Garage Door Facts: Top Ten Did You Know? Statistics
Garages are generally one of the most used and neglected spaces of your home. GDS can upgrade your garage from inside and out with garage doors and service, organization and flooring. We are sharing our top ten garage door facts to provide insight into garage door usage, the surprising functionality most garages provide to a home, and other fun facts about this household necessity.
1.Garage Doors Open and Close 1,500 Times Per Year
How many times would the average garage door open and close per day? Add up the numbers, and you’ll find that your garage door operates as much as 1,500 times within a year. Over the course of a 15 to 30-year useful life, your garage door opens and shuts over 30,000 times.
2. Garage Doors Have an Average Life Span of 20 Years
You can get an average of 20 years of standard operation from these doors. If you take the time to schedule preventative maintenance, it can also increase the door’s lifespan by several more years.
3. More Than Half of Homeowners Use Their Garages as a Main Entryway
Around 55% of homeowners use their garage as the main entryway into their homes. If you’re one of them, it’s essential to keep your garage door in good working condition so that you can enter or exit your home hassle-free.
4. Garage Door Torsion Springs Only Lasted 10 Years
A garage door lasts 20 years or more. However, the essential torsion spring only has half this lifespan. This component is key in the door’s opening and closing function, and even with its shorter lifespan, the torsion spring can activate up to 15,000 times before it needs replacement.
5. Homeowners Name Parking As their Primary Garage Function
Ask your friends and neighbors what they use their garages for; some may tell you it is purely extra storage space. Others utilize it as a home gym or hobby area. However, one Wall Street Journal survey revealed that around 47% of people claim parking as the main function of their garage.
Do you fall within the group that only uses the garage for storage? A quarter of all homeowners reported being unable to fit a car in their garage due to overwhelming clutter. Our team of experts can maximize the storage in your garage with custom cabinetry, shelving, slat wall and more.
6. Garage Door Openers’ Rolling Codes Prevent Hacking
Your garage door opener transmits a special code to the receiver, letting it know you want to open or shut the door. Early versions of this technology had a single, static code before every use. It was easy for hackers to eavesdrop or learn the code to enter strangers’ garages.
However, one of the little-known garage door facts is that today those codes automatically change after every use. Rolling codes consist of billions of number combinations to keep your security tight.
7. Garage Doors are a High Return on Your Investment Compared to Other Home Improvement Projects
There are some home improvement projects that you have to be sure are worth the cost. Replacing your garage door isn’t one of them—it’s worth it! This project grants homeowners a fantastic return on investment, making it a financially savvy home upgrade by any standard.
Are you considering selling your home in the future? Replacing the front door of your garage will create more curb appeal. If potential buyers appreciate being able to move in with a garage door that should last them the next two decades, they might even offer you more for your home.
8. Garages Were The Starting Point For Several Global Companies
What do Mickey Mouse, a Barbie doll, an iPhone, and a motorcycle have in common? They are all signature products of companies with garage origins.
Harley Davidson, Disney, Apple, Mattel, Amazon, Google, and Hewlett-Packard are globally competitive corporations that earn billions in revenue. They are household names today, but each of these companies has humble beginnings within a garage.
9. Many Famous Bands Began In Their Garages
Garage rock is a genre for a reason, one of the more well-known garage door facts relates to bands that got their start near one. Some of the world’s biggest musical acts started rehearsing behind a garage door before eventually making it into the mainstream.
Rock icons like Nirvana and Metallica started out as garage bands before their sound evolved, but the most prolific band to begin inside a garage is surely The Beatles. This world-famous British foursome cultivated their sound in a garage more than half a century ago, and the rest is history.
10. Garage Doors During High Winds Can be Troublesome
Do you live in a wind-prone area? You need a sturdy garage door. Without one, the house is susceptible to devastating storm damage, with the garage door a weak point during high winds.
A garage door is often the starting point for home damage when the wind picks up, especially if your home uses an older, non-reinforced garage door. It can be especially dangerous during a tornado or coastal storm. So, installing a door specifically with hurricane-ready durability is vital to protect your home and family.
If you are looking to invest in a new garage door or would like maintenance and repairs completed on your current one, call the team at GDS at 202-930-9091. Our expert team of installers can service your garage door system and provide maintenance. We offer a preventive maintenance program to give you peace of mind and protect your investment.
