Clean Up Your Garage Today

Summer is here!!! This is a perfect time to organize and cleans your garage.  In time most garage that I seen have turned into storage shed, items that are seldom being used always find they way here.  When locating a specific item in your garage became a task of its own then it’s time to turn your garage back into a garage, I have outline some tips that may help you to get started.

  1. Remove and Clean – Removing everything out is the ideal first step when organizing a garage, it will give you a good look at the space that you have to work with.  Reminder: This is also the best time to clean the garage and do repainting if preferred.
  2. Segregation and Disposal – Segregate items that are junk (Damage and have missing pieces), Hazardous and Recyclable (Newspaper, magazine and etc.).  This step help in minimizing and optimizing items stored in the garage. Reminder: Disposed of hazardous material only at HazMat disposal site.
  3. Donate – To further minimize and optimize items stored in the garage, donate any items that you have no use for or won’t fit anymore.  Reminder: It is polite to donate items that are still good shape and condition.
  4. Car set-up – Once everything is out, pull in your car and mark the floor this will give you an idea how much room you have left.  Reminder: Take into consideration the spaces needed to open the car doors, trunk and garage door. Make sure to leave adequate space for their operation.
  5. Categories and Group – After doing the above 4 steps, you are now ready to return items back to the garage. Categories items and store them in together in groups. Reminder: Put poisonous item out of reach of children.
  6. Maintain – To prevent your garage to revert back to storage shed.  Do Step 2 – 3 on occasion and avoid storing unnecessary items.

A friendly reminder from

Charlotte Garage Door Guys

Attached or Detached Garage

Nowadays, people seldom buy a house in the market that is without a garage.  Some don’t even consider or imagine owning a house without a garage.  Over the years people have argue if having an attached garage is better than detached garage, although both have its pro’s and con’s.  Here are a few key points.

  1. Home builders prefer an attached garage since it is easier and cheaper to build.  If you have a small lot size I would personally recommend an attached garage, since a detached garage need a much bigger space.
  2. As garage has evolved, it is not only where we park our vehicle but also where we keep items we seldom use (hammer, saw, sport gears and etc.)  and items that we don’t want to be laying around the house (paint, thinner, bleach and etc.).  It is harder to prevent a child to enter an attached garage since it is being connected directly to the house by an access door;   whereas in a detached garage accessibility for a child is limited.
  3. In case of fire in a garage with flammable materials like paints or thinner:   With an attached garage, you are in danger of losing everything not to mention the degree of danger it pose to family members;  whereas in a detached garage danger is limited to the garage alone at best.
  4. Attached garage provides a good sense of convenient and security when going home (drive, park and your home), where as in a detached garage you still have to take a short walk all this time being subject to weather condition and outside threat like stray dog or holdup.
  5. While most home break in nowadays occur by accessing the attached garage access door, this can be avoided with proper vigilance and more security measures.
  6. When deciding to build a garage that is wider and higher than normal standards, it would be harder for home builder to incorporate an attached garage that would complement the overall design to your home while you seldom have this problem with a detached garage.
  7. In case you need to renovate an existing garage to make it wider or higher:  In an attached garage this can be a major headache and would cost you lots of money just to accomplish this task since you have to take the house (roof, water line, wiring and etc.) into consideration.  While in a detached garage any renovation can be done much easier and cheaper.

Regardless of the choice you make either an attached or a detached garage, there are a wide variety of garage doors available in the local market that you can choose to accommodate the size and style of the garage you want.

Charlotte Garage Door Guys

Swing Hung Garage Doors

Swing Hung type garage doors are side hinged doors that opens like a normal door, they usually have two or more hinges on the side.  These types of garage are great either manual or automatic operated.  The usual materials that are available for this type of garage doors are steel or wood.

These types of garage doors are not advisable for those homes with short and narrow driveways.  Swing hung garage doors require space in front of the garage when operating (opening or closing).  It is a good idea to have overlapping leaves and bolts at the top and bottom in order to secure the side hinged doors.

One notable advantage of swing hung garage doors is that it does not consume space within the garage, making it the best choice for homeowners who want to maximize the garage space.  You can utilize the roof and the spaces on the sides.

Swing hung garage doors are easy to automate even though it may require a “swing arm” adaptation kit.  You can easily call a professional garage door installer like Charlotte Garage Door Guys who not only offer good quality service for a reasonable price.

Sectional Garage Doors

Sectional type garage doors can either be manually or automatically operated with remote controls. The usual materials that are available for this type of garage doors are steel or timber. As the name of this type of garage doors suggest, it is divided into several sections of horizontally hinged panels.

These are the most popular type of garage doors mainly because they are easy to operate and are very cost effective. These types of garage doors are highly recommended for those who are looking for a garage door that have a traditional appearance that does not have to swing out to open. No clearance is needed and you can park your car near the garage door. It is also easy to automate a previous manually operated sectional type garage doors and still keeps the garage secure.

There are some disadvantages for this type of garage doors. Aside from the fact that sectional type garage doors has the highest probability of getting stuck, it is also easy for dust and dirt to get into the garage though the sections making it difficult to maintain the cleanliness of the garage.
To have an effective sectional type garage doors, all sections must work together. Luckily, there are professional garage door installers such as the likes of Charlotte garage door installers who are just a phone call away and offer good quality service for a reasonable price.

