Question: My garage door is “sticking” when I open or close my garage door. Is this an easy garage door repair?

- Roger in Westchase

Answer: This problem is typically one of the easiest fixes for your garage door and garage door opener. The hinges and rollers on your garage door can seize up over time, making it difficult for the garage door to open and close smoothly. Typically, proper lubrication can fix the problem. Ignoring the issue can lead to compounding problems by putting undo stresses on other components which will lead to a more costly repair down the road.

We at Certified Garage Door offer a full lubrication and inspection for under $40! We will even sell you an approved lubricant and show you how & when to apply it to help prolong the life of your garage door and garage door opener. One final note…WD-40 and other grease based lubricants will only attract more dust and dirt and make the problem far worse.

Tags: DIY Garage Door Repair, Garage Door Opener Repair, Garage Door Opener Service, Garage Door Openers, Garage Door Service, Garage Doors
Posted in General

Garage doors installed in 2009 or 2010 may be eligible for a tax credit of 30% up to $1,500.

The stimulus legislation enacted in Feb 2009 provides tax credits for energy efficient home improvements, including qualifying insulated garage doors. By acting now that $1,500 insulated garage door energy savings tax credit can go along way towards paying for your purchase. (Installation costs are NOT covered for garage doors, just the cost of the garage door itself is covered by the tax credit.)

The tax credit works like this:

• The garage door must be installed between Jan. 1, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2010.
• Your tax credit is based on the total material cost of the garage door purchase (the cost of installation does not qualify).
• Your tax credit is equal to 30% of the total qualifying garage doors material cost up to a maximum of $1,500.
• The garage door must have a U-factor equal to or less than 0.30. If the door contains windows, the door must offer a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC ) equal to or less than 0.30.
• The garage door must be an insulated residential garage door.
• The door perimeter must have a means to control air infiltration, leaks.
• The garage door must be expected to remain in service for at least five years.
• The garage must be part of the taxpayer’s principal U.S. residence. It does NOT have to be attached to the residence.

Tags: Garage Door Replacement, Green Garage Door, Insulated Garage Door, New Garage Door, Tax Credit
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“Wind pressure is often the most devastating culprit in a hurricane. A category 3 hurricane with winds of 130 mph exerts pressures equivalent to the weight of a typical family car on a two-car garage door.” – Dr. Steve Lyons, The Weather Channel.

FACT: About 80% of residential wind damage starts with wind entry through the garage door.(1)

FACT: Less than 30% of homes in hurricane prone areas have adequate garage door wind load reinforcement systems.(2)

FACT: Fewer than 50% of consumers in hurricane prone areas know that their garage doors are required to meet building code criteria for wind pressures.(2)

FACT: Winds can stay above hurricane strength many miles inland. Hurricane Hugo (1989) battered Charlotte, North Carolina—about 175 miles inland—with gusts to near 100 mph.(3)

A hurricane rated garage door will help protect your home from much higher hurricane winds than a non-hurricane rated door. Your garage door opening is your largest opening your home and if the garage door fails, the amount of wind pressure entering your garage is capable of ripping the roof right off of your home. The roof is often not able to withstand the lifting force from underneath. Different counties have different hurricane code requirements for garage doors. We at Certified Garage Door Inc will take the extra time to explain what your code is and why, and which hurricane rated garage doors meet both your counties codes requirements as well as your personal needs.

A building code is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and non-building structures. The main purpose of the building codes is to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the construction and occupancy of buildings and structures.

• Link to Florida Building Code – wind load guide
• Link to map of Florida’s Wind Borne Debris Regions
• Articles on garage doors / hurricanes & your Home

Sources: 1. Copyright 2007, Federal Alliance for Safe Homes. 2. August 2006, Electronic Answers – Amarr Garage Door Hurricane Preparedness Study. 3. Revised August 2001, Hurricanes…Unleasing Natures Fury: A Preparedness Guide, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service.

Tags: Garage Door Hurricane Damage, Garage Door Opener Repair, Garage Door Opener Service, Garage Door Openers, Garage Door Replacement, Garage Door Service, Garage Doors, Hurricane Wind Damage
Posted in General, Hints, Tips & Tricks, Safety Tips