Having a garage car accident is more common than you think. Mornings on the way to work are particularly treacherous, as folks who are still half asleep get into the car and hit the gas, backing right into their closed garage doors. The crash and crunch of your vehicle’s rear end against wood and metal is an unpleasant way to start your day.
Hitting other vehicles is another common culprit in garage accidents. Many people have reported sliding right into their other car when attempting to make squeeze into their garage.

These are the steps you can take to sort out the issue quickly and efficiently:

Assess the Damage to Your Vehicle

First, check your car for damage. Are there scratches, dents or shattered lights in need of repair? Damage to your vehicle will be covered under two conditions. First, you must have an automobile insurance policy with collision coverage. Second, the damage must exceed the amount of your deductible. If you expect to pay less than the amount of your deductible to repair scratches and dents, you may wish to handle the transaction directly with your body shop.

Assess the Damage to Your Garage Door

Carefully inspect your garage door to determine whether repairs are necessary. If it is stuck partially or completely open, you can gently try to close it. However, you should not force it. Call your garage door repair company right away to correct this issue, as it could be a security concern.
Damage to your garage door is probably not covered by your automobile insurance. However, it may be covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy, depending on your level of coverage. Some policies will not cover damage caused by negligence, so your agent may ask you specific questions about how the accident occurred.
Dents or scrapes on your garage door are less urgent, but it is wise to have your garage door repair person take a look as soon as you can. This sort of damage can lead to unsafe operation of your garage door over time.

Your deductible will apply in this situation, so you may wish to speak with your repair person first for an estimate. Repairs that fall under the amount of your deductible are best handled directly.

The post You Were in a Car Accident in Your Garage. Now What? appeared first on Austin Garage Door Solutions.

At Austin Garage Door Solutions, we see garages in all sorts of conditions, from sparkling clean to cluttered and disorganized. If you have the spring (or summer) cleaning bug, here are some garage organization ideas to declutter, improve efficiency, and make your garage look great!

1. Prioritize your stuff.

The first step in decluttering and organizing your garage is sorting out the type of stuff you have in your garage. Begin by creating piles of different garage items, and placing them together.
Sort everything in your garage, including:

• Home maintenance
• Tools
• Holiday decorations
• Extra storage
• Gardening
• Sports/athletic equipment

Then, prioritize where would be best to place everything, based on how often you use it. If you feel that your garage is particularly cluttered, be ready to pare down a few of your items by either donating or throwing out some of the clutter that you don’t use.

2. Make accessibility key for children’s items.

Keep sports gear, kids’ bikes, and frequently used items by your kids near the entrance of your garage. This allows for children to reach their play things easily without them having to navigate through your whole garage. Keeping the hockey net in the back of the garage may make some sense given its size, but when your child tries to carry it between two cars to get it into the driveway, it’s hard to avoid a scratch on the side of your car.

3. Hang your tools on pegboards.

Pegboard is a cost-effective way of displaying your tools, gardening equipment, and other items readily. Pegboards are a garage standard, and rightfully so, as it can be easily changed around to add or remove space, and are key to organizing your home tools.

4. Keep your holiday decorations out of reach.

Your garage storage should have a hierarchy of usefulness. You’ll want an easily accessible place to keep the weed killer so you can stay on top of those cracks in your sidewalk. On the other hand, your holiday decorations are only used once a year, for a set period of time. These can be put away in a less accessible storage area than your more frequently used items.

5. Don’t store food, cardboard, or paint in your garage.

Critters love cardboard. And in the Texas heat, food and paint will not last a summer. Keep these items in your closet, or pantry to prevent heat or unwanted animal guests from damaging them.

6. Donate anything you don’t/won’t use.

Garages should not be a place where your most sentimental items are kept, so you can allow yourself to donate the baseball tee your son and daughter used when they played tee ball six years ago; or that impulse tennis racket you got after watching a particularly exciting Wimbledon tournament.

7. Keep your bike out of sight.

Bicycle thieves thrive in Austin, and with good reason. Don’t let a potential burglar see your bicycle. Hang it up obscured from the view of any windows into your garage. This provides the double benefit of saving you room, and keeping your bike safe from theft.

8. Be practical about where you’re putting everything.

Can your store your not often used kayak on the ceiling? Probably. But how hard and heavy is it to get it up there? So much that you’re not going to want to get it down? As much room as it might save, it isn’t helpful in the long run.

9. Buy all your storage boxes at once, and buy quite a few extra.

As the years in your home go on, no matter how much you throw out, you’ll still find yourself with more and more items in your garage. Five years from now, when you need a place to store your newfound birdhouse collection, it may be difficult to find the storage box you bought today. Buy sturdy, bug resistant plastic containers, and make sure to buy extras for the years to come so your storage will be future-proof.

