How to Reset a Garage Door After a Power Outage

How to Reset a Garage Door After a Power Outage

Severe weather, nearby vehicle accidents and fallen trees are just a few occurrences that can cause sudden power outages. Unexpected events like these leave you struggling to open your garage door to get to the place you need to be on time. Often, we do not realize how much of an impact electricity has on our ability to operate and complete our lives’ simplest tasks, such as opening our garage door to access our cars to travel. 

To prevent stressful situations, it is best to be prepared with a few tips on how to manually operate your garage door and how to reset it after the power has gone out. 

How Manual Mode on a Garage Door Works  

When you are stuck in a position of no power and are so used to being able to simply click a button, you might ask yourself — can I even open my garage door when the power is out? The answer is yes! 

When there is no electricity to operate the garage door system, the power outage does affect your garage door opener. This is why being able to manually open your garage door is important. Manual release involves pulling the hanging release cord away from the door. 

Once you pull the cord, the trolley of the door’s opener disconnects from the carriage. With no power to operate the garage door automatically, manual operation allows you access in and out of the garage. Be sure to use caution with manual operation to avoid damaging your door or your belongings. If you notice any resistance when trying to manually open your garage door, stop and contact a professional for a garage door inspection, as a component like the springs may be damaged.

Release Cord Tips and Reminders 

A great note to remember is that most door openers will have a backup garage door manual release option that can be used during a power outage. 

The release cord will be hanging from the trolley located on the metal belt that is attaching the garage door operator box and the door itself. The release cord is usually red and has a handle toward the end of it to help you get a better grip and pull it to open the garage door. It is important to keep safety in mind when opening a garage door manually because of power outages. 

There are some safety measures to keep in mind, including: 

• Clear the area: Make sure the garage is clear of any other individuals that could get hurt. If you need assistance resetting or manually opening your garage door, seek it from a trustworthy adult. You should also move any tools or valuable items away from the door.
• Pull the rope cautiously: Make sure to not overwork the rope by pulling, yanking or hanging on it, as it could damage the rope and the system’s abilities. 
• Seek professional emergency help: If you feel at all unsure about manually operating your garage door, it’s best not to do it yourself, especially if the door is in the open position. Broken or loose pieces that need to be repaired could cause the door to close with a strong force when it falls, damaging or hurting anything in the way. If your garage door is open and you need to shut it during a power outage, please contact professionals immediately who offer 24/7 emergency service for situations such as these. 

Opening and Closing Garage Doors With Manual Mode

When the power is out, the motor of the garage door operator can no longer do all of the physical labor of opening and closing.

When opening your garage door during a power outage, pull the red emergency release cord that is hanging from the trolley. When pulling in a motion away from the door, the trolley gets disconnected, allowing manual operation. 

If you are in the opposite position and need to know exactly how you close a garage door with no power, your safest bet is to contact professionals for emergency service. Use your senses to listen for any sounds of creaks or screeches and look out for parts that may appear broken. If there is noticeable damage, it is best to leave the garage door in the safest position possible and call an emergency service provider to ensure the delicate system is handled correctly.

How to Reset a Garage Door After a Power Outage

Now that your garage door is manually operable, how do you reset a garage door? To reset a garage door, start with the door being in a closed position. You can simply pull that release cord toward the door to link together the components that are used for it to operate with power. Carefully run the garage door opener for a cycle, opening the door fully and closing it fully while listening for any strange or loud sounds.

Once you hear a click, you know the door is locked in place and back on the track it needs to operate automatically. The remote or button on the wall you normally used before the power outage should now be functioning within a click of the button. 

After this, you may wonder, “After I disconnect my garage door once, how do I reconnect it, and can I disconnect it again?” After disconnecting the system to operate manually, you can reconnect it when power is restored. If another power outage were to occur, you could follow the same procedures as before to be able to open it to exit the garage and close it for safety. 

Contact Marvin’s Garage Doors for General or Emergency Garage Door Service and Repairs 

For over the past 50 years, Marvin’s Garage Doors has been serving commercial and residential customers in northwestern North Carolina. We understand that garage doors break down at inconvenient times of the day. Power outages especially can cause many individuals to feel stressed or anxious when they have no clear way to open or close their garage door to get access to their car or keep their belongings safe.

Reach out to us and request a service near you. We also have 24/7, 365-days-a-year emergency repair services available to help you feel at ease and return to your normal activities safely.

Request Estimate

If you have any questions or would like to speak to a qualified specialist for more information, please fill out this form or call one of our locations.

Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a Garage Door Style

In most homes, garage doors complement the aesthetic of the front of the house. Taking the time to select the look of your garage door can be a challenging task. You likely use your garage door every day, so the garage door’s quality has to match the style.

Whether you’re currently a homeowner or about to purchase a new home, choosing the right garage door style can enhance your curb appeal.

To help you make this important decision, follow this guide on how to choose a garage door style. Learn about the various garage door styles and options that will make your house feel like home.

Garage Door Styles

You should choose a garage door that matches your personal style and improves the look of your home. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, installing a new garage door is ranked as one of the top projects that appeal to homebuyers. The style of your garage door can improve your house’s resale value and your enjoyment of your home.

Choose between three garage door styles to decide which one is perfect for you.

1. Traditional

Most people think of a traditional style garage door when they picture a typical garage door in their head. You can identify these garage doors by their rectangular panels.

When you decide to add a traditional garage door, you can choose the material of your door. Since traditional garage doors are available in various materials, they are an excellent option if you’re conscious of your budget.

Homeowners can customize their traditional garage door to match and complement their home. Change the look of the garage door by adjusting the size of the panels, adding windows or selecting the color you prefer.

2. Contemporary

Contemporary garage doors are a suitable choice for your modern home. This garage door style will look great with the clean lines and design of a modern house. Many of these garage doors have large windows and an aluminum frame.

Decide on the amount of privacy you want with the different window options available. The windows you choose for a contemporary garage door determine the amount of light you allow into the garage and how well you can see into the garage. Modernize your home with contemporary aluminum garage doors.

3. Carriage

Add the authentic charm of a traditional carriage door to your house with the modern function of an overhead garage door. Carriage style garage doors are the perfect addition if you prefer farmhouse decor. These garage doors also pair well with historic designs but also look great on traditional homes.

Whether you’re looking to update your home or find a style that will fit your new home construction, carriage style garage doors add beauty to your house’s facade. Customize this garage door style to suit your aesthetic and operate efficiently.

Garage Door Materials

Installing a new garage door can increase your house’s resale value and help you and other residents enjoy your home more. Choosing a style is a big step in the renovation process. Homeowners often choose a style based on their personal preference or the architectural style of their house. Another significant factor in deciding on a style is the material of the garage door.

The material of your garage door can impact the upfront cost and how much money you spend on maintenance in the future.

Consider which garage door material is best for your home.

Steel

Steel garage doors are one of the most popular choices for homeowners. This material is stunning in its design and is an affordable choice. You can customize a steel garage door in many to match your home.

Steel garage doors are durable and work well for houses in any location. Because of their durability, steel garage doors can cost less in repairs and maintenance. Since this style has been around for a while, steel garage doors have a range of customizations available. This material is perfect for traditional or modern homes.

While steel garage doors have a good list of pros, you should be aware of a few cons. Steel doors need an added layer of insulation for energy-efficiency. They are also susceptible to dents and can rust over time. It’s important to check for rust and repair the garage door when needed.

Overall, steel doors are a great choice if you’re looking for a durable, affordable and aesthetically pleasing garage door.

Natural Wood and Faux Wood

Natural wood doors are beautiful and add great curb appeal. This material is an excellent choice for homes with wood entry doors so they can match.

There are many pros to installing a natural wood garage door. Natural wood doors are one of the best for insulation. Unlike steel doors, you won’t see dents on natural wood garage doors. The panels of the garage door are easy to remove and reinstall if you notice a panel with mold.

While they are a gorgeous addition to a home, natural wood garage doors have some cons. Certain types of wood are more prone to mold when exposed to moisture. Make sure to care for your wood garage door if you live in a location with a rainy climate. You should also consider pest damage and prevention if you install a natural wood garage door. Finally, natural wood is a more expensive material.

Faux wood, also known as composite wood, is another option if you want the look of a natural wood garage without the maintenance or cost. Faux wood garage doors are an affordable choice and weigh less than natural wood doors. Faux wood is also resistant to mold.

This garage door material is an excellent choice for many homeowners but has some drawbacks. Although faux wood looks a lot like natural wood, you might miss the look of the natural material. Additionally, faux wood garage doors can crack over time, and the finish may chip.

Natural or faux wood garage doors will match several home styles.

Aluminum and Glass

Aluminum and glass are materials commonly found in contemporary style garage doors.

These materials offer a modern aesthetic with clean lines and a simple design. Aluminum and glass doors are durable and resistant to rust. Aluminum is also a good insulator and can help with energy efficiency.

While an aluminum and glass garage door may pair perfectly with your modern home, consider the cons. Aluminum frames typically have fewer customization options. Glass is durable but still susceptible to shattering.

Add a clean and modernized feel to your home with an aluminum and glass garage door.

Other Garage Door Styles and Accessories

Personalize your garage door and make it one-of-a-kind. These accessories can be the addition you’re looking for:

• Handles
• Door knockers
• Door trim
• Windows
• Decorative hinges

Make a statement with your garage door. The garage door is the entrance most people use to access their home, so make it beautiful.

