Academy Overhead Door

Garage Tip #13

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 00:30:00 +0000

Academy Overhead Door offers an affordable kit to maintain your garage, to purchase one talk to our service techs or call 719-481-2649

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have the experience and skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Garage Tip #12

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Thu, 28 May 2015 02:30:00 +0000

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have the experience and skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Garage Tip #11

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Sat, 23 May 2015 22:30:00 +0000

Garage Tip #10

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Tue, 19 May 2015 17:30:00 +0000

Garage Tip #9

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Sat, 16 May 2015 14:00:00 +0000

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

The I-Factor: Choosing An Insulated Garage Door

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Sat, 16 May 2015 01:30:00 +0000

If you’ve already determined your garage door is a good candidate for insulation, the next step is to figure out which of the many options works best for you and your budget.

There are a few ways to retro-insulate an existing door. You can use a special insulating kit purchased from the manufacturer for your specific door (click here to purchase one for your door) or you can go totally DIY and use either polystyrene panels or expanding spray foam from your local home improvement store. The biggest issue with either the panels or the foam is the wear every time a roller-panel door is opened or closed. The panels or foam tend to degrade quickly, usually over the course of just one winter. One exception to this is the swing-out or swing-up door: added insulation will stay in better shape on these types of doors since there aren’t as many moving parts to provide friction.

Another option is installing an already-insulated door. There are two main types of manufacturer insulated garage doors: sandwich construction and vinyl-back construction.

Sandwich Construction is probably the most effective insulation option, consisting of two metal skins bonded together with one of two types of insulation hidden between.

Polystyrene sheets cut to fit and glued between the panels are good for occasional heat retention and high durability (the doors resist denting and other lifetime damage).
Polyurethane expanding insulation injected between the layers of an assembled door produces even insulation across the entire inner surface of the door. This type of insulated door is best if you want to maintain a fully–heated garage space.

Vinyl-Back Construction uses expanded foam cores on the interior of the garage door, strengthening the door against dents and adding temperature control without the expense of a second interior steel skin. The advantage is mostly in price since the door will not be as durable or effective as the sandwich style.

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have the experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Garage Tip #8

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Wed, 13 May 2015 20:00:00 +0000

For a simple DIY to waterproof your floor, click here.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Garage Tip #7

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Sun, 10 May 2015 18:00:00 +0000

For a simple DIY on how to paint your garage floor, visit this link.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Shrewd Ways To Effectively Heat Your Garage

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Sat, 09 May 2015 01:00:00 +0000

In most climates, the only way to get year-round living use out of the garage is to heat it. If done properly, a garage furnace can turn the room from a storage shed into a comfortable living space that can be used for anything from a workshop to a home theater.

By far the best option in terms of price and effectiveness is a natural gas heater. There are two good types for garages: a forced-air furnace or a low-intensity infrared tube heater (high-intensity tube
heaters are dangerous in a garage). They both require electrical hook-up and outdoor venting and you’ll need to choose the correct size to fit your garage according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Considering what the space is used for helps this decision. A wood shop, for example, would function
well with a tube heater because the heated coils do not stir up dust. These heaters work by heating
objects – such as the concrete floor – which then keeps the air warm. They are very effective and cost less to run over the long term, but you have to keep everything (including yourself) at least three feet away to keep from overheating.

If you’re using the garage as a home theater, exercise room or office, forced air might be a good choice. Forced air is less expensive initially (about half the price of an infrared heater) and slightly safer since you don’t have to be so careful of things near the furnace overheating. It’s also easier to install. It takes much longer to recover once the door has been opened, but you feel the warm air right away as opposed to the infrared taking a while to heat the objects in the room.

Note: if your garage isn’t insulated with at least 4” insulation, installing a heater will just heat the great outdoors. Another issue is that every time you open the garage door, you lose most of the heat - a heated garage should mainly stay closed and have an insulated door.

If you’d like to read more about how to install a forced-air furnace or low-intensity tube heater, check out this link at Family Handyman.com.

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Garage Tip #6

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Tue, 05 May 2015 22:00:00 +0000

How To Choose A Garage Door: To Insulate or Not?

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Fri, 01 May 2015 16:35:00 +0000

In the quest to keep energy bills low, many homeowners consider insulating their attached-garage doors to create a better barrier against the great outdoors. While insulating the door can be beneficial, it can also be expensive without much return on investment. A few lifestyle questions are worth asking first.

Is your garage used for living or storage space? This is probably the most important question. Most garages are in use as storage and there’s little point in stabilizing the temperature. Even with an insulated door, the garage will only stay noticeably warmer than the outdoors if it already has a source of heat. If your garage is one of the more unusual types in use as work or living space instead of storage, insulating the door should drastically reduce how hard your heater has to work.

