Prep your gutters for rain!
Most people wait until it’s too late to prepare their gutters for the rain. Instead of simple cleanings and minor repairs, we get calls for emergency services and damaged gutter systems.
So here are 4 EASY & QUICK tips to make sure your gutter system will get the job done.
1. Ensure water flows away
Follow the path of your gutters to the downspouts where water drops down the side of your home. Does it spew out downhill and away, or does it puddle, pool, or even drain back toward the foundation?
Remember that 90% of damage is caused by what you don’t see. A small puddle on the surface could mean a huge soggy mess below the ground.
2. Check the connections
Inspect the brackets that hold each section of gutter to your house. Are screws loose? Are gutters sagging or falling away? When water starts flowing, the pressure and weight will build. One minor detachment creates much bigger problems, but can be easily prevented.
3. Address damage now, no matter how small
Minor drip in the corner? Small section starting to fall away from the fascia? These things are easy to fix but are very concerning. Proper maintenance will ensure you don’t face big challenges when the sky falls!
4. Look for growth and debris
In the Pacific Northwest more than anywhere else – gutters NEED to be cleaned annually. Pine needles, leaves, and other debris roll down the roof and fill the gutters, clog the elbows, and prevent the downspouts from doing their job. (Just watch the video below).
If you see any plant growth, whether inside your gutter system or around downspout exits, you’ll need to take care of this now or risk expensive repairs.
Courtesy of Gu-Wi Gutters & Windows Give them call at 833.GET.GUWI
Art courtesy of Life Maid Easy
Get Your Home Ready For Fall!
The days are getting noticeably shorter, and maybe there’s a nip in the air – sure signs that fall is on its way. Now is the perfect time to put these ideas on your to-do list and get your home in shape before winter rolls in.
- Seal it up: Caulk and seal around exterior door and window frames. Look for gaps where pipes or wiring enter the home and caulk those as well.
- Look up: Check the roof for missing or damaged shingles. Although you should always have a qualified professional inspect and repair the roof, you can do a preliminary survey safely from the ground using binoculars.
- Clear it out: Clear gutters and eaves troughs of leaves, sticks, and other debris. Consider installing leaf guards if your gutters can accommodate them – they are real time savers and can prevent damage from clogged gutters. Check the seams between sections of gutter, as well as between the gutter and downspouts, and make any necessary adjustments or repairs.
- No hose: In climates with freezing weather, shut off outdoor faucets and make sure exterior pipes are drained of water. Faucets and pipes can freeze and burst, causing leaks and potentially serious water damage.
- Warm up time: Have the furnace inspected to ensure it’s safe and in good working order. Most utility companies will provide basic inspections at no charge, but there can often be a long waiting list come fall and winter. Using a clean filter will help the furnace run more efficiently, saving you money and energy.
- Light that fire: If you enjoy the crackle of a wood-burning fireplace on a chilly fall evening, have the firebox and chimney professionally cleaned before lighting a fire this season. Creosote, a byproduct of wood burning, can build up to dangerous levels and cause a serious chimney fire if not removed.
Watch This Ho-Hum, Ordinary Garage Turn Awesome When She Pulls the Cord
Invention of the year? This is an electricity-free, 90% recyclable screen that fits an entire garage door space. It even has a sliding door inserted in the middle for walking in and out of the garage. Now your garage door can become a giant open window, letting you enjoy a mosquito-free breeze this summer while tinkering (or socializing) in your garage.
You’ve gotta see it in action.
Keep it Safe! Make Sure Only You Have Access to Your Garage
OverHeadDoorPDX – Your garage door is a huge entry point to your home – which is great for you… but potentially can also be great for burglars. Most garage burglaries can be prevented by taking a few simple steps to secure your doors. Here are the some of the most important things you can do to help keep your garage (and home) safe:
1)Don’t leave the garage door remote in your vehicle! Whether while you are away from home or parking outside of your garage, if someone steals the remote from your car, they have a way into your home. So, don’t leave the remote clipped to the visor. Either take it with you or (preferably) replace that sizeable remote with a small keychain version!
2)Secure your garage door emergency release. It is relatively easy and quick to learn how to put some zip-ties on your emergency release, so that it retains it’s intended function, but cannot be released by intruders. Here you can see details about how to do this.
3)Don’t leave your garage door open! An open garage door is practically asking for trouble, even if you live in an extremely safe neighborhood. It’s a good idea to make sure your garage door closes completely. Don’t just hit the remote button and then drive away – wait to make sure it closes and doesn’t reopen. Perhaps, though, you (or someone else in your household!) tend to forget to close the door. You can install a device that signals your garage door opener to close the door after a predetermined amount of time. You can set the amount of time that elapses before the door closes, or override the control if you want the door to remain open.
4)Frost or cover your garage windows. This way, thieves cannot see what is in your garage and they can’t see when your car is gone. Use can use curtains, shades or blinds. If you want to still allow light is, there are translucent films you can apply to the glass that obscures vision but still allows in light.
5)Make sure your garage door opener is no longer set to the factory settings. If so, your garage is vulnerable to other openers from the same factory. Make sure to reset any codes.
6)When you go away on vacation, unplug the garage door opener. If you don’t have an opener, padlock the latch or disable the door by putting a bolt through one of the holes in the garage door track. This will prevent someone from coming in through the overhead door while you’re away.
7)Don’t neglect maintenance on the mechanical parts of your garage door!