Contact Marvin’s Garage Door

If you’re looking for a garage door that fits your style, contact Marvin’s Garage Door. We’re your source for quality garage doors and can help you decide the style and material your home needs.

Marvin’s Garage Door can help if you’re interested in a residential garage door. Reach out and request an estimate today.

When Should You Replace Your Garage Door Opener?

Your garage door opener is a convenience you likely don’t have to think about much. But eventually, garage door openers do wear out. Most garage door openers last anywhere from five years to 15 years, and this number can change depending on several factors. If everyone’s experience is different, how do you know when your garage door opener is going bad? Look out for the following six signs your garage door opener is failing. 

1. You’re Hearing Loud Noises

Some garage door openers, like chain-drive openers, are loud. Belt-drive openers are a bit quieter. Regardless of which type of opener you have, you may have started noticing new or louder noises. This is a sign your opener is struggling to open and close your garage door. Its mechanisms may have weakened over time, making it strain to perform the task it once carried out with ease. If this is the case, it might be time for a new garage door opener. 

Modern openers are much quieter than older models. Companies build them to be quiet to reduce disturbances in the home. If you have a new opener that has started making loud noises, you may have an issue unrelated to time. Either way, loud noises are a sign that it’s time to call a professional for an inspection. 

2. The Garage Door Opens or Closes Then Reverses

If your garage door starts moving in the opposite direction you want it to, your photo sensors could be the cause. You can find these sensors a few inches above the ground on either side of the garage door. These sensors detect movement below the garage door, which triggers a reversal to protect whatever is beneath it. If your garage door starts to close and then reverses, call a professional to check your photo sensors.

Your garage door could also be reversing direction from faulty limit settings. The limit settings tell your opener when to expect the floor to appear. If the settings are too high, the opener may feel the pressure of the floor before it expects it. The opener will mistake the floor for an obstacle and use the automatic reversal feature to “protect” it. See if a professional can fix the limit settings. You may need a new garage door opener since limit settings can drift in older openers. 

3. Your Garage Door Opens Slower Than Expected

Are you using the same garage door opener that came with your house when you bought it over a decade ago? You’ve likely used your opener thousands of times since then. Now, you may be noticing your garage door is not opening like it once did. You may sit in your car, tapping your fingers as you wait for the door to finish opening after a long day of work. If any of this sounds like your experience, you should likely get a new garage door opener. 

Several problems can contribute to the slow movement of your garage door. If you have an old garage door opener, there is a high chance the opener is to blame. You may discover that a new opener will open and close your garage door faster — and more silently — than you ever remember it moving. Ask for a professional’s opinion to see if your garage door opener is to blame for sluggish moving speeds. 

4. The Opener Vibrates When Opening or Closing

Your opener works hard when opening and closing your garage door several times per day. If you look up at it when it’s doing its work, you may notice some slight wiggling. This is normal, but you should monitor this movement. Over time, your garage door opener could start vibrating more, and this can be a serious issue. 

Vibrations can cause hardware like nuts, bolts and screws to loosen. The more your garage door opener vibrates, the more the opener can separate from the hardware that holds it in place. It can even fall from the ceiling onto your car or a person if it gets loose enough. If your opener is vibrating, it might be reaching the end of its life span. You should get a new one before it fails or falls.

5. The Garage Door Won’t Open

If your remote and wall-mounted button are not opening your garage door, it may be time for a new garage door opener. Lightning strikes can fry the opener’s circuitry, leaving it useless. The opener could also be straining during opening and closing, which can cause it to overheat. You may have to wait 10 minutes to 15 minutes for it to cool down so you can use it again.

These issues are a hassle, especially if you run on a tight schedule. No one wants to wait for their garage door opener to cool off before the next use. Call a professional to install a new garage door opener so you can get back to using your garage door whenever you want. 

6. You’re Using Old Technology

Old garage doors use outdated technology. Many features included in modern garage door openers are reasons to upgrade your garage door opener. Some new technology you could be missing out on includes the following:

• Rolling codes: These change your opener’s remote code every time you use it. That way, criminals cannot fish for your opener code using technology. 
• Battery backup: With a battery backup, the power going out is no longer an inconvenience when you need to use your garage door. 
• Outdoor keypad: Enjoy increased convenience with an outdoor keypad to open your modern garage door. 
• Safety features: Doors constructed before 1993 lack essential safety features like photo sensors and auto-reverse functions.
• Smart technology: Smart garage door openers raise the standard for what functions you can expect from a garage door opener. One example includes opening your garage door from anywhere with your smartphone and an internet connection.

Get a New Garage Door Opener From Marvin’s Garage Doors

Marvin’s Garage Doors is your destination for a brand new garage door opener. We carry a variety of reliable garage door openers that can enhance your daily convenience. Since 1970, we’ve been providing quality service and garage door products to northwestern Carolina. We’ve seen how garage door openers have changed over the years, and we can tell when we need to replace or repair one. 

We’re here to solve your garage door opener problems, 24 hours a day. Contact us online for more information about how we can serve you today.

Choosing a Matching Front Door and Garage Door

Your doors, both garage and entry, are prominent parts of your home’s first impression. Garage doors are large and prominent — they can make up almost a third of your house’s front-facing exterior. Meanwhile, your front door is a major focal point. It should be an inviting entryway into your home, compelling guests to come in. Your front and garage doors present a unique opportunity to personalize the look of your home and boost its curb appeal. When you’re planning an update, you might be concerned about having a matching front door and garage door. 

It can be tricky to decide on the right combination of door designs, as you want to create a cohesive look for your home’s exterior. That might mean matching garage and entrance doors exactly. Or, you could choose to differentiate each door to best fit your overall look. You might prefer the same color and material for each, or highlight one over the other. Learn about choosing the right garage and entry doors for your home. 

Fundamentals of Color Theory

Overall Front Door & Garage Door Cohesion

Your Home’s Architectural Style

Garage Door Materials

Accent & Design Elements

Check Out Our Other Garage Door Styling Tips

Call 336-830-8468 To Speak To An Expert

Should Your Front Door and Garage Door Match?

Your garage and entry doors should be cohesive. While they need not be identical, it would be jarring if they were at odds with each other. For that reason, it’s a good idea to update both at the same time. When purchasing new doors, think about color, material, paneling and accents. 

Color Choices 

Color is an essential consideration because it makes an impression before anything else. It’s the first thing people tend to notice. You might choose to be bold, but consider which parts of your home’s facade should be focal points. If you have beautiful, handcrafted stone siding, for instance, you may want to keep door colors understated to draw attention to the stone. 

You’ll also want to think about color theory — some colors complement each other, while others will clash. You can use online tools to help you make color choices. Remember, each color evokes different emotional responses. Think about how you want your family and guests to feel as they approach your home. Do you want them to feel calm? Excited? Curious? Welcomed? Different colors will help you achieve these emotional responses. 

Material and Accents 

While color is a crucial factor, you’ll also have to think about material, accents and designs. Remember to consider your home’s existing style and architecture. What will fit best with your home’s other elements? You’ll have the chance to choose from a wide range of materials, including wood, steel, aluminum or layered options. You’ll also be able to customize window shape and placement, sectioning and various hardware components. 

When making these choices, ensure everything goes well together. Visualize your home from different perspectives with your options in place. Learn more about choosing door colors, materials and accents. 

How Do I Pick a Garage Door and Front Door Color?

When deciding on garage and entry door colors, consider several factors. Color makes a strong first impression. Since your doors are such prominent features, you’ll want to be careful about the colors you choose. Some factors to consider include: 

• The fundamentals of color theory
• Overall cohesion

The Fundamentals of Color Theory

Break out the color wheel. When choosing colors for your doors, consider which shades work best together. You can use a color calculator tool to find ones that pair well. Choose a maximum of three different colors to avoid an overwhelming effect. 

Understand that bright colors highlight and create openness, which may make your house look larger and more inviting. Meanwhile, dark colors evoke a sense of sophistication, substance and warmth. White is a popular choice, but it might be a good idea to go darker. It depends on your preferences and your home’s architectural style. 

When choosing colors for garage door and front door combinations, also think about what feelings different colors inspire. Psychological studies suggest colors evoke specific emotions. What do you want your family and your guests to feel? Think about the sentiments these colors might prompt.

• Blue: We know the color blue to be calming and serene, but it can also feel icy or cold. A light teal door, paired with sandy-colored siding, might make your home feel “beachy.” A darker blue might give you a sense of peace to welcome you home. 
• Red: Red is a popular choice for doors. It’s the most emotionally stimulating color of all — it can increase your heart rate and metabolism. Red makes you feel hungry, passionate, aggressive or excited. 
• Black or charcoal: Black is mysterious, provocative and modern. You might be surprised to learn that black doors sometimes raise a home’s selling price.  
• White: Common for doors, white highlights and expands space. It also makes us think of purity, cleanliness and freshness. These associations make it popular for family homes. 
• Brown: An earthy brown tone can make us feel warm and secure. Brown is solid, dependable and familiar. Wood or wood-like doors create a down-to-earth effect. 

Of course, possible garage door and front door color combinations are endless. Consider which colors will complement each other and the feelings those colors might evoke in your guests. 

Overall Cohesion: Does Your Front Door Have to Match Your Garage Door? 

