Do you have garage door envy? Perhaps you have a neighbor who has an automated garage door that they can open from inside their vehicle with no need to step out into the rain in order to put their car away?
If this is the case, then you may be thinking that the only way you could have a similar type of garage door would be to have a completely new garage door installed.
However, this is actually not always necessary. Many modern garage doors can actually be retrofitted with garage door operators that will allow for automatic and remote control entry through the.
Why might you want to consider modernizing your garage door?
Some older garage doors, whether they are a larger than average single or double-width garage door, or an older up-and-over door, are incredibly heavy to lift and people often find them rather difficult to maneuver.
Sometimes it can even be necessary to back away very quickly from older up-and-over doors as you close them, as they tend to gain momentum on the way back down. This can result in them closing rather forcefully, which has the potential to cause an accident.
The weight and maneuverability are huge factors for those individuals who might want to consider modernizing their garage doors. Other big reasons include convenience and security.
Let’s face it, being able to open your garage door without even exiting your vehicle is incredibly convenient, and on rainy days will certainly be a preferred way of doing things. On dark evenings, being able to open your doors without getting out of your car offers added security, too.
You can simply drive into your garage and close the doors before exiting your vehicle with complete peace of mind.
Modernising your garage door is easy
It hasn’t always been possible to automate your existing garage door, but as a result of the advances that have taken place both in terms of the materials that are used for garage doors and, of course, technology, there are options that are available.
It is important, however, to ensure that your existing garage door is a suitable candidate for this option. This means that it needs to not have any issues with its gearing and spring arrangements that could make this difficult to achieve.
In addition, if there are already issues with opening your garage door manually (issues that may be as a result of it being worked out or badly fitted), adding automation will not make this any easier to open and has the potential to make the issue worse, not better.
A good garage door company with plenty of experience will be able to assess your existing garage door and let you know if this is an option or not.
A good electric garage door operator will have a number of safety features. One should ensure that if an obstruction is met during the operation of the door it will stop and go into reverse in order to prevent damage.
This feature is incredibly important, and you should make sure that any automation that you are considering having added to your garage door includes this.
Older or damaged garage doors
In some instances, particularly if you have a very old garage door or if your existing garage door is damaged, then it is not often possible to retrofit the mechanism to turn it into an automated garage door.
If this is the case, then the best way to get an automated garage door that will give you remote control entry is by having a brand new garage door with those features fitted to your property.