Some “Wishes” can be super easy fixes. Some involve the newest in garage technology. Whatever you are wishing for, we bet it’s covered on this list of 5 things you’d like in your garage.
1. Making Parking Easier. It seems like your car or cars just barely fit in your garage. You’re worried. You don’t want to hit the wall and you don’t was the garage door to bounce off the bumper of your new truck. The old-school fix? The hanging tennis ball. When it touches the windshield, it’s time to stop. The new technology solution? Laser beams! Available online and inexpensive. These devices give you a laser light to guide you to exactly the right space. They’re made for both one and two car garage parking!
2. Emergency Lighting. The power’s out and that garage is dark and you’re afraid you’re going to knock something down before you even get the car door open. Old school? Grab your flashlight before you head for the car. That solution hardly compares to today’s emergency lighting with adjustable fixtures to put light where you want it and a charge that can last up to 20 hours.
3. Keeping it Comfortable. OK, you can turn on a fan or, even, a portable A/C or cooler in the summer and a space heater in the winter and you’ll just have to wait for the garage to cool down or warm up until it’s comfortable enough to break out the tools and work at your workbench. Or, go with technology. There’s a programmable thermostat that works with a wall socket. You can set a schedule so that the garage will be cool – or warm – when you arrive home. No waiting to start your favorite project in comfort. You can even program in weekend times that are different from the weekday schedule.
4. On at Sunset. And, off at the hour you choose. You can buy a programmable light bulb that works with your smartphone or a programmable light switch that does the same. You can probably figure out an IFTTT answer, too. Or, go old-school and make it simple with a switch available at the local hardware store. It will turn on when it gets dark and turn off when you set it.
5. On Vacation. You worry about the safety of your home while you’re away. You can buy a new opener or an accessory for your existing opener that works from your smartphone. Some will tell you when the door is opened. Or go old-school. That’s as simple as unplugging your opener, securing the door into your home with a deadbolt, and using another deadbolt to lock that door from the garage to the backyard.
You want to make your garage as comfortable and safe as possible. A big part of that equation is having a yearly garage door maintenance and safety check by a licensed garage door repair and replacement company. They’ll make sure that all those springs and cables that are under high-tension are secure and safe and that your garage door is going to operate smoothly. Because what you want most is a trouble-free garage door that goes up and comes down on your command.