Ideas for Decorating Your Garage for the Holidays

The holiday season is in full swing! There is no better time than now to put up your Christmas decorations and start sprucing up your home for the holidays. At the same time, don’t limit yourself to just decorating inside your home with Christmas decorations. Take the time to decorate your garage door in a way that will make you want to jump with joy. With a few inexpensive supplies and a little imagination, anyone can turn their garage door into a fantastic postcard with a holiday theme. Here are some exciting garage door decorating ideas, perfect for making your garage door the talk of the town.

Projections For The Holidays

The market is full of affordable holiday projectors online and in-store, perfect for entertaining your entire neighborhood. Consider investing in a projector if you want to display elaborate holiday-inspired scenes or special effects on your garage door. 

A Giant Gift Box

Make your garage door a gift that keeps on giving. Turn up the festive charm by embellishing it with a grand ribbon and giant red bows. To create a giant curtain for your garage door, you can cut colorful strips from sheets, and adorn it with felt balls, plush fabric, or huge ribbons. 

Lighting and Garlands
For a classic and elegant holiday look, decorate your garage with Christmas decorations, lights, and garlands. For a wintery glow, add sparkling snowflake lights, alternating with red and green lights. Your home exterior will be adorned with holiday warmth without being overbearing.

Christmas Winter Mural

If you’re looking for ways to make your garage look cheery and festive, the winter months are a great time to get creative. This holiday season, consider painting a mural on your garage door if you want to take your decorations to the next level. Grab some exterior paint and primer and create your very own wintery masterpiece. 

Now anyone can transform their boring garage door into a vibrant holiday delight with these effortless garage door decorating ideas. Whether you need a residential or commercial garage door, look no further than Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. Get in touch with us at 724-443-1437. 

Do Awnings Help Cut Down Energy Costs in Winter?

The cost of heating and cooling your home can add up over time. However, reducing energy usage and energy costs can make a big impact in the long run. A home’s carbon footprint can be significantly reduced by finding energy-efficient ways to heat and cool it. An efficient method of lowering energy costs is by installing window coverings or awnings. Awnings are not just good for summer savings, they can also help save money on energy during winter.

What are aluminum awnings?
Aluminum awnings or overhangs provide a secondary covering mounted to your home’s exterior wall. They’re smart solutions that offer sturdy protection from rain, snow, and sunlight, and they come in a variety of styles and colors. 

Benefits of aluminum awnings
1. Awnings result in a significant reduction in energy and utility bills during winter.
2. They deliver comfort and safety by providing all-weather protection.
3. Throughout different seasons, awnings are secure, dependable, and durable.
4. They shield exterior walls, paint, windows, and doors from harsh weather conditions.
5. They enhance and expand your outdoor living space for fun and relaxation.

Can aluminum awnings reduce energy costs in winter?
Yes, adding aluminum awnings to your house will improve its energy efficiency in winter as well as summer. Aluminum awnings can be used year-round due to their ability to endure wind, hail, and snowfall. By trapping heat around the windows, they can help to keep the area around the windows warmer. During the warmer months, your awning will not only keep the sun out of your home, but it can also reduce the amount of heat that enters your house – allowing your air conditioner to run at a lower setting.

Aluminum awnings or Fabric awnings. Which is better?
Aluminum awnings are weather-resistant, easy to maintain, and reduce energy bills drastically during winter. They provide protection against rain, snow, and wind, and they are capable of preserving heat inside your home as well. Because aluminum awnings are durable, they require little maintenance. It’s unlikely that they will need repairs or patching as often as fabric awnings during severe weather conditions. Luckily, Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. is your one-stop shop for garage doors and awnings installation. Call us at 724 443 1437 to know more about our services. 

Preparing Your Awning for Winter Weather

Ice, snow, and the major fluctuations in temperature that come along with a cold winter could present some concerns for your awning. Here is what you need to know to protect your awning from these conditions. 

Inspect your awning for damage, and make needed repairs. 

While the weather is still nice, it is a good idea to inspect your awning to locate any possible damage from spring, summer, and fall use. Look carefully at seams for loose thread or missing stitches. Be sure to note any fabric tears or weak spots. It is much more economical to have minor repairs taken care of than it is to replace an awning when a small tear spreads. 

Keep your awning clean. 

In regions with very cold winters, the falling leaves always precede the freezing temperatures. It is important to make sure that your awning is clean, and free of leaves and debris before jack frost arrives. A fabric awning can be cleaned with a hose to remove dust, pollen, and other particles brought in by the wind. If needed, a gentle scrub brush with mild dish soap can be used for a deeper clean. Be sure that the awning is completely dry to avoid mold and other moisture related problems. 

