How to know your garage door needs to be replaced

Just like the entry door of your home, the garage door is the feature which is most noticed and makes your home standout in the neighborhood. Garage doors are available in various sizes, styles, colors and materials. The right garage door will enhance the appearance of your home and even increase the value of your home, if ever you plan to sell your home.

However if you already have a garage door, ensure that it is cleaned and maintained regularly for it to look good and function smoothly. Since the garage door is one of the components of your home with many moving parts, there will come a time, it will start having problems.

Some problems can be attended by repairing while in some cases like safety issues, it is best to consider replacement. So how do you decide – when to repair or replace. There are some simple things you can do to check the functioning of your door.

Look for dents, scratches, warps or any other damages to your door. If it is superficial, they can be repaired. However if it is serious and can affect the whole door structure, consider replacing.

Check the opening and closing mechanism of the door. If the door is jammed shut, it may be due to a bent track or worn pulley. If it makes a squeaking sound while opening or closing, the rollers and bearings may need lubrication.

If the door makes a scraping sound, there may be misalignment. Check whether the tracks are clean for smooth operation of the door. Check for the proper working of the garage door opener.

Another important feature to check is the auto reverse safety option. This protects your pet or child from getting accidentally injured. Place some object under the door and close the door. It should auto reverse and go up as soon as it hits the object.

If your garage is attached to your home, as in most cases, check for proper insulation to avoid air infiltration. A properly insulated door will reduce your heating and cooling costs.

While these are some simple checks you can do, it is best to call a garage door professional to get the repairs done, unless you have some experience. Unsafe garage doors can cause serious accidents, even death sometimes.

However if your door is too old, looks too dull and has too many repairs to be done, the best option is to replace the garage door. While buying a new garage door, the right style to suit your home would be your first consideration. However, be sure to get the necessary safety features and good insulation for the door too. Another aspect to consider would be the strength of your door. It should strong enough to keep intruders out. Also buy durable doors which are easy to clean.

Buy your garage door from companies which install it for you and provide any other service needed later on. Regular maintenance of the door is extremely important for better performance and durability.

Champion Window manufacture, supply and install garage doors for you. Available in various styles and able to withstand even extreme climates and storms, their garage doors have satisfied many customers with their good performance. You can check out the website and reviews of Champion Window for further information and give them a call for free consultation.

Tips on Cleaning Windows

Over time our windows get stained and scratched and it seems like no amount of cleaning will make them look new again. But there are a few things that we can do to make our windows looking new and shiny for longer. First off, regular cleaning, as tiresome as it sounds, is something that must be done. We don’t want permanent stains that sometimes form because of irregular cleaning. Here are a few tips on how to clean your windows.

1. Avoid Streaks

The most annoying part about cleaning a window is not the cleaning but the drying. It requires painstaking effort to properly dry your window without leaving a single smudge of streak. Using newspaper to wipe a wet window is the probably most popular way to do it.

Another thing you can do is use a rubber squeegee. The trick here is to dry one corner of the window first and then use the squeegee to dry the rest of the window. Starting in a wet patch is likely to cause all sorts of streaks. You can also wipe the edge of the squeegee from time to time if you feel like there is too much water being spread around.

2. Use Clear Floor Wax

A clever way to keep dust from building up on the outside of your window is to apply a clear coat of floor

wax to the glass after you have thoroughly washed and dried it. This prevents the dust from sticking to your window and it makes your next cleaning a lot easier. It also prevents water spots after the rain and any other smudges that are likely to appear on your window. You could probably even get away with a dry wipe the next time you clean.

3. Vinegar for Windows

For those of you who like to experiment with environment friendly cleansing agents you can try adding vinegar to water and use this solution to clean your window. If you find that it leaves streaks, add a dash of liquid hand soap to the solution the first time. From then on, vinegar should work just fine.

If you feel like you have tried everything and your only hope now is to get new windows go for it! Many manufacturers make windows with glass that is very easy to clean. My neighbor just had her windows replaced by Champion Windows and gets splendid results just by wiping her windows with a wet cloth and taking a squeegee to them. I have never seen someone look forward to cleaning as much as she does now!