Additionally, don’t forget about the door from your garage into your house. Make sure that is a strong door that locks well. You might even consider putting peephole into that connecting door. That way, if you hear anything unusual, you will be able to see what is going on without opening the door to the garage to find out.
Your garage and garage door can be one of the most valuable and most used parts of your home. Do what you can to make sure it is not also one of the most vulnerable. If you have any questions, we are more than happy to assist!
They Laughed When He Said ‘I Live in a Garage’. But After Seeing It? Pure Jealousy.
Jeremie Buchholtz needed a spot to stay when he was splitting his time between Paris and Bordeaux, France. This photographer’s budget was limited, and he wasn’t up for staying in roach motels every time he visited Bordeaux. He happened to find a garage for sale within his budget and wondered if he could turn it into something livable.
As luck would have it, his friend, Matthieu d Marien, specializes in converting odd spaces into homes. With his genius, and a lot of tenacity, they turned this run down garage into an abode worth vacationing in!
De Marien knew his friend had found a special space. But he had some restrictions when remodeling – the roof couldn’t be touched, which meant sunlight would have to come in another way. De Marien carved a 129 square foot patio out of the small space, leaving only 441 square feet of living space.
In order to make the interior space feel larger, De Marien created a “house within a house”: one large piece of furniture that includes the bathroom, bedroom, office, closet, a sofa bed and all of the home’s storage. With everything contained in this large furniture box, there’s plenty of living space left over.
Take a look at the video [above] to see Jérémie’s garage home now! It’s an amazing redesign of a small space!
Do you need a new garage door? Does your garage door look like mine?
You’re going to save money on DIY home improvement projects. Sure, everybody knows that. But did you know how much? Cut professionals out of the equation and you can save half the cost of a project — or more.
Tired of looking at that big blank billboard every time you pull into your driveway? Change out your old garage door for a spiffy new steel model and the whole neighborhood will thank you. Save some cash by keeping the same motorized opener.
A steel garage door comes in four panels that are relatively lightweight but awkward — get a friend to lend a hand and you’ll have this project done in a day. Then stand back and admire along with 95% of homeowners in the “Remodeling Impact Report” who said they were happy or satisfied with their new garage door.
A steel garage door comes in four panels that are relatively lightweight but awkward — get a friend to lend a hand and you’ll have this project done in a day. Then stand back and admire along with 95% of homeowners in the “Remodeling Impact Report” who said they were happy or satisfied with their new garage door.
– HouseLogic
Meet the “Smart Garage”
Larry Myers Garage Doors Blog talks about the “Smart Garage”
Technology has completely revolutionized how we live our day-to-day lives. Nowadays, we can use our smartphones to do virtually anything, from calling our friends, to booking tickets, to buying groceries, to paying our bills. How can we use technology to make managing our homes easier? In this edition of the Larry Myers Garage Door blog, meet the “smart” garage.
Smart Garage Door Systems
Smart garage door openers allow you to monitor and control your garage door, gate, or lighting, all from your tablet, smartphone, or computer.
Benefits of Smart Garage Door Openers
What are the benefits of this type of smart garage door opener, such as LiftMaster’s MyQ technology (which we recently wrote a product feature about!)? Below, we’re listing a few benefits of smart garage door openers.
Added Layers of Security
Forget to close that door? Smart garage door openers allow you to check the status of your garage door while you’re away, allowing you to control it from afar
Some smart garage openers have something called vacation mode, which disables the remote controls, meaning that the garage door can only be opened from the inside.
Automatic Maintenance Checks
Some smart garage systems have additional safety features. LiftMaster, for example, created a 3-step safety check, which quickly monitors the performance of safety features such as photo eyes or auto-reverse. This makes it easier to monitor the functionality of your garage door opener, signaling when it might need maintenance.
Energy Conservation
Smart garage systems allow you to monitor lighting, too. Not only does this add an extra layer of security, allowing you to turn on extra lights while you’re away from home for extended periods of time, but it also allows you to save on energy bills by not keeping lights on 24/7.
Additionally, many smart garage door systems are easily integrated with smart thermostats, allowing you to control the temperature of your home while you’re away. For example, LiftMaster, one of the smart garage door opener brands we carry here at Larry Myers Garage Doors, is a Nest partner.
Monitor Activity
Smart garage door openers log when the door has been opened or closed, allowing you to better monitor the activity in your garage. Additionally, many smart garage door openers have cameras, allowing you to view the activity in your garage.
Easy to Install
If you’re interested in safeguarding and optimizing your garage with the latest technology, your local garage door experts here at Larry Myers Garage Doors in Portland, OR will be glad to assist you. Reach out to us today to discuss your “smart” garage options!
Should You DIY or Hire a Professional?
It may seem tempting to try to and repair a garage door yourself. It certainly may be the less expensive option and may appear to be an invigorating challenge. There is a lot to consider, though, before breaking out the toolbox instead of breaking out the telephone to call a professional.
1)What skills does the repair require?
2)What tools does the repair require?
3)What time commitment will the repair require?
4)What does your warranty allow?
In particular, here are five repairs you may encounter that we highly recommend you hire a professional to handle for your own safety and the proper operation of your door.
overheaddoorpdx.com
How Burglar Friendly is Your Home
There are many ways that homeowners protect their homes but which safety precautions actually work? To get behind the perspective of a criminal, we interviewed 25 former burglars with help from Unlock – a charity that supports those with criminal convictions rebuilding their lives. We managed to get their opinions on which are the best methods theft deterrents to protect your home and which aren’t effective at preventing theft. It disproves common security misconceptions and the recommendations will hopefully make your homes safer.
