Cycle is a word we use virtually every day. Typically we use this word when we are asked how long a garage door spring should last. The springs do all the heavy lifting when your door opens and closes. Over time, spring manufacturers have come up with a rating system for spring longevity. One cycle, in garage door language, is your garage door going up and down one time. One open and close = 1 cycle.
The springs we install are rated for 10,000 cycles. So if you open and close your door twice a day once when you leave and once when you return) you are completing 2 cycles per day. This would mean your springs, barring a manufacturing error, should last 5,000 days or 13.69 years. Of course most doors go up and down more than that each day on average. Our experience tells us that a spring will last between 7-12 years based on use.
Ok now we have that out of the way and the true intent of my musings this morning are cycles of a different sort. Let’s talk garage door colors for a moment. In years past the majority of garage doors were constructed of wood. It was the most plentiful product available that had the properties well suited for a large door. Think back and you’ll remember houses on your block all had wooden garage doors. This was a great time, the golden age actually, for door colors. Once your door was installed, or even before, you had a blank canvas for which to paint on. You could choose to match your homes color exactly, add contrast, or do a little of both. The sky was the limit as they say.
Fast forward just a little and we began to see that the annual painting and sealing of the wooden garage door became inconvenient for many. Just in time we rolled out the steel door. Ah yes, the convenience of steel. Pre-painted in a handful of colors with what was then, and still is, the predominant white color. A virtually maintenance free garage door engineered to last and last was now firmly within reach. A couple of quick annual inspections and you were set for another year.
What was lost in this transition was color choices, or rather, the possibility to match your home or trim exactly. Although true, you can paint a steel or even a vinyl door, it seems a little counter productive and most consumers purchased their new doors with the “set it and forget it” mentality and rightfully so. Manufactures responded appropriately and rolled out more and more color options based on customer and distributor feedback but we all know that the hunter green on your shudders is not going to match exactly the hunter green offered on the garage door.
Here at Overhead Door™, to this day, we pay close attention to what customers are requesting and use that information to provide you with the most updated options in the industry.
Just a few weeks ago we proved once again that we hear you loud and clear. There has been a trend lately for basic blacks and grays. We see it in cars, home siding, advertising and the like. And guess what? We now offer pre-painted, with our baked on color system, both Black & Gray so you can get the tints as well as the colors. They’re available now as part of our regular offerings and we have samples to show you at your convenience.
How long will this trend last? It’s hard to say but rest assured when it does change and garage door enthusiasts are looking for the next style or color Overhead Door™ will meet the need and challenge.
You Overhead Door Company of Albany™ Team