Tips for Converting Your Garage into a Living Space
Many homeowners find that they could use more living space. But building a house extension is a complex and expensive project. A more practical alternative to a home addition is to convert the garage into a functional living area. After all, many people choose to park their cars on the street anyway, leaving the garage empty. Converting a garage into a room has many possibilities. Garage Conversion Ideas Some top garage remodeling ideas include creating a: Home Office – More people are working from home or creating home-based businesses, so a home office provides an opportunity to explore just about any business venture. A garage has more than enough space to accommodate an office setup with a computer workstation, meeting/conference area, and storage. Bedroom or Guest House – Since you already have an open layout to work with, it’s feasible to create an extra bedroom or add a guest suite. You can arrange the furniture in just about any way you want. Plus, there are unlimited design possibilities. Home Gym/Fitness Room – Most garages can accommodate basic fitness equipment. By turning your garage into a gym, you don’t have to travel or share equipment and can work out privately. Play Room – Children need their space too. Converting the garage into a play room gives them plenty of room for fun without taking over the house. Art Studio – If you have a hobby you’d like to spend more time on, the garage is the perfect space. Your studio can include a place to focus on your craft and room to display your creations. Garage Remodeling Tips & Essentials Every garage conversion project requires a plan. There are a lot of considerations, all of which add to the cost and the budget you will need. Insulation – About $1 per square foot, so insulating an entire garage can cost several hundred dollars, including the walls, ceiling, and floor, which may need to be raised. Drywall – Can cost from $1,200 to over $5,000, depending on garage size. Thicker, fire-resistant panels can cost 50% more. HVAC ducts and vents – Can cost up to $2,000, not including the cost of heating and cooling equipment for your HVAC system. Garage door upgrade – With so many garage door types and options for insulation and energy efficiency, the cost is highly variable. Outlets, lighting, and electrical wiring – An electrician can charge up to $100 per hour to run wiring; the more wires, outlets, and lights you need, the more this will cost. Windows – Expect to spend about $1,000 per each window that you add. The benefits can be worth it in terms of comfort and efficiency. You may want to add extra doors as well. Plumbing – Can cost from $300 to $1,800; building a bathroom from scratch is a costly job. Depending on your local building code, you may also need a permit to convert your garage. On average, permits for such construction range from $1,000 to $1,500. In addition, you will need to order an inspection to ensure the project meets building code and zoning requirements. Pros and Cons of Garage Conversion If you plan on undertaking a major garage renovation, the pros of such work include: Additional living space More usable room in your home No need to build a new structure You keep all your yard space More affordable than home additions However, converting a garage can have some cons, such as: No space to store your car A vehicle left outside, exposed to the elements Reduced storage space Can be costly and time-consuming No guarantee of added home value Conclusion: Should You Convert Your Garage? If you intend to add living space in your garage, we hope these tips give you ideas and help understand the main things to consider. A garage conversion is a project that serves your functional needs at home. It’s a major renovation, but with professional help, you can achieve your goals. Contact Precision Door Service of Las Vegas Our Las Vegas garage door service company is open during the coronavirus pandemic to help with garage door repair and installation. Whether you have an emergency or wish to consult with a certified technician about converting your garage, call us at 702-637-2700 today!
Should You Install an Energy-Efficient Garage Door?
An energy-efficient garage door includes insulation, which can prevent heated or cooled air from escaping your home, potentially reducing your energy bill. An insulated garage door is particularly beneficial for an attached garage and allows you to get more use out of the space. This is especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, when more people are using garages as additional space for food storage, office equipment, homeschooling, or a gym. What Are the Benefits of Installing an Energy-Efficient Garage Door? Energy efficiency is all the rage. But it is only part of the story. Here are some of the benefits you may see by upgrading your garage door: A lower electric bill: An uninsulated garage allows cold air to enter through adjoining walls, entry points, and vents, requiring more energy to heat your home. A properly insulated door prevents this and can reduce electricity usage. Improved temperature regulation: A garage door has a large surface area; if it is energy efficient, you can better maintain and control the temperature at home, so your heating and cooling system runs efficiently all year long. Added strength and durability: Insulation often adds structural strength to a garage door, making it more durable and increasing its lifespan. Multiple layers of garage door material provide greater resistance to damage. Higher home resale value: The cost benefits of replacing your garage door include higher resale value and return on investment (ROI). You can recoup much of the cost of installation and also make your home more appealing to potential buyers. Improved comfort: Insulation, better construction, and weatherproofing can make your garage and home more comfortable. An air conditioner will provide improved cooling in summer, while your heating system will function better in winter. Noise reduction: Insulation can provide soundproofing, so there’s little or no noise from the garage door in adjacent living spaces. It can also absorb the sound of traffic and other sources from outside. Why Should You Consider Installing an Energy-Efficient Garage Door? The garage is often the largest uninsulated part of a home. Insulating it is an opportunity to make your home more efficient. Aside from improved air temperature control, an insulated garage door can create a welcoming environment. The effect is most notable in the winter, but summer heat can damage electrical components, including those in your car. How Seasonal Weather Could Impact a Poorly Insulated Garage Homeowners in Las Vegas are accustomed to extreme weather. Seasonal variations are quite significant, which can make upgrading to an insulated garage door practical. For example, the area often has triple-digit temperatures during summer, so you can protect your garage and belongings from excessive heat. Temperatures can drop quite low in winter. This can make your garage uncomfortable and limit the amount of activity you can use it for. How to Choose an Energy-Efficient Garage Door Various standards have been developed to measure a garage door’s thermal efficiency. The main variables include: U-factor: A measure of heat transference; the lower the number, the more resistant the door is to transferring heat. R-value: Reveals how well the door resists heat conduction; the higher the R-value, the more effective the material is at reducing heat loss. Material: Garage door material directly impacts energy efficiency. The most common materials include steel, aluminum, and composite wood. When combined with polyurethane, these materials are well-insulating. Contact Precision Door Service of Las Vegas Throughout the Las Vegas Valley, people rely on our Las Vegas garage door service for professional repair and installation. Our certified technicians can provide expert advice on selecting an efficient garage door that can yield energy savings. During the coronavirus pandemic, we remain open and available 24/7 for emergencies while providing no contact service. Social distancing, sanitizing, and other procedures are in place to protect our technicians and customers from COVID-19. Call 702-637-2700 to speak with a friendly live operator.
Can Garage Door Openers Overheat?
Did you know that garage door openers can overheat? It is uncommon for a garage door opener to overheat. But like an electronic system, it can. Heavy use can cause the temperature of the opener to rise very quickly. A problem with the mechanism can cause an overheating problem as well. The human body can adapt to heat during the summer, but garage door openers are not so lucky. If the issue isn’t addressed, overheating can lead to component damage and even cause the entire system to fail. Below, we will discuss the causes of garage door opener overheating and how you can prevent it from occurring. How Does Garage Door Overheating Occur? Overheating is more common in the summer with constant exposure to hot temperatures. It is even more likely with excessive use. If you open and close the garage door repeatedly over a brief period of time, the mechanism can become overworked. This generates heat and can even cause smoke to emanate from the garage door opener. What Happens When Garage Door Openers Overheat? An overheating event will trigger an automatic thermal overload feature, which is include in most modern garage door openers. This safety feature will activate when the system reaches a pre-determined temperature. The system will shut down and reset once it cools down. In most cases, you should be able to continue operating your garage door. It’s generally best to wait 20 to 30 minutes before attempting to do so. However, if there is a serious overheating problem, the garage door opener may begin to smoke. A smoking garage door opener is a serious matter. It can signal a thermal overload in the motor, which can destroy it and completely disable the system. Smoke can indicate damage to the capacitor as well. While overheating can cause serious problems, it is not likely to cause a fire. If you see smoke coming from your garage door opener, always deactivate it and call a professional to check the system. Leave the door open to let the smoke escape. And, if it’s absolutely necessary to operate it, use the manual release function. How to Prevent Garage Door Opener Overheating As drastic as the problem may seem, you can easily prevent overheating. For the best chances of avoiding it: Use your garage door as little as possible during the hottest hours of the day. Try to open and close the door during the morning or evening hours. Don’t operate the garage door more than once in 15 minutes. Install a cooling and/or ventilation system in the garage. Keep up with regular maintenance to ensure everything is working properly. If the system overheats once, it probably won’t get too hot. The motor’s thermal overload monitor should trigger a kill switch, cutting power and preventing any further trouble. But there’s no DIY method of troubleshooting the issue yourself. Multiple overheating events can cause major damage, so it’s wise to consult with an expert to perform an inspection and determine the cause. Contact Precision Door Service of Las Vegas Precision Door Service of Las Vegas can help you with an overheated garage door opener. Our certified technicians are trained and equipped to find the cause of the problem and fix it. We continue to provide repair, maintenance, and installation services for all brands of garage door openers during the coronavirus pandemic, adhering to social distancing and other guidelines to protect you while providing the service you need. For Las Vegas garage door service anywhere in the Valley, including Henderson, Summerlin, and Boulder City, contact us today at 702-637-2700. Our live operators are available 24/7.
