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Garage Door Battery Backups

The Essential History of Garage Doors

When was the first garage door invented

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.

When did automatic garage doors become popular

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.

Garage Door Battery Backups Required in California

Wood Painted Garage Door

When an emergency strikes, you need to be prepared to evacuate in a moment’s notice. There’s only one problem—your vehicle is blocked in by a garage door that won’t open without electrical power. What do you do?

This was the case with the wildfires that wreaked havoc across California during the wildfire season of 2017. As homeowners responded to evacuation protocols, they found themselves trapped with no vehicle to flee the area. 

As a result, they were unable to open their garage doors manually and had no battery backup system for their opener’s electronic operation. As a result, there were five deaths in California. Others barely escaped and lucked out when those passing by stopped and helped their neighbors manually lift their garage doors.

New California Law: Garage Doors Must Work in a Power Outage

What is Senate Bill 969?

What does Senate Bill 969 means for homeowners in CaliforniaAs a way to minimize casualties in similar situations and maximize safety for all homeowners, Senate Bill 969 was proposed as a law that would require any new garage door and garage door opener to be installed in California with a battery backup.

Every garage door opener sold and installed after July 1, 2019, must include a battery backup. If a homeowner installs new, modern garage doors or replaces their existing doors, it must be hooked up to a battery backup (or left without a garage door opener). Anyone not following this new law can be subject to a civil penalty of $1,000.

What does Senate Bill 969 mean for homeowners in California?

With a sweeping victory, Senate Bill 969 passed the Senate 39-0, and the Assembly 64-7. By requiring garage door battery backups for the installation of both garage doors and garage door openers, the law protects homeowners from becoming trapped with their vehicles with no power to evacuate.

As a homeowner, this doesn’t mean you legally need to run out and install a battery backup as soon as tomorrow. Existing garage door openers do not have to be replaced with battery backup openers until the next time your garage doors are replaced. However, garage door battery backups can be installed to existing garage door openers to ensure it opens in an emergency situation.

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

With more than seven decades of experience installing, repairing, and maintaining residential garage doors and openers, Radford Garage Doors & Gates has the experience and know-how to install a battery backup in your existing garage door, or provide you with a brand new garage door that comes with the backup preinstalled, in a quick and efficient manner.

Furthermore, we offer a complete selection of garage door maintenance, installation, and repair services to homeowners throughout San Diego and the vicinity. Whether you’re looking to upgrade to custom aluminum glass, custom copper faux wood, or steel garage doors, or you’re looking to update your existing garage door with custom features, we can help. Reach out to us today!