Store the awning in a protected location during the winter. 

While it is still clean and dry, it is best to retract the awning so that no snow or ice will build up on the surface. These conditions can make the awning brittle and harsh winter wind can create tearing. Moisture through the cold months can cause added damage to the awning. Once the awning is retracted, make sure that all the fabric is fully covered by the housing. Any exposed pieces of the awning would be exposed to the harsh conditions and could become weak points at a later time. Additionally, rolled or folded fabric can attract insects during cold months, so it is also a good idea to have the stored awning protected with a winter cover.

If you are interested in more information about retractable awnings, winterization, or awning accessories, call Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. at 724-443-1437. Our friendly, knowledgeable team can help! 

Why Fall is a Great Time to Replace Garage Doors

If your garage door is starting to show signs of wear and tear or it just doesn’t work properly, it may be time to replace it. While it might seem inconvenient to replace your garage door, fall is a terrific time for garage door replacement for a few different reasons.

You’ll Better Insulate Your Home Against Chilly Winter Temperatures

Your garage door plays an important role in insulating your commercial or residential space. A door with poor insulating properties or damaged areas will make it harder and more expensive to keep your garage at a comfortable temperature. This will also cause rooms beside or above the garage to be less energy efficient. 

It’s Easier to Install a Garage Door in the Fall

Replacing a garage door exposes the garage to outside temperatures during the replacement period. Installing your new garage door in the fall means that you won’t be exposing your garage space to ultra-cold temperatures. 

Winter is a less-than-ideal time to install a new garage door. Unexpected precipitation and frigid weather can affect your garage space, and unfavorable travel conditions can delay the arrival of your new door.

Fall is less likely to have weather-related delays, and if delays do occur, they’ll have less disruption on your home or business. 

You’ll Have More Convenient Access to Your Home

The fall and winter months are busy times for homes and businesses. You may have a host of holiday gatherings to attend or expect high customer volume. A new garage door makes it fast and convenient for you to open, close, and access your garage.

Thanks to smart garage technology, you can even open and close your gatrage door when you’re away from your home. If out-of-town holiday guests show up early or you need to allow employees unexpected access to the space, you can do so remotely. 

Get Started on Your Garage Door Replacement

Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. is ready to help with your residential or commercial garage door replacement. Contact us at 724-443-1437 to get started. 

Benefits of Routine Maintenance for Businesses

Business owners have a lot of tasks on their to-do lists, but one item that’s essential to add to your schedule is preventative maintenance for your facilities.

Preventative maintenance will keep your doors, shutters, security grilles, and garage doors functioning correctly so that they don’t interfere with your operations or pose a safety hazard to your employees and customers. Here are a few benefits associated with routine maintenance for your business.

Minimizes Downtime Related to Unexpected Repairs

By scheduling preventative maintenance, you can schedule downtime when it’s ideal for your business. While some downtime is necessary to keep your business functioning properly, emergency repairs nearly always have more downtime than scheduled maintenance.

You won’t have to worry about losing hours of productivity because your security grille breaks or your garage doors won’t open when you have shipments to get out or inventory to process.

Instead, you can schedule garage door maintenance and other tasks when it’s convenient for you.

Regular Maintenance Keeps Your Employees Safe

Heavy doors, gates, and security shutters that don’t work properly are a safety risk for your employees.

An employee who’s depending on your security grille or door to remain open can suffer severe injuries if the door shuts on them.

Or, if you neglect to call a garage door company and a garage door malfunctions, this can potentially cause an accident that hurts your employees and damages your vehicles and equipment.

You Can Lower Your Overall Expenses

By budgeting for regular maintenance, you can reduce your need for costly emergency service calls. This helps you keep your expenses associated with maintaining your facilities at a reasonable level.

Regular maintenance also prolongs the lifespan of your doors, security grilles, and shutters, ensuring that they achieve their maximum lifespans and that you don’t have to prematurely pay for their replacements.

Get Started on Your Maintenance-Related Tasks

Want to make sure that all of your business’s maintenance is up-to-date? Contact Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. today at 727-443-1437 to schedule your service call.

How to Choose a Security Grille for Your Business

You’ve invested a lot of time, money, and resources into your business; you don’t want your company to suffer because thieves decide to target your facilities.