How good is the insulation between your garage and house? If you already have good insulation in the adjoining walls, you already have a decent barrier between you and the weather. If you don’t have good insulation, however, insulating the garage door may be a good way to cut down on energy leakage. In this scenario, you may want to consider adding good weatherstripping and seal to the door as well, since even a small draft can significantly change the temperature inside.

Are you planning to insulate an existing door or purchase a manufacturer-insulated one? If you own an

Amarr door, DIY insulation kits are available for purchase. It’s possible to use spray foam or polystyrene boards from your local home-improvement store, but these solutions are not very effective since the insulation tends to break down quickly with use. If your garage is used more for living space than storage space, purchasing a manufacturer-insulated door is probably the best way to go.

If you feel you have a good candidate for garage door insulation, check out this related post: The I-Factor: Choosing An Insulated Garage Door

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents cant trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and instillation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Garage Tip #5

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 02:00:00 +0000

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Garage Tip #4

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 17:00:00 +0000

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

How To Paint Your Garage Door: Techniques

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 22:45:00 +0000

After choosing a good type of paint for your garage door and getting everything prepared, it’s time to get painting!

There are three main techniques for applying a good coat of paint: brushing, rolling or spraying.

Brushing

Pros: uses very little equipment, easy to set up and clean up.

Cons: takes practice to apply an even coat without streaking or brush marks. Often takes more than one coat of paint to fully cover.

Tips: Choose a good quality (not the cheapest!) brush at least 4” wide and begin from the top of the door, working across and downward. Keep the brush only moderately full of paint to prevent drips and keep strokes even and about the same length to allow brush marks to melt out. Don’t go back over places you’ve already painted since the paint flashes over (dries on the surface) fairly quickly and if you disturb it you’ll have unsightly streaks and divots in your finished coat.

Rolling

Pros: easy set up and clean up, applies paint rapidly.

Cons: difficult to even cover panels, leaves a textured surface that usually needs to be brushed out. This is probably the least successful way of painting a garage door, though it’s the quickest overall.

Tips: use medium nap roller cover to hold a lot of paint without leaving a lot of texture. A 6’ paint stick is invaluable to working quickly and efficiently. Keep the roller full of paint rather than letting it run dry and apply in long vertical rows slightly overlapping. Do two rows at a time and quickly brush out before the paint has a chance to flash over if you don’t want the roller texture look. Use the brush to make sure paint has evenly coated the corners and inner crevices of the panels.

Spraying

Pros: produces the most professional results.

Cons: equipment can be finicky and set up takes a while since everything around the door needs to be carefully covered to protect from overspray.

Tips: work quickly and evenly in long sweeps, angling the sprayer downward, straight on and upward at each panel to ensure all angles are evenly covered. Don’t gild the lily: when the paint covers, let it dry before doing more or you can very quickly add too much and end up with a drippy mess!

(Watch this great tutorial from a professional painter for good tips on spraying your garage door.)

Previous: Techniques

First Painting Post: Paint Type

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can't trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

How To Paint Your Garage Door: Preparation

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 18:20:00 +0000

Today we’ll cover preparing an existing garage door for new paint.

Timing is key: choosing a calm day will prevent dust or leaves blowing onto the clean door or into the fresh paint. You’ll want paint to cure at least twelve hours before getting wet (just because it feels dry doesn't mean it’s completely cured!), so it’s best to plan a time with no rain in the forecast for a day or two.

Stabilize Substrate

Use a flat scraper to remove any loose or peeling paint from the old door. It’s worthwhile to be very patient with this step since any loose paint on the door can chip off into your new coat and leave unsightly bumps and flecks in the surface. After the loose paint is removed, rub down scraped spots with steel wool until the edges feel smooth. Give any rusty places a good rub with the steel wool or a wire brush to remove whatever loose material you can.

Wash

Rinse the door and wash it with dish detergent and warm water. Rinse again and allow to completely dry. It’s important to remove any dirt or shavings from sanding and scraping because debris can cause the new paint not to bond to the old.

Mask

Carefully protecting any attaching components (trim, siding, cement beneath the door, handles, hinges, windows, etc.) will save a lot of headaches later. Remove anything you can, but cover everything else. Being meticulous with masking paper and painter’s tape pays off in the overall quality of the finished project. A neat application of painter’s tape is especially important because that line will be the edge of your new coat of paint. If you’re planning to spray the door, thorough masking is much more important than for rolling or brushing and you may want to consider even covering components like coach lamps since the overspray can float a long way.

