Your garage door is a highly visible, hard-working surface that is subjected to all sorts of use and abuse on a daily basis. And yet, during the warm weather months, we often neglect to give our garage doors the same kind of care that we give our homes’ windows, patios and other exterior areas. Now’s a good time to expand your spring and summer cleaning checklist to include the garage door. Here are some tips.

In most homes, the garage door is the single largest moving part. It is big and heavy, particularly so if you have a wind-loaded door with extra bracing. Over the course of a year, if you use your door an average of three to four times a day, it will go up and down about 1000 to 1500 times. To prolong the life of your door and ultimately save on service expenses, follow these  steps to lubricate a few key parts. It's easy and takes just a few minutes.

PROJECT PROFILE: Slidetite 2.0 Four-Fold Doors. Baton Rouge, LA.

ARCHITECT: Cress & Lopresto, Baton Rouge, LA

It's always great to see a community placing a high priority on keeping its fire stations up to date. For Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a city that knows first-hand how important it is to be prepared, this fire station renovation has special meaning as the facility continues to build on a long legacy of offering exceptional response.

The project includes new high-speed, four-folding Slidetite 2.0™ exit doors which open twice as fast as conventional overhead doors. But speed wasn't the only reason they were chosen for this application.

With all of the many garage door designs and materials available today, choosing the right combination can be a little complicated. Let us suggest one way of narrowing the choices: Focus only on doors that have good insulation (R) value. There are many reasons why. Here are some of the main advantages.

The range of garage door styles, colors and accessories is continuing to grow in some bold new directions. Still, because of their proven performance advantages, the different materials offered tend to fall into 5 main categories. Knowing which materials are best for your garage may help you choose a door solution that will last longer and ultimately save you money. Here is a quick summary of the primary questions to ask before making your choice.

While we definitely recommend a thorough service inspection by a certified Raynor dealer every 1 to 2 years, there are a few things you can check yourself to prevent problems from escalating. These visual checks should become a routine for you every month, especially if the garage door experiences hard use in your home.

Remodeling Magazine’s 2019 "Cost vs. Value" trend report has been released and it is very good news for anyone considering an update of their garage doors. Firmly positioned as number 1 in the survey's rankings, a fresh new garage door provides a whopping 97.5% return on its cost in terms of additional home resale value.

PROJECT PROFILE: Oakville Trafalgar Park Area Renovation

• New Fire Station #3

• Renovated Arena and Community Centre Addition

Architect: Diamond Schmitt, Toronto

Contractor: Graham Construction, Toronto

Speeding response times for fire fighters and paramedics stationed at the impressive new Oakville Station #3, fast-acting Slidetite 2.0 four-folding doors from Richards-Wilcox were among the first requirements expressed to the design/construction team as planning began on the new fire station and nearby arena renovation/expansion which also features Raynor coiling doors in the updated hockey arena.

One of the most significant architectural projects ever to take place in Oakville, Ontario, the entire complex is a greatly heralded example of thoughtful access planning and heritage commitment by the community, its architect, Diamond Schmitt, and contractor, Graham Construction.

Any architect that is involved with construction in coastal areas is already quite familiar with specifying reinforced hurricane-rated garage doors that protect against wind-blown debris. They are a longstanding requirement established by code in south Florida, Texas and other regions. In recent years as the devastating effects of tropical storms as well as tornados have been mapped and studied, there is a broader perspective arising that suggests this wind protection specification is not just for beach houses any more.

If you haven’t yet seen the Buyers Bootcamp program on DIY Network and HGTV, you may find the show’s concept interesting. The host, Scott McGillivray, compares remodeling “pitches” of two property owners, then chooses one property for a makeover and covers the costs himself. If the makeover results in profit, he shares in it. If it isn’t profitable in terms of added resale value, he shares in that outcome as well. Raynor garage doors are featured in two episodes this spring.