Extra Ceiling Space

Make your garage more of a fully three-dimensional storage space by installing ledges on the ceiling that can hold storage boxes. The ledges look like I-beams, and can hold more room than you would’ve thought possible; this really declutters a house when done correctly.

Erect a Do It Yourself Work Bench on the Wall

This can be embedded right in the wall, so that you never need search for your tools again, more or less. This idea of making use of the preexisting wall can be extended to a place for all of your garden tools, as well. You’ve got at least three walls to work with, after all. Turn one entire wall into a storage space by nailing ledges to it.

Turn It Into an Extra Work Room

If you don’t need to park your vehicles in the garage, then it’s large enough to convert into an ample-sized office. Put in carpeting and build desks and cabinets into the wall. Just in case you already have an adequate office in the main house, then your garage can make a very nice home gym.

Change the Lights

Most garages have fluorescent lighting; but if you are upgrading it into an office or work room, then you should replace these with LEDs. they last a lot longer and are more efficient; plus, the right colors simulate natural light much better.

These are some of the top upgrades you’ll find in most garages; there are others, but they depend on specific uses you might have for in your particular case.

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Like any major appliance in the home the garage door and the garage door opener should be regularly maintained to prevent poor service or possible failure. To begin maintenance, tell everyone in the home your plan to work on the garage door or opener to prevent any possible injury. The first step to garage door maintenance is simple: stand inside the garage with the garage door closed; inspect the springs, rollers, pulleys and all of the mounting hardware for both the garage door and the opener. If there are any signs of damage or noticeable wear to these components, it may be time to call your garage door professional to replace the damaged or worn components (Remember garage doors are held up under a lot of tension, and a trained professional should be called to replace damaged hardware to prevent any possible injury to the homeowner).

The balance of the garage door should also be regularly checked to ensure the garage door is opening and closing with no resistance along its track. With the garage door closed, disconnect the automatic door opener, and, with the automatic door opener disconnected, lift the garage door manually into an open position. If the door moves smoothly and freely into the upward position, the door is in alignment. If, however, the door catches and drags on the rails, a trained garage door technician should properly service the door.

The garage door’s reversing mechanism – devices which have been added to all garage doors built after 1993 and are responsible for the prevention of the possible entrapment of a person under the garage door – should also be tested regularly. To test the door’s reversing mechanism, open the garage door and place a two by four on the garage floor directly in the path of the garage door. With the two by four in place, close the garage door onto it. When the garage door falls on the two by four and makes contact, the garage door should retreat back up on the track into the open position. If the door does not immediately retract, call your garage door service technician to fix the reversing mechanism.

On a final note, a small amount of lubrication can be added to all of the garage doors moving parts. Make sure that the garage door is either in a fully opened or closed position while working on the garage door, and stand clear of the garage door and all of the moving parts when the garage door is activated.

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It’s common for garage doors to need regular maintenance, but even with a consistent maintenance schedule, the hardware on the garage door can become loose or begin to wear out.  Usually you will know the hardware is damaged or loose, because the garage door will shudder in its track, or it may even get stuck halfway up (a stuck garage door is also a symptom for other door problems).  Think of it as a garage door tune-up, and here are a few ways to do it.

First, with the garage door in the closed position (if someone might accidentally turn on the garage door while you are working on it, it may be wise to disconnect the garage door opener) tighten down all of the hardware.  Usually the hardware that causes the most trouble will be near the track, where the continual jarring of the door moving up and down may loosen it.  A socket set and a wrench should be the right tools for the job.  However, be sure, when you are tightening down the hardware, that you don’t over tighten any of the screws or bolts, because this could strip the threads.

If the door is especially noisy near the track, it may be time to replace the rollers and the hinges.  For most people this will be a job for professionals, and the garage door technicians at Bailey Garage Door can certainly handle this job.  If you choose to do this yourself, you can contact Bailey Garage Doors for the necessary hardware for the job.  Use caution if you are replacing the rollers, and only replace one roller at a time.  If your door has tension springs at the header, a job like this can be dangerous, and you should refer to a professional to do the job.  Mishandling tension springs could cost you serious injury.