Prime

It’s not always necessary to apply primer, but it will give you the best chance at an even, professional-looking coat of new color. Oil-based primers like Kilz cover pretty much anything and offer a good base to apply your final coat of that perfect color.

Next: Choosing an application technique.

Previous: Choosing a paint type.

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can't trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Garage Tip #3

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:00:00 +0000

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents can't trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and installation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Garage Tip #2

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 23:30:00 +0000

How To Repaint Your Garage Door: Paint Type

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 16:00:00 +0000

If you’re eyeing your faded or peeling garage door and thinking about running out for a can of paint, read this first! There are several ways to successfully apply a coat of paint that won’t come chipping right back off by the end of the summer. All you need are a few tools and some basic preparations.

The first decision to make is what type of paint would work best for your door.

Garage doors are made of a variety of materials including steel, aluminum, vinyl, fiberglass (check to be sure the material of the door is not brittle and crumbling before repainting fiberglass) and wood. Before choosing a paint, you’ll probably want to do a quick surface test first. Pour a little denatured alcohol on a rag and rub on the door. If paint comes off or feels tacky, it’s latex and you can go ahead and use latex over it. If not, you’ll either want to use an oil-based paint or put a primer coat of Kilz on first or you’ll go through an experience like THIS.

Direct To Rust

If you have a rusting steel door, your best choice of paint would be a product like THIS meant to go straight over rust. It’s still best to prepare the door with steel wool to remove the worst of the rust, but using an apply-over-rust paint best ensures the bond of the new paint to the old door.

Latex Paint

Latex paint is generally an easier choice to use since it has lower-intensity fumes and cleans up with water. A good quality paint-and-primer combination that covers easily and quickly can be pricey but worth with for ease of use and lifespan. Semi-gloss is the preferable finish since it will shed water best.

Oil-Based Paint

For staying power and durability, it’s tough to beat oil-based paint. In spite of a relatively long drying time, oil-based paints are easier to apply smoothly and have better color retention and bonding ability. They are slightly messier to apply than latex varieties since they’re not as thick; and you have to use paint thinner for cleanup instead of water. Because of the heavy fumes, safety goggles and a respirator with black “organic vapor” cartridges are a good idea.

Next up: Preparation

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents cant trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and instillation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

DIY Garage Tip #1

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 16:15:00 +0000

Making the Garage Work

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 19:45:00 +0000

The garage is an American phenomenon, a huge five- or six-hundred square-foot space we tend to regard as a just a place to park cars and randomly stack stuff. Utilized correctly, however, the garage becomes a hardworking room. Here are five ideas to quickly and inexpensively begin utilizing what used to be the least useful part of your home: because an organized garage makes the whole family feel like smiling!

1.) Create zones. Separate everything in the garage into types and organize one zone at a time – gardening items, household tools, games/sports, outdoor decorations, camping equipment, etc. Address zones one at a time to avoid being overwhelmed by organizational decisions.

2.) Hang everything. Organization begins when there is a place for everything. A few hooks and shelves provides a place for each item right on the walls to save space and make clutter disappear.

3.) Install a peg-board system. With plenty of options available at hardware and home-improvement stores, peg boards are a good alternative to the traditional work bench or tool box and allow you to keep tools and fasteners neatly accessible. (See this example at Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Bulldog-Hardware-131588-Peg-A-System-Ultimate/dp/B000WJ4XXY\)

4.) Platform-shelf unused walls. This saves valuable floor space – and since the average two-car garage has three 24-foot blank walls, there’s plenty of untapped room available. A 2-foot-deep shelf running the upper length of the three unused garage walls provides 150 square feet of storage space in the course of a weekend. (Check out these instructions at http://www.familyhandyman.com/garage/storage/garage-storage-ideas-find-unused-space/view-all)

5.) Install an outdoor mudroom. Many homes don’t have interior space for a good indoor/outdoor transition, but what about that corner of the garage near the back door? Pre-made cabinets from the local home improvement store combined with closet organization items like hooks for coats and cubbyhole shelves for canvas totes can create a great mudroom in only a few hours. Save time, space and a lot of mopping!

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents cant trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and instillation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

How to Choose a Beautiful Garage Door: Incorporate Style

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 02:30:00 +0000

The right garage door can really pull together the overall style of your home and give it harmonious character. It’s often a subtle choice between doors that add to your curb-appeal or don’t, so here’s some quick starter tips for finding the perfect fit.

Assess Your Home

Before choosing a style, it’s helpful to survey your home and make a short list of it’s overall characteristics. Do you have a Tudor with board-and-batten-look siding? A brick 70’s ranch? A gingerbread-decked Victorian? A stucco villa? A boxy 60’s contemporary? A tidy Colonial?