While you may choose the same colors for the entry and garage door, you may also decide to set them apart from each other. Many home designers keep the garage door white or neutral, paired with a front door color that pops. For instance, you may choose to pair a statement-blue entry door with simple white garage doors. 

Do you want garage doors and front doors that match? Or, do you want your front door to take center stage with a more exciting color? As long as the overall look is cohesive, your entry and garage doors need not match exactly. But consider them both as you make decisions. 

Coordinating Garage and Entry Door Styles 

Choosing a matching entry door and garage door is about more than color. Yes, the color might be the first thing you notice from a distance, but style, material and accents all play pivotal roles as well. You’ll want your doors to make sense as part of your home’s overall facade. Consider these elements when shopping for new doors: 

• Your home’s architectural style
• The materials
• Accents and design elements

Your Home’s Architectural Style 

It’s crucial to determine your home’s style, so you can make choices to complement it. Some materials and colors suit each style best, while others may seem out of place. For example, it would be jarring to pair a rustic garage door with sleek modern architecture. Here are some popular combinations. 

• Craftsman: For a Craftsman-style home, you might opt for a simple wood-inspired steel door with a row of small windows. The color choice is often white, but you can choose whichever shade you prefer. 
• Modern: Modern architecture tends to be sleek and symmetrical. Framed, aluminum panels create a sophisticated look. 
• Mid-century: A mid-century modern look is all about clean, precise lines. If your home’s exterior is mid-century modern, you’ll want to keep it simple. A modern steel look might be just right. 
• Rustic: Rustic design can mean many different things. A beautiful option would be a cherry-grain fiberglass front door with a matching wood garage door. You can complement both with wrought-iron accents and decorative glass. 

The Materials 

When shopping for new garage and entry doors, you’ll have to think about the materials. Various materials have different benefits. Some are better for insulation, which is something to remember if you live in a harsh climate. Other materials offer reliable stability with heavy use. 

As exterior parts of your home, your doors need to be able to withstand the elements — wind, rain, snow, heat and cold. Choose materials that will provide superior durability, as well as charm and beauty. You’ll be able to choose from a wide range of material options, including these.

• Steel: Steel can withstand a lot — everything from humidity to high winds. It’s an excellent choice for durability. You can customize steel to fit any color scheme and design. Various styles of steel can look either vintage or modern, allowing for a lot of design flexibility. Steel allows for customization, so it can fit with several different architectural styles. 
• Wood: Wood’s look is naturally beautiful and cozy. Wood evokes a specific rustic charm that no other material can match. It affords you more color choice than you might think — you can choose from natural oak, reddish mahogany, dark ebony or other shades of wood grain. 
• Aluminum: Aluminum is popular for exterior home elements due to its strength and durability. Aluminum will never rust and can withstand extreme temperatures without faltering. You can customize aluminum to fit a classic, mid-century or more modern architecture. 
• Layered: Many door options, especially garage doors, have multiple layers for better insulation and durability. For maximum strength, you may choose a five-layer constructed garage door. Layered doors last under the harshest conditions. If you live in an area often affected by natural disasters, consider a layered door. 

When deciding on materials, think about a few different factors. For one, consider the climate. Do you need a door that will provide reliable insulation against the cold? Do you need a door that can hold up against strong winds? Also, think about how much you’ll use your doors. If a door needs to withstand heavy traffic, make sure it’s up to the task. 

Though material durability is critical, there’s no need to compromise beauty for function. You can customize any door by selecting the right colors, designs and accents. Make sure the material you choose complements your home’s architecture. 

The Accents and Design Elements 

In addition to colors and materials, you’ll also have to make choices regarding accents and designs. These finishing touches will tie the look together. Accents and design elements include windows, sections or panels and various hardware pieces. 

1. Windows

You may or may not choose to incorporate windows in your front and garage doors. There are many different glass options available, from the shape to the style. On a Craftsman-style home, you might opt for a classic sunset window panel design. For a more rustic farmhouse look, you could choose wrought-iron features. 

If privacy is a concern, you might skip the windows altogether. Keep in mind, however, that windows improve natural lighting, which can decrease energy expenses. To promote privacy, you can select obscured or frosted windows. 

2. Sections or Paneling

On some materials, you’ll be able to further customize your door by choosing between panel shapes and designs. You may have a choice between shorter or longer panels, vertical or horizontal panels or a flush, non-panel look. 

When deciding between paneled sections, it’s a good idea to keep a sense of cohesion between your front door and garage door. For instance, it might be visually jarring to have long, horizontal panels on your garage door and short, square panels on your front door. Instead, try to keep them similar. 

3. Hardware

You’ll also get to choose between various decorative hardware elements. Door hardware elements include lift handles, hinges, knockers, bolts, step plates and latches. 

The right hardware ties the whole look together. It’s a good idea to have matching hardware elements for your front and garage doors, especially if they’re different colors. Doing so will promote a sense of cohesion. For example, if you choose black, wrought-iron handles for your garage, you’ll probably want to opt for similar black accents on your front door. 

Try to keep these finishing touches simple — remember, less is often more. It may be tempting to include multiple knockers, plates, lifts and hinges, but try not to draw focus in too many different directions. Instead, choose one or two central elements to complete a stylized look. 

Request Estimate

Contact Marvin’s Garage Doors for Garage and Entry Doors Today

Whether your home is a charming ranch, a mysterious modern fortress or a cozy rustic sanctuary, your doors tie the look together. It’s impossible to achieve your desired curb appeal without considering your garage and entry doors. 

While your front and garage doors need not be copy-pasted duplicates of one another, it’s a good idea to have cohesion between them. When deciding on a garage door, keep the front door in mind, and vice versa. Try to balance the colors, paneling and accents of each to complement each other. 

Ultimately, you have the freedom to choose how to pair your garage door and front door. At Marvin’s Garage Doors, we offer dozens of door styles with customizable features, so you can find exactly what you need for your home. Boost your curb appeal with durable and beautiful doors from Clopay. To learn more about garage and entry door options, contact Marvin’s Garage Doors today. 

Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a Contemporary Garage Door

In most homes, the garage door is front and center in terms of visual impact. Your garage door makes an important aesthetic statement, and it’s likely used more than once a day, making reliability a must. If your garage door is due for an update for any reason, you have more options than ever before in terms of style, material and features. 

Browse Our Garage Door Selection

For most homes, contemporary styles are the best fit. In this guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know to choose the perfect contemporary garage door in North Carolina. 

Contemporary Garage Door Materials

Modern Garage Door Designs

Modern Garage Door Features

How Much Does a Modern Garage Door Cost

Check Out Our Other Garage Door Styling Tips

What Is a Contemporary Garage Door?

Generally, a “contemporary” or “modern” garage door refers to whatever is most current and popular at the time. The best contemporary garage doors are designed with current trends in mind, but can also blend in seamlessly with multiple architectural styles. There are a number of current trends to look for in garage doors today, including:

• Bold earth tones: Look out for colors inspired by dust and earth, like terracotta, deep sunset orange or forest green. These muted yet powerful tones can make a striking addition to homes with a more daring look or add cultured appeal to more conservative designs.
• Industrial aesthetics: Metal frame doors in black or silver with fiberglass panes add a sleek, modern industrial look to the garage. Reinforced and glazed glass lets in light while remaining semi-opaque to protect your privacy.
• Multiple materials: It’s becoming more common to see garage doors made from more than one material for both aesthetic and practical purposes. A door made from aluminum, composite wood and fiberglass will be more durable and visually appealing than an aluminum-only door, for example.
• Better energy efficiency: The use of multiple materials can also lead to better insulation at a more affordable price point. 
• Extended living space: More homeowners are realizing their garage is square footage that can be used for more than just storing vehicles. Contemporary garage doors can make a garage feel more like a living space by offering softened natural light that makes the space feel like a natural extension of your home.
• More connectivity: Contemporary garage doors now offer more digital connectivity than most people expect. Your garage door can now be operated from an app or even controlled with your home automation or vehicle systems for exceptional convenience and security.
• More customization: For those who want a unique appearance for their new garage door, there has never been a better time to customize. From the insulation level to the number and arrangement of windows, you have more options than ever to create a look that meshes with the design of your home. 

Contemporary garage doors have more to offer than increased curb appeal. A new garage door has the potential to change how you use your garage space, save you money on energy and increase the value of your home, should you decide to sell.

Contemporary Garage Door Materials

There’s more to picking a garage door than you might realize. The choices you make will impact the cost, functionality, features and style. However, garage door materials are the natural starting point for your decision-making. The material you choose will have a huge impact on price and durability, so understanding your options is a must. Contemporary garage doors are typically made out of:

1. Natural Wood

When you want to project luxury and class, there’s no material like natural wood doors. While they are commonly paired with traditional-style homes, wood doors can bring an air of elegance to more modern homes without looking out of place. Wood can be left natural or take on staining or painting, depending on the look you’re going for. 

Natural wood garage doors are more affordable than most people think, but that affordability comes at the cost of maintenance requirements. Wood doors need to be repainted and re-finished every few years. They are also more susceptible to chipping, so families with kids who will play in the driveway might want to consider a more impact-friendly material. Natural wood is also susceptible to warping in high-humidity areas, but advances in coatings have made this less of an issue in recent years. 

