Garage Doors: Steel or Wood

If you are considering upgrading your home with a new garage door or are preparing for the construction of your new home, choosing the best door to meet your needs will be an important decision which alters the curb appeal of your home for years to come. Since new garage door models are far more advanced than older styles, offering better insulation and protection, it pays to do your homework before assuming that either steel or wood is the best match for your situation.

While not the only options available, steel and wood still make up the majority of market choices for garage door construction materials. Both steel and wooden styles have distinct advantages and disadvantages. Steel has become the single most popular option, mainly due to its lower cost and maintenance requirements when compared to wood, but homeowners who particularly appreciate the curb appeal of a wooden door are often willing to spend the extra time and money on the initial purchase and upkeep of a wooden model, especially if the garage faces the road.

Steel Has Become the Most Popular Choice

Steel doors can handle humidity, rain, solar exposure, and heat far better than wooden models with less maintenance. Those of you who use your garage as a workshop or an extension of your living space should be concerned with how much insulating value your door provides, and steel typically leads the pack in this regard as well.

Rust is a common concern when most homeowners imagine steel with constant exposure to the elements, yet all but the cheapest styles are covered with a polyester or fiberglass coating that resists rust. If you do purchase a model that rusts, a simple sanding followed by touch up paint will easily correct the problem, leaving your door good as new.

Denting is the other main concern expressed in regards to steel garage doors. Yes, steel does dent, and those dents can be difficult to remove, so it pays to choose a door constructed from thicker gauge metal panels. The best steel doors are made with 24 gauge steel, which resists denting far better than the thinner 27 or 28 gauge models. Doors with a fiberglass overlay also add protection against dents, but will need to be repainted or restained every few years, as the color tends to fade.

Wood is the Choice When Appearance is Top Priority

No other material can match the beauty of a properly maintained wooden garage door. The least expensive models are constructed with a lightweight wooden frame, filled with foam insulation, then covered with plywood or a thin layer of hardwood. Some of these models may be competitive in price when compared to steel models, but higher end custom made wooden doors crafted from cedar, redwood or mahogany can cost as much as $10,000.

In order to withstand the outdoor elements, a wooden door needs to be repainted or refinished every few years. You'll never need to worry about denting or rust, however, and the price you pay for your new wood door can often increase the property value of your home in excess of what you paid for the door itself, due to the high curb appeal of the wooden look.

No one garage door material is best in all situations. With careful consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of each style, homeowners will be able to select a model that best meets their needs and budget requirements while providing beauty and functionality for years to come.

Choosing Between a Slide Gate and Swing Gate

An automatic gate is a straightforward, effective way to control access to a home, community, or facility. The gate ensures that all vehicles that enter and exit the premises must do so via the automatic gate. You get the security that you need for your home without having to hire a guard or put in cameras or other security devices. The following details two popular types of automatic gates – slide gates and swing gates – so that you can make an informed decision about the gate that you install for your home.

Slide gate

A slide gate may also be referred to as a rolling gate or V-track gate. It is installed parallel to the fence interior. A slide gate moves back and forth across the opening in a horizontal fashion. The rollers on the bottom of the gate support the sliding motion. Generally there is a metal track installed for the rollers along the ground that spans the gate opening.

A slide gate is a great choice when a swing gate is not an option. For example, if the area where the gate would swing open is limited (i.e. large rocks in the way), a slide gate may be a better choice. A slide gate can also be a simpler option for driveways with steep uphill slopes.

As slide gate rollers must run along the ground, sometimes issues arise when there is ice, snow, or debris. The rollers may also generate friction, which can make it a little tougher to open and close the gate. The best way to minimize these issues is to purchase a brush that you can use to sweep the track periodically.

Swing gate

A swing gate is hinged on one side. It swings open and shut just like a regular door. Typically a swing gate moves in a 90 degree arc between its open and closed positions. Swing gates can either have a single or double leaf and can have an in-swing or out-swing motion.

Swing gates are widely used for residential properties because they're affordable, easy to install, and require minimal maintenance. Many people also like swing gates because they are safe and quiet with few moving parts. Additionally, swing gates offer a compact, classic aesthetic that matches a wide variety of home styles.

The most important thing to keep in mind when considering a swing gate is that your home must have adequate space so that the gate can move in a large arc to open or close. People must take care to keep their vehicles clear of the gate when it opens or closes. You don't want a person or a vehicle to get trapped or hit by the moving gate.

