Are you looking for some new ways to improve the look, feel, and functionality of your home before the weather gets cold again? Here are some great ways to make your garage nicer, more energy efficient, and easier to use for the whole family! Any of these projects can (potentially) be conquered in a single weekend!

Operate Your Garage Door with Your Phone

Today, we can do a million different things with our smartphones. Using a simple app, you can even control your garage door if it’s connected to the internet! Open, close, and monitor your door from your phone while you’re away from home. You’ll no longer have to worry about someone opening your door without you knowing. If you think you may have left the door open but you’re not sure, you can check the status on your phone.

Apps like MyQ will give you control and send you alerts, so you can have peace of mind while you’re away from home. If your kids get home before you or you need to give friends or relatives access to your home, you can open the garage door for them from anywhere at any time!

Upgrade Your Garage Door

By upgrading to a new garage door, you could increase your home’s value, give your home a beautiful new focal point, and save money and energy over time. You have a huge variety of garage door types and styles to choose from, including contemporary aluminum, insulated steel, fiberglass, wood, and more. Consider installing an insulated garage door if you live in Iowa. We experience extreme temperatures in the winter and summer, and an insulated garage door can help keep energy costs down and our homes more comfortable throughout the year.

Replace the Interior Door

If your garage is connected to your home, the door in between probably gets a lot of use. If it’s not in very good shape anymore, consider updating it. If this door is drafty, it will release heat from your home in the winter and let it seep in during the hot summers. Replacing it with a well-fitting, insulated door can reduce waste and save energy. Also, consider adding a mounted doorstop you can flip down when carrying things into the house from the garage. Installing a handle-style doorknob that you can push down instead of twist will make entering and exiting easier as well, especially when your hands are full of groceries!

Fix Up the Floor

Fixing up your garage floor can make your entire garage look and feel much cleaner and more pleasant. You could paint your floor, apply an epoxy coating, add floor tiles, or stick to the basics—removing stains, cleaning, and filling cracks to renew the surface.

If you’re interested in replacing your garage door this year, it’s not too late! We have various residential and commercial doors we could install for you. Take a look at our garage door gallery to find a door style that complements your home or business, or click below to experiment with the Wayne Dalton Design Center.

WD Door replaces and repairs garage doors and operators across the state of Iowa. Ask us for a quote today!

You may be thinking, how on earth would I ever be able to wrangle the family together to help clean out the garage!? The idea that they might actually enjoy it may seem even more farfetched. If you’re a skeptic, keep reading. We’ve gathered some pretty great ideas for you and the kids that might dare we say it, get everyone excited about cleaning out the garage!

Make it into a game.

If you’re creative, you can come up with your own games to keep the kids engaged while working in the garage. One easy idea is making a list with certain tasks for each player. The person who completes the greatest number of tasks or completes their entire list of tasks first wins. Another idea would be to conduct a scavenger hunt. Make sure the winner gets a fun prize!

Plan a shopping trip.

Tell your kids if they get rid of enough of their old stuff in the garage, you’ll take them shopping for a new toy or outfit to give them something to look forward to.

Sell extra items, and place the money into a vacation fund.

Tell your kids to grab a certain number of items they own (or as many as they can) that they’d be willing to part with. You could sell these items online or have a garage sale, and add the money to a vacation fund. While decluttering the garage, be sure to tell everyone that the more you sell, the better vacation you’ll be able to afford!

Listen to music or an audiobook.

While cleaning, you could have each helper take turns choosing the music for a certain amount of time or a number of songs. Everyone will look forward to his or her turn to “be in charge.” You could also use music to create a game for the kids to see who can get the most done before a certain song ends. Another way to help the time pass quickly and to keep everyone engaged is by listening to an audiobook everyone enjoys. 

Plan a fun event.

If the kids help you out in the garage, you could reward them by taking them to a fun event or planning a party at home!

Have a campfire after you’re done.

Do you have a fire pit in your yard? If you’re getting rid of paperwork, woodwork, or other items that can be safely burned, you could have a campfire after you’re finished for the day. Grab s’more fixings, and sing songs or share stories around the campfire.

Maybe you have other effective ways to get engage your family in these types of activities. These are just a few fun ideas to get you thinking!

If the inside of your garage is spick and span, but the outside is a different story, we can help. Your garage door is the face of your garage and maybe a focal point of your home’s exterior. If your garage door is broken, outdated, clunky, or an eyesore, it’s probably time to replace it. WD Door is located in Ankeny and Cedar Rapids, IA, and installs and repairs commercial and residential garage doors throughout the state of Iowa. If you need service, give us a call!

With the changing weather and heavy rains we’ve been experiencing this spring, it’s important to make sure we take care of our garage door systems and make small repairs as needed to keep them running smoothly. Here are several common problems homeowners face this time of the year. Many of these tasks can be completed on your own without the help of a pro!

Replace the weather seal.

Protect your vehicles and other items inside your garage, and keep your home more energy efficient by making sure the bottom seal of your garage door is in good shape. This weather seal helps prevent unwanted wind and rain from entering your garage. First, inspect the rubber piece at the bottom of your door. Do you see any cracks, rips, or holes? If so, you should replace it. To replace, you’ll need to remove the old piece and measure for a new one, then head to the home improvement store or look online for weather stripping.

Inspect your door for air leaks.

To inspect your garage door for leaks, where water and air can sneak through, grab an assistant to help you perform a simple test. Have your helper stand outside with a flashlight while you’re inside the garage with the door shut and interior lights off. With the flashlight shining towards the door, take note of any cracks or areas where the light is seeping through. Seal any leaks you find to make your garage less drafty.

Clean the photo eye sensors.

Periodically, you should wipe off the photo eye sensors near the base of your garage door with a soft cloth to remove any dust that has been collected there. Make sure you’re careful not to scratch the photo eyes or knock them out of alignment.

To learn more about regular maintenance you should perform to keep your garage door running smoothly and efficiently, read these previous articles on our blog:

• Your Fall Garage Door Maintenance Guide
• Does Your Garage Door Pass the Test? 

If you don’t know what’s wrong with your garage door and you need a professional opinion, don’t hesitate to call WD Door! We repair broken garage doors and install new commercial and residential garage doors across the state of Iowa. Let us know how we can be of service!