“Is my garage door covered by my homeowners insurance?” It’s a question the team at All Island gets asked all the time.

The answer is complicated, especially if you have a detached garage door. And while we always refer our customers to their insurance policy when the question comes up, here are some general guidelines to consider.

It may or may not be worth filing an insurance claim for your damaged garage door. If your policy covers garage door damage and subsequent repair (or even if you think it does) and you decide to file a claim, you may have to pay a deductible, Sometimes, the cost of the deductible is high enough that it’s better to pay for the repair out of pocket.

Only some repairs will be covered. Usually, only some types of damage are covered by homeowners insurance. You’ll need to look through your policy or work with your agent to determine if the damage to your garage door is covered by yours.

Does it matter if my garage door is attached or detached for homeowners insurance coverage? Yes. If your garage is separate from your home, it’s generally included in an “other structures” policy. If you don’t have this type of policy (and especially if you want to protect other structures like your pool or fence), it may be worth investing in one.

Our garage doors are guaranteed. All Island carries high-quality garage doors made by top manufacturers that come with excellent warranties.

If you have any questions or do need repairs on your garage door, give us a call.  We would love to assist you in any way we can.

How To Wash Your Garage Door

If you’re noticing dirt and dust on your garage door, or if it’s been a while since you’ve washed it, it’s probably time you gave it a good cleaning. The good news is that this is an effortless and quick task to complete. Simply brush all the debris and dirt off the door with a cloth (a broom works great, too). Then, wash it with a gentle soap before rinsing it off. The last step is to apply a wax finish to keep your garage door looking as good as new.

Here are some points to consider:

• If you live near the coast, wash your garage door three times a year. Twice a year if you’re inland.
• A spray wax works great to get to hard-to-reach areas.
• Use a light detergent to wash the garage door. Avoid cleaners with bleach to other harsh abrasives.
• Here’s a great video by Clopay to show you how it’s done.

With the arrival of fall, it’s time to start thinking about preparing your home for the colder months ahead. While you may have already tackled tasks like cleaning out gutters and sealing windows, don’t forget about your garage door.

As one of the largest and most used entryways to your home, your garage door requires regular maintenance to ensure it continues to function properly.

Consider this: the colder months can take a toll on your garage door, with potential issues such as frozen components or damaged seals. Regular maintenance prevents costly repairs and can extend the lifespan of your garage door. This includes inspecting and lubricating moving parts, checking the weatherstripping, and testing the safety features.

Get ahead of the game this fall with our essential garage door maintenance checklist. By following these simple steps, you can ensure your garage door will be in top shape for the upcoming season.

Practical Step-by-Step Guide to Performing Your Fall Garage Door Maintenance

To perform your fall garage door maintenance, start by visually inspecting all the components for any signs of wear or damage. Look for rust, cracks, or loose screws.

Next, lubricate all the moving parts, such as the rollers, hinges, and tracks, using a silicone-based lubricant. Make sure to clean any debris from the tracks and tighten any loose bolts or nuts.

Test the balance of the door by disconnecting the opener and manually opening and closing the door halfway. If it doesn’t stay in place, it may need adjustment.

Lastly, test the safety features of your garage door opener, such as the auto-reverse function, to ensure they are working properly. By following these simple steps, you can keep your garage door in top shape and avoid any unexpected issues during the colder months.

Additional Tips and Safety Measures to Consider During Maintenance

In addition to the essential maintenance tasks, there are a few extra tips and safety measures to consider when taking care of your garage door. First, always remember to disconnect the power before performing any maintenance tasks to avoid any accidental injuries. When inspecting the springs and cables, be cautious as these components are under tension and can be dangerous if mishandled.

Be mindful of the weather conditions when performing maintenance, as slippery surfaces or wet conditions can increase the risk of accidents. Lastly, it’s always a good idea to have a buddy assist you during maintenance tasks, especially when working with heavy or cumbersome components. By following these additional tips and safety measures, you can ensure a smooth and safe garage door maintenance experience.

Need a fall garage door checkup? Let the team at All Island Garage Door help! We’ve been keeping garage doors in Long Island in top shape for more than 40 years and can do the same for yours.

If you’re like most homeowners on Long Island, you use your garage to store everything from camping gear and bikes to holiday decorations. And since replacing these items can be costly, it’s important to keep your garage free from critters, who might see that wreath you’ve tucked away as, well, lunch.

Sure, raccoons are cute. And mice can be, too. But they don’t belong in your garage. Instead, keep them away with these easy steps.

Keep it sealed.

Take a look at the bottom of the garage door, where it should lie flush to the ground. If you see an opening, it’s important to make sure it’s sealed by installing a threshold that can keep mice at bay. You can pick up a rodent guard that fits the size of your garage door at a home improvement store. That being said, your garage door should always fit snugly to the ground. If it doesn’t, it’s time to call a garage door professional.

Keep your garage clean. 

Make a point of clearing your garage of debris including leaves, grass, and dirt on a regular basis. And never store trash or store items in open containers. All of these things can, and will, attract animals, insects, and even birds.

Keep it dry, too. 

Insects like mosquitos are drawn to moisture. Make sure your garage is free from any standing water. If you have rusted out, open areas of your garage door, cracked windows or any other type of open space, patch the area up, call a garage door professional who can repair the damage, or choose the next option.

Replace your garage door.

If critters keep getting into your garage, it might be time for a new garage door. Not only will a replacement garage door deter animals, but it can also increase your home’s overall safety and provide better insulation. It’s what we call a “win/win/win.”

A stunning living room. A serene and elegant master bedroom. A kitchen fit for a chef. You’ve thought of everything for your custom home… or have you? If the garage hasn’t made it into your plan, you could be missing out on everything from additional living space to prime storage.

Today’s garages are much more than places to park cars, so you don’t want to overlook this important space when you’re building a custom home or renovating the home you’re in. Instead, consider the ideas below to make it something special.

Choose the right garage door. It sounds easy enough but given the number of choices you have when it comes to garage doors – from style to function – you’ll probably want to spend some time looking at different doors. You’ll also want to talk to a garage door professional before making your decision.

All Island Garage Door has worked with custom home builders and architects for decades, helping their clients choose the best garage door for their new home. We carry the full line of Clopay garage doors, but we can order and install garage doors by any manufacturer.

Take a look at Clopay’s collections that feature modern, contemporary garage doors and more traditional styles that would look great on a variety of types of homes. You can also design your own garage door, which could be ideal for a custom home.

Make it comfortable. Remember when having a heated garage was a big deal? Now, many garages feature both heating and cooling, as well as adjustable lighting, and custom cabinetry. These features go a long way, especially if you’re someone who enjoys spending time in the garage working on cars or for other projects.

Make it great looking, too. You can easily transform a garage space by painting the walls and adding custom flooring specifically designed for garages, including stone composite luxury vinyl planks. Epoxy paint works great on garage floors, too. We also recommend Behr Premium Concrete & Garage Floor paint that comes in a variety of colors.

Create a multi-functional space. With a little planning, your garage can also be a home gym, a playroom, an art studio, and even a study room. For a home gym you could add shelving for weights and props. For an art studio, start with creating great light in the garage via solar tubes, skylights or LED lighting.

Turn Your Garage Into A Study Room

Add storage. Your garage is prime real estate for storage to free up room within the house. And it’s a perfect place to keep items that you only use occasionally, like holiday decorations, for example.

Consider investing in a custom organization system for the garage for ultimate storage optimization. You could also check out IKEA for inexpensive yet durable cabinets designed for bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens and use them in the garage instead.

Ways To Add Storage To Your Garage

Keep it secure. Where would we be without our smart phones? Today our smart phone can do everything from remind us about an important meeting to track our fitness goals. It’s no wonder that now we can even control our garage doors right from our smart phones, too.

A great looking garage door is one of the quickest and easiest ways to elevate the look of your home. So, it stands to reason that that when you’re building a custom home, you’ll want a garage door that’s just as beautiful as the house itself.

Ready for a new garage door for your home – or one you’re building? Take a look at our gallery, use our Design Your Garage Door feature, and give us a call.

It’s been a busy summer here at All Island Garage Door. Our technicians have been installing gorgeous Clopay garage doors all across Long Island. Take a look at some of our most recent jobs.

Clopay Mahogany Garage Doors 

Our professional installers installed these Clopay Mahogany garage doors with clear, insulated glass  in Sayville.

Here’s another look…

Clopay Coachman – Before and After 

We installed a Clopay Coachman garage door at this home in East Hampton, complete with a  Liftmaster model #8365 electric motor.