Loading Dock Maintenance

It’s no secret that safety is your organization’s first concern. In achieving that end-goal of an accident-free environment, good maintenance goes hand in hand with keeping everyone—from employees to vendors to delivery people—safe and sound and all equipment and goods in working order. Loading dock maintenance is an important job as the loading dock area is likely a busy crossroads that is central to the operation of your business or facility.

Regular maintenance will head off preventable injuries and stop damage to property and products coming in and going out. Keep in mind that ‘maintenance’ refers to the daily and timely chores that keep the loading dock clean, tidy and in good repair. A maintenance schedule should be set in addition to a company safety policy that includes loading dock procedures, rules and regulations. Employees should be routinely trained on safety rules and policies, and they should be enforced for employees and visitors at all times.

You’ll find a general schedule for loading dock maintenance below. Adjust the schedule to fit the needs of your facility. You may want to put some tasks on the daily schedule while others can be made weekly or monthly,  but make sure that you clearly outline which employees are responsible for which tasks and when the tasks are to be done to ensure that the maintenance tasks are completed as needed.

Loading Dock Maintenance Tasks

1. Clean up debris, spills and any other objects or items that should not be in the loading dock to prevent trips, falls and other injuries. Typically, this task should be completed more than once a day; for instance, you might have an employee complete an hourly sweep of the loading dock area to check for clutter and debris.

2. Make sure that the lighting on and around the loading dock is adequate and in good working order, especially if the area is in use during the dark morning and evening hours.

3. Inspect dock approaches for potholes and crumbling blacktop. Complete any necessary repairs in a timely manner.

4. Ensure dock bumpers stay in good working condition, and replace any that are damaged or missing as soon as possible.

5. Test dock warning and safety systems—such as trailer-restraint systems—to ensure they are in good working order at all times.

6. Inspect dock components such as dock levelers, dock plates and boards for wear and tear. Red tag any equipment or machine until it is fixed, replaced and returned to optimum working order.

7. Ensure loading dock signs and all painted or tape lines are bright and visible, especially under adverse conditions like rain, snow or dark of night.

8. Make sure that the surface of the loading dock does not pose a slip hazard when wet.

9. Inspect mobile equipment—such as wheel chocks, used to ensure that trailers and trucks stay in place—for damage and replace any items that are lost.

10. Check safety equipment kept at the loading dock to ensure it is clear, undamaged and is either in good working order or within its expiration date.

11. Inspect seals and shelters to ensure they are keeping the elements out of the dock area.

Keeping to daily and weekly loading dock maintenance schedules will ensure that small issues don’t grow into serious problems over time. Such schedules also ensure the safety of employees and visitors, as well as cargo, so that your facility doesn’t miss a beat.

Why Your Loading Dock Needs Dock Lights

Employee safety is one of the most important aspects of any industrial operation, warehouse, manufacturing plant or distribution center, but it's not the only reason that your loading dock should have dock lights.  Loading dock lights provide multiple benefits that help increase the efficiency of your business while simultaneously creating a safer work environment. 

Safety Benefits of Installing Loading Dock Lights 

The most obvious reason for providing dock lights for your crew is their personal safety.  Dock lights illuminate the area, making it easier for workers to see where they're going, spot gaps between the truck and dock and avoid other potential dangers.  Fumbling around in the dark isn't fun regardless of what you're doing, but throw in a hundred palettes, a two-ton forklift and thousands of pounds of equipment and that mild discomfort turns into a potentially deadly situation. 

While you might think that the delivery truck's interior lights should be enough to get the job done, many trucks don't have interior lighting and even if they do, they might not always be operational.  Having loading dock lights prevents your workers from having to struggle to unload goods with one hand, the other holding a flashlight.  

Alternatively, they can work in teams with one worker holding the flashlight, but then you are losing out in productivity and essentially paying two men to do one job.  In other words, it is simply not cost-effective to neglect loading dock light installation. 

Cost and Time Benefits of Loading Dock Lights

This brings us directly to the financial reasons for installing lights on your loading dock.  The quicker your crew can get the trucks loaded and unloaded, the higher turn-around rate your business will have.  Further, if you don't have a dedicated dock crew, spending less time during the loading and unloading process allows your employees to get back to their other tasks. 

By making it easier to see inside the trucks and on (and around) the loading dock, you make the entire operation run more efficiently.  As any good facility manager can tell you, increased efficiency and productivity in any aspect of an operation only results in lower overhead and higher profitability.  Essentially, loading dock lights are an investment in your returns. 

