If you are wondering whether or not you should build or install a carport, but are not sure if they’re a good idea, consider a few basic facts.

• These structures provide extra overhead storage space to house a car or other vehicle if you don’t have a garage or if your garage is not large enough to house all of your belongings plus your vehicle(s).
• They don’t cost nearly as much as a garage to build or install.
• There are many different styles to choose from and you can go with a very basic or even a portable model costing less than a hundred dollars or you can custom build a structure that almost rivals a garage but with a few less bells and whistles.

The picture below shows imaginative use of bamboo (from Bambutec) to construct a lightweight and attractive frame over which has been attached clear corrugated plastic. It gives an idea of what you can achieve with a carport if you think outside the traditional boxes a bit.

Obviously there is no security as such with an open carport, but then again it depends on what exactly you’re trying to protect. Modern cars are so well protected with their own built-in anti-theft devices that these days car thieves often have to first break in to your house to steal the keys before they can then steal the car! A carport is designed to shelter a car from the elements and frankly it is at little more risk of being stolen from an open carport than an apparently locked garage (for more on this subject read this article on secure garage doors).

Other advantages of moving your car from the garage to a carport include (perhaps surprisingly) better protection against rust in the bodywork; a carport protects against the elements i.e. sun, rain and frost to a degree but it also provides better airflow around the car. It is well known that parking a car in a garage will ensure that any moisture on the car will sit there and over time slowly corrode the metal.

And of course, parking your vehicles under a carport means you can free up your garage for extra storage, auxilliary space to work or play in or whatever you want really. No need to make space for the car or be careful not to scratch it moving the lawnmower for instance. This additional flexibility is also likely to be reflected in the overall value of your property too.

If you are looking for a more permanent structure, then a wooden carport may be a good option for you. These blend in nicely with the existing structures of most homes, whether they are attached to the home or even if they stand alone. Also, because they are constructed from wood they can be finished to coordinate with the home’s exterior by staining or painting the wood to match. Because wood is inherently versatile and easy to work with, you can build a wooden structure in just about any size or shape you need and can add a flat roof or an angled roof, depending on your preference.

If you want something that is less expensive to erect and/or more portable because you want to be able to set it up and take it down whenever you need to (or possibly you want to be able to take it with you on the road when you travel) then you might want to consider a model made from a nylon or canvas cover instead. These covers are draped across a framework made usually from PVC or a lightweight metal such as aluminum. These portable structures will still provide ample protection but will obviously result in a rather different look and feel compared to a permanent wood carport.

If you have a business or residence that could use some extra shelter for vehicles, you can purchase a carport to provide the protection you require. There are several different designs available for carports so you will want to consider what your needs are before purchasing. The structures can be purchased as premade units or can be custom made to fit what you need. The first step is to know the size of the structure you wish to use. The premade units came in single, double and even triple widths to accommodate more than one vehicle.

You also have your choice of using wood or metal carports. The wood structures are not as easy to assemble and disassemble as the metal ones are, but the main advantage of a wooden carport to a homeowner is that it is generally more attractive.

If on the other hand looks are not a priority and you want a structure that is easy to transport you would be better off choosing a metal one. This is more advantageous for a business use such as a construction company that might want a vehicle shelter for on the job use. The metal units are also widely used as more permanent fixtures in some business structures such as businesses that have a drive-thru area.

You will also want to consider the type of posts you want to use with your Carport. If you want the unit for business as a more permanent structure you might want to choose concrete posts as they are more durable and will hold up over time. You can also use the structures to add additional parking shelter for an apartment unit that might not have any type of shelter or garage units. When installing a structure in a residential are you will need to adhere to any regulations that are enforced by the city. It would be best to find out what building restrictions there might be before choosing the size of the unit you want to construct.

Carports are a great addition to any property where you want to park a car and give it some protection from the elements, just make sure you put a little thought into your purchase so that you get one that is suitable for your needs.

Do you have a Genie garage door system that needs to be repaired? If so, I am pleased to be able to share with you the Genie garage door opener troubleshooting guide. This guide is extremely useful as it shows you how to troubleshoot and perform your own Genie garage door opener repair.

The first thing to do when assessing your garage door system is to look at the system as a whole. What I mean by this is to examine and carry out a quick checklist on the system, looking for things such as the following. Are the springs in working order? Does the garage door opener turn on when you push the wall button? Does the garage door hang up when opening and closing? Does the chain have too much slack or is it too tight? These questions alone can often help you determine the underlying cause of your garage door system problem.