10. Label everything in boxes.

You don’t want to spend hours looking through your storage boxes without knowing which box holds what. Get a piece of paper and tape it to your box. Keep a pen nearby to cross off and add any items that will eventually go into your garage storage. It will save you time and energy with searching for things.

11. Give your interior walls and floor a paint job.

Painting concrete floors can prevent mold, and make it easier for you to clean. Keeping the walls painted as well can add a layer of warmth and comfort to an otherwise bland space.

12. Get ceiling storage.

Hanging items from your ceiling is a cost-effective way of maximizing the space in your garage. Keeping your unused items (i.e. holiday decorations) on the ceiling will save you space, time and resources.

13. Always have a clear surface to work on.

When you have a home project that needs worked on, make sure you have a tool bench, or designated space clear at all times to make sure you can conveniently and efficiently work through your project.

Follow these tips and your garage organization will greatly improve, giving you a great space to work, play and live in.

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Garage doors can be a weak spot in your home security, so make sure not to neglect the security of your garage door. Burglaries are infamously difficult for the police to solve, so when it comes to your house, the best defense is being prepared. At Austin Garage Door Solutions, we’ve created a list to help you strengthen your garage door security.

Consider an automatic closer

There are many ways you can close your garage door automatically when you leave your home. Some applications can sync with your phone to close your door automatically when you get too far away from your house. This automatic motion can work wonders if you find yourself forgetting to keep your garage door closed often.

Lock your doors

Always lock the door from your garage into your house. Add a deadbolt for added security. Even if a burglar can get into your garage, don’t make it easy for them to get into the rest of your house.

Ditch the garage door opener

Never keep the garage door opener in your car. Keep it on your keys. If your car gets broken into, you leave your whole home susceptible to break-ins if a thief takes your garage door opener as well. The best alternative would be to replace your car garage door opener with a small opener to keep on your key ring.

Add a deadbolt to your garage door

This is a must for vacations. If you’re leaving your garage closed for extended periods of time, (like for frequent vacations or business ventures) add a deadbolt to your garage door. You don’t need to lock your garage every time you go out, but when you’re leaving for your summer vacation, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Cover any windows into your garage

Keep views into your garage to a minimum. Add curtains to any garage windows, or privacy screens. The less a potential burglar can scope out the layout of a place, the less likely they are to try to get in.

Inspect garage doors often.

Regularly look at the structure of your garage door to make sure it’s in good order. Check to make sure the locking mechanism works on your garage door, and make sure you keep any keys for that on you at all times.
Check the tracks and wheels of your garage door system at least twice a year to ensure everything is working properly. If you suspect anything, contact a garage repair technician.

Keep your garage door closed.

It’s the easiest thing to do, and yet some people can’t seem to remember. Leaving garage doors open, even once, can have your house marked as an easy target for burglars.

Still have questions about garage door security?

Contact the repair team at Austin Garage Door Solutions if you live in the greater Austin area. Our team is dedicated to helping you get the most out of your garage.

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What Are the Steps For Painting Your Garage Door?

Most garage doors are steel and can be repainted if prepared properly. The surface must be cleaned and primed before painting.

1. Clean

Using a brush or sprayer (remember, think low-pressure or light bristles), clean the door with a detergent solution as thoroughly as possible.

2. Sand

Try to work out minor imperfections and scratches by hand-sanding them with fine sandpaper.

3. Prime

Remember to use a primer that blends well with your paint. More than one coat of primer will only help with the painting process.

4. Paint

Be sure to use as many coats as necessary to ensure that the structure of the door is protected.

Wooden doors can be painted or finished in a similar fashion. They must be sanded first, then cleaned, primed, and painted. Keep detergents away from wood, but be sure to remove excess wood shavings after sanding.

The post How to Paint Your Garage Door and Revive It appeared first on Austin Garage Door Solutions.

How to Fix a Squeaky Garage Door

Most things that squeak are annoying, sneakers on linoleum floors, a kitchen cabinet with dry hinges and, of course, squeaky garage doors.

What’s even worse is that when they squeak and squeal when you are leaving your house, you might make a mental note to look into that. However, by the time you’ve gotten to work or picked up the kids, it will have drifted away into the dark recesses of your mind. However, it is still back there, causing you worry.If you live in a neighborhood with a Homeowner’s Association, you could be under a ‘noise restriction’ covenant, which means the neighborhood could fine you for creating a disturbing noise.

