When considering your home’s overall value and potential improvements – don’t forget your garage door. Industry research shows that a garage door replacement or upgrade is a smart investment. An automatic garage door, a custom garage door, and today’s “green” garage doors are excellent ways to boost curb appeal while also increasing home safety and energy efficiency.

Garage Door Upgrades Impact Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is a critical factor of every home. Often, an attached garage takes up nearly fifty percent of a home’s façade, and as such, greatly affects the overall visual impact of the home. Whether you’re considering a move, a refinance, or simply want the nicest looking house on the block, exterior upgrades such as a custom garage door and/or a new automatic garage door have been shown to increase curb appeal and a home’s overall market value. Whether your home is traditional, modern or transitional, there is a garage door available to suit your style and budget. And, by adding custom windows and other garage door accessories, you can personalize your garage door to suit not only your home, but your own personal style.

Increasing Home Safety with an Automatic Garage Door

“Tech-up the garage” is one of REALTOR.com’s top ten “Low Cost High Impact” home improvements for 2009, indicating that upgrading your garage door is a sure hit in the cost vs. value equation. Not only does upgrading to an automatic door with an automatic garage door opener or wireless keypad system assure you a return on your investment, it increases the safety profile of your home for you and your family. Unlike traditional, non-automatic garage doors, all residential automatic garage doors sold in the United States since 1993 are required by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to be outfitted with an external entrapment protection system. This system can be an electric eye, a door edge sensor or any other device that provides protection from any individual or object being trapped beneath a closing garage door, as the door automatically reverses. Along with these numerous safety design features, the wireless keypad systems now available on most doors help to keep your family safe by allowing access to the home even when a family member loses or forgets their keys.

“Green” Garage Door Installation for Increased Energy Efficiency

As the largest moving part on a home, your garage door plays an important role in maintaining its energy efficiency – a critical factor in “green building” and sustainable architectural design. Seasonally, your garage door either helps you keep the heat in or keep the cool in, which means having the right garage door can determine your heating and cooling budget. By upgrading to an energy-efficient, insulated garage door with a life expectancy of nearly twenty years, you are lowering your household’s carbon footprint substantially. If your garage is attached to your home, you will also find that upgrading to an insulated garage door will have such a significant impact that the Internal Revenue Service has declared certain models eligible for an energy savings tax credit under the Energy Tax Incentives Act.

So, as a homeowner, if you are considering making any improvements this year, remember that for increased curb appeal, safety, and adding some “green” to your home and your pocketbook, don’t forget your garage door!

Cathy Wempe of AE Door, a Cincinnati-based residential and commercial garage door retailer. For 30 years, AE Door has been an industry leader in entry and storm doors, commercial garage doors openers and windows.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Why-Upgrade-Your-Home’s-Garage-Door?/1391338

It goes up, it goes down. But a new garage door can do a lot more than that. Here are a dozen reasons why you need a new garage door and garage door opener.

1. New garage doors can increase the value of your home.
   An online survey says that 71% of homeowners who recently replaced their garage door believe it increased the value of their home. When nationwide real estate agents were shown “before” and “after” photos of houses upgraded with new, stylish garage doors, they increased the list price of the home anywhere from 1 to 4 percent. That means a $2,000+ investment in a garage door could increase the sale value of your home by as much as $7,000 if you’re selling a $175,000 home. Look at some dramatic “before and after” photos at GarageWowNow.com, and you’ll see the difference a new garage door can make.
2. New garage doors can put money back in your pocket.
   The Federal Government’s Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 extends tax credits for energy efficient home improvements. This includes qualifying insulated garage doors. That means that adding a new garage door in 2009 can save you money by helping to lower home energy consumption and costs AND it will help pay for itself this year through the tax credit incentive, worth up to $500.
3. New garage doors help you Lower The Door On Crime.
   According to statistics compiled by metropolitan police departments, approximately 50 percent of all residential burglaries can be traced to an open or an unsecured garage door. How many times have you gone in your house after working in your yard or carrying groceries out of your car and left the garage door open? The garage door industry suggests that you Lower the Door on Crime in 2009 by making it a practice to always close and secure your garage door to protect the valuables in both your home and your garage.  

   If you’re looking for helpful security devices to remind you to close your door, you can purchase an open garage door indicator that can be affixed to your door. When a garage door is left open, a warning light will indicate “open door.” Homeowners can sleep easy, knowing their garage doors are closed and their families are safe.