(Check out this link to help determine your house’s style: http://www.housepride.ca/housestyle/questionnaire.jsp)

Pay particular attention to windows and doors. Do you have square or arched openings? Are there any defining architectural details like muntin bars or leaded-glass decorative panes? Echoing the basic look of your windows and doors can really help your decision.

Basic Garage Door Types

Your neighborhood is probably full of traditional raised panel doors. They are typically made of steel or aluminum and can be insulated for better energy efficiency. This style of garage door blends well with many homes, though probably best with Colonial and Ranch styles. Possible customizations include windows in the top or second panel and a variety of colors.

Carriage house doors have become increasingly popular for many types of homes, though they work best in multiple garage door openings or with homes suggesting Mediterranean, Cottage, Victorian or Tudor styles. Carriage house doors can be made of wood or steel and have either a stained wood or painted finish. Possible customizations are almost limitless, including a wide variety of windows and trim options.

Contemporary doors are the rarest type and work best with custom homes built in an avant-garde or very clean-lined “modern” style. They are often made of glass and aluminum. There are not many customizations available for these types of doors since they tend to be a customization by their very nature.

Whatever you choose, we’ll be happy to give you a written estimate for the next step in acquiring your new door!

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents cant trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and instillation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

The Coin of Social Capital Is Community

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Who We Are: Part IV

Community

Everyone likes using the word “community”. There isn’t a political race that goes by without someone – probably everyone - trotting out a well-worn catchphrase involving “community” designed to make you think they’ve got your back and you can trust them to get your mail next time you’re out of town.

But what does “community” really mean? Why is it valuable? As Keith Hopper puts it in his blog, “Defining Community”, these can be difficult questions to really answer. “Dictionary definitions, for all their permutations seem to miss a good deal of implied meaning in the word community.”

Americans have a unique perspective on communities. Our founding fathers worked hard to create a country where we take care of each other instead of giving total control of our society to the elite (“a government by the people for the people…”). This serious responsibility for our fellows creates something special from what would otherwise be a disinterested bunch of people living in close proximity. It creates communities. Strong communities in turn provide an asset called “social capital”.

When we look out for each other we create strong bonds of trust and reassurance. We know if we're in a bind, our neighbors will be there for us just as we were there for them. A healthy community takes on a life of it's own, providing freedom and security for it's members. That is social capital. You can’t spend it like dollars and cents, but ultimately it provides even better than a whole pile of loot in the bank.

The driver of social capital is community involvement, a fancy way of saying “giving your neighbors a hand when they need it”. At Academy Overhead Door, social capital is precious treasure. We love people and we love lending a hand wherever we can. It can be as simple as giving you a new garage opener with batteries already installed or as big a project as repairing the Palmer Lake Firehouse door free of charge.

We’re your neighbors and we want to be there for you just as others have been there for us. That is
community.

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents cant trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and instillation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Excellence: We Are Not Interested In Just Being Good

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 15:00:00 +0000

Who We Are: Part III

Excellence

The word “excellence” is used in marketing so often today that we often glance over the word without considering it’s meaning. In our series about Academy Overhead Door’s core principles, we want to address the concept of excellence and what it means to us.

In his first team meeting as head coach for the Green Bay Packers in 1959, Vince Lombardi announced to his players what he expected of them.

“Gentlemen,” he said, “we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good.”

Understandably, Vince Lombardi became one of the most successful coaches in American football.

Building on our concept of Integrity covered here, we want to relentlessly chase perfection both in our work and in our relationships with our customers and community. Excellence can be gained if we are not remotely interested in just being “good enough” but practice exceeding your expectations of us in everything we do.

In an interesting paper about excellence in business, consultant Murali Chemuturi wrote, “Excellence is a continuously moving target that can be reached through actions of integrity, being front runner in terms of products/services provided that are reliable and safe for the intended users, meeting all obligations and continuously learning and improving in all spheres to meet the moving target.”

(http://www.chemuturi.com/Pursuit%20Excellence%20in%20Organizations.pdf)

Excellence is a moving target because whenever a quality standard is achieved, there is always room for improvement. Excelling at anything requires diligence and practice. It means carefully correcting any errors and striving to always give you better than what used to be our best. Excellence is found in actions, not empty words. By making excellence one of our core principles, we dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of perfection in the hopes that in the process, we will catch excellence.

