Garage Doors

We know about Garage doors,weather sectional garage doors, up and over garage doors, steel doors, or roller garage doors., no matter where you live, we are confident that clever d can provide you with the contacts you need for all your garage door requirements. This section comprises not only where you can purchase a garage door from, but who you can employ to install the door, plus if in the unlikely event, it goes wrong, there are lists of people to call on. If you are looking for information on either domestic or commercial, industrial garage doors, sectional doors, roller doors, trackless doors, shutter doors or automatic doors, this is the place you should be looking.

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Articles: From Opening Garage Doors a Look at JCI's to Implementing Bluetooth: Electronics Approach - Engineer - Johnson Controls - Company Profile

Automotive Design & Production, Dec, 2001 by Gary S. Vasilash

Although some people might know Johnson Controls (JCI) as a seat/interiors provider, the organization does have a not-insignificant electronics concern. (No, this isn't related to the word controls in the company's name; that is more related to the company's building HVAC and related operations.) Jim Geschke is JCI's vice president of Electronics Integration. He deals with cars and trucks, not ducts and vents.

According to Geschke, JCI's "humble beginnings" in the automotive electronics arena really began in 1978, when the company integrated a garage door opener into an overhead console. This was an alternative to the clipping of the opener onto the visor. But there was something of a drawback in that it was necessary for the vehicle owner to install a receiver in his garage in order to make it work.

The next step, which was taken in the early '80s, was to integrate a compass into the overhead trim. This may seem like a little thing now, but not all that long ago it was perceived to be a big step. "That is an example of our doing customer-independent work that proved to be valuable in the marketplace," he says, adding, "We generally like to develop things independent of our customers, then bring the customer in and show how we can add value to its products." That, of course, is about getting ahead of the customer (i.e., the vehicle manufacturer). But Geschke observes, "We want to respond to OEM requirements and desires--but we don't want to limit ourselves to that." So JCI invests in end-customer (i.e., the vehicle purchaser) research and behavioral studies, looking for the "little hassles" that may be addressed through new technology development.

From the compass they went to a trip computer. In 1992 JCI became involved in keyless entry, radio frequency-based technology that led to the HomeLink garage door opening system (which has been subsequently expanded to being capable of turning on house lights to turning the cylinder on a deadbolt door lock) in '95.

A Strategic Approach. What JCI does in its electronics strategy is perform a gap analysis and then try to determine the best ways to fulfill those needs. Geschke points out that the company performs a gap. analysis on its own resources, as well. For example, while JCI designs, develops, and validates all of the electronics that goes into its products, it doesn't manufacture the electronics. JCI's manufacturing partner is Jabil Circuits. Similarly, it has no intention of being an electrical distribution system provider; it depends on Yazaki for that. What's more, it doesn't intend to become a consumer electronics manufacturer; it works with Philips on that.

While the company plans to move more into electronics, it wants to remain in a niche, it doesn't want to do mainstream, base commodity products. He calls it "differentiated mainstream." The objective is to create and develop products that can reduce systems costs or provide more value to the customer.

One of the areas that is of particular interest to JCI is the burgeoning telematics area. About four years ago, they attempted a telematics offering, AutoLink, and discovered that there was much more than they had anticipated, much more than any one company could possibly provide--then or now. Essentially, a telematics system requires the user interface; hardware; network infrastructure; and services. "We found out that this is a highly dynamic, volatile arena--and no one controls it."

So, once again, it goes to working with other companies, something that it really learned when it was developing the original HomeLink system. A garage door opening system? Geschke explains, "To make HomeLink interoperable we had to work out deals with Genie, Stanley, chamberlain, and others. We have HomeLink, in Europe, as well, where there are even more companies." He says that they are using the lessons learned from that experience to deal with the array of parties involved with telematics. For example, handsfree telephony.

Employing Bluetooth. Geschke explains, "We are developing BlueConnect. In simplest form, it is another means to provide hands-free cellular." The "Blue" in that name refers to "Bluetooth," the wireless technology developed for small form-factor, low-cost personal area networks (i.e., not greater than 10 meters). Bluetooth is being developed in concert by both the telecommunications (e.g., Motorola, Ericsson, Nokia) and computer (e.g., Intel, 3Com, IBM) companies.

An intent is to have the means to have ubiquitous connections between things like cell phones, computers, and personal digital assistants. Bluetooth operates on the 2.4 GHz ISM band, so it can be used, license-free, in the United States, most of Europe, and Japan. The bandwidth provided is respectable, offering a raw data rate up to 1Mbps.

So what do we have here?

