3 Creative Ways to Repurpose Your Garage This Spring

Finding new ways to update your home can feel like a challenge. Your garage is an often-overlooked area that can be used for far more than storing your vehicle, sports equipment or household items. Here are three creative garage renovation ideas that will beautify your home, expand your living space and increase your home’s resale value.

Thermacore® insulated steel doors are the ideal choice for premium construction
 and maximum thermal efficiency, making them an ideal option for a rentable living space.

Earn Income by Turning Your Garage into an Airbnb

If you live near a major city or attraction, you may have an opportunity to rent out your living space to travelers. Look no further than your garage for the perfect place to welcome guests. The first step to making this upgrade is to create a design plan for your space. You’ll need to make sure the garage has heat and electricity, as well as interior comforts such as furniture and an entertainment system. This is also an opportunity to include plumbing to offer a small bathroom in the garage if you would prefer to not share your home with guests.

In addition to renting, if you have plans to sell your house, making both cosmetic and practical updates are a good investment. As you continue making home improvements to the interior, don’t forget to consider external renovations also. You may want to consider upgrading to an insulated garage door as your first exterior upgrade. This is a home design idea that adds value to your home and is a must if you are planning on converting your garage into a livable space.

Be sure to weigh the costs between making current home improvements and the expected cost of your next home. Securing a mortgage preapproval is a great way to solidify what your budget for a new home could be. Replacing your garage door is an incredible upgrade, with a return on investment of over 93%, according to the 2021 Cost vs. Value Report by Remodeling Magazine. This means that replacing the garage will almost completely pay for itself when it is time to sell, in addition to the benefit of making your home look more attractive to buyers or renters. Maximizing the livable space in your home is a great investment, whether you plan to recoup the costs through renting, or decide to sell your home.

Overhead Door™ Modern Aluminum garage doors were chosen
for this home gym for their contemporary elegance with sleek lines and maximum light infiltration.

Convert Your Garage into a Home Fitness Studio

In our busy lives and schedules, it can be difficult to find time to exercise. Additionally, with restrictions making going out more difficult over the past few years, many people have fallen out of the habit of going to the gym. Turning your garage into a home gym is a great way to improve your health and fitness, all from the comfort of your home. You also have the benefit of being able to customize the space, including only the machines and equipment you enjoy working out with. Having a home gym at your disposal also takes away the annoyance of dealing with others while working out. There is nothing more frustrating than paying each month for a gym membership, only to find the equipment or machines you came to use are already occupied.

If you’re spending a lot of time in your garage once it has been converted, safety would be the top priority for your garage and the entrance. Though we often think of garage doors as protecting and securing property, having a faulty garage door can be harmful to your personal safety, especially if one is surrounded by gym equipment. Choosing a weather-resistant steel garage door creates a safer environment when using your garage for recreation. Plus, safety is key to enjoying and making the most of your recreational space.

The Olivares family’s garage band space from HGTV’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

Transform Your Garage into a Working Space

It can be hard to find a sanctuary for yourself amid the chaos of home life. Turning your garage into an office space or studio may be the perfect solution to finding a sanctuary respite for work, art, or DIY projects. One of the main advantages of using a garage for these purposes is that it is distinctly separate from the rest of your home, limiting potential distractions. Additionally, if you plan to use the garage as an art or DIY studio, you have enough space to work on these projects without worrying about materials damaging your interior flooring or furniture.

Using your garage as a working space, you may decide on a garage door with larger window features that allow more natural light into your work area to prevent it from having a cave-like or enclosed feel. Letting in natural light can reduce your dependence on internal lighting, making the overall renovation less intensive, yet more energy efficient. Try using our garage door designer app to conveniently customize the design of your new garage doors. You can use this tool to match your design to the overall aesthetic of your home and to add functional elements that will help you elevate your space to its fullest potential.

Upgrading your home for creativity, productivity, fitness or financial purposes can start with your garage. Part of this is making sure your garage door is beautiful, functional and safe. By using one of these three creative ways to repurpose your garage, you will have a successful and rewarding home improvement project. Contact Overhead Door Company of Brookfield at 203-740-7691 to get started.

Spring is right around the corner, so now is the time to think about garage door maintenance

 Tips for Expert Garage Door Maintenance

• Tip #1 – Look and Listen

  When opening or closing your garage door, take a moment to look and listen. Sounds simple enough, but it can make the world of a difference when spotting potential mechanical issues. Is the garage door moving smoothly or is it jerky? Is it operating silently, or does it make a lot of noise? Make sure to call Overhead Door to inspect and solve any underlying issues.

• Tip #2 – Lubricate Moving Parts

  Your garage door should operate like a well-oiled machine – literally. Keeping your garage door parts greased up can add years of seamless operation to your system – and it should only take you a couple minutes! Use a spray-on silicone lubricant on your garage door’s springs, rollers, tracks, bushings and hinges. If your door still isn’t gliding smoothly, leave it to your local Overhead Door Company of Brookfield and you’ll be in good hands.

• Tip #3 – Curb Appeal Check

  For your curb appeal needs, don’t forget to examine the exterior of the door itself. Wood garage doors require regular maintenance to maintain a pristine appearance and avoid warping, rotting or cracking. We recommend using one cup of mild household detergent mixed with five gallons of water to clean the surface. Steel doors require minimal cleaning or touching up. Simply use a mild all-purpose cleaner. Even better, do it at the same time you wash your car!

Consider Upgrading Your Garage Door

According to the 2020 Cost vs. Value Report by Remodeling Magazine, a garage door replacement is the second most valuable home improvement project. Not only will you receive a high return on investment, but a new garage door with a distinctive design and color can give your home a unique curb appeal and really make the neighbors jealous.

Some low maintenance steel garage doors to consider are the Overhead Door^™ Impression Steel Collection^®. They feature tall section heights and large windows, but now also have the added option of a new recessed panel to add a striking design. Both the recessed and classic vertical raised panel designs are also newly available in premium colors: Desert Tan, Gray, Terra Bronze and Black, expanding upon the standard offerings of White, Almond, Sandstone and Brown.

Another steel door option to consider is the Overhead Door^™ Thermacore^®insulated steel doors, which are the ideal choice for maximum thermal efficiency. With a variety of multi-panel designs and colors, this line offers design flexibility, durability and is second to none at helping keep your home comfortable in cold or hot climates.

Choosing your garage door design can be a challenge for anyone. That’s why we make it easy for you to see what an upgrade would look like with our free DoorView^® Visualizer Tool. It uses an actual image of your home and puts the power of design at your fingertips. You can customize and enhance the garage door through a wide variety of design options, including styles, windows, door colors, overlay colors, trim colors, handles and accessories. Share the personalized design with friends and family with an email and even send it to a local, trusted Overhead Door^™ Red Ribbon Distributor for a pain-free process.

With Spring fast approaching, we hope you feel prepared to “spring” your garage door into shape. As always, we’re here to help. Give us a call at 203-740-7691.

Your garage door is the largest moving part in your entire home, and is used multiple times per day at any hour and in all seasons. To keep your garage door operating smoothly for decades to come, it’s very important that you take the time to perform regular preventive care and maintenance. Winter conditions take the most significant toll to garage doors, so we have compiled 10 proactive tips to monitor tell-tale indicators of necessary maintenance and to prepare your garage door for harsh seasonal conditions.

1. Look and Listen

The most important preventive step you can take is to observe your garage door in action every time you use it. Is it moving smoothly or is it jerky in places? Does it operate silently or does it make grinding or scraping noises? Do both sides of the system (springs, pulleys and cables) look symmetrical?

2. Tighten up the Hardware

The average garage door moves up and down more than a thousand times a year. That’s a lot of movement and vibration, which can loosen the hardware. Examine and tighten all roller brackets and bolts with a socket wrench.

3. Test the Garage Door Balance

If your garage door is not properly balanced, the garage door opener will need to work harder, and it won’t last as long. After you disconnect the opener by pulling the release handle (usually a red cord), manually move the door about halfway up. If it doesn’t stay put, the counterweight system (springs) are improperly balanced. Garage door spring adjustment is best left to the professionals.

4. Inspect and Replace the Rollers

The rollers, whether steel or nylon, need to be inspected twice a year and replaced every seven years or so, and even more if you use your garage door many times a day. Worn, chipped or cracked rollers should be replaced as soon as possible. You do this by removing and reinstalling any roller brackets that are not directly attached to the cable system.

5. Replace the Weather stripping

If the rubber weather seal strip on the bottom of your door is brittle or cracked, replace it right away to keep the elements out of your house. There are many different styles of bottom rubber, depending on the manufacturer of the door. Call your local garage door professional to find the right type of rubber for your door.

6. Lubricate the Moving Parts

Keeping your garage door parts lubricated will add years of seamless operation to your system – and it takes just 10 minutes a year! Use a spray lubricant, available from your garage door specialist, to coat all of the moving parts, including the overhead springs.

7. Check the Cables

You should never tinker with the high-tension cables that lift your door because they have enough force to maim and kill. But you can check their condition so you know when to hire a pro. Check for broken strands and damage near the bottom roller bracket.

8. Test the Auto-Reverse Safety Features

There are two mechanisms: mechanical and photocell.

To test the mechanical feature: Place a piece of wood or a brick on the ground in the path of the door. When the door coming down touches that object, it should reverse direction and go back up again.

To test the photoelectric system with beams at each side: Close your door and just pass your leg in the door’s path. Your door should reverse.

If your opener is more than 20 years old, it may lack basic safety features – and so it’s time to buy a new garage door opener.

9. Clear the Tracks

Make sure the tracks on either side of the door are free from debris and, if you are so inclined, you can use a level to check the plumb. Any major adjustments to tracks must be done by a professional garage door technician.

10. Groom Your Garage Door

Don’t forget to examine the door itself. Wood doors will need to be checked for water damage and warp, as well as chipped and peeling paint. Steel doors may have rust spots that need to be sanded, primed and painted. Wash your garage door regularly with a mild all-purpose cleaner at the same time you do your car.