A security grille is an excellent addition for protecting your business’s inventory, supplies, and equipment, as well as keeping your employees safe. Follow these tips when choosing a security grille or gate.

Decide How You Want to Open and Close Your Security Grille

One detail to consider is how you prefer to operate your security grille.

Rolling grilles open and close vertically; you often see this type of security grille at stores in your local mall. It’s available as a manual grille and as a motorized grille.

A manual grille requires someone to open and close it, while a motorized grille will open with the push of a button. Rolling grilles are ideal for securing a business with a conventional shape.

Sliding grilles have a side-folding design that only permits manual operation. The design of sliding grilles is customizable, making them ideal for complex spaces that don’t have a conventional design (like a store with a semi-circle-shaped store entrance).

A sliding grille or gate is affordable and capable of accommodating wide spaces and curves.

Select the Appropriate Material and Design for Your Security Grille

Multiple materials and designs are available for your security grille.

A tempered glass security grille makes the interior of your business completely inaccessible while still allowing people to see inside of your business. If you want a security grille that won’t distract from your company’s aesthetics, a tempered glass alternative is a terrific option.

Open-style security grilles have space between the grille’s bars that allows air to enter your business’s space. It also allows people to see inside your facilities.

Security grills are also available in a solid design that uses aluminum. This design secures your space and prevents anyone from seeing inside of your business.

How to Add a Security Grille to Your Business

Ready to select your business’s new security grille? Contact Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. online or call 724-443-1437. 

5 Reasons You Should Have a Louvered Pergola Installed This Spring

Dating all the way back to ancient Egypt and perhaps even earlier, pergolas have survived the test of time. They have been used to create shade for terraces and walkways, as the framework to grow vegetation, and as upscale hanging gardens for the affluent social classes. While they have evolved in form and function, pergolas are as beneficial for us today as they were centuries ago.

The use of a pergola is a way to improve a patio or other outdoor living space that is less than an enclosure but more than an open bare space. Pergolas usually consist of columns that support roofing style rafters or beams. They can be attached to a house or other structure or built as a freestanding structure. The amount of shade a louvered pergola provides can be controlled. The rafters can allow bits of sunshine to peek through or the shelter can be closed and shaded completely. The design styles are limitless and can be adapted to accommodate any style of home and climate. The definition of a pergola also extends to retractable shades or awnings that are popularly used to create backyard retreats and spaces for entertaining.

Spring is a great time to reimagine your outdoor living space and redesign it to meet your needs and goals. Here are just a few of the ways in which a pergola can improve your lifestyle.

1. They increase your home’s value – A pergola raises the property value of your home by adding attractive living space.
2. They are cost effective – The many design options and styles mean that it doesn’t have to break the bank to install a pergola.
3. Pergolas create privacy – Even though the design of a pergola is inherently open, you can use your imagination to add dramatic curtains or screens to provide greater privacy in your backyard.
4. They can offer the desired amount of shade – Whether you want some sunshine to nourish plants or complete shade for a cooler space to hang out, there is a design option that is just right for any purpose.
5. Pergolas require little to no maintenance – The pillars, beams, and stationary or retractable shades are easy to rinse off and can provide many seasons of enjoyment.

Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc., has the expertise to help you choose the right pergola system for your home. Our insured and licensed technicians can perform the expert installation to create your perfect space. Contact us or visit our website today to learn more or to schedule a consultation.

Benefits of Different Types of Entry Doors

You only get one chance to make a first impression, and the same is true for your home. The entryway and front door can determine if the home looks inviting and friendly as opposed to cold and unnatural. Choices of materials and colors can perfectly complement your home’s style or they can completely distract onlookers from its more attractive elements.

Your entry door can be a very enticing focal point of your house without breaking the bank or being overly ornate. Since entry doors can be made from different materials and offer options like glass panels and sidelights, there’s always a choice that’s perfect for your style and budget.

Let’s take a look at the most common types of entry doors and what they have to offer.

