5 Important Garage Door Safety Tips

As far as objects in your home go, a garage door has the potential to be one of the most dangerous. Like any heavy moving object, it must be treated with the proper care and precaution to avoid serious injuries. By following practical garage door safety tips, it’s easy to minimize any risk and keep everyone out of harm’s way. Here’s what we recommend.

Check the Garage Door Safety Sensor

A garage door safety sensor is among the most important parts of any properly functioning garage door. Simply put, it works by reversing the direction of the garage door in the event that a person, animal or object gets in the way while it’s closing.

It’s important to check your garage door safety sensor monthly. The easiest way to do this is by placing a roll of paper towels or another similar object in the path of the garage door and closing it. If you notice that the door doesn’t reverse to avoid crushing the paper towels, it’s time to call in the professionals to make some repairs.

Conduct Regular Visual Inspections

While you’re checking the garage door safety sensors, it’s a good idea to visually inspect the other key parts of your garage door, including the cables, pulleys, rollers and springs. Look for signs of rust or general wear and tear that could interfere with the functionality of your garage door. Again, if you see anything that looks damaged, leave it to the professionals; trying to repair your garage door yourself could be dangerous.

Teach Children Garage Door Safety

Some aspects of garage door safety that seem like common sense to most adults should still be reviewed with children once they’re old enough to understand. Make sure kids know to keep their fingers away from garage door panels while the door is in motion, and to never try to “ride” the garage door by hanging onto it while it’s opening. We also recommend keeping the garage door opener out of the hands of small children.

Never Race the Garage Door

It can be tempting to exit through the garage as the door is closing, especially if it seems like you have plenty of time to make it out. Though a properly functioning garage door safety sensor will likely prevent any impact from occurring, we still recommend avoiding this dangerous move. Wait until the garage door is fully open to exit, or choose an alternate route.

Don’t Share Your Password

Garage door safety isn’t only about preventing physical harm, it’s also about protecting your home and your belongings from intruders. If you have a keypad for opening your garage door, it’s important that you keep the password as private as you possibly can. Ideally, only the people living in your home should know the password, which means making sure that your kids understand that they shouldn’t share it with anyone else. Changing the password from time to time (and avoiding these common PIN number mistakes) is always a good habit to ensure your garage and home are secure.

If you have any questions at all about garage door safety, the team here at Champion Overhead Door is always here to help. We even offer 24-hour emergency service for issues that simply can’t wait. Contact us today to learn more!

Create Extra Home Storage Space with a Garage Attic

No matter how much storage space you have in your home, sometimes it still never feels like enough. The longer you live somewhere, the more items you tend to accumulate as the years go by, and the last thing anyone wants is a house full of clutter.

If you find yourself in need of additional home storage space, you may be overlooking the perfect spot to create it: above the garage. With some DIY care and attention, that unused space can become a perfectly workable garage attic for year-round storage. Here are some helpful tips for creating an overhead garage storage space.

Determine the weight capacity of your garage roof

Before you even get started on your garage attic, the first and most important step is to determine the weight capacity of the roof by evaluating the trusses. The easiest way to do this is by examining the original blueprints for your home, which will show the number of trusses the garage roof has and where they are located. If you find that the roof is unable to support any additional weight, you may be able to add extra trusses to create the proper support.

Since this is such an essential step, we recommend consulting a professional if you aren’t completely certain that the weight capacity is high enough for a garage attic.

Create your garage attic

Once you’re confident that your garage roof can handle the weight of garage attic storage, you’re ready to start creating your garage attic. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Create an access point. Cut a square out of your garage ceiling to serve as your garage attic access point. Purchase an attic ladder to attach to this access point, following the instructions for installation.
2. Install floorboards. To ensure that your garage attic is safe enough for storing items and walking around, you’ll need to install floorboards. You can do this by nailing pieces of plywood side-by-side over the floor joists.
3. Ventilate. If your garage attic isn’t properly ventilated, you risk your items becoming damaged by mold. Ventilating your space could consist of anything from installing vents to placing attic fans in problem areas.

Plan your garage attic storage solution

Once your garage attic is accessible, safe and ventilated, you’ll be ready to start planning out how to best utilize all that extra space. Just like in other storage areas, you can maximize the space by storing items on the walls, ceiling and floor, using a combination of hooks, shelves, racks and other common storage solutions.

