Beware These 3 Garage Door Scams

Beware These 3 Garage Door Scams

We love what we do here at Markham Garage Doors. But, unfortunately, the business we’re in is ripe for garage door scams run by unscrupulous installers. And that can reflect badly on every garage door installer. So we like to make you aware of some of the scams we come across so you can avoid being a victim. Last year we told you about what to look for to spot a garage door scam.

The more we hope the scammers disappear and stop casting a shadow over our industry, they seem to keep coming up with new ways to deceive unsuspecting homeowners.

Look Out for These 3 Garage Door Installer Scams

These are three garage door installer scams that are being carried out here in Markham and across the GTA.

1. Too-Good-to-be-True Service Call Prices

One reason why the garage door installation business is popular with scammers is because you don’t usually call for a repair or maintenance until your garage door isn’t working. Then you need help right away. You search the internet and see claims like a “100% Guaranteed $19.00 Repair Service”. But think about it. Even if the repair service is close to your home, can they really visit your house and repair your garage door for $19.00? Instead, after they visit, they will present added charges that they will ask payment for before they repair your door.

2. Coupons

Some garage door installers will offer coupons for discounts on the price of a door, often right on their website. When you compare the discounted door prices to those at a legitimate installer, they will look like a bargain. But what the coupon doesn’t include is the installation charge. So you get a good price on the door, but pay it all back, and more, on the installation.

3. Pretending to Be Another Garage Door Installer

We have been victims of this one ourselves. We enjoy a great reputation in Markham. But other companies will make it look like they are Markham Garage Doors so you think you are dealing with us. Take a close look at web addresses, paperwork, business cards, etc.. Make sure they are all consistent with the company you think you’re dealing with.

There’s one way to avoid all the garage door installation scams out there. Contact us here at Markham Garage Doors!

How Not Replacing Your Garage Door Can Cost You More

Your garage door is great, eh? It just keeps on working, up and down a couple times a day, every day, year-round, and it’s like you never have to think about it. Every homeowner knows that, when it comes to maintaining the house, “there’s always something”. But that something never seems to be the door on the garage.

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the incredible dependability of your garage door might be costing you money. Intentionally or not, most homeowners live by to old adages: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”. While these are good guidelines for a lot of the maintenance around the house, they don’t apply very well to garage doors for a number of reasons.

While your garage opens and closes to let your car, or anything else, in or out of the garage, it’s a mistake to think that’s the only function of the door. In addition to its everyday operation, garage doors also help insulate your home, protect your house and belongings and they are usually the largest, single element of the appearance of your home.

To tie those functions into the ‘squeaky wheel’ and ‘if it ain’t broke’ guidelines for home maintenance, none of them squeak and it’s difficult to tell if they are broken.

And that’s where keeping your old garage door, even one that opens and closes faithfully every time you need it to can actually be costing you a lot of money. Here’s how:

1. Higher Heating and Air Conditioning Costs

Attached garages can have a huge effect on the cost of heating and cooling your home, especially if your old door isn’t well-insulated and properly sealed. Many homeowners treat the garage as being ‘outside’. So, if it’s freezing in the winter and stifling hot in the summer, it’s no different than any other part of your home with an outside wall.

Except, by having an insulated door, and insulating any outside walls in your garage, you can significantly reduce your HVAC costs and increase the comfort of your home, especially in areas of the home that are above or beside the garage.

And it’s not just energy costs you’ll be saving. Insulating your garage door and walls means less heat entering your home in summer and less cold entering in winter, which means your furnace and air conditioner have less work to do and will last longer before needing to be repaired or replaced.

2. Less Curb Appeal

Most people don’t realize how much of an effect their garage doors have on the overall appearance of their home. In many cases, the garage door can account for over 30% of the visible area of a home. That means, even if you spend lots of money to improve the exterior appearance of your house and your landscaping, if the design of your garage door isn’t up to date, or it simply looks shabby, your home will look that way too.

If you want to get a better idea of just how much a difference a new door can make to the look of your home, upload a picture of the front of your home to the Haas Create page at HaasDoor.com, which is the website for one of our top-quality garage door suppliers. Once your picture is uploaded you can highlight the area where your garage doors appear and substitute any number of new doors to see how they look on your home.

