60 The Queens Courier • at home • february 19, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com IS YOUR GARAGE DOOR READY TO ROLL? Does your garage door creak, squeak or groan when you open or close it? If so, that isn’t a good sign. But noticing this is the first step to fixing what could become a major home repair issue. Newly released survey results show that you’re probably not alone with your maintenance concerns. The online survey was conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the International Door Association (IDA), the world’s largest association of professional garage door and access systems dealers and installers, and its consumer website GarageDoorCare.com. It reveals that 82 percent of Americans who own a house with a garage/garage door may be taking the maintenance of the largest and heaviest moving object in their home for granted. Consider this: • 54 percent have never had a garage door and/or garage door opener safety check performed by a professional garage door/dealer installer. • 47 percent have never had a garage door professional inspect or service their garage door(s). • 34 percent admit that no one in their household has ever personally tested the safety features of their garage door(s) and/or garage door opener(s). • 27 percent say that their garage door’s hinges and rollers have never been lubricated. • 12 percent say that they are not at all sure when their garage door’s hinges and rollers were last lubricated. “Those numbers are cause for concern because so many folks rely on the garage door for easy access to their home,” says Chris Long, managing director of IDA. “It alarms me that so many homeowners aren’t even sure when their door’s hinges and rollers were last lubricated - the most basic of maintenance tasks - and that’s a prescription for problems.” “When a garage door isn’t working as it should, it can be a major disruption in terms of access to and from the home and often results in an unplanned expense,” Long says. “And, like most home repair emergencies, it never happens at a ‘convenient’ time. GarageDoorCare.com outlines the things homeowners can do on their own to maintain their door’s operation, such as semi-annual lubrication of a garage door’s hinges and rollers.” But there are other tasks, such as making sure that a garage door system is properly balanced or reversing, that homeowners may feel more comfortable leaving to professionals. A broken garage door can be an inconvenience in terms of access. But a broken and falling garage door or busted spring can be downright dangerous. It doesn’t have to be that way, according to Long. Regular and proper maintenance is the answer. He suggests that homeowners think of garage door maintenance in the same manner they think of regular oil changes for the family autos or annual furnace inspections - scheduled tasks that ensure devices continue to perform safely and efficiently. “An annual garage door and opener inspection performed by a professional can help make certain that a home’s garage door operating system continues to function as it’s meant to,” Long says. “For a nominal inspection fee, a professional can recognize a small problem and remedy it before it becomes a large problem. And if a garage door operating system is in really bad shape, most folks should consider a professional for repairs or, if necessary, replacement.” “Just as many homeowners wouldn’t think of going into the winter without having their furnace checked by an HVAC professional, it could be just as beneficial for homeowner to hire, at a nominal fee, a garage door maintenance professional to perform a garage door safety check to ensure that all is in order,” Long says. Courtesy BPT Crystal Window & Door Systems Gala Celebrates 25 Years of Excellence in Manufacturing Award-winning national manufacturer Crystal Window & Door Systems celebrated its 25th year of operation on the evening of Saturday, February 7, 2015, with a gala employee banquet event. Held at the Royal Queen Banquet Hall in downtown Flushing, Queens, almost 1,000 people attended, including Crystal’s employees and their families, select business associates, local elected officials, and other corporate friends. The evening featured a formal program with welcome speeches by Crystal’s top leadership and distribution of employee awards of excellence. Many local elected officials joined the celebration, including U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, and former Borough President Claire Shulman. New York State Senator Tony Avella was recognized as Crystal’s special Guest of Honor for the evening. Crystal’s 25-year milestone of business success and growth was also formally recognized with 12 special proclamations, citations and letters from the Governor of New York, the Mayor of New York City, the Queens Borough President, US Senator Charles Schumer, the US House of Representatives, the New York State Senate, the New York State Assembly, and Westchester County, NY. Proclamations from both Congresswoman Meng and Borough President Katz declared February 7, 2015 as Crystal Window & Door Systems’ Day in the 6th Congressional District of New York and in the Borough of Queens, respectively. Crystal Window & Door Systems was started a quarter century ago by the immigrant Chen family with a small operation fabricating aluminum windows for the local neighborhood in the New York City Borough of Queens. Through hard work, initiative and perseverance, Crystal grew dramatically and now has a major national presence. Today the Crystal family of companies boasts more than one-half million square feet of manufacturing space in New York, Chicago, Missouri and Southern California, state-of-the-art automated production equipment, vertically integrated operations and a national sales and distribution network. The company, through subsidiaries, has expanded beyond window production into aluminum extrusion and finishing. more In his welcome remarks, Chief Operating Officer Steve Chen said, “Our growth continues to be steady and strong, thanks to our broad energy efficient product line, our innovative R&D efforts, and our continuous investment in equipment, products and most of all, our people.” The Crystal companies employ more than 350 workers in New York City and about 540 across the nation. “The 25th Anniversary milestone is indeed a happy occasion for Crystal Windows,” said Thomas Chen, CEO and founder of the company. “However, I would be remiss if I didn’t note the two most important factors that have driven our success to date and will drive our future success in the decades to come. All of this would not have been possible without the support of all our truly wonderful customers and the efforts of our dedicated employees. They are the best in the world and I thank each and every one of them. Above: Crystal Windows’ CEO Thomas Chen (right) and COO Steve Chen (left) with Congresswoman Grace Meng. Below: The Chens with Queens Borough President Melinda Katz (center). Congresswoman Meng and Borough President Katz declared February 7, 2015 as Crystal Window & Door Systems’ Day in the NY 6th Congressional District and in the Borough of Queens, respectively. ADVERTORIAL home improvement
QC02192015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above