Garage Doors like the kind found at Bailey’s can last for years if kept up with regular maintenance.  If you think that your garage door is having problems, and you have been unable to diagnose the problem yourself, call Bailey Garage Doors, and rely on the experience of their garage door technicians.

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What’s stored in the garage?

Mice can build little nests in the most cramped of spaces. Going into your garage you should look at what’s being store there.  Are there old pieces of furniture? Do you store boxes or other loose trash there? Is there a woodpile stocked in the garage? All of these places make for excellent mouse habitat. First, clean out the garage, specifically what’s on the floor. While mice can take up residence about anywhere, place like a cardboard box stuffed with tissue or even the pile of dead grass and leaves beneath the lawnmower are nothing more than future rodent residencies. Also, wood stacked in the garage is convenient for those cold days, but it’s also providing a comfortable nook for mice to sleep.

Clean the Garage

Mice are drawn to the smells of most things, especially food, trash, or dog food. Keep the garage clean of bags of trash. Also, if you store food in the garage, make sure everything is well-sealed. Loose food should be stored in cans or containers with a tight fitting lid. Dog foods should be also kept in a sealed container. Remember, Mice really, really love dog food—don’t give them a reason to come in for a meal.

If your garage is a mess and you’ve decided to clean it up, take precautions. You may already have mice, and mice can carry certain diseases like hantavirus, which can be transmitted to humans by breathing in the dust exposed to it.  It’s nothing to overly worry about, because diseases like these are very rare. However, when you’re cleaning, take simple precautions such as a breathing mask and keep the garage well-ventilated.

Contact Bailey Doors for all of your garage door needs.

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First of all, it’s important to give the garage door a look and listen test.  When you open and close the door are there any strange sounds?  Does the door move smoothly in its track?  If the door’s making a rubbing sound, try to locate the sound—eyes only, don’t put hands anywhere near the moving parts of a garage door!  Also, if the door comes jarringly up the track, check the track when the door is in a down position.  Both sides of the garage door’s moving parts—springs, cables, and pulleys—should look symmetrical.

It’s a common problem for a garage door to have problems with the springs.  Springs are under intense pressures and often, because of this, the springs can wear out or break over time.  A worn spring could cause the garage door to stick in its track, or open and close jarringly.  To check the springs, disable the garage door opener, and lift the garage door halfway up into its track.  If the door balances there, the springs are in good condition.  If the door doesn’t balance, it’s often the springs, and, because springs are a notoriously dangerous component to fix, it is important to call a professional.

It’s also important to keep the garage door and the moving components lubricated.  There should never be any lubricant applied to the track.  This can do more harm than it would do good.  The track can be wiped clean, but lubricant could cause the door to slip in its track.  Lubricants can be applied to all the moving parts of the garage door.  For Garage door opener models, like Screw and Chain Drive models, it is also important to lubricate this component.

Also, make sure that all of the safety components are working properly.  The safety sensors should be working appropriately: the sensors are lit with green lights and the door can be closed by pressing the garage door opener.

Visit Bailey Garage Doors for all of your garage door needs.

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Today’s real estate market is steady: it’s rising—for now anyway—and potential sellers are faced with considerable inventory still backlogged from a time when people struggled to sell homes for bottom-barrel prices. So, it’s important that a potential home stand out from the rest. A quality garage door from Bailey Garage Doors, grinning bright and new like a bright-white smile, greeting potential buyers, would seem to go far in today’s market. And, it may also set a home apart on price.

Also, is the door opener functioning properly? Are the safety measures such as the safety sensors functioning properly? This is important to new buyers: most buyers don’t want to buy a home they’ll have to invest considerable extra money for repairs. Check the safety sensors. The lights on the sensors should be green. Place an object in the way of the sensors and try to close the door. If the sensors are in working condition, the door wont be able to close properly on the object. Make sure to keep your hand on the opener switch, however, if the sensors are out of alignment, and the door closes without activating its sensors. Also, make sure that the door both recedes back up into the track and descends back into a closed position smoothly. If there’s a mechanical issue with the door, give a professional a call. Many garage door parts like a broken spring are best fixed by someone with the knowledge to do so, because the components are under such pressures that if mishandled it could cause serious injury or even death.  Call Bailey Doors today for all of your garage door needs! (406) 656-2905

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The screw drive opener rides on a trolley that moves up and down a steel rod. The screw drive openers operate with much less force than other models. There are many advantages to the screw drive openers, and the main advantage is its simplicity. There are very few moving parts that the homeowner will need to maintain over the life of the opener.