The proliferation of cell phones is evident. Moves-legislative as well as societal-toward enforcing or encouraging hands-free phone use are mounting. Vehicles are becoming increasingly integrated circuit-intense Geschke their research indicates within the 2003-04 timeframe 20% of the installed base of cell phones will use Bluetooth. JCI offers a product called TravelNote. Essentially, this is a digital voice recorder: you've got the electronics; you've got a speaker and a microphone. BlueConnect is an enhancement of this in that it would be the addition of a Bluetooth node. (Bluetooth is a radio frequencybased technology. "We probably do more short-range RF technology than anyone," Geschke claims.) The result would be the ability to get into a BlueConnect-equipped car with one's Bluetooth-enabled cell phone and then to use it to wirelessly connect with the built-in system for hands-free use.

Some people think that the electronics technology should be built in to the vehicle. This is called the "embedded" approach. Geschke thinks that the problem with that is that given the rate of change in the electronics industry compared to automotive--say 18 months versus 36 months--to say nothing of the length of time that a given vehicle is in production (-5 years) and then is out in the fleet (-10 years), there would be a lot of obsolete technology in a vehicle by the time it came to the end of its lifecycle.

With Bluetooth, as the cell phone (or PDA or whatever) becomes more advanced, the vehicle automatically gets more capabilities.

"Fundamentally, does Bluetooth make sense as a technology?" Geschke asks, rhetorically. "Absolutely. Will you see it emerging as it makes sense? Absolutely."

Will we see Johnson Controls working with other electronics companies to make it happen?

Garage doors - Special Advertising Section

Residential Architect, August, 2003

A garage door may be on the front, side, or back of a home, but no matter where it is located, it is usually the biggest door on a home and often the one that makes a first impression. So it has to look good and enhance the style of the home. And since garage doors get a lot of use and face the elements all year long, it goes without saying that they must be built to last.

Fortunately, the market is brimming with garage doors to meet every need. No matter what style or performance level you're looking for, you'll find it. The products highlighted on this page will give you an idea of what's available for your next project.

A REFLECTION OF NATURE AND HERITAGE

When MONTANA RUSTICS began to handcraft historically accurate overhead garage doors, getting the style right wasn't enough. The company wanted its customers to own a real piece of the past. So the staff turned to the nature and heritage that surrounds the company in Bozeman, Montana, as a primary source of inspiration for the design and quality of its custom garage doors. They use authentic materials from this rich landscape to construct the doors, such as 100-year-old Southern Pacific Railroad Trestle, weathered for years over the Great Salt Lake, or the remnants of an old stagecoach stop.

At Montana Rustics, you can choose from garage doors made of new, recycled, or reclaimed woods in an incredible array of styles, as well as the company's unique "man-doors," which utilize copper patinas, carved woods, stretched leathers, and more.

A DIVERSE COLLECTION FOR EVERY STYLE AND BUDGET

When it comes to garage doors, like any other home product, people have different needs and tastes. C.H.I. OVERHEAD DOORS recognizes that and developed a diverse collection of residential garage doors, accessories, and options to give home-owners a broad range of choices. From aesthetic features, such as window options and designer colors, to differences in strength, insulation, and performance, C.H.I. has product lines to fit any home style and budget.

MONTANA RUSTICS: Call 800-491-9636 or visit www.montanarustics.com

Garage gear: a place for everything

Custom Home, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Stephani L. Miller

The latest hot space has traditionally been one of the least finished and most disorganized--the garage. When homeowners grabbed onto the custom closet craze nearly 20 years ago, they wanted two things: an organized area with a place for every shoe and article of clothing and an eye-catching space that their friends would envy. That same mentality is driving the trend toward outfitting the garage for tool and equipment storage, sports gear, home projects, and hobbies.

"Right now the garage is the No. 1 environment in the home where people are spending organization dollars," claims Mark Shuman, president of GarageTek, maker of the GarageTek wall storage system.

Because extra car bays frequently serve as workshops and storage areas, the garage must be flexible. Homeowners want their garages to be as organized and functional as their kitchens.

"The higher-scale purchaser doesn't want a garage that doesn't suit his needs. He wants to better utilize the space that's available," points out Paul Richter, general manager of Vantage Pointe Group, the exclusive U.S. distributor of the Dura Fitted Garage System.

Organization fixtures and storage accessories are the newest way for custom builders to add functionality and style to the garage, maximizing under-used space and boosting the value of the home in the owner's eyes. In the past three to four years, a handful of manufacturers have begun offering modular organization systems designed specifically to withstand the rigors of fluctuating garage climates, caustic household chemicals, and the weight of tools and equipment.