Before:

After:

Three Coachman Garage Doors

This Hewlett Harbor client received three Clopay Coachman garage doors.  They also added Liftmaster Belt driven electric openers.

Clopay Modern Steel

We installed a set of beautiful Clopay Modern Steel garage doors in the color Walnut at this home in Southampton. The garage door also features frosted glass windows.

It’s one of your home’s hardest working doors, and at 100-600 pounds, it’s also the heaviest door in your home by far. We’re talking, of course, about your garage door. Considering its weight, not to mention all its hardware required to make it operate correctly – like pulleys and springs that perform under extreme tension – it’s important to understand and practice garage door safety.

June is Garage Door Safety Month.  Below are five important ways to practice garage door safety, now and throughout the year.

Garage doors are not a toy

Many children find garage doors to be pretty impressive, and while we tend to agree, it’s imperative to teach your kids that garage doors are not toys. Keep a close eye on your little ones anytime you open and close the garage door.

Make sure children keep their hands away from the door, garage door springs and other type of hardware. The same goes for the garage door opener. It can be fun to open and close the garage door from a smartphone or another type of remote, but it should never be done for amusement.

Leave the repairs to professionals

While regular, simple garage door maintenance like cleaning, lubricating, and painting your garage door is fine to do on your own, you’ll want to leave garage door repairs to us. Attempting to fix garage door springs and pulleys is especially dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Never race the garage door

While the garage door is in motion, you should always steer clear and avoid being directly under it. Make sure you can control your garage door and know how to pause it just in case you find yourself under it while it’s closing.

Keep up on regular inspections

Whenever you hear creaking, crunching, rattling, or any other unusual noise coming from your garage door, you’ll want to call a professional to pinpoint the source of the sound and make the necessary repairs. Additionally, you should have your garage door inspected by a technician once every year to make sure the hardware and the garage door itself are safe to operate.

Understand your garage door system

Know where the emergency release feature is located on your garage door. To ensure your safety, read the door’s manual as well as those for your garage door opener system.  Make sure you have a clear understanding of how your garage door system operates, so you can better gauge when there’s a potential problem or safety hazard.

Have a garage door safety concern? If you do, don’t wait. Contact the team at All Island Garage Door and schedule an appointment. We’ll check the garage door thoroughly to make sure it’s safe for you and your family.

Did you know that one of the easiest, quickest and best ways to increase your home’s ROI is with a new garage door? In fact, it’s one of the best improvements you can make when it comes time to selling your home.

According to Cost Value, replacing a garage door is one of the most affordable home improvements on the Remodeling 2023 Cost vs. Value report (www.costvsvalue.com) and has one of the top ROIs nationally. This year’s findings show that a $4,302 investment will net $4,418 or 102.7% at resale, on average, nationwide.

Ready to put your house on the market or considering it in the near future? If so, now would be a great time to put the plan in motion to replace your garage door. We’re here to help.

Learn more about how a new garage door can increase your home’s value.  

When it comes time to purchase a new garage door or repair the one you’ve got, it’s important to work with a reputable, established garage door company like All Island Garage Door.

In fact, more often than not, we help home and business owners all across Long Island after they’ve tried to work with a big box store or have gone the DIY route, after they realized they should have gone with a company with experience.

Not only will hiring a garage door company with a great reputation save you time, but it can save you money and offer you something priceless: peace of mind.

Here’s what to look for in a garage door company.

Experience. Choose a garage door company that has been in business for at least a decade. Not only will they have extensive knowledge thanks to years in the industry, but there’s no problem they haven’t seen before. Whatever repair you need, they’ll be able to do it quickly and right the first time.

Great customer service. The best garage door companies know that the job doesn’t stop after the garage door has been installed. Instead, they are committed to servicing the garage door and providing you with excellent customer care for the longevity of your garage door.

The best prices. Never choose a garage door company that tried to upsell you. At All Island, we are committed to helping our customers select a garage door that working within their budget while also elevating the look of their home.

An extensive collection. We offer the full line of garage doors by Clopay, however, we can also order garage doors from other manufacturers, install and service them as well. Take a look at our gallery to see example of our work.

We’ve been serving all of Long Island for more than 30 years and are committed to offering our customers the very best, high quality garage doors at great prices. Ready for a garage door repair or upgrade? Give us a call!