Many Genie garage door systems seem to have problems with their actual overhead motors. They are a bit temperamental at times because they have a safety cover that covers the light bulb. The thing is that when ever this cover is opened or loosened, the garage door opener has a safety mechanism which won’t allow it to run until this cover is closed. Most people sit for hours trying to figure out what is wrong with their garage door when most of the time it is this simple issue. The cover should stay tightly closed, but vibrations, wind in the garage, and other factors seem to pop this little cover loose and cause all sorts of problems for owners.

My best advise on these Genie overhead motor covers is to tape yours down well so it can’t pop loose. This is a very simple fix that works very well, so go grab the duct tape and fix it redneck style. Hopefully this brief article has helped you and will continue to help you with your garage door repairs. Follow this link for more general information about adjusting garage door springs.

If you are tired of manually opening the garage door every time you return home or want to go out then you really should invest in an automatic door opener. There are some things, however, you should consider before purchasing a system. These include the remote control unit, drive system, power, speed of operation and lighting. Here then is some basic advice on the purchase of garage door openers.

Remote Control:

One of the first things you should consider when purchasing an automatic garage door is the remote control unit. Some remotes have a single button, whilst some may have two or more. If you have two garage doors, then you should look for a remote control that has two buttons. These garage doors will allow you to control each door separately so that you do not have to open both at the same time.

Drive System:

The next aspect to consider when choosing an opener is the drive system. Screw systems are used to actually lift the garage door and have relatively few moving parts and so require less maintenance. Chain driven systems use a metal chain to move the door along a track. These types of garage door openers are generally less expensive, but can generate more noise than the screw variety of units and may require more maintenance.

Power:

When buying a new garage door opener the amount of power also needs to be considered. You can choose between a door with 1/3, 1/2, or 3/4 horsepower. This decision is essentially based on the weight and type of door you have. If you have a double garage door, then you should buy an opener with a minimum of 1/2 horsepower.

Speed:

Garage door openers also come in different speeds. More expensive types open the door quickly so you do not have to wait so long. However, even these garage doors will always be closed at a slower speed for safety reasons.

Lighting:

One last aspect to consider when buying a garage door opener is lighting. Some models include a security light incorporated into the opener. The light is activated when you open the garage door. Some remote controls can actually turn on the light without opening the garage door as well.

Hopefully these simple tips should help you in your research and purchase of a new garage door opener. Check out also these tips for buying a garage door.

My friend Jonas is a professional custom storage designer. No, I’m not talking IT – he doesn’t work doing RAID 5 or some other computer storage niche. I’m talking about the type of storage engineer that works with their hands, with actual pieces of wood, and power tools that get the job done and put it all together.

Now, I don’t mean to rain on his parade, but over the years, I’ve heard my share of lectures on how my garage is full of bunk storage and he could really help me fix this by installing a custom garage storage system. He’s a friend, so he’d even do it at cost.

But the truth is – well, it’s not necessary. Let me explain.

The Things You Own, End Up Owning You…

Isn’t it funny how the more you own, the more you need to buy to manage the things you own? At the same time, you also get to devote more mental energy towards organizing these things and deciding what to do with them. Does this make sense? Why do we do this to ourselves?

Yes, I have a garage. And yes, I have some things in there. But my goal isn’t to have one of these utopian garage storage systems. It’s to own only what I need!

Jonas would say he always tells customers first to get rid of everything that’s taking up space in their garage, but, the truth is, if we all did that, most of the companies making stuff designed as “garage storage tools” wouldn’t be needed anymore. Our trash is their treasure, in a round about way.

What’s In My Garage

My garage at the moment is fairly simple. I’ve got a bike. With it, there’s a garage storage bike rack. Makes sense, right! I’ve also got a DIY screen printing set up, and for this, there’s a desk and a cabinet for all my things. Other than that, I’ve got a couch and a bookshelf with a bunch of old punk rock zines and magazines. That’s it. Nothing mounted to my ceiling, nothing installed coming out of the wall, no cabinets with fancy locking mechanisms to hide some scary hazardous chemicals I wouldn’t want in here any way (and which would offer less protection than securing your garage doors in the first place). Also, nothing that might need protection from the elements which of course then gets us on to the topic of garage door insulation kits.

