Part of the home maintenance world revolves around financially preparing your home for expensive upgrades, repairs, and maintenance work. A broken refrigerator, broken garage door spring, broken washing machine, are just a few of the things that could be financially devastating for many people when it comes to home ownership. How can you prepare yourself for some of these unexpected costs, and when should you plan on the repair, replacement, or maintenance of a garage door?

On average, a garage door normally does not require a ton of work from homeowners. A garage door opener typically lasts for 10-15 years, but we have some that last upwards of 30. It all depends on the maintenance of the door, the rollers and the springs. If you can keep your rollers nice and clean, you will see an improvement in the lifespan of the door. Older models may need to be replaced for safety issues, or if you want to add some modern features to your garage door. Here are some of the things to consider as you are financially planning for a garage door repair or replacement:

• Automatic Reversal – The automatic reversal feature was installed on garage doors starting in 1993. This safety feature is required as it does help to prevent a door from closing when an object is blocking the sensor. There are two sensors installed about six inches from the floor on both sides of the garage door. If you have a child or pet that runs through the laser beam when you have clicked the button to close the door, the automatic reversal will not allow the door to close. Several homeowners insurance providers will provide discounts if you are using safety features on your garage door.
• Quieter Rollers – A common reason why we get people calling about garage doors is due to noise. If you can hear your door opening from inside your home, and its so loud that it is disruptive, you may be in need of a new opener or rollers. A new opener is almost always quieter, especially if you are replacing the chain drive door opener with a belt-drive garage door opener or a screwdriver unit.
• Security – Smarthomes are popular, and many people love being able to monitor their home when they are away on a vacation. Older garage doors were vulnerable to thieves as the garage doors functioned with a code, which is easy for a smart thief to replicate and waltz into your home. Modern doors have a rolling code feature, preventing thieves from duplicating the code. Modern doors also can connect to your smartphone, allowing you to control it from a mobile device. The new smart garages are nice for families as children no longer need to rely on an exterior keypad to be able to get inside the garage. Some garages have keypads outside that use fingerprint detection to open the door. The security of the new systems are so advanced, that it does bring peace of mind to homeowners concerned about security.

Advanced Door proudly serves the Wasatch Front and we are your source for everything garage doors! Whether you have a simple question, or you’d like an evaluation of your current garage door, our experts are here to help. Give us a call, or submit a request for our experts to evaluate your garage door and make suggestions for improvement, maintenance, or enhancing the lifespan of your current garage door. Ask about the new garage door options, and how you can create a smart home system that includes your garage door!