Modern Garage Doors

Imagine yourself still stepping out of your vehicle every time you need to open and close your garage door, whenever you need to leave or park your vehicle in your garage. It may perhaps be alright once in a while on a sunny day but hopefully not when it is snowing or raining, especially when you are dressed up for school, work or social events. Well, our generation today is lucky to have been born when automated or modern garage doors are readily available.

Thus, we are most thankful that with the availability of professional garage door installers, such as Charlotte Garage Door Installers, who are just a call away, to help us in installing the type of garage door, we may want for our garage. In fact, allow me to name some of the remote controlled types available for us to choose from.

1. Roller Garage Doors – These are excellent for small houses with a small garage.
2. Sectional Garage Doors – These are the most popular type of garage door due to its ability to maintain traditional appearance without having to swing out to open.
3. Swing Hung – Hinged on either side, space must be allowed in front of the garage for this type of garage door to open.
4. Up and Over – These are the type of garage door that comes in one single panel that is lifted up and stored in the ceiling of the garage.

Vinyl Garage Doors: The good and the bad

Vinyl garage door is one of the common garage doors nowadays. A lot of garage owners have shift from the traditional wood garage door to vinyl. Knowledge is important in choosing a garage door, you must be aware of the good and bad side when choosing this type of garage door.
The Good – Vinyl garage door is one of the cost-effective in terms of maintenance, since most vinyl garage door comes with a life time warranty. Vinyl garage doors don’t require to be painted, it will maintain its original color as long as the door last. Vinyl garage doors don’t rot, most of the time any scratches on the door are left unnoticed.
The Bad – Vinyl garage door requires more upfront cost than other garage door type. Under a very cold climate, Vinyl garage door will crack if it suffers a sharp impact.
For more information about different types of garage doors, you may contact Charlotte Garage Door Company at 704-900-700

Fiberglass Garage Doors: The good and the bad

Fiberglass garage doors are the least popular of all the materials used to build a garage door. Maybe because a lot of people don’t understand what a fiberglass is.  Knowledge is important when choosing a garage door, you must be aware of the good and bad side when choosing this type of garage door.

The Good – Fiberglass garage doors are lightweight but hardy.  If you don’t use an electronic garage door opener, fiberglass garage door is something you might want to consider.  They don’t dent, rot and warp like wood garage door nor do they rust or corrode like steel garage door.  Fiberglass garage door is cheaper than steel garage door.  They are ideal for places that suffer constant typhoon or if your garage is located near the ocean

The Bad – Fiberglass garage doors, as time pass turns yellowish in color. They also become brittle at sub-zero temperature and sometimes they tend to shatter.

For more information about different types of garage doors, you may contact Charlotte Garage Door Company at 704-900-700

Aluminum Garage Doors: The good and the bad

                Garage doors nowadays come on different sizes, design and make.  Aluminum is one material that have been use to create a garage door. Knowledge is important in choosing a garage door, you must be aware of the good and bad side when choosing this type of garage door.

The Good – Aluminum garage doors are naturally resistant to rust and corrosion. They are ideally use on garage door that doesn’t have an electronic opener due to the fact that they are light in weight. They are cheaper than steel garage doors.

The Bad – Aluminum garage doors are relatively soft and are highly vulnerable to dents.  Since Aluminum garage doors are not widely use, so it would be hard to find replacement parts and will usually come with a hefty price tag.  Only have a limited design to choose from.

For more information about different types of garage doors, you may contact Charlotte Garage Door Company at 704-900-700

Garage Door Concerns

Every year, there are high numbers of injuries that involve garage doors.  We often forget that garage doors secure our most precious possessions, may it be access door to our home, equipments, golf clubs, cars and etc.

Some guidelines to avoid certain dangers pose by garage doors:

  • Always keep your garage door locked at all times and every door connecting to your home.
  • Don’t let children ride the garage door during operation.
  • Separate your garage door opener from your car keys.
  • Keep in mind to mount wall control panel away from reach of children.
  • Do not let your children play with the remote control that opens the garage door.
  • Test the sensitivity of your garage door opener by placing a block of wood underneath garage door. It should reverse 2 seconds after contact. Consumer nowadays suggested a roll of paper towel, as it simulates the body of a child more accurately.  If the door did not go on reverse, you need to adjust the sensitivity of your garage door.
  • Always use a recognized vendor of garage doors for sale and servicing which should be done at least annually.
  • Educate all members of the family of these guidelines and inform them of the dangers that garage doors may pose.

Friendly reminder from Charlotte Garage Door Guys

Charlotte Garage Door Installers

Charlotte Garage Door Guys offers a wide variety of door manufacturers.  We exist to give the customer what they want for a good price.  A few of our favorite brands of doors are Amarr, Gadco and Hormann garage doors.  These companies make quality products that we are proud to stand behind.  If you are in the market for a garage door and you are looking for garage door installers in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg area don’t feel bashful about calling us to check on prices and the different kinds of designs that we can offer you.  Remember that we are here to serve you and to work side by side with you so that you can make an educated decision about which door is best for you.