4. New garage door openers have built-in safety features.
   Photoelectric eyes – mounted about six inches above the floor – cast an invisible beam across the door opening and provide extra protection against entrapment. If a door is closing and a child or pet runs underneath the door, the beam breaks, causing the door to automatically reverse.
5. New garage doors can work even during power outages.
   A popular accessory sold with new garage door openers is a battery back-up system that allows you to use your opener several times, even after the loss of power to your home. It’s a wonderful feature that prevents you from being trapped outside in a storm.
6. New garage doors are today’s front door.
   A nationwide survey of consumers said that 71 percent of homeowners use their garage door openers to get into their homes every day, even more often than the front entry door. The key to the front door is now the garage door’s remote control and keypad. Yesterday’s latchkey kids are today’s keypad kids.
7. New garage doors can help you keep your house clean.
   With a keyless entry pad mounted outside your garage door, why traipse dirt in through the front door when you can enter through the garage? You can leave muddy shoes or boots and drenched coats in the garage and keep your house cleaner.
8. New garage doors can be a fashion statement.
   People are becoming more style conscious when replacing their garage door. On many American homes, the garage door claims a third of the facade, so it’s a snap to quickly makeover the look of your whole house. You can easily increase curb appeal when you choose from hundreds of different looks in elegant and stylish carriage house, contemporary or raised panel doors.
9. New garage doors can express your individuality.
   Housing developments have their advantages, but individuality usually isn’t one of them. In homes that are more than five years old, chances are your door is a solid-colored, raised-panel door that looks like every other garage door. Choose a fashionable contemporary or carriage house garage door, and your house instantly stands out from the crowd. Check them out for yourself by viewing the “Garage Door Styles” page at GarageWowNow.com. Wow!
10. New garage doors can protect your family from powerful winds.
    Reinforced garage doors are now available to help your home stand up to brutal winds. Researchers studying the wind effects of devastating storms know that garage doors are often the entry point for severe damage. A new strong garage door is an integral part of maintaining the structural integrity of your home.
11. New garage doors can help accessorize your life.
    Garage door opener accessories abound. Many new garage door openers switch on lights in your home as you’re pulling up the driveway. Some alert you if you left the garage door open. Some door openers are activated only by your fingerprint. You can even make a fashion statement with your garage door remote by customizing it to match your car’s interior.
12. New garage doors should be installed by a professional.
    Don’t try to install the door yourself. It’s a complex and dangerous task. Garage door springs are under extreme pressure and, if not handled properly, can release with enough power to seriously harm or kill someone. Specific tools and training are needed; therefore, it’s highly recommended that you have a professional who can do the job in just a few hours and haul the old door away. The cost of installation is well worth it. Find a professional near you at GarageWowNow.com’s “Your Local Garage Door Professionals” page.

Insulated garage doors offer energy savings, tax credit and style replacing a garage door in 2009 and 2010 won’t just add style and curb appeal to your home – it can also save you money off the bottom line (up to $1500) of your income taxes.

The stimulus legislation signed by President Obama on Feb, 17, 2009 provides tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements, including qualifying insulated garage doors. that means that adding a new garage door in 2009 or 2010 can save you money by helping to lower home energy consumption and costs, anD it will help pay for itself this year through the tax credit incentive.

Here’s how it works:

• The tax credits are available for garage door purchases “placed in service” from Jan. 1, 2009, through Dec. 31, 2010.
• Your tax credit is based on the total material cost of the purchase (the cost of installation does not qualify). the tax credit is equal to the sum of 30 percent of all qualified energy-saving improvements installed in an existing home in the calendar years of 2009 and 2010.
• The maximum amount a taxpayer may claim is $1500 over the lifetime of the tax credit.
• The door must have a U-factor equal to or less than 0.30. if the door contains windows, the door must offer a solar Heat gain coefficient (sHgc) equal to or less than 0.30. ask your professional dealer/installer if your door qualifies.
• The door must be an insulated residential garage door.
• It must be installed on an insulated garage.
• The door perimeter must have a means to control air infiltration.
• The door must be expected to remain in service for at least five years.
• The garage must be part of the taxpayer’s principal U.s. residence.
• Ask us for a manufacturer’s certification statement and a breakdown of the material and labor costs.

Insulated garage doors can make a noticeable difference in the temperature of your home. if your home has an attached garage, chances are the room next to your garage is one of the coldest rooms in the winter. cold air in the winter (and warm air in the summer) can sneak in through the garage and into your home, increasing the amount of energy your home needs for heating and air conditioning.

In addition to saving homeowners money and energy, new garage doors can be a stylish way to improve a home’s appearance and value. When researching insulated garage doors, be sure to visit GarageWowNow.com to check out before and after images of existing garage doors and see how others have dramatically changed the appearance of their homes. We can install your door quickly, correctly and safely.

GarageWowNow.com is sponsored by the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA), and by the International Door Association (IDA). We

practice the IDA code of Business conduct, which signifies their commitment to quality, excellence and customer service.

For more information on the garage door tax credit, visit http://www.garagewownow.com/tax-credit-09.htm or http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits.