Whatever you choose, we’ll be happy to give you a written estimate for the next step in acquiring your new door!

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents cant trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and instillation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com