Keeping life simple is usually a lot easier than trying to simplify a mountain of consumerist toys that you only own because Mother Culture promotes the idea of ownership.

For me, I’ll keep my couch, my bike rack, my book shelf, my cabinet, and you can keep your garage storage systems, thank you!

It may be hard to believe that wood carports are making such big buzz at home shows all over the nation, but they are. The world is so accustomed to steel carports that is seems rare to even talk about the possibilities of wood. However, home builders are reporting a spike in the number of homeowners interested in buying a carport who are specifically requesting to purchase a wood carport.

As a benefit, wood is a much better aesthetic fit for most contemporary houses. Wood selections come in enough varieties to find a finish that is a good match for the building material already existing on the home. Wooden carports are also more eye-catching than steel.

The wood materials also give the homeowner an opportunity for a relatively simple do-it-yourself project. It is something average homeowners can construct by themselves. If there are no instructions and you are buying all raw materials, it is even possible to download a variety of building plans from the Internet. If you have any carpentry experience, it is possible to surf the Internet for images of carport designs you like then draw up the plan yourself.

If you choose to install a wooden shelter and not a steel one or a traditional garage, it will be quite difficult to find a wood carport kit online. There are not many, but there are a few online retailers. Some of them offer pre-cut wood that you will only need to fit together and nail. Carport kits are very affordable and can decrease in price if you have the building skills to construct the shelter yourself.

One of the best reasons to opt for a wooden structure is that it is the best material for later upgrades or changes that you make to your house. You can add walls to them or add new shelves or storage bins. With so much versatility as an affordable option to a wooden garage, it is no wonder the wood materials are making such an impression at national home shows.

A common problem that many people have when purchasing a safe is determining where in their home they should install it. There are a number of different factors that should be considered before choosing a final location. Although a gun safe can be located in a number of different spots, there are better locations than others to store it.

A good tip to locating a safe is to have it stored in an unobvious location. For many homeowners, a secret room or basement are just not available. By far one of the most common places to store gun safes is in your garage. Due to its popularity, it is not the ideal storage spot for discretion, but often provides the greatest ease of installation.

If you do decide to install your safe in your garage, be sure that you follow a couple of practical suggestions. You may need to take additional precautions to keep the contents of your safe secure. The first thing that you are going to need to do is relocate or lock up some of your tools. The last things that you want lying next to your safe are the very tools that will assists in cracking it open.

Remove blow torches, power tools, saws, and other instruments that an intruder may use to break into your safe. If these tools are not readily available, you should be able to avoid theft by opportunity. An intruder should have a difficult time finding the necessary equipment to crack your safe. For this reason, you should also avoid storing flammable or other explosive items near your safe. Keep gas tanks, pressure tanks, and other flammables on the other side of the garage or outside in a storage shed.

Finally consider taking the opportunity to replace your existing garage doors with more secure garage doors. Standard garage doors are noted for the ease with which they can be broken into, but upgrading to a high security garage door provides a level of protection that is vastly superior and able to withstand even the most determined attempts to break in.

If you follow these few practical tips when installing your gun safe in a garage, you will be well on your way to having a more secure and tamper proof solution for your valuables.

Insulating a garage door can increase the comfort and overall energy efficiency of your garage area. This can be particularly important if the garage is directly accessible from the house, as a better controlled and more stable air temperature in the garage will help maintain the desired temperature in the home as well (and quite possibly also add value to your property).

There is no doubt that integral garages can significantly affect the temperature of rooms adjacent to and above the garage area. The garage door itself can represent the largest single source of heat loss in your home and this all mounts up in terms of additional heating in the winter and cooling in the summer.

Just as your garage doors are the largest, most visible, yet most frequently overlooked aspect of your property, so the garage space itself is almost certainly the largest un-insulated space in your home. Like many so-called “green” initiatives, insulating this large space helps conserve energy which is not only environmentally beneficial but also translates directly into saving quite a bit of money (as well as making your house more comfortable to live in).

If you live somewhere that is not susceptible to extreme climatic conditions then a wooden garage door provides much better intrinsic insulating properties than a steel door since wood is a very good natural insulator. However, extreme weather and large temperature fluctuations can mean that because wood garage doors are already quite heavy they are effectively impractical when it comes to adding heavy duty insulation. In these situations a well insulated metal door may be the better option (there are many considerations to weigh up in the debate over steel vs. wood garage doors).