3. Compromised Home Security

Even if you have a garage door opener and a security keypad, older systems can be very easy for a burglar to get through – and garages doors are one of their favorite ways of getting into a house. If you don’t have a door opener, the simple lock on your door does little or nothing to protect everything you keep in your garage, everything in your home, and your family’s personal safety too.

There are lots of other ways a new garage door can save you money and improve the enjoyment of your home. Call us at 905-472-9178 to learn more.

5 Reasons Why You Should Never Leave Your Garage Door Open

Is It OK To Leave Your Garage Door Partially Open?

Sometimes it seems to make perfect sense to leave your garage door open. In winter, if you like to warm up your car in the mornings, you’re not going to start it and close the door, unless you want carbon monoxide poisoning.  There is also the idea that leaving the garage door open a crack in the summer will keep your house cooler.

But with break-ins on the rise in the GTA, and more persistent wildlife in the suburbs, leaving your garage door open is simply not worth the risk.

1. Risk of a Home Invasion

Attached garages that have entry doors to the house are one of the most common ways that burglars gain entry to a home. Leaving your garage door open for even a short time gives a full view of the layout of your garage and how they can get into your home.  If you keep any valuables in the garage (including your car), it is easy to take a quick picture for future nefarious purposes.

2. Animal Infestation

Outdoor critters like to find shelter from the elements just like you do. An open garage door is an invitation to a cozy spot. Once inside, they can make nests, get into your walls through the drywall or, if the door is accidentally closed behind them, panic and cause damage to your car and belongings as they try to escape.

3. Weather-Related Worries

Here in Ontario, the weather can be fickle. Temperatures fluctuate, and a warm sunny day can quickly turn dark and stormy. If you leave your doors open, rain, sleet, or snow can make their way into the garage and cause issues with the interior. Even one good gust of wind can blow leaves and debris into your garage. And, if you’re like most homeowners, you don’t need anything else making your garage any messier.

4. You Could Be Liable

If your car is stolen from an open garage, you could be liable for injuries suffered by the thieves. A Bruce County, Ontario, garage owner was found 37% liable  for the ‘catastrophic brain injury’ suffered by the 15-year-old accomplice of a car thief who crashed the stolen vehicle.

5. The Security of Everything in the Garage

Stolen cars are one thing, but an open garage door is an invitation to take anything in the garage. Thieves can swipe bicycles, lawn mowers, and power tools in just the time it took you to go inside for a drink of water.

We should all start thinking of our garage doors as the first layer of security for our homes. If that first layer is wide open, all the other layers are easier to get through.

An Important Layer of Security for Your Garage & Home

If you’ve never heard of ‘consumer paralysis’, you’ve probably experienced it. It can happen when you’re shopping for something and are faced with so many options, you don’t know which one to choose.

Nowhere is consumer paralysis more likely to set in than when you’re trying to find new locks for the entry doors of your home. In addition to the almost limitless designs, colors and finishes, there always seems to be a new technology, like biometric locks or Bluetooth-enabled locks, vying for your attention and offering higher levels of security.

But, interestingly, if you’ve ever looked for locks for the largest door in your home, your garage door, you’ve probably wondered why there were so few options. While garage door openers keep the door closed, your choices for locks beyond that are generally limited to regular cylinder locks opened with a key.

Now You Have a Choice

Garage door opener manufacturer, LiftMaster, is famous for its wide selection in performance, features, and durability. So its no wonder that earlier this year they released a new option for securing your garage door. 

The LiftMaster 841LM Automatic Garage Door Lock is an add-on accessory that combines the security of a deadbolt lock with technology that allows for monitoring the lock from anywhere with your smartphone using LiftMaster’s exclusive MyQ® app.

The 841LM automatically locks and unlocks every time you open and close your door, so you never need to worry about if the door is locked. And you can check if the door is open or unlocked through your phone. Those features combined with the strength of a deadbolt lock, give your garage and home an added layer of security in a place where it might be needed the most, considering that the garage is a popular way for thieves to get into your home.

To learn more about the 841LM and all of LiftMaster’s products, please call or visit us here at Markham Garage Door, we’re happy to help.