Garage

Get more from your garage, floor to door

The garage is often the hardest working room in the house. It shelters vehicles, stores tools and seasonal gear, and sometimes doubles as a workshop or gym. A noisy door, a floor that stains or peels, cluttered shelves or a cold, drafty space can make it frustrating to use. A garage door is also the largest moving object in many homes, and its springs and cables carry dangerous tension that deserves respect.

The guides here help you pick and maintain doors and openers, choose a floor coating that lasts, organize storage and improve comfort with insulation. You learn simple monthly checks, such as testing the auto-reverse feature, lubricating moving parts and watching for gaps and wear. Torsion springs, cables and heavy door sections should be adjusted or replaced by a trained technician, and any electrical or structural change should follow local code.