We always knew that garage doors have a demanding life of ups and downs. But upon closer inspection of statistics and trivia, there is more to their story suggesting that these large entrances to our home are deserving of particular respect. Well, OK, we make garage doors. What else would you expect us to say? Still, these factoids may at least cause you to notice a few things about your garage and its doors.

If you have a large garage door with windows and other heavy features such as insulation, you may already know that it can be hard to lift by hand. That is particularly true if the garage door drums and springs aren't the right type and adjusted properly. Perhaps you deal with that every day if you have a manual opening door. Or when the electricity goes out, even a power-operated door can be just as great a struggle.

To save your back and also give you more confidence when lifting the door, there is a new type of garage door drum mechanism that literally takes the weight off.

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.

If you’ve added or replaced a remote control for your Raynor garage door opener, or would simply like to re-program your remotes for security, this article will give you a quick summary of programming steps. It’s easy to do and requires only that you have a ladder or step stool handy so that you can reach the program Learn Button on your opener. Ask a friend or family member to help with that ladder work if you aren’t comfortable.

NO REMOTE? NO HASSLE. One of our most popular home accessories is the Keyless Entry Keypad. If you have one now, you already know how convenient it can be for everyday uses. This handy device is most commonly used when the homeowner and other family members wish to open the garage door without a remote in hand. But did you know these advanced user secrets?

Ever wonder what those little strips are called that divide panes of glass on a window? Hint: they aren't called "strips." Or what's the difference between R-values and U-values? Check out our new Glossary Page and learn about those topics and much more. And after you've sharpened your knowledge, perhaps you'd like to test yourself by filling out our Garage Door Terminology crossword.