2. Composite Wood

Composite wood is even more budget-friendly. Composite doors are typically constructed from a wood frame and covered with fiberboard sheets. The higher quality the door, the higher the density and durability of the fiberboard. Composite doors can also convincingly imitate real wood through the use of overlays and grooves. 

This type of wood door offers better insulation than natural wood, as the core of the door is generally filled with polystyrene insulation. However, composite wood shares some of the drawbacks of natural wood, such as vulnerability to humidity and impact damage.

3. Steel

Steel is the most popular material for contemporary garage doors. These doors come with a mid-range price tag and are very low-maintenance. They are also available in the widest array of style options, whether you’re looking for a painted door or one with a texture that imitates wood. 

When shopping for a steel garage door, pay attention to the gauge. The lower the number of the gauge, the thicker the steel. High quality steel doors are often made with multiple layers of steel and insulation. 

While steel is susceptible to rusting, quality doors come with coatings that make the material almost impervious to humidity. 

4. Aluminum

Aluminum doors are the most lightweight choice and are very affordable. They also have the benefit of being rust-proof without the addition of any coatings. However, aluminum is much easier to dent than steel, making it less kid-friendly. The lightweight nature of this material also results in garage doors with less insulation.

Modern Garage Door Designs

Residential modern garage doors come in more designs than ever before. Because your new garage door is going to be a focal point of your home for years to come, it’s important to consider the following elements of design:

1. Color

Whether you’re going for a solid paint color or a wood-like finish, you’ll have to consider what color your door should be. Contemporary garage door designs generally come in neutral tones from crisp white to beige, grays and browns. Many people opt to match the color of their front door or a particular piece of trim, although this may not be the best design decision if your front door is a bold color like red or yellow. 

Even if your home doesn’t have significant wood accents, a wood-imitating door can add sophistication and curb appeal. Brick homes, for example, look fantastic with a wood garage door.

2. Paneling

One of the most important questions when reviewing contemporary garage door styles is the type of paneling you want. The most common type of paneling is the traditional raised panel. Another popular choice is recessed paneling, where the framing of the door stands out further than the individual panels. For an exceptionally sleek look that exemplifies the overlap between architectural modernism and contemporary style, consider flush paneling for your modern garage door design. 

Many modern garage door styles have multiple styles of panel available. You may be able to choose from one panel per horizontal section or decide to go for a design with four or more panels per section, for example.

3. Windows

Windows in garage doors serve two purposes: aesthetics and better lighting. Many people simply like the way windows make their garage door look, especially if the front of the home has similar windows or could use more. The most common way to incorporate windows is in a row at the top of the door, but some doors come with options like a column of windows on one side, or even full window coverage. 

View Our Garage Door Gallery

If you use your garage for anything other than parking, such as a workshop or laundry room, the additional light can make the space more inviting and reduce the need for artificial lighting. 

Contemporary Garage Door Features

In addition to looks, there are a variety of features available in contemporary garage doors that you should consider when making your decision. These features affect how your door will function and how durable it will be:

1. Wind Resistance

A garage door is a large, flat surface, making it more susceptible to wind than other doors. Even if your area is not particularly well-known for weather events involving wind, you want a garage door that can withstand long periods of high winds and strong gusts. North Carolina has specific requirements for garage doors in high-wind zones, with a minimum wind resistance doors have to meet. Doors with windows often face stronger restrictions. 

The requirements can be complex and challenging to interpret, but most garage door manufacturers view wind resistance as a critical selling point. Clopay, for example, provides an in-depth guide to understanding wind codes, so you can confidently choose a door that is up to code for your area. 

2. Insulation

A garage door’s level of insulation can make a big difference in the comfort of your garage and your energy bills. While opening the garage door will always result in an influx of hot or cold air outside, having adequate insulation reduces fluctuations overall. When it’s cold outside, door insulation keeps in more of the warmth absorbed from the adjacent rest of the house. When it’s hot outside, insulation will allow the interior of the garage to heat up less. 

If you use your garage for anything other than parking, good insulation is a must. Even if the garage only houses vehicles, better insulation can make a significant dent in your energy bill. 

3. Connectivity

Modern garage doors are operable with the touch of a button, but there are even more features in the opener that many people don’t know about that can make your door more responsive. For example, some doors and openers can connect to home automation systems that allow you to control the door remotely. 

Likewise, some doors are compatible with the on-board smart systems of certain vehicles. Others interface directly with your Wi-Fi, so you can control the door with an app — which comes in handy when you accidentally leave the door open. Or, you can go for an opener with an auto-close functionality, so forgetting to close the door never becomes a problem in the first place. 

How Much Does a Modern Garage Door Cost?

First, it’s important to consider this home improvement project in terms of return on investment. When you’re about to spend a significant amount of money on a project, you want to know that it will add value to your home, and garage door replacements do just that. According to Remodeling Magazine, garage door replacement provides the second-highest ROI in the South Atlantic region at 86.1 percent. 

There are many factors that will affect the cost of your contemporary garage door, such as choosing higher end materials or opting for significant customization. 

The most expensive doors can cost multiple thousands of dollars, while you can choose the other end of the spectrum at just a few hundred. As with any product, you get what you pay for, so the less you pay for your door, the less durable and well-insulated it will be. It’s also worth noting that the cheapest doors almost never meet wind codes. 

You also need to consider the cost of the door opener. Many options come with a standard opener, but that’s not always the case. If you are replacing a lightweight door with a heavier one, such as going from aluminum to steel, you may need a new opener with more power to handle the extra weight. Alternatively, you may just want an upgraded opener with better features. 

When you’re shopping for a modern garage door and aren’t sure about the costs of certain door types, it helps to choose your installation company first, so they can help you narrow down your choices. You can let them know what your budget range is, and they can provide you with options that fit, so you don’t have to waste time separating the doors you can afford from the ones you can’t. 

Contact Marvin’s Garage Doors for Contemporary Garage Doors Today

If you’re looking to install a new garage door in northwestern North Carolina, Marvin’s Garage Doors is here to help. We have been serving Winston-Salem, Wilkesboro and all of Piedmont Triad since 1970, and it shows in our expertise. 

We are proud to be a Clopay Master Authorized Dealer, carrying a wide range of their quality doors in contemporary and other styles. With 12 of the best base models and countless customization options, we can help you find the garage door that suits your style and budgetary needs. 

To learn more about your options, contact us online. If you have an idea in mind, you can request an estimate directly. Or, if you’d just like to envision how a certain door would look on your home, you can use our Door Imagination System to bring your vision to life. Wherever you are in the process of shopping for a new garage door, Marvin’s Garage Doors is your top resource.

Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a New Entry Door

Check Out Our Other Garage Door Styling Tips

The Best Entry Door Material for Your Home

1. Wood Entry Door

2. Aluminum Entry Door

3. Steel Entry Door

• STEEL Collection: A steel entry door from our STEEL Collection includes high-definition panels that come in distinct styles and provide durability and beauty to your home. If you’re looking for a steel front door that makes a statement, this the collection for you. With a steel entry door, you’ll enhance your home’s energy efficiency and curb appeal.

4. Fiberglass Entry Door

• ARBOR GROVE^TM Fiberglass Collection: A fiberglass door from the ARBOR GROVE^TM collection is insulated, water-resistant and UV-resistant. You can choose from cherry, oak or mahogany for your wood grain veneer, along with 18 paint options and eight factory finish stains. With this collection, you can get a classic look without worrying about your front door cracking, rotting or splitting.
• CRAFTSMAN Fiberglass Collection: For a clean, simple fiberglass entry door design paired with lasting durability, choose from the CRAFTSMAN collection. These doors are resistant to UV and moisture. Architecture styles such as Transitional, Mission and Bungalow look great with a fiberglass entry door from this collection.
• RUSTIC Fiberglass Collection: A fiberglass door from the RUSTIC collection provides a rich cherry design for an authentic feel. Homes inspired by the Mediterranean or American Southwest architecture can be perfectly complemented by entry doors from this collection.
• SMOOTH Fiberglass Collection: For a fiberglass door with the look and feel of painted wood, choose from the SMOOTH Fiberglass Collection. You can enjoy the beauty of wood without its drawbacks, like splitting or cracking. If you want a front door that adds a clean, contemporary look to your home, select a door from this collection.

Entry Door Styles and Colors

• In our Arbor Grove^TM Fiberglass Collection, we offer three grain options — cherry grain, oak grain and mahogany grain. We also offer nine cherry panel styles, six mahogany panel styles and seven oak panel styles. You can also choose from 18 glass options and 18 paint options.
• In our Craftsman Collection, we offer a fir grain option, two panel styles and an optional dentil shelf. You can also choose from seven glass options, eight stain options and 18 paint options.
• In our Rustic Collection, we offer a cherry grain option, five panel styles and 17 glass options. You can also select from eight stain options and 18 paint options. 
• In our Smooth Fiberglass Collection, we offer 19 panel styles, 17 glass options and 18 paint options.
• In our Steel Collection, we offer 15 panel styles, 18 paint options and 17 glass options.

Considering Front Door Security

1. Best Materials for Front Door Security

2. Windows vs. No Windows for Front Door Security

3. Hardware for Front Door Security

Energy Efficient Front Doors

What type of door is the most energy-efficient?

1. Best Materials for Front Door Energy Efficiency

2. Windows vs. No Windows for Front Door Energy Efficiency

3. Reducing Heat Loss for Front Door Energy Efficiency

What Entry Door Is the Best Choice for Your Home?

