Contemporary Garage Doors

Garage Door Maintenance 101: How to Prep Your Garage Door for Fall & Winter

November 19, 2021 by Emily Souliotes

Cold and wet seasons like fall or winter tend to be especially problematic for mechanical devices that contain moving parts, and garage doors are no exception. Moisture, strong winds, low temps, and dirt buildup in San Diego can all cause serious damage and force you to go looking for sleek and modern garage doors for sale earlier than you should have.

Luckily, proactive maintenance can prevent most of these problems and keep your garage door operating correctly for many years to come. If your door hasn’t already been serviced this year by a qualified technician, fall or even early winter is the ideal time to get it done.

In previous articles, we discussed some exciting advancements in garage door technology and explored the historical events that brought us the garage doors we depend on today. Now we’ll give you some tips on how to ensure flawless operation for your garage door during the coldest seasons of the year. Keep reading to learn more.

Is garage door maintenance necessary?

Very much so. Just like your car and HVAC system, your garage door suffers from wear and tear during normal use. Regular tune-ups not only mitigate this, they also make sure that any issues are identified and addressed before they can damage other components and lead to costly repairs.

What’s more, professional maintenance will also find any air leaks, faulty insulation, or other problems that may impact the energy-efficiency of your garage door. In addition to reducing your heating bills, this will also make your garage and other areas of your home more comfortable during the colder seasons.

What is involved in a garage door service?

Regardless of the time of the year, you should occasionally give your garage door a visual examination. If you notice any damaged components, loose cables, or other obvious problems, get in touch with your garage door company and have them examine your door. Refrain from attempting DIY repairs as these can be hazardous.

Key garage door maintenance tasks in fall and winter include:

Cleaning

Dirt can become trapped inside garage door tracks and grind against cables. Furthermore, mulch, leaves, grass, and other organic debris can damage insulation foam and other weatherstripping materials.

The easiest way to protect these components is to regularly wash your garage door and driveway with a garden hose. Avoid using a pressure washer or abrasive cleaning chemicals on your door, as this can wear it down prematurely. Remember to also wipe down the weatherstripping around the door frame and any windows it may have.

Battery replacement

Cold weather can be damaging for battery-powered devices, so make sure to test your garage door remotes and replace their batteries as necessary.

Lubrication

Regular lubrication reduces how much wear the moving parts of your garage door suffer during regular operation. Proper lubrication procedure should be outlined in the manual you received with your garage door. If you can’t find the manual or aren’t sure you can do it correctly, call in an expert to do it for you.

Where in San Diego can I find sleek and modern garage doors for sale?

Radford Garage Doors & Gates of San Diego has been providing home and business owners across the city and the nearby communities with professional garage door maintenance, repair, replacement, and installation services since 1945.

Whether your property is located in Downtown San Diego or at the outskirts of the city, you can depend on our experienced and certified team to arrive at the agreed-upon time and meet your every garage door-related need with utmost diligence. Contact us today.

How to Make Your Garage Door More Energy-Efficient

November 19, 2021 by Emily Souliotes

Energy efficiency and environmental friendliness are all the rage these days, and it’s easy to see why. Not only are we becoming increasingly more aware of the negative effect our technologies can have on the planet, but also how much money we can save in the long run by using energy-efficient devices.

As a result, many sleek and modern garage doors in San Diego, CA, are designed and installed with efficiency in mind. But how exactly does this work? How are energy-efficient garage doors different from regular models, and is it possible to make an older door more efficient?

We have previously explored the history of garage doors and discussed some bleeding-edge garage door technologies that may soon become an everyday part of our homes. Now we’ll address a few commonly asked questions about garage door efficiency. Read on.

Does a garage door use a lot of electricity?

Not at all. Electric garage doors operate for only a couple minutes on any given day, so they use very little power while opening and closing. However, they can spend 3-5 times more electricity when they’re in stand-by mode.

This is because, like any device that can be operated remotely, a garage door opener is always turned on. Even when it’s not doing anything, it’s always “listening” for the radio signal that will tell it to raise or lower the door. This idle electrical draw is known as a “phantom load”.

Despite its scary name, this phantom load is nothing to be concerned about. A garage door consumes 500W per minute during use, which translates to 0.033kWh per day if you fully open and close it 4 times a day. In standby mode, a garage door spends about 0.12kWh per day. All of this translates to just 4.6kWH per month or about $1.4 added to your energy bill.

What makes a garage door energy efficient?

What truly separates an efficient garage door from a regular one is how it affects the rest of your property. Due to their large size, garage doors represent a significant portion of your exterior walls and therefore act as a major factor in the overall energy efficiency of your home.

Your garage door of choice should have:

Good insulation

Efficient garage doors have a low U-factor (.35 or less) and a high R-value (12 or more). This means they’re resistant to temperature fluctuations and won’t absorb heat from the rest of your home during the colder months.

Multiple layers

Multi-layered garage doors are naturally more insulative than single-layered ones. What’s more, single-layered doors can be made more insulative and therefore more efficient by adding an internal layer of polyurethane.