Versatility of Loading Dock Lights

For those of you who are worried about the dock lights getting in the way, loading dock lights now come in a wide assortment of models and types.  You don't have to have fixed dock lights anymore, a worry of some dock managers who have a wide array of delivery types and sizes.  If you need options and the ability to accommodate all types of deliveries, loading dock lights rise up to your need for versatility. 

Dock lights on extendable/retractable metal arms can be stored safely on the wall and extend to the job as needed.  This not only allows you to keep the dock lights out of the way when you don't need them, but also gives your workers the ability to get light exactly where they need it. 

Further, dock lights also serve another purpose, acting as a communications instrument between your loading crew and the delivery truck driver.  When the loading dock lights are on, the driver will know that the crew is back there working and won't accidentally pull away from the dock, causing potential injury as well as damage to goods.  

When it's all said and done, there are absolutely no downsides to loading dock lights.  They pay for themselves in time by eliminating costly on-site injuries and loss of goods due to damage, all while increasing your operation's efficiency. 

When Your Automatic Garage Door Won’t Open

While garage doors are generally one of the more reliable devices in a home, they can certainly try a homeowner's patience when they fail to function properly – especially in a driving rainstorm. If yours stops working reliably, here is a quick rundown on what to check:

Replace the Batteries in the Remote.  A small oversight but one that happens often in small electronic devices is to forget to change the batteries on a regular basis. It is more of a nuisance than a problem with the remote control for the garage. Just keep a few extra batteries in the fridge and you can solve your garage door “problem” in less than five minutes.

Reset the Fuse Box.  Most garage doors are not directly wired so the unit's electrical plug will often become loose due to the constant shaking of the door. This in turn can cause the circuit breaker to “trip.” Take quick look inside the fuse box, locate any problem and then flip the tripped switch back to the correct position to immediately solve your problem.

Examine the Release Line.  The release line of a garage door is intended to allow the homeowner to open the door in case of power loss or to safely work on the unit. Unfortunately, it is also an “attractive nuisance” for children. By simply grabbing the line and pulling it down, your teenager can disconnect the door from the opening mechanism. To fix – simply push up the little catch at the top of the line and run the unit through one cycle.

Clean the Electric Eye.  With all the activity that goes on in a garage, there is inevitably a mass of debris or other items that tend to accumulate around the bottom of the garage door near its electric eye. In addition, the eye can often be knocked out of position by a wayward bike tire, thrown basketball or some other activity. In every case, it is simply a matter of unblocking the eye and making sure that it is communicating with its partner to resolve the issue.

Look for Broken Wires.  Similarly, the intense activity that occurs in most garages can easily cut or dislodge the many small wires that are required to properly activate and power a modern automatic garage door. Without a doubt, it is difficult for the average homeowner to know what to look for. In many cases, this is a job for an experienced garage door technician.

Inspect the Springs.  Every garage door uses a spring of one kind or another to counterbalance the weight of the door. Some are located along the top of the door while others travel from the door along the outside of the door track. In either case, these items eventually fail and motor is simply unable to open the door. Repairing this problem is tricky and can be quite dangerous. If you do not know exactly what you are doing, please follow the next suggestion.

Call A Professional.  Unfortunately, garage doors do fail after years of use. When this happens, a homeowner has no choice but to call a professional and have the unit replaced. The cost is relatively insignificant when one considers the security and the convenience that an automatic garage door provides.

Choosing the Right Personnel Door for Your Business

Choosing the right personnel door for your property or business often boils down to a few factors. If the door is exposed to the outside elements on one side, for instance, that might dictate a hollow-metal personnel door whereas a personnel door intended for an office might call for a glass door with a discrete aluminum frame. 

It's important to consider how much traffic the door will get from customers as well as the door's durability and energy efficiency. Let's take a look at some common personnel door styles and the ideal use for each. 

Revolving Door 

Revolving doors are great for energy efficiency since customers can pass in and out of your facility without letting in too much cold air or releasing too much heat from your building. A revolving door would, therefore, work well in colder climates in which a lot of customers or personnel were coming and going. 

Although revolving doors are affordable, property managers shouldn't worry too much about the cost since they'll get paid back and then some considering the years of energy efficiency ahead. Many revolving doors even have sweeps on the bottom and weather stripping to give you even more energy efficiency from October to March.  

If you regularly experience a high volume of customers or peaks throughout the day, then a revolving door is a solid choice. You can have upwards of a thousand people going in and out every hour after installing a revolving door. These doors also look great and provide you with extra security via deadbolt locks. 