1. Security

2. Durability

3. Visual Appeal

4. Energy-Efficient

Contact Marvin’s Garage Doors for Entry Doors Today

How to Maintain Your Garage Door

Your garage door is one of the largest moving parts in your home, likely opening and closing at least hundreds of times each year. The more something moves, the more likely it is for a piece to fall out of place or wear down over time. Luckily, regular maintenance for garage doors is simple and effective. Taking a few easy steps can help you prolong the life of your garage door and may prevent the need for repairs down the line.

Maintenance for Wood Garage Doors

Wooden garage doors are a classic choice that offers a warm, traditional look. They can be made from different types of wood, including cedar, redwood and mahogany. While they are aesthetically pleasing, they do require more maintenance than other materials. 

1. Regular cleaning: Clean the wooden door regularly with mild detergent and water to remove dirt and debris. Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive tools, as these can damage the wood. Use a soft cloth or sponge to wipe the surface.
2. Inspect for damage: Inspect the wooden garage door regularly for signs of wear and tear, such as cracks, warping, and rot. Address any issues as soon as possible to prevent further damage.
3. Refinishing the door: Refinishing the wooden garage door as needed is crucial to protect it from moisture and prevent warping. Sand the door down to remove any old finish, then apply a new coat of sealer or paint. Choose a finish designed for exterior use that provides UV protection. Call in a service technician to ensure the job is done correctly.
4. Seal the door: To protect the wooden garage door from moisture, it is important to seal it regularly. Apply a wood sealer to the door every few years to prevent water from penetrating the surface. This will also help to prevent warping and rot.

Maintenance for Steel Garage Doors

Classic steel garage doors are affordable, durable, and low maintenance. Newer products offer layered construction, which provides higher energy-efficient insulation. To maintain steel garage doors, inspect the door regularly for dents and scratches, which can lead to rust formation.

Maintenance for Aluminum Garage Doors

Aluminum garage doors come with a lot of advantages, including that the material is lightweight and durable. These doors are rust-resistant and require little maintenance outside of cleaning and a wipe-down. 

The most important aspect is to do visual inspections. As aluminum is lightweight, it can be prone to dents if knocked with heavy objects or bumped into. Dents and bumps can cause problems with opening. If you hear any strange noises or it jitters, call a professional in to smooth out your door.

10 Garage Door Maintenance Tips

Lubrication, checking safety features and other regular maintenance tasks can protect your garage door and your family. While most repairs are best left to a professional, taking a look can help you know when to call a garage door technician.

It’s best to perform garage maintenance at least once a year. You can time it with other activities, such as washing your car, getting your lawnmower out of storage or other seasonal housework. Whenever you come in contact with your garage hardware, be sure to disconnect the door opener, so the garage door doesn’t move while you are working on it. 

Here are some things to do during your annual garage door inspection:

1. Listen and Watch the Door in Motion

The first step of garage door maintenance is to operate your door and listen for any sounds. You may hear scraping, grinding or rattling. These sounds can tell you a specific part is worn out or needs lubrication. A well-maintained garage should be relatively quiet.

You’ll also want to look for any jerky movements. Examine both sides of the door to see if the springs, pulleys and lift cables are symmetrical. If anything seems out of place or you see irregular movement, it may be a sign that something is wrong.

While looking and listening are great first steps for your garage maintenance, they’re also easy to perform throughout the year whenever you operate your garage.

2. Clean and Check the Tracks

The tracks, located on either side of the garage door along the wall, should be perfectly straight. You can use a level to ensure that they are perpendicular to the floor. However, if you find anything out of place, call a garage door expert.

You can clean the tracks yourself by spraying brake or carburetor cleaner to remove dirt and debris. Do not use a lubricant on the tracks, as the slipperiness can dislodge the rollers. While you’re cleaning, look for any signs of rust.

3. Tighten the Hardware

The vibration that comes with regular movement can cause parts to become loose over time. You can examine and tighten rollers, bolts and hinges with a socket wrench.

4. Check the Rollers

The rollers, which attach the garage door to the track, need to be replaced every so often. Check each one and look for any that are worn, cracked or chipped. If multiple need to be replaced, it is probably time to call a professional to replace all the rollers.

5. Lubricate All Moving Parts

Regular lubrication with lithium grease keeps your garage door moving smoothly and reduces the stress placed on the parts of your garage. Rollers and hinges and the chain belt should be lubricated a few times per year. You can do this by spraying a silicone or white lithium lubricant on each hinge and roller and wiping off the excess. It’s essential to remove the extra grease because this oil can attract dirt.

However, do not lubricate nylon rollers. While metal rollers can do with a bit of grease, the chemicals in most lubricants may wear down the nylon.

If you have an extension-spring opener, you should also lubricate your garage’s pulleys. For a torsion-spring opener, lubricate the bearings. If you notice the torsion spring is rusty, you can wipe it down with some oil using a cloth.

You may also want to lubricate the garage door opener’s chain or screw. You won’t need to lube a belt-drive opener.

6. Replace Weatherstripping

Weatherstripping is installed around garage doors and windows to create a seal that prevents drafts and air leakage. The material can differ from product to product but is typically made from rubber, vinyl or foam. When the garage door closes, the weatherstripping should seal it to the sides and floor. The seal helps to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature and can help reduce energy bills by preventing hot or cold air from escaping.

You can install weatherstripping yourself, but it is recommended to have a professional do it during your annual service. A professional installer can also guide selecting the correct type of weatherstripping for your garage door, ensuring optimal insulation and durability. In addition, many garage door manufacturers require weatherstripping be installed by a professional to maintain the door’s warranty.

7. Test the Counterweight

When your door is not balanced correctly, it will still go up and down, but the opener will be doing more of the heavy lifting. In this case, the opener may wear out sooner. While you should never attempt to fix anything related to the garage’s counterweight or spring system yourself, you can test to make sure it is working.

With your garage door closed, find the red release cord on your automatic garage door opener and release it. Then, manually lift the garage door and stop halfway up. The door should stay in place after you let go. If it drops back down, you should call a professional garage door technician.

8. Test the Safety Features

Your garage door has two features that cause the door to reverse directions if something gets in the way. One is a pressure sensor, and the other is a photoelectric system with an eye sensor on both sides of the door.

To test the pressure sensor, place a piece of wood or brick underneath your open garage door and activate the opener. The door should reverse directions when it hits the object. To test the photoelectric system, operate your garage door and pass a broom head underneath the door. When the broom breaks the laser path between the two sides of the door, the door should go back up. 

If your garage door is particularly old, it may not have any safety mechanisms in place. Since most municipal codes require them, it’s time to start shopping for a new garage door.

9. Keep Up to Date with Building Code Requirements

Local and state governments and international organizations set The building codes for garage doors in the United States. North Carolina has their own organization, which adopts the International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) as the basis for the state’s building codes.

It is important to note that building codes are updated regularly to reflect changes in technology, safety standards and other factors. Your garage door may have met code requirements when installed, but it may no longer comply after a few years.

To ensure your garage door is up to code, work with a licensed and experienced local professional familiar with local building codes in your state or county. They can advise you on any necessary upgrades or modifications to bring your garage door into compliance with current regulations.

Ask About Our Preventative Maintenance Programs

Proper maintenance of your garage door is vital to the health of your garage door. Taking a few precautions can extend the life of your door for years to come. If you want an expert to handle your yearly maintenance, ask us about our preventative maintenance program. For one affordable price, an experienced technician will replace all the rollers for one garage door, lubricate all moving parts, test and adjust springs and check your garage door opener.

With a preventative maintenance program from Marvin’s Garage Doors, our expert service providers will ensure your residential or commercial garage door is in working order and let you know if you need a repair. 

Contact us today to learn more.

Choosing the Right Garage Door Installer in North Carolina

Installing a new garage door offers an exceptionally impressive return on your investment. The right garage door can improve your home’s curb appeal, make your home more secure and offer you the convenience you’re looking for. There are many occasions when it’s time to replace an existing garage door.

When you decide to replace your garage door at home or at your business, or when you’re looking to install a garage door for the first time as part of a new construction project, the question is, “Who should you hire?” Hiring the right garage door installation company is important if you want to have a positive experience and get an attractive, well-functioning garage door you love.

View Our Garage Door Gallery

We’re going to offer some guidance to help you with choosing a garage door installer. Specifically, we’re considering how you can find the best garage door installers in North Carolina, though our advice is valid no matter where you call home. When you partner with the best for your garage door installation, you can expect great results and get the most out of your investment.

Why You Should Hire a Professional Installer

When you choose to install a new garage door, whether it’s part of a new construction project or to replace an existing garage door, you may wonder whether you need to hire professional installers at all. After all, the internet is full of DIY instructions and tips that may be able to guide you through the process yourself. This is not a project most homeowners should tackle on their own, though.

Simply put, if you want professional results, you need to hire a professional installer. Let’s look at a few reasons why you should hire a professional garage door technician:

• Experience: A professional installer will likely have plenty of experience that allows them to install your garage door more effectively than you could. Some home projects may lend themselves well to a DIY approach, but this isn’t one of them. Professional installers have valuable expertise that allows them to solve any problems quickly and install your garage door effectively.
• Time: One reason you should think twice about trying to install your own garage door us that it can be a time-consuming project since you have to start from scratch learning the steps and figuring out the process as you go. When you hire a professional to install your garage door, the project will be completed efficiently so you don’t have to wait for your new garage door to boost your home’s curb appeal.
• Safety: Since professional installers have experience installing garage doors, they know how to stay safe on the job. Installing a garage door if you’re inexperienced can be a dangerous undertaking and could result in some unfortunate injuries. When you want to prioritize safety, hiring a professional installer is definitely the way to go.
• Equipment: If you attempt to install your garage door yourself, you may end up having to make a trip to the hardware store for equipment to make the installation possible or more convenient. Professional installers, however, will have all the equipment on hand that they need to get the job done.
• Warranty: An amateur garage door installation could void your garage door’s warranty since the warranty will likely include some standards for installation. A professional installer will have the expertise needed to meet the manufacturer’s standards so you don’t need to worry about voiding your warranty.
• Convenience: Finally, hiring a professional technician to install your garage door makes your life easier. By entrusting this task to a professional, you can forgo the hassle of figuring out how to tackle the project on your own. When you partner with the right installer, your installation will be taken care of swiftly and with an expert level of care and attention to detail so you can expect great results.

When you want to make your life easier and get the job done right, you should leave your garage door installation to the professionals. If you attempt to install your garage door yourself, you run the risk of getting injured, wasting time or running into problems you can’t solve. A professional will handle every aspect of your installation so all you have to do is appreciate the great results.

Find a Reputable Garage Door Installer

As we’ve seen, there are some major benefits to hiring a professional garage door installer, but to capitalize on these benefits, you want to hire the best garage door installer in your area. For the remainder of this post, we’re going to focus on how to choose a garage door installer in North Carolina that meets or exceeds your expectations so you are confident in the results of your garage door installation.

One of the first things you want to pay attention to when you start to compare some installers to partner with is their reputation. There are a few ways you can form an accurate impression of a company’s reputation, including:

• Personal recommendations: If you have any friends, family, coworkers or neighbors who recently had new garage doors installed at their home or business, ask them which local company they hired and what their experience was like. One person’s personal recommendation doesn’t mean everything, but it can help steer you in the right direction.
• Online reviews: Today, many people turn to online reviews to help them determine whether to hire a business. Nearly three-quarters of consumers say they trust a local business more when they see positive reviews. Online review platforms allow previous customers to share their unfiltered opinions, which lends a special level of credibility to them. While no single review should be taken as gospel, a wealth of positive reviews is always a great sign.
• Published testimonials: You can also check a company’s website or informational pamphlets they hand out to see if they share any testimonials from previous customers. While companies aren’t likely to share negative testimonials, these testimonials can still be valuable since they provide some insight into what sets this company apart. Are they known for efficiency or excellent customer service? Maybe they offer special discounts or superior results.
• Better Business Bureau rating: Another smart strategy is to check to see whether a business is accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and how the BBB has rated the business. BBB ratings don’t factor in customer reviews, so they’re a good objective measure to consider. Look for a business with an A or A+ rating, which indicates they are a company you can trust.

Using all four of the strategies above can help you determine whether a company has the reputation to give you peace of mind and a high level of confidence that you’ll be satisfied with their work.

Stick to Installers With Local Expertise

We’ve mentioned hiring local garage door installers, but you may find an out-of-town installer that works within a broader radius and is willing to come to you or you may encounter a company that comes through your area temporarily to do business. We recommend sticking with local garage door installers since they will know your area best. You may wonder why local expertise matters when it comes to garage doors.

There are a couple of reasons. One is that, as a general rule, you can expect a company focused on your local area to provide better customer service than a larger company that isn’t located in your city. Local companies tend to have a vested interest in their community and in maintaining a positive reputation and presence among local customers.

Another reason locality matters is because your geographical location should play a role in the process of choosing the right garage door for you. Ideally, you’ll want your garage door dealer and installer to come from the same company. Partnering with a local company means your dealer can assist you with picking a garage door that’s well-suited to your environment.

For example, in North Carolina, most of us should be concerned with installing a garage door that is well insulated so we can keep the heat from infiltrating our homes on those hot summer days. Homeowners on North Carolina’s coast will want to choose a garage door that stands up to salty sea air. In other parts of the country, other weather factors like heavy rainfall, snow or ice may be an issue that plays into choosing the right garage door installer.

When you partner with a local company for your garage door installation, you can expect them to treat you like a neighbor and use their local knowledge to help you make the best decision for your home or business.

Choose a Garage Door Company With Experience

Some general contractors or handy people you know may be willing to install a garage door for you, but you want to work with an experienced garage door installer. This could be a garage door installation contractor with specialized knowledge or a professional technician from a garage door installation company. Installing garage doors is an unlicensed trade in North Carolina, making it especially important that you consider a company’s reputation and their level of experience before hiring them.

You can trust an experienced, knowledgeable installer to understand the details surrounding a quality garage door installation. It’s especially helpful if they have experience installing the particular garage door setup you purchase. If you work with a dealer who also employs installers, then there’s a great chance your installer will be familiar with your garage door system.

Experience doesn’t just come down to the individual technician who installs your garage door. You want to look for a well-established company with years of experience. A company that has been around for decades has had time to learn the best practices for hiring the best technicians and satisfying their customers.

Being around for a while also gives a garage door installation company a chance to demonstrate their commitment or lack thereof to customer satisfaction. As we mentioned in the last section, you want to consider word-of-mouth information from friends and family, online reviews and testimonials on a company’s website to form a picture of how the company treats their customers. This can help you determine whether they would be a good fit for your installation project.

Ask Questions About Their Business

When you’ve found a local company with years of experience and a positive reputation, then you can end your search here, but you may still want to ask a few questions — especially if you’ve narrowed your search down to a couple of businesses and need to make a final decision. Let’s look at some examples of questions you may want to ask:

• How long have you been in business?
• Which garage door manufacturer’s products do you sell?
• How much experience do your technicians have with installations?
• Do you maintain insurance for your workers?
• When could I expect my installation to be completed?
• Do you guarantee your work or offer any sort of warranty or service plan?
• Can I hire your company in the future for my garage door maintenance?
• Which payment methods do you accept?
• What payment plans do you offer customers?

Depending on what information you find in your search and what you’re still left wondering, you may come up with some questions of your own. Don’t be afraid to ask your questions as long as they are relevant to the business’s reputation and operations or the products they sell. Remember, if a company brushes off your questions or seems annoyed that you’re asking them, this is a red flag. As the customer, you should always feel welcome to ask questions that help you feel confident in your choice, and businesses should be eager to share their answers.

In addition to the questions above, you’ll likely also want to ask about pricing. Garage door companies should be willing to give you a free quote for your installation so you can make an informed decision.

Choose Marvin’s Garage Doors for Installation Services in North Carolina

Choosing a garage door dealer in North Carolina doesn’t have to be a difficult process. When you want to work with the best, partner with Marvin’s Garage Doors. If you live in or near the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina, whether it be Wilkesboro, Winston Salem, Boone, East Bend or anywhere else, Marvin’s Garage Doors is your local, trusted source for garage door installations. Our family-owned business has been in operation for nearly half a century, so we’ve had plenty of time to develop a reputation for excellence in all we do.

As certified Clopay garage door dealers, we can help you choose from Clopay’s extensive catalog of industry-leading products so you can select the perfect garage door for your home or business. Our certified professionals can also provide you with the expert services you need, whether for new installations or existing garage door repairs.

For quality garage door installations from a company you can trust in Northwestern North Carolina, contact Marvin’s today. We’re happy to answer your questions so you can be confident you’re working with the best.

What to Do if You Damage Your Garage Door

A garage door should operate smoothly. It should give you peace of mind knowing that when you come home from work and push the remote button, your door will open without any issues. When you leave in the morning or go out on the weekends, the door should close securely, protecting your belongings inside. However, your garage might not always work as it should.

Anything can go wrong with your garage door at any time. It could get stuck open, causing a serious security threat. On the other hand, it might not open at all, forcing you to leave your car or storage items outside, leaving them vulnerable to thieves, vandals or the elements. A damaged garage door that becomes stuck halfway is also a security issue, making it difficult to get anything in or out of the garage. 

Call 336-830-8468 Now For Repair Services

If you accidentally backed into your door when trying to leave the garage or otherwise damaged your garage door panels, stay calm. Many people have done this. Some people have accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake. Others have crashed into their door during the winter after their car slid on ice.

When you discover a damaged part of the garage door, you must address the issue as soon as possible. Garage door damage hurts your home’s curb appeal and can also cause a potential safety risk that leaves your door susceptible to further damage.

