Patriot Garage Door is a complex system that need to be properly maintained and cared for. Specific parts can experience wear and tear from the daily demands of opening and closing the door.
Glass garage doors look modern and add intrigue to contemporary homes, while steel and aluminum provide a more traditional aesthetic. Choose a material that suits your style and budget.
Before the 1700s, garage doors didn’t exist at all. Early garages were simply repurposed sheds that allowed people to store their carriages inside. The doors were simple, hung from hinges and swung outward, like barn doors. This design was convenient, but it created a lot of wear and tear on the door’s hinges and other moving parts.
As automobiles started to replace carriages, the need for more versatile garage doors became apparent. Initially, these were wooden structures that could be opened with a pull cord. Sears Roebuck began selling mail-order garage kits, which made it easy for anyone to build a basic garage. By the 1910s, these kits were available in a variety of styles and patterns.
By the 1920s, the first overhead sectional garage doors appeared. These were made from hinged sections that moved along tracks to fold parallel to the ceiling. This was a major improvement on previous designs, because it saved space and made the garage more functional for homeowners. It also gave rise to the garage door industry and led to a number of important advancements, including the electric opener.
The 1940s brought a shift in the materials used to make garage doors. New metals, such as steel and aluminum, became popular for their durability and strength. They also offered a more affordable alternative to wood, which was becoming scarcer due to the war.
These new metals were a precursor to the doors you’re probably most familiar with today. They’re often made from a combination of fiberglass and steel for better insulation and to resist corrosion. They’re also durable and offer low maintenance.
In the 1970s, problems arose because of the popularity of these new doors. It was easy for kids to reach the motorized openers, which caused injuries when the garage doors closed on them. This resulted in the requirement for safety sensors, which would warn you if an object or a person were under the garage door when it was closing.
If you’re interested in replacing your garage door, contact a retailer expert to learn more about the latest options and technology. A specialist can help you find the perfect door for your home and budget.
Materials
Whether you’re building a new garage, replacing an existing door or simply looking for ways to increase your home’s curb appeal, the garage door is an important part of your overall design plan. There are many factors to consider, including aesthetics, insulation and durability. But the most important choice is what material your door will be made from.
Steel is one of the most popular garage door materials. It’s a durable, affordable option that resists corrosion and can withstand severe weather conditions. But it’s not as insulating as other options, so you’ll want to invest in some form of insulation. Two-inch Intellicore polyurethane is the most efficient option, but foam and vinyl are also available.
Fiberglass is another durable, low-maintenance garage door material. It’s an effective insulator, reducing heat loss during the colder months and heat gain during the warmer ones. Fiberglass is also a good noise reducer and has an attractive, low-profile design.
Wood doors have long been a classic choice for homeowners because of their beauty and enduring quality. They come in a variety of styles and easily accommodate windows, but they do require more regular maintenance and finishing upkeep than other materials. However, wood is an excellent insulator and can hold up to dents and extreme weather conditions well.
Aluminum is a lightweight material that’s less likely to warp, crack or rot than steel. It’s also easy to customize and can be finished with a variety of paint colors. Aluminum is resistant to corrosion, which makes it a good option for coastal areas. But it’s not as rust-resistant as steel, so it may be more susceptible to damage from heavy wind or hail.
The track is a key component of the garage door system, supporting it as it moves up and down and allows it to fold smoothly into the horizontal position when open. The tracks are typically galvanized steel and consist of vertical sections on each side of the door opening, the horizontal track overhead and a curved track that connects the vertical and horizontal pieces. The correct installation and regular inspection and lubrication of the tracks help to prevent binding or jamming during operation.
Styles
A garage door doesn’t just protect your vehicle and belongings — it’s also a beautiful addition to your home’s exterior. Choose from a wide variety of styles and colors to perfectly complement your home’s architecture and increase your curb appeal.
Roll-up or “canopy” garage doors are one of the most common and affordable choices. They operate on a vertical track that lifts up over the opening to create a canopy cover. This door type is simple to operate and is available with a range of windows, insulation and decorative hardware options to suit many house styles.
Sectional garage doors use horizontal or vertical rectangles (called panels) joined together to form a larger door surface that rolls up on tracks attached above the opening. They’re the most popular residential garage door style and come in a wide variety of sizes, materials, colors and designs. Some are designed for high wind building codes while others feature a sleek, modern appearance.
Stylish, contemporary-looking doors may have glazed panels (clear or frosted) set in aluminum frames that allow light to flow into the garage and showcase your collector cars or hobby workspaces. They’re also a great choice for mid-century modern or contemporary homes with clean lines.
Traditional garage doors swing open from side hinges to allow vehicle access. They’re a good match for traditional and farmhouse houses and often feature decorative hardware, windows and trim. These doors can be embellished with wrought iron hardware, cladding and other details to add character and sophistication.
A newer alternative to traditional doors, louver-style garage doors resemble plantation shutters with horizontal slats that let light and air into the garage. These doors are durable and can be customized with steel or wood construction, molded composite overlays and cladding that resembles natural wood grain patterns.
Side-sliding garage doors are another option for a contemporary or mid-century modern house. They’re a good fit for tight spaces because they operate without the need for headroom clearance, unlike overhead models. They operate on a horizontal track and move to either side of the garage, so they require a longer door frame than a traditional roller or overhead-style door.
Safety
In today’s busy world where productivity and efficiency take the spotlight, it’s easy to overlook safety. Fortunately, with a few simple steps you can keep your family and valuables safe from harm.
The garage door is made of many parts, and each has a role to play in the overall functioning of your door. For instance, the tracks, or rails, are bolted to your wall and suspended from the ceiling so that the door can follow a path as it moves up and down. The door rests on the tracks as it opens and closes, protecting the lift chain from the elements.
Garage door openers come with a safety sensor system that is designed to detect people, pets, or objects that are in the path of a closing garage door. The sensors work by projecting an invisible infrared beam across the track. When an obstruction interrupts the beam, the sensor generates a signal that immediately reverses the garage door. This prevents injury or property damage and also protects against entrapment.
Another vital piece of safety equipment is the garage door opener’s manual disconnect switch, which can be manually activated from inside the garage to disengage the motor from the door and allow it to move freely by hand. This switch should be located near the door, within reach of anyone who might need to operate the garage door manually in an emergency.
All newer garage doors and operators are required to comply with the UL 325 standard for residential garage door operator entrapment protection, which was implemented in 1991 as part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 1990. This standard requires that all GDOs be equipped with a system of primary and secondary entrapment protection to ensure that they are not capable of being used to cause injury or death to a person.
Other forms of entrapment protection include door hinges, which are installed on the end stiles and centre stiles at the meeting rails to join the sections together and allow them to rotate independently as the garage door is moved up and down. Another important component of a safe garage door is a correctly balanced torsion spring, which can be identified by the fact that it doesn’t rattle when it’s being operated manually.