From your coffee maker turning on at a certain time every morning to your thermostat automatically adjusting to maintain the desired temperature, automation has become a part of our daily lives. So, why not automate that old garage door? Automated garage doors provide many benefits that make life easier while promoting home protection. Take a look at all the advantages that garage door automation offers you!
How Automated Garage Doors Benefit You
Promotes Convenience
Automated garage doors, like anything with automation, help to minimize personal effort and provide convenience to your everyday life. By automating your garage door, you won’t need to carry around your house keys anymore. Instead, you’ll just need a garage remote, your phone, or a keypad code to access your garage!
Another benefit of exchanging your old, manual garage door for a new, automated one is the fact that you’ll no longer have to leave the comfort of your car to open and close the garage door. When you get home late at night, you can simply use your remote or phone from inside your car to open the door. Say goodbye to the days of manually opening up your garage door in the heat or shivering in the cold as you close it up.
Provides Enhanced Security
When it comes to your home, security is a main concern. The good news is that automated garage doors can secure your home in multiple ways!
Some automated garage door systems feature a vacation mode, which prevents the opening of your garage door with a remote control while you’re away for an extended period of time. The door will only work with a specific code on the garage door keypad, which is important because it prevents thieves from breaking into your garage while you’re gone.
There’s a limited number of frequencies a garage door remote control can operate on. If someone had planned to break in and rob you, they may try using a device that uses every possible garage door frequency combination. With the device, intruders could enter the garage in seconds. However, with the vacation mode on, they wouldn’t be able to gain access. You may also choose an automated garage door opener with a rolling frequency that constantly changes, ensuring your garage doors wouldn’t be left vulnerable. All newer, modern garage door openers utilize rolling code technology.
Automated garage doors also allow you to set a temporary guest keypad code. This eliminates the need to continuously change your own garage door code to ensure security. Instead, you can create a guest code any time someone needs to enter your garage with your permission while you aren’t home.
In addition to the vacation mode and temporary guest code, some automated garage doors also have built-in automatic lights to deter robbers and increase visibility in bad weather. If you’re thinking about automating your garage door, consider upgrading it as well to protect your cars and any valuables stored inside the garage.
Utilizes Smart Technology
Modern garage doors can be operated from your smartphone. This is especially great for individuals who tend to forget to close the garage door after they leave the house and drive off. You’ll never have to turn the car around to go check the garage door again!
If you have an extremely busy life with millions of things to think about and decide on, don’t let your garage doors be another thing to add to the list. With an automatic garage door, you can set a timer that prompts the door to close after remaining open for a certain period of time. This will eliminate the worry or need to check to see if your garage door is closed.
Prevents Injuries
Whether you are a parent to small children or are an older adult with medical concerns, safety is extremely important. Old, deteriorating, manual garage doors may require you to lift up a heavy door from the ground. To prevent any potential injuries, you can opt for automatic garage doors! They’ll do the heavy lifting for you.
Garage door automation makes your garage door safe, so even kids can use it. They can open and close the door with a push of a button. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about the door closing on them thanks to the incorporated door sensors. The sensors will pull the garage door back up if anything is in its way.
Consumes Minimal Energy
Since garage door openers don’t consume a lot of energy, you won’t have to spend excessive amounts of money on electric bills. Depending on the model of garage door and opener you have, you could spend anywhere from $2 to $32 per year on energy use.
If you’re looking to minimize your energy bill even further, new garage door opener models use even less energy. You also have the option of hooking up the garage door opener to a solar panel. While your upfront cost of the panel and opener installation would be higher, your energy bills would be lower over time.
Won’t Break Your Budget
Speaking of bills, automatic garage door openers also aren’t as expensive as you may think. In fact, most garage door openers range from $150 to $300 and they last about 10 years. If you choose a high-end door opener at $300, you would only be paying $30 per year for it (only $2.50 per month!).
Other expenses include the garage door installation, light bulbs, remote controls, and keypads. Installation costs an average of $336 but can cost as little as $100. Light bulbs cost about $10. Remote controls cost around $35 and keypads are about $45. While this seems like a lot, you won’t need to replace them often. This means you’ll get the most out of the money you initially put down.
Elevates Home Value
Like with any addition, replacing your manual garage doors with automatic ones adds value to your home. If you’re looking to sell your home in the future, be aware that buyers appreciate convenience. Plus, you can elevate your curb appeal and increase your property value even further by pairing an automated opener with brand new, custom garage doors!
Tips for Installing an Automated Garage Door System
Upgrade Your Garage Door As Well
As stated previously, a new garage door will add additional value to your home. Why not transform your home and garage space completely by upgrading your garage door and adding an automatic opener at the same time? Get these tasks out of the way so you can focus on more important projects.
Find an Installer
If you’re thinking about installing a garage door opener, it’s important to note that DIY-ing the installation may void the warranty. That means that if anything ever goes wrong with it, the manufacturer could turn you away, forcing you to pay for a completely new unit. To ensure your opener retains its warranty, try looking up garage door opener installers in your area with HomeAdvisor or Yelp.