Steel Doors

If you are especially concerned about safety, a steel door is an excellent choice because it will be harder to break into. In addition to increased security, steel doors also offer these benefits:

• Energy efficient core insulation
• Double and triple-paned glass units to let in light and to reduce heat transfer
• Resistance to warping, shrinking, and swelling
• Reduction of outside noise
• Customizable options
• Easy maintenance that only involves wiping or rinsing off dirt, an
• More affordable options

Fiberglass Doors

The strength and resilience of fiberglass doors mean that you don’t have to use a storm door to protect them. They offer these advantages:

• Easy installation
• Durability and strength against harsh weather and heavy use
• Energy efficiency
• Lightweight construction to reduce wear and tear on hinges and framing
• Simple maintenance
• Secure against break ins
• Versatility of styles and color options

Wood Doors

Wood is a naturally beautiful choice that also has the ability to remain unaffected by changes in temperature because it is a poor conductor of heat. Other benefits of wood doors include:

• Aesthetics – wood doors invoke a natural rustic feeling that is pleasing to the eye and the emotions
• Durability – solid wood doors hold up well over time
• Return on investment – a solid wood door can last a long time while retaining its beauty
• Resistant to outside noises
• Fire retardancy
• Styles include different types of woods and finishes

If you would like to explore your options or need door installation services, the professionals at Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc., can recommend a stylish and appropriate entry door for your house style and budget and perform expert and secure installation. Visit our website today for more information or to schedule an appointment. 

Benefits of Aluminum Awnings for Your Home

There are different types of awnings that have been used for hundreds of years. Fabric awnings date all the way back to ancient Egypt. Did you know that the first retractable awning was discovered during the time of the Roman Empire? Called a velarium, it sheltered the colosseum. In the United States, the first crude awnings began to appear over store windows in the mid-1800s.

While styles have changed, the purpose of awnings has not. They were always meant to shelter buildings, people, and goods for sale from the heat of the sun. Now, people can choose from fixed, retractable, motorized, and portable awnings. There are also choices of materials that include canvas, polyester, cotton, or metal.

The most common choices for metal fixed awnings are copper and aluminum. While copper is considerably more expensive, aluminum awnings present several reasons why they are a practical and sound choice to provide shade and protection for your home.

1. They are more affordable than awnings made of copper or other metals.
2. They can withstand high winds, rain, snow, and excessive heat without bowing, warping, or stretching.
3. Aluminum awnings can last as long as 50 years with proper care.
4. You can express your personality, because aluminum awnings can be crafted in a wide range of colors and styles including modern and traditional.
5. They can save you money on your energy bills by sheltering your home from the heat of direct sun. The rooms inside a home that are protected by awnings are generally 20 percent cooler than other parts of the house.
6. Aluminum awnings require very little care. All that is needed is the occasional brushing or rinsing off of dirt and debris to keep the awnings looking their best.
7. They increase your outdoor living space by creating a protected patio and lounging areas.

If you would like to explore awning benefits and the addition of awnings to your home, the experienced professionals at Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc., can recommend the best styles for your home and provide expert installation. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment. 

Should I Repair or Replace My Garage Door?

For most people, the largest investment they will make during their lives is the purchase of a home. It can be difficult to know when putting money into the place will produce a high enough return on the investment to be worth it. Garage doors fall into that category. If you are trying to decide if you want to replace your door or if repairs would be sufficient, keep reading for some information that might help you find your way.

These are some indications that your garage door only needs to be repaired:

• It is making noises – A garage door shouldn’t be overly noisy. Rattling or other noises could be signs of loose hinges or torsion springs, which can be replaced.
• The safety sensors aren’t working properly – If they are blocked or damaged, the door may not open and close properly.
• The door is off balance or out of square – A weakened motor or worn cables can cause the door to close unevenly.
• There is only one damaged panel – One panel can be replaced without the need to replace the entire door.
• The problem just started or has only occurred a few times – New problems are worth looking into and could be easy to fix.

Sometimes a little garage door maintenance can go a long way toward resolving an issue that could grow worse over time.

More serious issues can be used to determine that a new garage door is needed including:

• You consistently have to pay to make repairs to the door.
• The door hasn’t worked correctly for a long time.
• There are no safety sensors.
• The door is heavily damaged.
• It no longer matches or complements the exterior of your home.
• It has been broken into or could be easily.

With a return on investment of over 90 percent, investing in a new garage door is always a smart decision, but you may have other financial considerations or reasons for not wanting to replace your entire garage door system. If you aren’t sure what to do, there are some factors that you can evaluate that might be helpful.

1. How old is the garage door?
2. How much repair does it need?
3. What is the garage door’s overall condition?
4. Is the garage door opener still in good condition?
5. Is the garage door safe to use?
6. How much money can be devoted to it right now?
7. Is repair or replacement more cost effective?

Making decisions about garage door repair isn’t always easy, but you don’t have to make them alone. The garage door specialists at Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc., are qualified to help you evaluate your current garage door and make the best recommendation for your budget and style of home. Contact us for more information.