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...to look like a raised panel wood door. A design mimicking carriage house doors has become quite popular since about 2002, and many manufacturers clad the exterior of a smooth steel door with composite or vinyl boards to give it the look of an outward swinging door. A more economical alternative for exterior clad carriage house garage doors is mild steel sheet formed to look like a carriage house door, but this method lacks the design flexibility and overall beauty of exterior cladding.

A typical garage door may weigh hundreds of pounds, and is typically sprung by a torsion or extension spring to counterbalance the weight of the door. The great force on these springs can make them dangerous to replace for the inexperienced or incautious handyman. Many cases have been reported where even experienced garage door technicians have suffered severe lacerations and/or broken bones in the replacement of garage door springs. Garage door torsion springs are rated in cycle life, with 10,000 cycles being the industry standard minimum, and upgrades available to around 100,000 cycles. The average spring breaks about every 10-15 years. If a garage door has two or more springs and one breaks, all springs should be replaced to maintain proper balance.

The leading causes of garage door failure and/or replacement include lack of maintenance and being hit by vehicles. A proper maintenance schedule for a garage door includes lubrication of the rollers, bearings, pulleys, and springs once a year; washing painted steel surfaces several times a year; painting or refinishing wood surfaces as necessary; and making proper adjustments to the counter balance system as necessary to maintain door balance. A properly balanced garage door should be able to be stopped mid-travel without drifting down or up when operated manually.

Home improvement is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home. Often, a professional handyman is hired to perform the improvements but, typically, most improvements are done on an amateur DIY basis by the homeowner.

Bob Vila is a well-known author and television host in the home improvement field. Also, the sitcom Home Improvement uses the home improvement theme for comedic purposes.

The National Association of Home Builders Remodelers Council is a professional trade organization for remodeling contractors. Contents

Professional versus do it yourself

A homeowner can hire a general contractor to oversee a home improvement project that involves multiple trades. A general contractor acts as project manager, providing access to the site, removing debris, coordinating work schedules, and performing some aspects of the work. Sometimes homeowners bypass the general contractor, and hire tradesmen themselves, including plumbers, electricians and roofers. Another strategy is to "do it yourself" (DIY). Several major retailers, such as Home Depot and Lowes, specialize in selling materials and tools for DIY home improvement. These stores even host classes to educate customers how to do the work themselves.

Types of home improvement

* Wallpapering and painting walls or installing wood paneling.
* Adding new flooring such as carpets, tiling, linoleum, wood flooring, or solid hardwood flooring.
* Upgrading cabinets, fixtures, and sinks in the kitchen and bathroom.
* Repairing or increasing the capacity of plumbing and electrical systems.
* Upgrading heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC)
* Roof tear-off and replacement.
* Concrete and masonry repairs to the foundation and chimney.
* Waterproofing basements.
* Soundproofing rooms, especially bedrooms and baths.
* Replacing siding and windows, both as a cosmetic improvement and as a way to save energy.
* Turning marginal areas into livable spaces such as turning basements into recrooms or attics into spare bedrooms.

* Reducing utility costs with:
o Energy-efficient insulation, windows, and lighting.
o Renewable energy with biomass pellet stoves, wood-burning stoves, solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal exchange heat pumps (see autonomous building)
* Extending one's house with rooms added to the side of one's home or, sometimes, extra levels to the original roof.
* Improving the backyard with sliding doors, wooden patio decks, patio gardens, jacuzzis, swimming pools, and fencing.

* Emergency preparedness safety measures such as:
o Home fire and burglar alarm systems.
o Security doors, windows, and shutters.
o Storm cellars as protection from tornados and hurricanes.
o Bombshelters especially during the 1950s as protection from nuclear war.