Top 4 Technological Advancements in the Garage Door Industry October 19, 2021 by Emily Souliotes It’s safe to say that, nowadays, it’s difficult to imagine a home in San Diego, CA, without a dedicated garage and at least one automatic garage door. From contemporary glass garage doors to traditional wooden barn-like doors, modern garage doors have become a major element that greatly contributes to the functionality and curb appeal of a property. In fact, as advancements are made in garage door technology and new functionalities are added, garage doors are only going to become more integral to the American way of life. In this article, we’ll take a look at 4 new technologies and discuss how they may make our garage doors more efficient and even entirely change the way we use our doors. Keep reading to learn more. Is a new garage door a good investment? Modern garage doors are an extremely sound investment that can increase the value of your property, especially if it’s maintained properly. This trend is sure to continue in the future as garage doors become more advanced and efficient. Here are 4 new garage door technologies to be on the lookout for: 1. Smartphone control Smart technology has transformed our phones into digital Swiss Army Knives. We can use them to control almost any system in our homes, from our TVs and ACs, to our lighting and music systems. So it’s no surprise that garage door manufacturers are working on wifi-enabled garage doors that can be entirely operated via a smartphone app. This has numerous advantages. In addition to removing the need to carry around a garage door remote, they also enable you to open your garage door from literally anywhere. Need to give access to friends, repairmen, or delivery people, but you don’t want to hand them a key or a code? Simply use your phone to open the door for them no matter where you are. 2. Sustainability Reducing waste and energy usage, and using eco-friendly manufacturing processes is a key consideration for many industries in the 21st century. One of the ways they do this is by using recyclable materials like aluminum, or hardy materials like fiberglass, which greatly extend the life of a garage door. Even wooden garage doors now come in composite wood variants, which combine the aesthetic appeal of wood with the weather resistance of steel. What’s more, they don’t require much maintenance, so there’s less need to use sealant chemicals and other products that may be harmful to the environment. 3. Side Mount Motors These days, so many of us are looking to optimize space. Whether it’s to convert your garage space into an office, gym or workshop… eliminating those old school motors and rails from your overhead space is crucial. Nowadays, you can utilize a Side Mount Motor to really open up your space! These motors include smart-home wifi built in, battery backup so you can still get your car out in the event of a power outage, and remote diagnostic support from Radford Doors & Gates. 4. Interactive glass doors Imagine if the entire front of your garage door was actually a computer screen that could instantly change its appearance at the push of a button? Sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, right? And yet, this technology is coming, and it has the potential to completely transform the way our homes look. Who in San Diego, CA, installs premium-quality contemporary glass garage doors? Whether you’re looking for the latest and the greatest in garage door technology, or you prefer more historical-looking garage doors, you can’t go wrong by giving Radford Garage Doors & Gates of San Diego a call. We’re an acclaimed company that boasts extensive industry experience and a long track record of successful garage door installations, replacements, and repairs. Our team will happily meet your needs while you enjoy a fun afternoon at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park with your family. Contact us today.
The Essential History of Garage Doors October 19, 2021 by Emily Souliotes Automatic garage doors are an essential component of modern American homes, to the point where we can no longer imagine a house without one. It’s easy to forget they’re a fairly recent architectural development that went through numerous iterations and innovations before it became what it is today. In the following article, we’ll take a brief look at the history of garage doors and discuss some of the most impactful technological advancements that transformed the way we think of them. Read on to learn how the wooden carriage doors of old became the sleek, all-automatic, contemporary glass garage doors homeowners in San Diego love so much! When was the first garage door invented? Garage doors were originally invented during the beginning of the 20th century. Cars were becoming increasingly commonplace and affordable, and people needed somewhere to store them while they weren’t driving them. Here’s how it went: Carriage house era. Carriage houses were buildings where people kept their horse and buggy, so it stood to reason that they’d park their cars there as well. Unfortunately, keeping cars around horse manure didn’t do any favors to the way the cars smelled. An alternative was needed. Large public or private-owned garages were established to meet the needs of car owners. These big garages were widely used until the 1910s, when they fell off due to there simply being too many cars for them to accommodate. The first garages, and the first garage doors, were invented around 1912. They were basically sheds equipped with a large barn door. These double doors were connected to the garage with strap hinges and they opened outwards, just like regular barn doors. This was far from ideal, as the doors suffered significant wear and could be especially difficult to open during wintertime. Sliding garage doors were developed. However, they weren’t foldable, so the garage had to be at least double the width of the door. Eventually, the sliding door was split into sections, which were then hinged together at intervals, enabling the door to fold around a corner. This saw the creation of the first “real” garage door. When did automatic garage doors become popular? An inventor named C.G. Johnston invented the first overhead garage door in 1921. He further improved his amazing invention in 1926, when he built the first electric garage door opener. The first remote-controlled garage door openers came in 1931, and the first mass-produced, radio-controlled garage door opener became available in 1954. However, automatic garage doors didn’t become practical for home use until the 1970s, when the split rail was invented, which made custom garage doors a lot easier to design. Improvements to the safety mechanisms of automatic garage doors during the 1980s and the 1990s further increased their popularity. Another major factor was the shift in materials. Throughout most of the 20th century, wood was the go-to material for garage doors. This changed during the 1970s, when steel, fiberglass, aluminum, and other materials became more popular. This transformed garage doors into a major aesthetic element of the modern American home. Who installs state-of-the-art contemporary glass garage doors in San Diego? Radford Garage Doors & Gates of San Diego is a long-standing provider of garage door installation, repair, replacement, and maintenance services. Whether you’re looking to install a highly efficient garage door or book annual maintenance for your existing door, you can count on us to meet your needs with utmost diligence. We serve the entirety of San Diego, so you can rely on us regardless of whether you’re located in the suburbs or at the very heart of Gaslamp District. Contact us today if you’d like to book our services or learn more about who we are and what we provide.