Since it will take a bit more effort to get into your garage attic than simply walking down the stairs into your basement or opening up a storage closet, we recommend using it for items that you don’t need to access regularly, such as holiday decorations, beach chairs or other seasonal belongings.

A garage attic is just one of the many garage projects you can take on as the weather gets nicer. There are so many different ways to use such a versatile space. For other ideas, be sure to like Champion Overhead Door on Facebook.

Ultimate Guide for Spring Cleaning Your Garage

Spring is just around the corner and we don’t know about you, but we’re ready for some warmer weather after another snowy New England winter! With longer, milder days ahead, we’re fast approaching the ideal time for spring cleaning your garage so that you can have this task out of the way by the time the really hot weather hits.

Roll up your sleeves, get out your cleaning supplies and follow these steps for a fresh, clean space and improved garage organization.

Declutter

The first step to spring cleaning your garage is definitely the most tedious, but it’ll make the steps that follow that much easier—trust us! Decluttering your garage the right way typically consists of the following:

1. Removing everything from your garage. As you can imagine, this is the kind of project that calls for one of those mild spring weekends where you can drag everything out onto the driveway and lawn without anything getting ruined. Once everything is removed, you’ll want to…
2. Sort your items into categories. We recommend three categories: Keep, Sell/Donate and Recycle/Trash. If you haven’t used something in a few years, chances are it no longer needs to be taking up space in your garage. When your sorting is complete, set aside the Keep pile and dispose of the Recycle/Trash pile accordingly. For the Sell/Donate pile, it’s a good idea to…
3. Host a spring cleaning garage sale. Pick a nice weekend day, hang those “Garage Sale” signs around the neighborhood and see what you can sell. Anything that doesn’t go can be donated after.

Deep Clean

While you have all your items removed, take the opportunity to deep clean your garage. Sweep and mop the floor, treat any oil stains and wash all surfaces. For deep cleaning a concrete garage floor, you can mix a solution of ⅓ cup of Tide to 1 gallon of water, then use a large brush for scrubbing and a garden hose for washing out the garage cleaning solution. You could also rent a power washer from your local home improvement store to get the job done a little more efficiently.

Organize in Zones

When it comes time to put the items you’ve decided to keep back into your garage, it’s helpful to think about organizing your garage in zones. Brainstorm the different categories of items you have (e.g. sports equipment, woodworking equipment, power tools, holiday decorations) and organize them accordingly throughout your garage. This way, when anyone in your family is searching for something, they’ll have a general idea of where to look.

Inspect Garage Doors and Opener

Spring cleaning is the perfect time to inspect your garage door for signs of warping, rust and other common wear and tear. While you’re doing this, don’t forget to make sure that all safety functions are working properly. In addition to inspecting your garage door, set aside some time to clean the windows and the door itself.

If you find any parts of your garage door that are in need of repair, it can be dangerous to attempt that yourself, so we recommend always reaching out to the professionals for garage door maintenance needs. Here at Champion Overhead Door, we’ve seen it all, and no problem is too big or too small for us to help with.

Spring cleaning your garage can seem like an overwhelming task, especially if you have a lot of clutter to work though. But by following the steps outlined above, it’ll feel a little more manageable. And once you’re finished, you can reward yourself with a nice cold beer (or non-alcoholic beverage) outside in the spring sunshine!

How to Build a Professional Garage Music Studio at Home

Garages aren’t just for cars. If you’re a musician, you’ve probably always dreamed of having your own space for playing and recording music. What if we told you that you’re only a few steps away from creating a garage music studio right at home?

All good things require hard work—and this is one of them—but building a garage recording studio is certainly something that you can accomplish if you have the budget and are willing to put in the time and energy. Here’s how.

Prepare the Space

Unless you have a brand new garage, chances are the first step you’ll need to take before you even get started with your garage music studio is clearing out your space. Garages tend to accumulate items over time—everything from sporting goods to outdoor power equipment to basic tools. Begin thinking about which items you’re going to purge, and which items you’ll need to store elsewhere. A basement is a good alternative storage space, but if you don’t have one, you may want to consider renting a storage unit. Depending on where you live, you should be able to find a storage facility nearby that offers reasonable rates.

In addition to clearing out your garage, you’ll probably want to dedicate some time to cleaning it, since garages tend to become dusty and dirty over the years.

Plan the Layout

Once your garage is cleared out and you can visualize the space you have to work with, the next step for your garage music studio is creating a floor plan. The size and shape of the garage are key factors here. For the best acoustics, your garage music studio shouldn’t be perfectly square or rectangle, and should have minimal design curves to avoid unwanted distortion.

List all the equipment you’re going to need, and use a piece of paper to sketch a rough layout so you know that everything will fit in a functional way before you make any big purchases.

Soundproof Your Garage

Soundproofing your garage not only blocks outside noise from interfering with the quality of your recordings, but also ensures that you’re being a considerate neighbor and that you won’t be on the receiving end of any noise complaints.

The first step in soundproofing your garage is to make improvements to what’s already there by sealing windows and doors tightly, replacing old weatherstripping and making sure that your garage door shuts all the way. Then, you’ll likely want to insulate the walls and doors with a material like cellulose, wooden cleats or Audimute.

Optimize Airflow and Ventilation

It’s important to be able to breathe when you’re in there enjoying your garage music studio! While you’re working on insulating your garage and sealing all those cracks, don’t forget to account for proper airflow and ventilation. This is especially essential during the summer when it can get really hot and stuffy inside a garage. A ventilation system isn’t just for your own comfort, it’s also for the sake of your investment. Stale air can lead to moisture and humidity, which can cause irreparable damage to expensive recording equipment.

By following the steps outlined above, you’ll have the garage music room you’ve always wanted in no time. Just think of how convenient it will be to record music without ever having to leave your property!

At Champion Overhead Door, we love seeing our customers use their garages in creative and innovative ways. If you’re in search of the perfect garage door for your garage music studio, we’d be more than happy to work with you and get you just what you need. Contact us today to learn more, and don’t forget to send us pictures of your completed garage music studio!

The Hottest 2020 Exterior Home Design Trends

When it comes to owning a home, first impressions are important. Whether you’re looking to sell sometime in the near future or simply increase curb appeal, the upgrades you make to the outside of your home can make or break the aesthetic of your whole property. It can be hard to keep up with the latest exterior home design trends if you don’t know where to look, so we’ve gone ahead and curated the essential things you should know about 2020 home design trends — from beautiful garage doors to the most popular paint colors.

Choosing Greys and Dark Exterior Paint Colors

If you’ve paid any attention to home design trends over the past few years, you’ve likely noticed that grey is the go-to neutral for both interior and exterior paint colors. And as far as 2020 home trends are concerned, the darker and deeper the shade of grey, the better. If you’re not quite on board with painting your entire house grey, consider using this cool neutral as an accent color for the shutters, garage or front door.

Low-Maintenance Designs and Materials

This one almost sounds too good to be true, but believe it or not, low-maintenance curb appeal is in! The key here is choosing durable, high-quality products and materials up front so that you don’t have to worry as much about upkeep in the long run. The low-maintenance trend can also be applied to gardens, so if your thumb isn’t as green as you’d like it to be, now is the perfect opportunity to build that garden you’ve always wanted. Annual flowers and evergreen shrubs are easy to take care of, and will have your home exterior looking beautiful as ever.

Spacious Driveways and Walkways

If you’re thinking about updating your driveway or walkway anytime soon, the trend forecast is clear: go big or go home! Exterior home design trends in 2020 are all about the extra hardscape space. This ties right in with the low-maintenance curb appeal trend mentioned above, since expanding your driveway and walkway means less lawn to mow during that precious weekend downtime in the warmer seasons.

Garage Doors That Make a Statement

While you can never go wrong with a simple and traditional garage door, don’t be afraid to get creative in 2020! Ditch the basic white paint or wood finish for a dark color like charcoal or black to create a contrast with the rest of your house. If you prefer a brighter, more welcoming look, you’re in luck: contemporary glass garage doors are also going to be huge this year. This fresh vibe helps modernize any home exterior. And finally, if you’re feeling really bold, consider a garage door with an unexpected pattern or texture. There are so many possibilities.

Now that we’ve gone over all the hottest outdoor trends in 2020, hopefully you’re feeling confident enough to make some decisions about your home exterior. Before you know it, your property will be the envy of the whole neighborhood, and when it comes time to sell, there’s a great chance you’ll see a return on your investment.

When you’re ready to update your garage door, keep in mind that Champion Overhead Door carries high-quality garage doors for every budget. We’re always up to date on the latest exterior home design trends, and are happy to help you pick out the perfect garage door for your home. Contact us for a free quote today!