The good news is, if you are handy and have a relatively well-stocked toolbox, it can be a fairly simple fix. Squeaky garage doors are typically the result of loose hardware, worn rollers, a need for anti-vibration pads, or parts that simply require lubrication.

The good news is, if you are handy and have a relatively well-stocked toolbox, it can be a fairly simple fix.

Get Out Your Handy Dandy Tool Box

The first thing to address is whether the squeak is the result of loose hardware.

Grab a ratchet and a deep socket wrench to tighten any loose bolts. Pay close attention to the track and door hardware, as this can be a common area to find loose hardware. Be sure not to over-tighten bolts as too much force can strip lag screw holes or rip bolts through the door itself.

Second, check your garage door and assembly for any worn rollers.

Often, track rollers have unsealed bearings that break down over years of continuous use in dirty environments. If the wear is significant enough, the track rollers will wobble as the door opens and closes, causing squeaks and other noise. Consider having someone repair your garage door’s worn track rollers with newer nylon rollers that have sealed bearings.

However, if your door uses torsion springs mounted on a header on top of the door, do not attempt to replace the bottom bracket rollers without professional assistance. These brackets are subject to constant spring tension and could potentially cause serious bodily injury if you unbolt them without assistance.

Third, examine your door and assembly for any worn hinges.

While worn hinges are more uncommon than worn rollers, damaged hinges can make a lot more noise. These rollers can cause the garage door to bind and wear the door section’s tongue-and-groove joints. A small amount of slack at a hinge is normal, but if you find strange holes where the hinge bracket connects with the hinge pin, consider replacing the entire hinge immediately. An easy way to spot early wear is to look for metal fillings or other grey dust around the hinge.

After you have tightened loose hardware and replaced any worn rollers and hinges, focus on the garage door’s opener chain.

Loose opener chains make loud clacking and slapping sounds. They also typically cause the garage door to jerk and will slam the track rollers against the track. You’ll need your garage door owner’s manual to see which tool is best to tighten your particular chain.

Next, get a garage door lubrication package and spray all unsealed roller bearings, springs, and hinges.

You can typically find garage door grease kits at local home repair stores. Also, be sure to lubricate bearings on torsion bars and any other pivot points. Garage door lubrication grease is specifically designed to spray on as a liquid to penetrate all parts and dries as a non-stick grease that will not attract any dust or dirt.

Be sure to lubricate any moving parts on a garage door every six months to keep the door and its assembly from squeaking and to reduce wear. Also, avoid any non-garage door specific lubricants. While they may be cheaper than garage door specific lubricant, they tend to pick up more dust and dirt.

Finally, consider adding anti-vibration pads between the ceiling and mounting bracket of the garage door assembly.

Also, if you have a tuck-under or attached garage and the door’s noise seems louder inside your home, consider isolating the opener from the garage rafters with rubber pads.

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How to Makeover Your Garage

Your garage can be the messiest part of your house, used for storage and forgotten belongings. Release the clutter from your home with a garage makeover. By organizing and customizing your garage, you can transform it to a place you actually want to visit.

Storage Ideas

After you have gotten rid of all of your excess or unusable items, it is time to store things.

Photo by mtneer_man

• Overhead storage bins are perfect for storing clothes and gear used during different seasons.
• Overhead racks that secure to the ceiling are also an option for standard storage.
• Rolling storage units can be very convenient, especially if you are constantly using various tools.

Photo by Thom W

• A wall pegboard is great at organizing through inserting hooks onto a pegboard that carry your hand-held tools.
• You can also get drawer dividers to make tools and materials easier to find.
• Tall cabinets or shelves are a must for any garage. They reduce the mess on your garage floor.

Photo by abarndweller

• Hanging baskets will make everyday tools more visible for your workspace.
• For those who love to garden, a potting bench is the perfect decor item to organize gardening tools.
• An over the door coat hanger is an easy and affordable way to keep things organized and save room.

Photo by AngryJulieMonday

• Individual gear track hooks for larger items like rakes, brooms, and shovels can keep tools off the floor.
• For cyclists in Austin, a few bike rack hooks to your garage wall will mount an easier alternative for storing your bikes.

Makeover Themes

Photo by mtneer_man

Once you’ve organized and stored all of your necessary belongings, your garage will have much more space. This gives you a chance to customize your garage to your interests.

If you and your family enjoy sports, you could try creating a mini-gym or sports-themed look. Or you can extend the area of your garden center. Adding open shelves with your latest flowers and plants will give your garden garage a pleasant touch.

For when DIY is your absolute favorite, customize your garage to make it more crafty friendly. Try adding a long table with high stools to create a DIY station. You can also make the area more homey by using a row of wicker baskets to store your craft supplies.

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