There are several methods of garage door insulation that you can use. One of the best ways of providing good garage door insulation is to check with the door’s manufacturer. Some garage door companies sell kits that are designed to work with their doors, which can make insulating the garage door very easy and effective, although the overall price might be a little higher. But if you’re in the market to buy a new garage door rather than upgrade an existing one then it makes a lot of sense to have this option pre-installed for you.

An off-the-shelf insulated garage door will look better, last longer and out perform an after-market kit. It is also possible these days to purchase insulated wooden garage doors, combining the quality and good looks of a traditional wood panelled door with a fully insulated metal one. These comprise an outer skin of real wood that has been professionally treated and finished to resist the elements and look great. The inner skin is again real wood, which can be finished in any style you can think of (faux wood panelling, fake interior walls, etc). Sandwiched between these two layers of wood is a thick layer of polystyrene insulation which provides superb insulation (often better than the walls) and also reduces the weight that would otherwise be present in a solid wood door.

Alternatively, you can purchase garage door insulating kits that are not designed specifically for one brand of door, but which work well on most garage doors. These generic insulating kits are often a bit less expensive than those provided directly from the door manufacturer but are still quite effective.

Garage door insulation kits use one of 4 basic materials:

• Fibreglass panels are pre-formed units covered with a protective, washable vinyl finish. They usually come with an integral fastening system and you would typically use about 8 panels for a single door.
• Foam panels are similar but consist of an expanded polystyrene interior with a laminated plastic covering to protect the panel and make it easy to clean. These panels are fitted into the channels of the door frame rails and a typical kit is usually sufficient for a single door.
• Insulating foam (polystyrene) is injected behind a plastic membrane that is fitted flush to the inside of the door; the foam then bonds to the surface of the door which keeps it in place and ensure complete coverage.
• Reflective foil is for solid (i.e. wooden) garage doors that thus don’t have the integral space and cannot take the additional weight of panel inserts. It is a very simple system whereby the foil is cut to shape and simply stuck to the inside of the door. It is generally available in varying degrees of thickness o suit.

You can also purchase your own garage door insulation supplies and do the job yourself without using a kit. There are three main areas on a garage door that benefit from insulation.

• First, you can use foam panels on the inside surfaces of the garage doors to provide extra insulation to the door itself, especially if the doors have glass windows.
• Second, the weather stripping on the sides of the doors needs to be in good condition. If this weather stripping has pulled loose or is in poor condition, this should be replaced to keep cold air from getting in around the edges of the door.
• Third, the garage door should have a compression bubble on the bottom edge that will effectively seal the bottom of the door when it is closed, keeping cold air from getting in. This should be checked, and if it is missing or it has become stiff, brittle or cracked, it should be replaced.

Garage door springs are heavy duty springs that make it possible for your garage to open and close swiftly. These powerful springs, along with cables and rollers, easily lift a door that weighs several hundred pounds. However, if these springs aren’t maintained properly, they become extremely dangerous.

Whether you have a flip-out or roller garage door, at some point you will have to repair or entirely replace the springs. Now you’ll have to decide whether you want to fix it yourself or have a licensed contractor do it for you. If you’re comfortable around tools, dangerous equipment, and can follow precise instructions, then it’s probably worth your time to repair the springs yourself and save a good amount of money. However, if you haven’t worked on your garage door or aren’t mechanically inclined, you’ll save yourself a huge headache by hiring a licensed contractor to do it for you.

You’ve probably never heard of garage door springs, or even cared about them, until right now. I know I didn’t have a clue what they were until my garage couldn’t open one morning. All you knew was that when you clicked your garage door remote, the garage opened for you and then closed for you. You didn’t think about how two springs (or a set of two springs) could lift a 400 lb. plus door, day-in and day-out. Now imagine one of those springs being damaged, and suddenly releasing when they weren’t supposed to; that has “dangerous situation” written all over it. Never, ever try to repair your garage door springs when the door is closed. That is when the springs are stretched and can release a tremendous amount of energy if you attempt to fix them.

