Curb Appeal on a Budget

Home improvement projects can be expensive, and many homeowners are still wary of spending money on renovations, despite the improving real estate market. So what’s the best way to spruce up the appearance of your home without breaking the bank?

Replacing your new entry door or garage door are two low cost improvements that can be made to not only improve your home’s curb appeal but also the resale value of your home. When someone looks at your house from the street, what is the first thing that they see? Is it your broken, worn out, paint-chipped garage door or entry door that lacks in pizzazz or personality? Does your garage door make your home look like every other home on the street? What do your doors say about your home? Do they say “neglected” and “unkempt” or does it say “look at me, I’m classy, unique and upscale”. A garage door alone can account for up to thirty percent of a home’s exterior that is seen from the street, so having an attractive garage door is especially vital to great curb appeal. But a garage door should be appropriately matched to the home’s architectural style. Not sure which garage door fits your home the best? Try out Sears Garage Solutions handy Door Designer tool at myonsite.amarr.com, which lets you choose from different home styles and then helps you select an appropriate garage door based on your home style.

The 2011/2012 Remodeling Magazine Cost vs. Value report indicates that a new garage door or entry door are two quick and inexpensive projects that can almost pay for themselves while making your home more attractive. Over the last few surveys conducted by the Remodeling Magazine Cost vs. Value Report, installing new garage doors has been the project moving up the most in the rankings in terms of return on investment when your home is sold. In fact, an upscale garage door now ranks as the #2 upscale project that recoups the most when a home is sold. A mid-range garage door now ranks as the #4 mid-range project that recoups that most when a home is sold.

A new garage door is a sensible and impactful choice when looking to give your home a quick facelift without breaking your budget. Whether you’re making these changes to enjoy for yourself, or to make your home more marketable, now is a great time to get outside and focus on curb appeal. Call Sears Garage Solutions toll free at 888-486-3667(DOOR) to learn more about new garage doors and to schedule a free in home estimate. Don’t forget that Sears has special no-interest financing available if paid in full in 12 months. Call toll free 866-282-5083 to learn more about the no-interest financing.

Read more about the Cost vs. Value Report click – http://getsearsgaragedoors.com/downloads/sears-cost-vs-value.pdf

Posted on 8/21/2012

Garage & Garage Door Safety

The garage space can have many uses including storage, workshop, bike shop, you name it. But the garage and the garage door can also be quite the safety hazard if you are not careful.

Your garage door is the largest entry door to your home, and for many families today it is the primary entrance. Did you know that your garage door weighs several hundred pounds and has many moving parts? The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission reports that each year since 1990 an average of 20,000 people visit the emergency room each year for garage door-related injuries. Understanding garage safety can help protect you and your family. Below you will find a list of safety rules you can discuss with your family and even post in your garage to help remind everyone.

1. Keep your garage space neat and organized. A neat and organized garage can prevent tripping or falling. The concrete garage floor can be very painful and damaging in a fall.
2. Clearly mark all poisons and flammables and place out of children’s reach. Children can be very curious. Make sure that all paints, pesticides, oils, gas, etc., are clearly marked and in a place where they cannot be reached by a child or spilled by accident.
3. Make sure tools and ladders are properly stowed. A ladder should never be left in an upright position. Fold the ladder and hang or place along the side wall of your garage so that it won’t fall on anyone, children will not be enticed to climb on it, and it will not cause someone to fall. Also, make sure all sharp and pointed objects are carefully secured out of reach.
4. A garage door is not a toy. While many children find it fun to run beneath the door while in motion, this is very unsafe and children can easily become trapped under the door. Let your family know that they must keep a clear distance from the garage door while it is in motion.
5. Check your garage door for the safety “electric eyes” or sensors. The safety sensors should be properly connected and aligned. If your garage door is older, or if it has not been properly maintained or installed, you may not have functional safety sensors on your garage door. These are located near the bottom, left and right sides, of the garage door and should be approximately 4-6 inches from the garage floor.
6. Call a Sears Garage Solutions professional for garage door maintenance, tune-ups, and spring replacement. Garage Doors that are not properly maintained can be not only a nuisance but also a safety hazard. The torsion springs (located at the top center of the garage door) are under extreme pressure and can cause severe injury if they should snap. A broken spring can also cause the sudden fall of a garage door. If your garage door spring breaks, call a trained Sears Garage Solutions professional for spring replacement.
7. Keep garage door opener remotes and transmitters out of children’s reach. Make sure that no one is near, or touching, the garage door while it is in motion. Never put your door down when not in site or without additional safety features or precautions. Aside from the size and weight of the garage door crushing a person, there are many hinges and folds in a garage door, of which hands and fingers are often the subject of injuries.
8. Enact Emergency Release – Make sure everyone understands the importance of the Garage Door Opener Emergency Release cord and how to use it properly. Explain to children that this is not a toy and it is very a that it is only used for emergencies. Explain those scenarios where it may be necessary to use this properly.

Sears Garage Solutions
Doors, Openers, Repair, Maintenance

Posted on 9/13/2012

Maintaining Your Garage Door & Garage Door Opener

Many families today use their garage door as the main entry point to their home. Often times, we may forget, or take for granted, the 300 independently moving parts and pieces required to safely raise and lower our garage door. Failure of any of these parts could potentially damage your entire garage door or garage door opener. How many times each day does your garage door get raised and lowered? Do your kids use the garage door as a means of entering the home after school? What would happen if your garage door or garage door opener just stopped working?
Chances are panic would strike your household if your garage door wasn’t working. Especially, if your car was stuck inside, a child couldn’t get in the house after school, or if your garage door was stuck in an open position and you were unable to secure your home and belongings. Garage Door Repairs always occur at the most inopportune times. But did you know that proper maintenance of your garage door and garage door opener could prevent unexpected and costly repairs? It is recommended that you have a professional garage door company inspect and tune-up your garage door annually. Sears Garage Solutions professional, trained technicians will also perform a 20-point garage door safety check with every garage door tune-up. Our garage door tune-up includes –

• General Diagnostic service call
  • Inspect garage door sections, track, counterbalance system, hinges, rollers, and external weather seal
• Tighten all bolts/screws
• Lubricate garage door panel hinges, rollers, and springs
• Rebalance garage door, if necessary (adjust spring tension)
• Adjust Garage Door Opener travel and safety settings, if necessary
• Lubricating Garage Door Opener sprocket and chain
• Check down-force pressure of Garage Door Opener
• Align electronic eyes if applicable for Garage Door Opener

While this will help prevent surprising and costly garage door and opener repairs, we understand that these things happen; and when they do, you need someone who will respond quickly and be considerate of your needs and concerns – someone you can trust. If you do have an unexpected garage door or garage door opener repair, Sears Garage Solutions is happy to assist. Give us a call after all; your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Posted on 11/5/2012