Most garage organization systems that offer a complete solution are based around a wall panel that allows a variety of brackets, shelves, buckets, hooks, and lockable cabinets to hang from it and move around to accommodate the homeowner's changing storage needs. The wall panels are made from different PVC formulations that resist the damaging effects of hot and cold temperature cycles; they fit together using a tongue-and-groove locking system and can be applied over drywall or directly to framing studs. Other types of wall panels, such as perforated steel, are also used, but the main goal of all systems is flexibility. The components can be moved about and added to at will.

"The systems are attractive because they're flexible," says Linda Mathis, vice president for Jacksonville, Fla.-based North Florida Builders. "You can rearrange them as your needs change, and you can get everything off the floor of the garage." Durable work surfaces, lighting, and flooring are also part of most systems.

Although garage organization is functional at heart, homeowners also want a high-end look that complements the other products in their homes. Just as commercial-style appliances are now a must in kitchens, commercial-style organization components give the garage a professional appearance, even if the homeowner rarely touches his or her tools. Gladiator GarageWorks and the Dura Fitted Garage System, for example, both offer systems with distinctive commercial styles. Wall and floor cabinets are made of steel, use ball-bearing glides for smooth drawer operation, provide casters for floor cabinets, and come in stainless steel finishes that give the garage the gleam of a pro shop.

Many homeowners end up spending money on garage organization alter they move into their homes, according to Chris Hubbuch, marketing director for Gladiator GarageWorks. Selling them a custom-installed system during design and construction allows the builder to recover the dollars buyers would spend at the home improvement center, as well as to provide a valuable amenity. Complete garage organization systems can cost as little as a few hundred dollars all the way up to and surpassing $10,000. While they might spend less on do-it-yourself organization systems, Hubbuch says, a completely coordinated, integrated solution that is ready to store their tools and other equipment as soon as they move into their home is beyond value to most homeowners, and the cost of the system is wrapped into the mortgage.

Estimating storage needs accurately and designing the optimal garage layout is important. Gladiator GarageWorks, storeWALL, and GarageTek all provide complete turnkey services, including evaluation, design consultation, and professional installation via networks of authorized dealer/installers. The U.K.-manufactured Dura Fitted Garage System offers design consultation services through its U.S. distributor and can arrange for installation, but says its system can easily I be installed by a builder's crew.

The garage organization market is still small, but it grows every year, manufacturers say. Although many home buyers educate themselves on available options if they are aware of the product category, currently "the level of awareness in the potential market is probably less than 2 to 5 percent," estimates Richard Eisenreich, president of storeWALL. "We're at the tip of this iceberg. The knowledge level on the part of the high-end home consumer won't be there for another two years or so." So it's up to custom builders to educate clients on the possibilities and benefits of complete garage organization systems.

Vantage Pointe Group

A modular system of zinc-coated steel cabinets, toolboxes, workbenches, perforated steel pegboard and louvered wall panels, and accessories, the Dura Fitted Garage system is coated with a polyester/metallic silver epoxy. The system features two-point locking mechanisms on cabinets; lockable casters on rolling base units; and adjustable feet on fixed base units that can be bolted together for increased stability. Cabinet doors are double-skinned, with the inside skin a pegboard or louvered panel for attaching bins or tool hooks. Drawers are lined with foam to protect tools. 877.387.2872. www.dura.us. Circle 190.

storeWALL

The storeWALL Heavy Duty system is based on a patented heavy duty extruded PVC, tongue-and-groove wall panel, Available in 4- and 8-foot lengths, the panel comes in two wood-grain finishes and three solid colors. A variety of sports equipment and tool hooks, shelves, baskets, bins, and wood, steel, or resin cabinets provide wall storage. Cabinets come in several capacities, have adjustable feet, and can be locked. Flooring is also available, storeWALL may be installed with screws or with no-show fasteners. 866.889.2502. www.storewall.com. Circle 191.

GarageTek

The patented, UL-listed, and Class A fire-rated TekPanel wall system allows a variety of storage elements to attach to it. Specially engineered clips evenly distribute the weight of each storage element on the panels. Storage accessories include activity racks, shelving, large storage chests, wall cabinets, tall floor cabinets, tool brackets, baskets, and utility hooks. Each cabinet shelf supports up to 40 pounds. 866.664.2724. www.garagetek.com. Circle 192.

Gladiator GarageWorks

The Gladiator GarageWorks system, based around the UL-listed GearWall Panel, features modular floor cabinets, drawer units, shelving, work benches, flooring, and a variety of wall hooks, baskets, shelves, and racks. All floor units are mounted on lockable casters, and most cabinet shelves hold up to 50 pounds. Stamped metal tread plate panels accent the front of lockers and cabinets, as well as the Freezerator refrigerator-freezer, the under-counter garage refrigerator, and the garbage compactor. Warranty coverage varies by component. 866.342.4089. www.gladiatorgw.com. Circle 193.