To this extent, a budget garage door will offer exactly what any sensible person would suspect; a cheap fix that will cause more problems, offer less security and need to be replaced far sooner than a garage door of higher quality. To really save money and add value to your house, buy a decent quality garage door.

One particularly inspiring use of a garage was bought to our attention by the Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which was almost won by Andy Kent of Bar Hill, Cambridge. After suffering and overcoming an almost fatal brain haemorrhage, Andy remortgaged his house and established Andy’s Kars, which seeks to employ disabled and disadvantaged people in the community.

Andy not only made it to the final three in the Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which was established by Stelios Haji-Ioannou of EasyJet in partnership with the Leonard Cheshire disability charity, he has also made it to the final of the Barclays Trading Places Awards, which recognises those who have succeeded in business against terrific odds.

If Andy can put a garage to such incredible use, perhaps it’s time your considered clearing out your own and seeing what you can do to beat the recession!

Manual Garage Doors

Can be heavy and dangerous to operate, especially for the elderly. At this time of year, with ice on the ground most mornings, it can be highly dangerous to try and open a heavy garage door.

Require the user to get out of their car, exposing them to the elements which, at this time of year, can never be a good thing.

Rarely have built-in lighting, which places the user in dark conditions both inside and outside the garage. Not only is this dangerous, it’s also highly unpleasant.

Automatic Garage Doors

Open at the press of a button, allowing anybody to open any size or weight of garage door, without any risk.

Can be opened from the warmth and shelter of your vehicle, protecting you from the cold, rain, hail, snow, or whatever foul winter element is assaulting you.

Automatic courtesy lights not only make it easier to navigate the vehicle into the garage, they also mean you are not left in the dark when opening or closing you garage door.

Of course, the Vertico garage door doesn’t have to be automatic if, for some reason, you don’t want it to be. In case of motor failures, power cuts or any other problems that might render users locked in or out by their own garage door, the motor can be easily disengaged, allowing you to open the door manually. Although not quite as stylish or impressive, this manual feature of a Vertico garage door vastly improves its usability and practicality.

Although the unique style of the Vetico garage door appeals to just about everybody, it is also worth considering its benefits for the elderly or infirm. After all, an automatic garage door that can be easily pushed aside in the case of a problem is an ideal security solution for those who might otherwise struggle with heavy garage doors.

However, the other advantages of automatic garage doors are quite considerable. For one thing, you may be surprised by the number of cars that are stolen when their owners climb out, leaving the engine running, to manually open their garage door. An automatic garage door system not only eliminates the need to abandon your car, many of them also provide lighting to help guide you into the garage on dark nights and dissuade potential thieves.

Automatic garage doors can be installed in just about any garage. Upon occasion, there is a lack of room for the roller mechanism in the ceiling of the garage, but even then the mechanism can often be moved into the open space instead. There are also a wide range of different garage doors that can be automated; from sliding doors to slatted doors, there will almost certainly be a garage door to suit your garage.

Suddenly, there is a screeching of rubber, a roaring engine and the woman’s car returns to the man’s house – to plough through his garage door! Luckily for the man, he was safely inside his house. Luckily for the woman, the man’s garage door was a flimsy wee thing that didn’t wreck her car. If he had invested in a triple layered steel garage door…the lady may have found herself regretting her actions. Or regretting her actions even more, should I say!

It does go to show, however, that you can never be entirely sure when somebody is going attempt to vandalise your property. The best thing to do is make sure your house is prepared – making sure your garage door can withstand a decent amount of punishment is one such method of preparation. Admittedly, enforcing it against mad woman in cars might be a bit extreme, but making sure it can take a hefty knock or a forceful gale is just common sense.

In case you think nobody is insane enough to drive through somebody else’s garage door as an act of fury: http://www.rep-am.com/news/local/doc4ccea8d30f333878723106.txt

1) Weather Strips

Highly important for keeping the elements out of your garage and protecting the mechanism of the garage door, your weather strips should be well maintained over the cold and wet seasons. Clear them every week or two and lubricate them every couple of months. Whatever you do, don’t use a petrol-based lubricant because it’ll ruin them – stick to silicone-based stuff.

2) Hardware

In case you hadn’t had enough lubrication with the weather strips, you really should lubricate your hardware every couple of months as well – especially in the cold seasons when rust can ruin your door mechanism. Make sure to lubricate all the moving parts thoroughly; hinges, rollers and tracks included. Use a cloth to lubricate the springs as well (this is a good tip if your door is making a horrendous noise when it opens and closes. Bear in mind not to marinade the parts in oil – wipe off any excess!

Not only are these people sneaking into garages and stealing valuable items, they are also doing so in broad daylight – sometimes whilst the home owner is actually present in their house! Of course, this is of even bigger concern for those whose garage has an internal door leading into the house.

One victim’s credit card was stolen and, within hours, thousands of pounds of debt had been racked up. For other victims, it’s the security of their family they felt was most compromised; “It’s just disturbing when you’ve got little kids in your house to know that there is people out there messing with your stuff” said Linda Kupsky.

As of yet, the criminals haven’t been caught. Let this post serve as a warning to those of you who tend to leave your opener in your car; you wouldn’t leave you house keys on display in your car, so don’t do it with your garage door opener!

It’s easy to understand; if you use your garage multiple times a day, as many of us do, it can be a real annoyance having to unlock it every time you want to open the door. Yet – and this is especially true at Christmas time – garage doors are amongst the first thing that burglars will try, especially when the garage is an extension to the main house. By allowing a burglar access to your garage, you are allowing them the chance to break into the rest of your house without anybody seeing them!

Don’t let yourself fall victim to an opportunistic burglar this Christmas – keep you garage door locked!

Tracks

1. Check for damage. Minor damage to the tracks can be beaten out using a rubber mallet. Serious damage, however, will warrant a replacement of the part, as heavily damaged tracks are highly dangerous.

2. Check their alignment; horizontal tracks should slant downwards slightly as they approach the rear of the garage and vertical tracks should be exactly in line with one another. If the tracks need realigning, do so by loosening the brackets – not removing them.

3. Clean the tracks to remove dirt and grease, dry thoroughly and then lubricate them with some motor oil.

Mounting Brackets

1. Check they are tightly fixed and do not move whatsoever – tighten the screws or bolts if this case. After any alterations to the tracks, ensure the brackets are thoroughly tightened again.

2. If the screws are failing to hold the brackets firmly, inspect the screw holes and replace with longer screws if necessary.

Springs

Check the springs for signs of wear and tear. You’ll find torsion springs above the door and extension springs at the end of the tracks. DO NOT attempt to replace any springs by yourself; consult a professional.