Chain Drive vs. Belt Drive Garage Door Openers
The drive mechanism is one of the most important considerations when shopping for a garage door opener. This choice often comes down to a chain drive or a belt drive garage door opener, the most popular systems on the market. In this article, we will describe each and compare them in terms of strength, noise, and price. What Are Chain Drive Garage Door Openers? A chain drive garage door opener, the most common type in the U.S., uses a metal chain to open and close the garage door. The chain is part of a larger assembly that is attached to the garage door springs. This configuration suits a wide range of applications. What Are Belt Drive Garage Door Openers? A belt drive differs in that the drive mechanism is a rubber belt used slide the trolley. The ends of the belt are joined with an adjustable threaded clip, which can be adjusted to tighten the belt. Running along the rail, the belt wraps around the sprocket at the top of the garage door opener. What Are the Differences Between Chain Drive and Belt Drive Openers? Some of the differences between the two include: Noise Level Metal components of a chain drive are in direct contact during operation, so you’ll hear the metal clinking together. This may be acceptable for a detached garage but is quite noisy if there’s a bedroom directly above an attached garage. Belt drives are much quieter. However, if both are properly maintained and lubricated, they should not produce an excessive amount of noise. Contact a garage door professional if you hear any unusual sounds. Strength Chain drives have a higher tensile strength, which suits them for extra-wide, heavily insulated, or heavy garage doors. They are strong enough to lift a door for a two- or three-car garage. It is rare for a chain drive opener to fail. Belt drive systems are reliable so long as they’re properly adjusted, maintained, and don’t take on too high a weight load. Price Chain drive openers are more affordable despite having a greater weight capacity. However, friction between a metal chain and other parts can accelerate wear, making the drive less durable. A belt drive tends to have a longer operating life, so it may pay for itself over time. Speed Garage doors are limited to move at no more than 7 or 8 inches per second. Chain drives run a little slower because the chain bounces as it moves along the rail. Being smoother, belt drives tend to run faster than chain-type openers. Maintenance Any garage door opener system requires regular maintenance. Chain drives need specific care such as oiling; white grease is typically the right lubricant to use. And, once or twice during its lifetime, a chain drive may need to be readjusted. Belt drives should not be lubricated, although they may need periodic tightening. Which Is the Right Choice for Your Garage? Unless you have a very heavy garage door or an attached garage, the choice of drive mechanism usually depends on your preferences. Factors to review include cost, maintenance, and convenience. Chain drives are often recommended for use in arid climates. While belt drives are slightly faster, the difference is subtle and likely won’t affect your day. If you have any questions about the best mechanism for your home, consult a garage door professional. Contact Precision Door Service of Las Vegas Part of a nationwide company, we specialize in all types of Las Vegas garage door service, including repair, installation, and maintenance. We have taken steps to remain open while protecting our technicians and customers during the coronavirus pandemic, such as practicing social distancing and sanitizing our equipment. If you need help choosing the right garage door opener for your needs, speak with an expert by calling 702-637-2700.