Blast-Resistant Door 

Blast-resistant doors are the ideal way to balance practicality, style and long-term durability. These doors are frequently used in financial institutions and government facilities.

The most common frame for this type of door is steel or aluminum, and with a blast-resistant door you're getting an extremely robust cut of glass encased in a strong frame that can battle the elements and then some. 

For these reasons, blast-resistant doors are perfect for outdoor use or when you need a little more protection than a traditional door.

Interior Wood Door 

If you're looking for a personnel door that's only going to see indoor use, then an interior door is an excellent way to spruce up an office space. Interior wood doors are heavily customizable and come in a variety of materials and stains. 

Installing an interior wood door is often relatively simple with the help of a qualified professional. Another great feature of interior wood doors is their discreteness - you and your customers can come and go without disturbing any of the day's work. 

Hollow-Metal Door 

In the same way that interior woods doors are often used indoors, hollow-metal doors are typically used in cases where one side is exposed to the outdoors. Hollow-metal doors, in other words, are incredibly durable because of their straightforward, utilitarian design. 

There are usually very few upkeep costs with owning a hollow-metal door, and these doors often provide a lot of privacy since they fit in so snugly with your door's preexisting frame and hinge. In short, a hollow-metal door is an affordable and incredible robust option for a personnel door that will last for years to come. 

Choosing the Right Door 

Finding the right personnel door often comes down to the type of facility that you oversee. If you experience high traffic and energy efficiency is a concern, then a revolving door might be a good option whereas an interior wood door might work better in an upscale office environment. Although all of the options above are durable, your particular use will dictate your decision. 

Warehouse Safety - 5 Important Things To Keep In Mind

Warehouse safety should always be the number one concern of any employer. Warehouses can present a myriad of dangers to employees that should be confronted and resolved whenever they are found. If you would like to improve your workplace environment to reduce the risk of accidents or injuries, there are a number of things you as an employer can do. Take a few moments to review 5 important aspects of improving warehouse safety that everyone should know.

1. Provide Employee Training on Safe Lifting Practices

All employees should be provided with proper training regarding how to safely lift heavy materials without causing personal injuries. Lift materials with the legs and avoid twisting the upper body when carrying a load. If a pallet or box is too heavy, encourage workers to use a forklift or ask for assistance from co-workers. To reduce the risk of back injury caused by lifting altogether, it is best to arrange inventory in such a way that it does not require considerable effort to lift and remove items.

2. Invest in Anti-Slip Industrial Floor Mats

Anti-Slip industrial floor mats can prevent a number of accidents from happening in a warehouse environment. Not only will these mats work to alleviate slips if water or wet materials come in contact with the floor, but the comfortable ergonomics of these mats will make it much more comfortable for employees to work on their feet for extended periods of time. The amount of stress that constant walking, lifting and standing can do to the feel in a warehouse can become very painful for many. Reducing this stress and fatigue in any way will go a long way to minimize the chances of a serious injury occurring.

3. Ensure Adequate Lighting is Provided at All Times

Naturally, it is vital that all employees have plenty of light to perform their work efficiently and avoid making errors in the workplace. Always replace lights that have fizzled out immediately and consider investing in halogen bulbs for longer live span than incandescent bulbs.

4. Keep Aisles Clean and Free of Obstructions

Any trash, spills or debris in the aisles of the warehouse should be cleaned up right away. Trash and other materials can easily pose a safety hazard for anyone walking by or operating machinery. Make it a point to perform clean-up several times during every shift to ensure there are no obstacles that could potentially cause an injury of an employee.

5. Use Best Safety Practices When Operating Forklifts and Machinery

Forklifts and other forms of warehouse machinery should always be operated with extreme care. Only fully qualified and certified professionals should be given permission to operate with forklifts. Seatbelts should always be worn in forklifts should never travel in excess of 5 miles per hour. Any damaged forklifts should be kept off limits until repairs can be done and the batteries should always be fully charged before the beginning of each work day. Forklift drivers should also be fully trained on the dangers of carbon monoxide fumes and the warehouse should be well ventilated to improve indoor air quality for all employees. Any individuals who do not abide by all warehouse machinery safety regulations should be reprimanded to discourage breaches in workplace safety protocols from occurring in the future.

By incorporating warehouse safety practices like these at your place of business you can drastically reduce the chances that an injury or accident will happen. Take the time to invest in preventative countermeasures  like these and ongoing training for employees to make your warehouse a much more comfortable, safer work environment for everyone.