Jump to Section:

• Common Causes of Garage Door Damage
• Repairing vs. Replacing a Damaged Garage Door
• Do You Need to Call Insurance
• Garage Door Repair Costs

Common Causes of Garage Door Damage

You may experience issues with your garage door for many reasons. Typically, garage door problems are linked to a few simple causes — a technical issue, an obstruction, wear and tear or simply old equipment. The most common causes of damaged garage doors include:

1. Spring breakage: There’s no way around it — springs break. They can break due to the amount of usage — the more you use your garage door, the sooner they can break. Also, older springs are more vulnerable to breakage than newer ones.
2. Cable breakage: The term “wire rope” refers to the garage door’s lifting cables. While categorized as “aircraft quality,” they can and will become brittle over time and start to fray. Once they begin to fray, they start to unwind and may snap.
3. The photo eye: This is a tiny sensor located on both sides of your garage door, usually a few inches from the ground. It projects an invisible beam across your garage door, ensuring it doesn’t close on top of a person or object. The photo eye is one of your garage door’s most essential safety features, but it can become misaligned if an object knocks it or the light beams become disconnected. Bad weather or water damage may also disrupt the circuit.
4. Electrical issues: Your garage door requires electricity to open. However, in some cases, the fuse can blow, or the wires may become frayed. Flooding or water damage may also cause hazardous electrical issues that should be fixed by a professional who understands the electrical components of the garage door.
5. Wear and tear: As with appliances, the mechanisms responsible for opening and closing your garage door can become subject to wear and tear. For example, rollers can wear out. Consider investing in premium rollers to ensure your door operates smoothly for a longer period to prevent your garage door from being damaged further.
   
6. Obstacles: Many people use their garages as storage units. If your garage is full of furniture, tools or gardening materials, an item could be knocked over and accidentally block the photo eye sensors. This could result in a door that has trouble opening or closing. Even large amounts of dust can be an obstacle.
7.  Getting off track: Garage doors slide along a metal track which helps them open and close quietly. If you’re having problems opening your garage door, it could be due to an alignment problem. 

These are only a few causes of garage door damage that may affect your home. Having a garage door professional inspect the door as soon as you notice something wrong can help preserve the material, keep it functioning for longer and ensure the garage stays in good condition for years to come.

Repairing vs. Replacing a Damaged Garage Door

Garage door damage repair is often the only solution you need when you have a problem affecting its function. Just because you have some springs broken doesn’t mean you need to replace the entire garage door — you just need to replace the springs. This is true of other components, such as the sensors, tracks, hinges, rollers and openers.

Learn More About Our Garage Door Repair Services

You might need a total replacement only when you have massive functional or cosmetic damage. For instance, if you forgot to open the door and backed your car into it. Garage door professionals can repair scratches, dings, dents and other slight cosmetic damage.

In many cases, you will not have to replace your whole door and can instead replace individual panels. Remember that, even if you believe you know how to fix a door, you should not attempt to make repairs yourself. If you have concerns, call an expert.

Some common repair options include:

1. Getting Your Garage Door Inspected

Identifying and addressing wear early is an integral part of the overall care for your door. Besides keeping your garage door clean and lubricating it regularly, adhering to a residential preventative maintenance program can help you keep your garage door running efficiently. It would be best to have a garage door expert inspect your door at least biannually. During the inspection, the specialist may find minor damage or wear such as: 

• Slight surface damage: Slight damage may include small fractures or cracks in the panels or chipped paint. 
• Minor damage and discoloration: The paint or surface material may have faded over time, and there may be smaller damages like a significant crack or rusted mechanisms. 
• The opportunity to touch up the paint: Chipped paint may indicate that the garage door needs inspection.
• The need to repaint the entire door: Older garage doors often need an entire refinishing, including new paint and replaced panels.
• The need to replace a window: Garage doors with windows may experience broken glass or cracks from debris, theft or harsh weather.
• The need to restain the door: Doors that were previously stained may fade over time and need a fresh coat.

Addressing these issues early can help preserve the aesthetics of your garage door. Your garage door can enhance curb appeal, complement the rest of the architecture of your home and completely transform your home’s exterior. When wear and tear show on your door, it can take away your home’s beauty.

Warping and cracking are sure signs you may wish to replace the door. The door’s age should be part of your overall decision on whether to repair or replace it. If your door is over 15 years old, it’s probably a good idea to replace it.

Request Service

2. Having the Garage Door Placed Back on Its Tracks

Hitting the door with a particular force or at a specific angle can cause the door to come off its tracks. When this happens, you’ll no longer be able to open and close the door, and you definitely shouldn’t repair it yourself. It’s best to stay away from it entirely and call a garage door professional to come and place it properly on its tracks.

3. Fixing a Stuck Garage Door

A few reasons why your garage door would become stuck in one position include:

1. 1. • Sensor obstruction: Make sure there’s nothing in the sensor’s path.
      • Wheel track obstruction: Try to close the door manually to check for obstructions on the tracks. If that’s not the issue, inspect the tracks for possible damage like bends or dents. Check to see if the door is hanging unevenly. If you notice damage or the door is hanging unevenly, call a professional.
      • Garage door opener: If you don’t see anything obstructing the sensors, the problem could be with the garage opener. Press the button on your opener to see if a light comes on. If it doesn’t, and it’s supposed to illuminate, you may just need to replace the battery.

A garage door that’s partially opened can pose security concerns and provide strangers access into your home. Try to close the door manually, but without force. Trying to force the door shut can damage the motor, opener, belt and chain. Your best option is to contact a professional who offers emergency garage door repair services.

In some cases, there could be nothing wrong with your garage door, but the lock instead. People have accidentally locked themselves out without realizing it. If you try to open your door and hear the motor running, see if the locking mechanism or bar is in place. By removing the lock, the door should become free and move. Keypads could also be the issue. Many come with a vacation mode or lock mode that disables the garage door. Ensure the keypad didn’t lock your door.

4. Repairing a Damaged Garage Door Section

Whether the bottom or middle section of the door is damaged, a professional can replace it promptly. No matter what the cause is, typically, you will only need to replace the damaged section and not the entire door. Remember, if you need to replace two or more damaged sections, the cost can almost be the same as having to replace an entire door.

Also, depending on how old your door is, it’s possible that by replacing only one or two damaged sections with the door’s original color, you could end up with a color difference, particularly in the door sheen. You can wax the undamaged sections using car wax to lessen this effect, giving each part of your door an equal shine.

5. Tending to a Garage Door That Makes a Loud Sound

If your door makes screeching, squealing or grinding noises when opening or closing it, it could indicate an accumulation of debris or dirt in the tracks or a lack of lubricant. Don’t use harsh chemicals when removing dirt to clean the tracks. Once you clean the track, coat it with lubricant made particularly for garage doors. You can use WD-40 on the hardware and tracks if you don’t have access to garage door lubricant.

If you’ve tried these steps and you continue hearing the loud noise when using your garage door, it’s time to call in a professional to see if your tracks need repair.

6. Addressing a Quickly Falling Garage Door

If your door is falling more quickly than it used to, or if it bounces around when using it, it could be due to broken cables or chains. This is a relatively inexpensive repair that should be done by a professional. However, the installation could take some time.

So, when should you repair your garage door or replace it? There are specific considerations to making this decision, such as:

1. 1. • The cost to repair the door compared to replacing it.
      • Whether an expert can fix the problem.
      • How long it will take to repair your door.

Remember, if you belong to a homeowner’s association (HOA), they might require you to gain approval from the organization if you want to replace your door because it may affect your home’s aesthetic greatly. HOAs often have strict rules regarding large cosmetic changes since they could affect the property value.

Do I Need to Call My Insurance for a Damaged Garage Door?

If you have a severely damaged garage door, it might be necessary for you to call your homeowner’s insurance company.

If you have damage to your car from hitting the garage door, you would need to contact your auto insurance company for this. But, the auto insurance company won’t cover garage door damage — that’s through your homeowner’s policy.

Be sure to check your insurance deductibles before giving them a call. It might not make sense to call them and make a claim if you’re going to end up paying too much out of pocket. In these cases, it may be wiser just to take care of the expenses yourself.

Garage Door Repair Costs

Garage door damage repair costs usually range in price depending on the types of repair you need. When it’s time to replace your garage door altogether, the costs will widely vary depending on factors such as the garage door size, the features and more. Repair and replacement costs will also vary by material type and the kind of panels.

If your door is an older door where you can no longer find replacement sections, it could cost more to repair it than replace the door. The repair cost will depend on how bad the damage is.

Labor will usually be your highest cost. Broken doors that need to be completely taken apart and reinstalled will cost you in labor.

Contact Marvin’s Garage Doors for Damaged Garage Door Repairs

If there is a problem with your garage door, you’ll want to have a professional come out and take a look. Don’t try to make repairs yourself if you suspect your garage door is broken as this could put you or your family in harm.

Contact Us for Garage Door Repairs Today

Since 1970, Marvin’s Garage Doors has been serving Northwestern North Carolina clients while remaining a family-owned and operated business. Our company performs garage door repairs quickly and efficiently, ensuring that our team of highly-qualified professionals is available to meet your needs. 

We offer service to all garage makes and models with a variety of repairs, from panel replacement to spring repairs. Marvin’s Garage Doors is located in Boone, East Bend, Wilkesboro and Winston Salem, where you’ll find assistance with replacement parts like torsion and extension springs and 24/7 emergency service. 

Contact us online to schedule your garage door repair appointment, or call our emergency line at 336-813-2601.

Choosing the Right Garage Door for Your Home in North Carolina

For most homeowners, garage doors are an important part of their lives. When searching for a new home, many potential buyers have garages on their checklist of desires. When preparing to put a home on the market, sellers realize that garages and their doors are a crucial factor in a home’s curb appeal.

View Our Garage Door Gallery

If current trends continue, garages will only become more common. Consider these statistics from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB): In new constructions of single-family homes in 2014, 61.9% included a two-car garage. Another 23.5% included a garage that could hold three or more cars. Only 10% were classified as “other,” which would include carports, street parking or a driveway without a garage.