If you’ve had your garage for awhile, and have never maintained your garage springs, you’ll probably have to replace them entirely. Your springs are incredibly dangerous because pieces of the old springs can become shrapnel projectiles and can possibly kill anyone in the garage at that time. If this is a scary thought for you, then it’s a good idea to hire a professional. They’ll be able to guarantee the work and make sure the parts are cared for properly.

Adjusting Your Springs

If you’ve maintained your garage door over the years, the first thing you’ll have to do is either tighten or loosen the springs. It’s important that you make the adjustment to the door while it’s neutral so that it doesn’t fly up or drop down while you’re repairing it. Remember, if you don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself, it’s ok to hire a contractor to do it for you.

Installing New Springs

If adjusting your springs doesn’t do the trick, you’ll have to replace them entirely. When you install your new springs, you’ll have to slowly release the tension off of the old springs first. And remember to replace both springs. It will save you from having to this again in the near future when your other spring becomes worn out.

Once you’ve replaced or repaired your garage springs, it’s important that you perform regular maintenance at least twice a year. As with any type of mechanical device that you use regularly, it will eventually wear out. To ensure that it doesn’t wear out to the point of failure, it’s important to conduct regular maintenance checks. It’s also worth bearing these maintenance issues in mind before you next think about buying garage doors. Here also are some additional tips for trouble shooting and fixing Genie garage door systems.

When selecting garage doors, there are several points worth considering, but arguably one of the most important is aesthetics – how good the doors look and how well they complement the rest of the house and its frontage.

It’s hard to make any plausible case that a solid block of vinyl enhances visual appeal, and the ease with which metal dents and deforms quickly makes metal garage doors look as though they have seen better days. By contrast, wooden garage doors are naturally attractive and retain their beauty with age. Scuffs and scratches actually lend them character and are anyway easily repaired if needs be requiring little more than basic handyman tips to deal with most situations.

It’s no coincidence that wood garage doors are still first choice among architects, builders and homeowners; solid wood garage doors always add a touch of quality in the same way that solid wooden window frames totally outclass aluminium and uPVC window systems. It is also much easier to match wood types and colours to existing architectural features such as the main doors and windows of a house.

As already mentioned, wood is easy to work and repair and when properly treated wooden garage doors can easily outlast so-called maintenance-free materials such as steel, aluminium, fibre-glass and vinyl (also called polyethylene).

Metal doors are prone to attracting dents and to buckling (even simply kicking a ball against a metal garage door can ruin its appearance), and while steel doors tend to be less susceptible than aluminium, steel is heavier and will eventually rust. Fibre-glass and vinyl, while being lightweight and initially robust will over time degrade and become brittle and crack due to exposure to ultra-violet light and they are not realistically repairable once that happens.

Classic wood garage doors also provide a useful lesson in simplicity of design. Using solid wood rails and legs with panels channelled into them and typically swinging outwards on hinges there is no complicated internal framework just waiting to fail or extraneous fastenings to corrode. Most metal and vinyl garage doors on the other hand employ either an “up-and-over” system or the more recent “carriage style garage doors” design that looks as though it might swing outwards but in fact is sectioned and rolls upwards.

In both cases, complex mechanisms using garage door springs are vital to the operation of the door. And it is a near certainty that, even if you regularly maintain the mechanism, you will at some point be required to adjust your garage door springs and possible repair and/or replace them which is not a trivial task.

Get behind any set of garage doors though and the full story is revealed. Only solid wood doors look good on both sides and are not just an outer shell concealing latch mechanisms on the inside. This is critically important to anyone considering using their garage as a secondary living space.

Not only do wood garage doors look good both from outside and inside the garage, they offer superior insulation and security characteristics – heat simply flies through metal and vinyl and neither material supports the sort of proven, quality locking mechanisms typically found in solid wood doors. Although it is relatively simple to add insulating panels to the inside of a metal door, the result is never especially easy on the eye and the result compares poorly against a pre-insulated wooden garage door.

For those looking for ultimate protection then high security wooden garage doors internally reinforced with steel are able to resist even the most determined attackers for a considerable length of time. These not only protect your property but can form the basis of a garage “safe room” to prevent intruders threatening or harming you or your family.

In summary then, wooden garage doors are not only the best looking option, but last better than the alternatives and are simpler, more environmentally friendly and score highly where security and insulation are concerned. There’s no escaping the fact that a wood panelled door is far and away the most expensive option, but there’s always a price to pay for quality and don’t forget either that wood garage doors can increase the value of your home.