No air leaks

All parts of a garage door need to be properly fitted to its frame to keep cool air from escaping during summer, and cold air from getting in during winter. Professional installation and regular garage door maintenance is a must to prevent energy loss due to air leaks.

Who installs sleek and modern garage doors in San Diego, CA & the nearby communities?

For over 70 years, Radford Garage Doors & Gates of San Diego has been supplying residential and commercial clients with professional garage door installation, repair, maintenance, and replacement services. We won numerous accolades over the years and garnered a long list of satisfied customers.

We operate throughout San Diego and the surrounding communities, so you can trust us to meet your needs regardless of whether your home or premises are located in Pacific Beach or at the very center of the city. Call us today.

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.

How to Choose a Modern Garage Door for Your Home

January 8, 2021 by Emily Souliotes

Have you spent countless hours browsing the internet in search of design ideas for your home? When you’re in the market for a modern garage door replacement, the number of options can be overwhelming. From Full Glass, Custom Wood, to modern steel garage doors, we are all spoiled for choice when it comes to finding the perfect garage door that complements the rest of your property.

But how do you decide which one of those garage doors is right for you? We’re here to help! And remember, we also have a showroom if you’d like to see options in person. Let’s explore the different types of contemporary garage doors you can install at your San Diego home.

What are the different types of garage doors?

They say we judge a book by its cover — so does that mean we also judge a home by its garage doors? If so, that means it’s not enough to simply have a well-maintained garage door that meets the relevant safety standards: it also needs to bring a “wow factor” to the front of your home. If you have a modern style house, you need to take the time to find the ideal garage door that boosts your curb appeal and adds your own personal touch to the overall aesthetic.

Luckily, you’re not stuck with cookie-cutter garage door options. When narrowing down which type of garage door to install, consider the following choices.

Garage door materials:

Full View Contemporary Garage Doors – The modern style is all about the combination of sleek, neutral colors paired with clean lines. Full view contemporary garage doors offer minimalist glass outlined by aluminum lines that evoke both an elegant and modern persona.
Custom Wood Modern Garage Doors – Whether you’re a fan of red cedar, oak, mahogany, or any other type of wood, a quality wood garage door can be a great focal point for the rest of your home.
Modern Steel Garage Doors – When you’re looking for a modern garage door at a more affordable price point, steel garage doors are a great choice. Due to being affordable, durable, and elegant, these doors are one of most popular garage door options.
Modern Fiberglass Garage Doors – Love the appearance of contemporary wood paneling but don’t want the headache of maintaining it? Fiberglass is a luxury material choice that allows you to get your desired look without having to deal with the upkeep.
Composite Contemporary Wood Garage Doors – As an environmentally-friendly option, composite wood garage doors are ideal for homeowners who are looking for a premium wood-alternative option that is extremely customizable.

Garage door types:

Rolling Garage Doors – With a rolling garage door, also known as a roller garage door, the door rolls up towards the ceiling using a spring system.
Sectional Garage Doors – A sectional garage door consists of multiple panels that slide up towards the ceiling of your garage within a frame. This is one of the most popular types of modern garage doors amongst homeowners.
Canopy Garage Doors – Instead of being broken into multiple sections that slide overheard, a canopy garage door stays flat as it opens and rolls up into the garage.
Swing Garage Doors – If you’re looking for a more unique way to showcase your modern garage door, consider a swing garage door that opens and closes similarly to a traditional door — swinging out as it opens and closes.

Choosing between so many materials and door types can be difficult. For this reason, many homeowners opt to visit a quality garage door showroom before making their final decision. This enables them to see, touch, and feel a selection of modern garage doors first-hand.

Where can I find a reputable garage door installation company in San Diego?

Whether you’re designing a custom home from scratch or opting for an upgrade to spruce up your home’s exterior, the endless decisions can seem stressful. Radford Garage Doors & Gates has the knowledge and know-how to help you pinpoint the ideal garage door design for your home. We can walk you through the selection process to better understand what you’re looking for and pair you with a modern garage door that has the perfect combination of functionality and aesthetics you’ve always wanted.

As the leading garage door company in San Diego, we are uniquely equipped to meet your every garage door-related need. Give us a call today if you’d like to schedule an appointment or learn more about who we are and why we’re the best.

The Perfect Contemporary Garage Door for a Modern Home

October 31, 2019 by Emily Souliotes Leave a Comment

Often a garage door can represent nearly 40% of a homes’ facade. Transform your home with a contemporary garage door that complements its architectural style. Choose from a variety of beautiful panels, windows, and paint options. Pick from numerous window configurations as well as a wide range of glass types for a unique and elegant look.

Custom wood garage door with white laminate glass designed by Radford Garage Door
Radford Contemporary Full View Garage Door
Contemporary Garage Door at Radford Garage Door
Contemporary Garage Door at Radford Garage Door

Full-view aluminum and glass garage doors are the perfect complement to modern design homes. Fuse indoor and outdoor spaces by enhancing the look of your home with a contemporary glass garage door. These types of doors are low-maintenance and are built for all weather conditions. Need help finding the right garage door? Find inspiration by viewing other styles in our gallery.

Speak with our design experts at (858) 751-0666 or simply fill out the form below.