In other words, garages are a part of America’s residential landscape — and there’s no sign of that changing.

But what if your garage is due for an upgrade? Perhaps you’re looking to put your home on the market and you want to make sure your property stands out. Or perhaps you want to improve your garage for yourself by upgrading your door’s functionality, its look or its level of insulation.

Regardless, we know that choosing a garage door is only getting harder, mainly because the variety of colors, materials and designs is only growing more varied to meet consumer demands. That’s why we’ve putting together this guide on how to choose a garage door style.

So, if you’re in the market for garage doors in North Carolina but are finding yourself asking, “Which garage door should I buy?” then this guide is the place to start.

Importance of Making the Right Garage Door Choice

Before we get to the basics of choosing the right garage door, we wanted to spell out some of the reasons why making the right choice is so important.

As we mentioned before, a home’s resale value is a strong motivating factor behind garage door replacement projects. According to the National Association of Realtors, a garage door is one of the most appealing home improvement projects for potential buyers, with an estimated project recovery value of 87%. That means you will, on average, recover 87% of the cost of a new garage door upon selling your home.

However, even if you aren’t planning on selling your home anytime soon, a new garage door is still a great investment. In the same study cited above, a new garage door also ranked among the best home improvement projects for owner satisfaction, meaning those who added a garage door just for themselves felt the project vastly improved their home.

Excited yet? You should be! Now, think about all the ways your garage door impacts your life at home.

It’s a large surface, meaning your garage door is a visual centerpiece of your home. When people drive by your home, your garage door stands out! That’s why you want to make a thoughtful choice about your garage door design.

As such a large surface, your door also has a profound impact on the insulation of your home. While many homeowners put a layer of insulation between their garages and the rest of their house, those who want above-average insulation often turn to their garage doors. Garage door designers have responded by creating specially insulated doors that will make a garage as cozy as a den with a fireplace!

Security is also a concern. Because of the location and size of a garage door, many thieves target garages during break-ins. Their hope is to find a home with an older garage door, which tend to have inferior and possibly archaic security measures — if they’re secure at all. Newer garage doors are much better at deterring intruders.

Finally, safety technology is much better on newer garage doors. For those with young families or pets, a new garage door is a great way to ensure little ones avoid accidental injuries. Considering the weight of a garage door and the power of a garage door opener, injuries can be significant or even fatal. The latest safety measures drastically reduce the chance of an accident.

Architectural Styles

If you’re ready to start thinking about the ideal garage door, you first want to establish the style of door that will best match your home. Depending on the architecture of your home, different styles may work better than others:

• Colonial or Victorian Homes: If your home was built over a hundred years ago or is designed to look like it was, you want to invest in a door that mimics that look. Because people didn’t drive cars back then, many garage doors made to match such homes are designed to look like old carriage house or stable doors. They may have paneled wood or a more modern material designed to mimic paneled wood, plus divided light windows and decorative hardware like wrought iron.

View Carriage House Garage Doors

• Arts & Crafts: Popular around the turn of the 20th century, these homes pair especially well with garage doors that have raised panels and arched windows. Because window design was so important to arts and crafts architects, matching garage windows with the windows already installed throughout the home is a great place to start.

• Ranch: Ranch-style homes have fewer architectural flourishes. As such, many ranch owners opt for simpler, more straightforward garages. Because ranch homes are designed horizontally — meaning they are longer than they are tall — horizontal slats work well visually. To emphasize the flatness of the garage door, you can also choose to opt out of handles. It’s worth noting that this was one of the first architectural schools of home design to incorporate garages regularly. As such, you may choose to maintain the look of the original home design.

• Modern: Modern and contemporary homes are all about making a statement. Consequently, these homes pair well with bold garage door design choices. V-shaped paneling would look strange on most homes but goes well with a modern home. Asian-inspired design also fits in well with the geometry of modern design, as do steel and other non-wood doors.

Color Choice

In addition to picking your design style, you also need to choose a color. Needless to say, there are many different directions you can go with color.

Some people look for contrast. For example, if your home is painted a light color but has more boldly-colored shutters or trim around the windows, you may choose to use the same color on your garage door.

However, you can go over the top with this approach, since your garage door is much larger than your shutters. Using a complementary hue lets you visually add much more of your home’s secondary color. This could be overwhelming, especially on a multi-car garage.

If you have nice wood grain finishes throughout the exterior of your house, you can also opt to match those. This will give your garage door a luxurious and high-end look even if you go with a faux-finish.

Some people still prefer the clean look of a white door, however. While design options have increasingly become more varied, this traditional garage door look is still a popular choice — especially with newer homes.

Those with brick houses sometimes choose from the tan family of colors to match their door to the mortar between the bricks.

Check Out Our Other Garage Door Styling Tips

Stock Versus Custom

If you have exacting tastes, it might be worth it to invest in a custom or even semi-custom door. However, know that such an approach increases the price of a door significantly. But if you have a particular vision for the project, you might find that nothing less will satisfy.

Luckily, even if you can’t justify a custom door, there’s a wealth of options in stock doors. You won’t necessarily need to sacrifice design.

However, know that if you have a custom-sized garage entryway, you may need to invest in a custom or semi-custom door regardless. Fortunately, home designers and contractors are unlikely to design new construction with a custom-sized garage door, so newer homes usually use a standard-size door unless the original homeowner specifically requested an alternative size.

Choosing Materials

In addition to color, you need to choose your materials. Each material has certain advantages and disadvantages.

Real wood is the pinnacle of luxury. As such, it also can be a bit more pricey. However, if you have solid wood entry doors, matching your garage door can increase the cohesion of your exterior design. However, wood is also harder to maintain — especially in certain climates. Harsh winters and salt water can damage wood, meaning homeowners will need to do more to maintain their investment.

View Real Wood Garage Doors

On the other hand, aluminum doors are more affordable and, in certain conditions, more durable. However, many homeowners — especially those with young kids who may use a door as a back stop for a baseball game — worry about denting with more affordable aluminum doors.

Luckily, design improvements have made many of these choices easier. For example, even the more budget-friendly garage doors are more durable these days than their predecessors. They also come with faux-wood grain looks that make it easier to blend them in with older homes. On the other hand, wood door designers have found increasingly effective ways to protect doors from the elements, thereby reducing the amount of maintenance required.

Insulation

As we mentioned above, newer garage doors are designed with insulation in mind. But if you want robust insulation in your door, you may be limited to certain designs. That’s because insulation must be installed within a hollow door. That’s not possible if you want solid wood doors.

However, even in solid wood doors, modern design has increased the insulation capability on a wide range of options. A lot of this has to do with tight fits between joints. Even without extra insulation, a door without any drafts will be more energy-efficient than older doors that are better insulated but drafty.

Learn More About Energy-Efficient Garage Doors

Look at the listed insulation factors for new doors. If it isn’t listed, ask the vendor. You may be surprised to find that certain materials are still energy-efficient even if they aren’t filled with special insulation.

Pay Attention to Homeowners’ Associations

If you live in certain neighborhoods or gated communities, you may have a homeowner’s association (HOA). Keep in mind that many HOAs have restrictions concerning changes to the exterior of your home. Because of the size of a garage door, making a change of this scale will likely fall under these guidelines. And considering how obvious the change will be, you are certainly not going to get away with flouting these bylaws.

So make sure you start with your HOA guidelines if this situation applies to you. It’s possible that some of the rules may be open to interpretation, but ignorance is not a solid defense if you aren’t sure if your new door violates the regulations or not. If the HOA opts to sue to force you to replace the door, know that you will be responsible for the replacement costs. While a new garage door is a great investment, buying two doors is not!

Decoration vs. Security

Many beautiful garage door designs feature lots of windows and other decorative elements. However, depending on the security needs in your area, you may need to weigh the benefit of design against the security risks of extra decoration.

Because garage door designers are aware of the importance of security for their customers, they have done a lot to make sure their doors are both beautiful and secure. However, there are limits.

For example, while the door itself may be extremely secure, know that many burglars like to scope out a potential target ahead of time. If they can see into your garage and notice something enticing enough to risk a break-in, they will likely come back — even if it means finding a different way into your home. The door itself may have been secure, but the windows made it an attractive nuisance to the criminal element.

If you really want windows but are worried about security, consider frosted glass. This will allow light in but will obscure the contents of your garage. Additionally, talk to your vendor about door security measures. They will be able to point to particular issues that may influence the security of your door while giving you tips on how to maintain a door to keep it secure.

Partnering With an Excellent Vendor

Finally, when choosing a door, the key is to work with a vendor you can trust. By partnering with a good vendor, you can discuss your concerns and they can respond with a door that meets your needs.

If you are in the Winston-Salem, Wilkesboro or Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, look no further than Marvin’s Garage Doors. As the leaders in Winston-Salem garage doors, we have the experience to make sure you find the perfect door for your home.

Since 1970, we’ve been helping both residential and commercial clients find doors that fit their needs and match their lifestyles. As a Clopay^® Master Authorized Dealer, we offer a wide selection of America’s best-made and highest-quality garage doors and accessories.

View Our Selection of Garage Door Styles

So if you’re ready to choose a garage door or you’d like some help finding your perfect match, contact us today. We can’t wait to hear from you!