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door:

We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors Colorado Springs. Academy Overhead Door providing fast overhead door repair and installation today. Call 719-481-2549

For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Integrity

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 19:30:00 +0000

Who We Are: Part II

Integrity

Integrity is a quality that we value highly here at Academy Overhead Door. It’s a core value that we want to demonstrate with each and every one of you. However, integrity is a word that, while still recognized, many would find hard to define. We would like to explain what integrity means for us, as a company, so that you know what to expect when we say our core values are: Integrity, Excellence, Smiling, Serving and Community.

The first two definitions of integrity in the dictionary are as follows:

in·teg·ri·ty (inˈteɡrədē/)

noun: integrity

1. the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

2. the state of being whole and undivided.

Both definitions are key to our business. We want you to know that, not only do we strive to be 100% honest with you, but even further, you can trust us. We also expect honesty and trust to be present from the owner, to the technicians, to the office staff. Absolutely anyone we hire must meet these standards to be a part of our team, which is why we also consider ourselves whole and undivided.

As Ann Rees Anderson said in her Forbes article, Success Will Come and Go, But Integrity is Forever:

“Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching.”

So, from the technician who comes to your door, to the secretary who answers your phone call and prepares your invoice, to the owner who hires both, We promise to serve you with integrity: honesty that’s undivided, each time, every time, whether or not someone is watching.

About the Author: Christy Haug is a blessed wife and mama of six (so far) sweeties that she gets to stay home with. Homeschooling, childrearing and housekeeping take up most of her days, but she enjoys editing and blog writing in her spare moments.

About Academy Overhead Door:
We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair Colorado Springs residents can trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door, providing fast overhead door repair and installation today. Call 719-481-2549
For more information visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com

Smiling Is The Curve That Makes Things Straight

noreply@blogger.com (Academy Overhead Door) — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 17:57:00 +0000

Who We Are: Part I

Smiling

For any business, one of the most valuable attributes both internally and to the customer is a cheerful attitude. The simple act of smiling at a stranger is the beginning of many long and treasured relationships.

To smile and be pleasant no matter what the circumstances is not natural behavior to most of us – it’s so easy to let a little roadblock ruin our whole day! However, one of the best experiences in the world is to have a situation that would normally incite bad moods be greeted instead with a smile and a positive outlook.

We believe it is absolute crucial for our business and our lives to never be in a bad mood. It is so important to us that we have made it a core value for our company: to smile and be full of joy every day.

Sound impossible? Not at all!

We are so grateful for the opportunities we’ve been given and the people in our lives that if we focus on those things it’s hard not to smile. Serving our customers is a delight and we want our faces to reflect that. When our technicians leave a home, we hope the thing our customers remember most is that it was a joy to have us around and their day was a little brighter because we were there. We have found the old saying “A joyful heart is good medicine” to be absolutely true. There is no difficulty which doesn’t get better if we approach it with a smile and a good attitude. Stand-up comic Phyllis Dillar offered a piece of insightful thought concerning smiles: “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” A genuine smile at the right time can change someone’s life.

The art of smiling is far more complex than it may seem. It can actually require practice, especially in setting aside the inevitable distractions that often make us feel like not smiling. Making smiling a habit is very rewarding, however. It not only makes you and those around you feel happier, but it has been shown to increase the body’s immune response to infections (including the flu), reduce pain and stress, cause people to live longer and be more successful in both their professional and private lives.

A few tips for learning to smile:

1.) Practice smiling at random strangers. If you are not used to doing so, this may feel unnatural at
first, but you’d be amazed how many people smile back and how much this lifts your spirits.

2.) Rather than just imitating the physical motion of a smile (an expression dubbed the “Botox
Smile” or the “Pan Am” smile), sincerely focus on the person you are smiling at, thinking good
thoughts about them. Smiling as an act of caring and friendship needs genuine warmth behind
it!

3.) Smile with your eyes. This is called a “Duchenne” smile and it is only when the eyes are involved
that a smile becomes infectious.

Find further tips and information about smiling at http://www.wikihow.com/Smile.

Today is a good day because we are blessed to be living it: and that is why we are committed to smiling!

About the Author: Lauren Turner is a former construction contractor turned wife and mother of two (so far). Her daily collection of duties and pleasures range from diaper duty to researching experimental concrete surfaces and everything in between. She is delighted to discover there is a place for her blogging skills and hopes her own garage benefits from all she learns.

About Academy Overhead Door: We specialize in complete residential overhead door repair that Colorado Springs residents cant trust. We also offer opener repair on all major brands and models. Our trained technicians have experience and the skill to install/repair your complete overhead garage doors. Academy Overhead Door: providing fast overhead door repair and instillation today!
Call 719-481-2549
For more info visit our website: academyoverheaddoor.com