Chain Drive openers are the most common and oldest of the garage door openers. The opener operates the door up and down by turning a chain (similar in appearance and operation to a bicycle chain) with one end of the chain connected to a part called the J-Arm, which is attached to the garage door itself, with the other end attached to the trolley. Chain drives are also the most economical garage door opener, and, while older chain drive garage door openers were loud, newer technology has quieted the starting and stopping motion of these openers.

Belt Drives are the quietest of the openers, and they operate in the same way as the chain drive openers. Instead of the chain, a belt is used. The belt drive has a sleek appearance, and, because the belt itself is made of a fiberglass, reinforced rubber, the vibrations caused from starting and stopping the garage door is greatly reduced.

All garage doors openers have pros and cons, and a homeowner should give preference to which opener fits both his lifestyle and his style.

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Choose Your Style and Material
There are a handful of different garage styles, and multiple different types of garage building materials. Why style is definitely your personal preference and should go along with the style of your home, consider the climate you live in and your budget when choosing material. Wood doors, for example, are stunning, but can be very expensive. If you live in a place where temperatures are known to change sporadically from hot to cold, then fiberglass doors might be the better option. Or, if you live in an area that’s prone to burglary or violent weather, then steel doors—which are incredibly strong—could offer you exactly what you’re looking for.

Consider Garage Door Safety
A garage door with added safety features can be key, especially if you have children at home who might be at risk of a garage door injury. The newest garage doors on the market are pinch-resistant, pushing fingers out of the way when closing; feature tamper-resistant brackets that reduce the risk of injury under tension; and come equipped with reversing features that will cause the garage door to open back up if something is in its way upon closing.

Don’t Forget About Insulation
You might assume that insulation in a garage door is a waste of money. But with the increasing focus on energy conservation and space maximization, choosing a garage door that provides adequate insulation may end up being important to you and your family—you could end up using your garage door as a place for social gathering or as a place for work., among other things When choosing insulation for your garage, look for the garage’s R-value. A higher R-value is indicative of more thermal insulation, i.e., a higher R-value is equal to less outside noise and increased warmth. Remember, just because a door looks thick does not mean that it has a high R-value.

Consult with a Professional to Learn More
If you still have questions about what kind of garage door is right for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to a garage door professional to learn more today.

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A garage door should receive a tune-up at least once a year, and although that seems like a difficult task it becomes easier as long as you follow these simple steps.

Look for Problem Spots
The first step in your garage door tune-up is to look for any obvious problem spots in your garage door system. Rollers should be in working order, the seal around the door should be pliable and the door itself should not be dented or warped. Any parts that are overly worn or damaged should be replaced.

It is also important to disconnect the power to the garage door opener before looking over your garage door system. The last thing you want is to have your garage door to open while you’re working.

Lubricate the Roller
If you have metal rollers, they can be easily lubricated with WD-40. If you have vinyl or rubber rollers, you will have to use another lubricant since WD-40 can damage non-metal components.

Re-Align Locking Bars
Misaligned locking bars are common and can prevent the garage door from sliding into the slots on the door track and locking into place. If the locking bars are misaligned, loosen the screws on the guide brackets that hold the locking bars in place and tap them gently into place with a hammer until they are aligned with the slots. Tighten the screws when you’re finished.

Inspect and Clean Moving Parts
Your garage door has several moving parts, which is why it is subject to so much wear and tear. Loose bolts and screws will all need to be tightened, and any gummy parts will need to be removed and soaked in mineral spirits. To make sure all parts that are removed are put back in the right place, try to only remove one part at a time.

Lubricate Chains and Springs
The chains of a garage door system can be lubricated with white lithium grease, while the springs will require a silicone-based spray. The springs are under a lot of tension and can pose a safety hazard, so don’t be afraid to contact a professional to inspect or replace them safely.

For more information on garage door repairs or any of your garage door repairs, please follow us on Facebook or Twitter or feel free to contact us!

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