As a fourth generation manufacturer we are acutely aware that we have taken from mother nature's bounty time and again. From our origins in manufacturing with wood doors to our time in steel and aluminum and beyond to our current processes that utilize composite materials, we know that we must preserve our precious Earth, and we know we have taken and must give back and continue to do better!

All Fimbel doors are constructed to be low maintenance today and tomorrow which means less stress and less waste! Our materials are innovative and developed with both the end user experience and our environment in mind. Our naturally white doors are made to be unfinished, but we offer a vast range of paints and stains in our unique system using water based and eco-friendly ingredients. Additionally, our headquarters and primary manufacturing plant draws 80% of electricity from solar panels on the roof to reduce our impact on Mother Earth.

Our hard word to reduce waste is not only built into the process but also into the resulting product which means less to the landfill and increases our product longevity. Choosing quality partners and instilling practices into our operations to reduce and conserve are critical to our goals.

Much of this vision is credit to Erin Fimbel, our President (and full disclosure: my sister). When she joined the company, an already existing mindset was converted to practices, innovations, and dedication as she brought our deeply held family values to life. Today she is leading us with clarity and commitment to these goals. "Continuous improvement, metrics-driven quality, and an exceptional customer experience will continue to be at the heart of everything we do." she recently stated. "Our family values are reflected in our commitment to our people, partners, and customers. We pride ourselves on doing what we say we will and providing a sustainable and reliable product that we stand behind."

From a sustainability standpoint, garage doors made of wood simply don't make sense. Wood rots, particularly in wet and humid environments, resulting in more frequent replacements. The garage doors made popular in the mid-20th century were made of steel, but steel rusts in the same places where wood rots. It also dents easily and has an undesirable fake wood grain often stamped into the face. Fortunately, there's a better, more beautiful option with our lineup of garage doors.

We use vinyl because it will not rot or rust, and while vinyl experiences seasonal expansion and contraction, it does so without cracking, and we have engineers our way around the obstacle. We even use vinyl to coat our steel section for the platform of our American legends series. Vinyl offers us the ability to make high-end products with the look and feel of a wood door, but our doors are maintenance-free and can survive in harsh environments, like the coast, where a wood door would deteriorate and standard steel would rust.

Every Fimbel door we make is fully insulated to support the demands of the many uses today for garage spaces. We also use top-grade components such as 11-gauge hinges where the industry standard is the thinner 13-gauge material. These are just a few ways we build in confidence to offer you a long lasting, beautiful door.

Through our partnership with One Tree Planted (501c3) we do our part to restore our generous forests and our planet. It is undeniable that mother nature's bounty has provided for the garage door industry and our family since we began manufacturing overhead doors in the early 1920's. Today, every single door sold by Fimbel Architectural Doors plants a tree through the hard work and commitment of our tree-loving partners. Together, we hope to make the world more beautiful and sustainable one door and one tree at a time #OneDoorOneTree.

We know we cannot change the world with only a door, but we can challenge how we operate in all aspects to make the world a healthier place. We do this with a focus to improve efficiency to reduce supply chain demand, retain and empower our Team, and build stronger communities. Our quality allows us to get it right the first time because our goal is to pave the way for the next generation.

Winter is coming! If you are a "Game of Thrones" fan like we are, you might feel extra panic about this statement. But for anyone with a garage, you are likely seeing a to-do list building at that statement! It means we need to clean out the garage of the summer toys and equipment (check out this blog for more on that) and make way for the cars to avoid the winter snow and frigid temperatures here in the North East. It also likely triggers the reminder of increased energy bills and chilly mornings.

Every single Fimbel door we manufacture comes fully insulated because our commitment to the environment and to your satisfaction is built in. The garage can have a large impact on the overall efficiency and comfort of the home. This aspect is often overlooked when considering the home's needs. While every aspect of your garage should be insulted: the walls, the ceiling, and the garage door, we are naturally going to focus on the garage door.

Since 71% of Americans use their garage as the primary entrance to their home, it makes sense that this transition into the home ought to be a comfortable one. Entering the garage with the car, closing the garage door, and then proceeding to the home creates what's called a vestibule effect. This small action of entering the garage and closing the door prior to entering the home allows the unwanted temperature to remain outside. An insulated door allows for a smoother transition from the temperatures of the outdoors and the conditioned climate of the home's interior.

Even if the garage is insulated and drywalled, utilizing an uninsulated garage door will leave the garage cold. Regardless of whether or not you spend a lot of time in your garage, the positive impact of an insulated garage door could potentially add more than 20 degrees to a garage with an outside temperature of 20 degrees. Starting a car that is 40+ degrees is far more appealing than starting a car resting at 20 degrees.

While creature comforts are lovely and certainly appeal to homeowners on those chilly winter mornings, the benefits of an insulated garage and garage door go beyond comfort. With proper insulation homeowners can save up to 20% on their electric bills and truly bring energy efficiency to their home.

If what you have read so far isn't enough to convince you, let's look at some additional benefits of an insulated garage door.

1. First things first - back to the creature comforts - when a garage door is insulated properly, you should be getting a more aesthetically pleasing interior to the garage. We offer a high impact, pre-finished white interior. We also offer to add our ⅜' Versatex (smooth, solid vinyl) to the interior to bring elegance to your garage.
2. An insulated door will reduce noise during opening and closing. You shouldn't hear the rattle and transition through the track system as the sections will be more solid and not only prevent but absorb a great deal of residual noise.
3. While the door is closed, an insulated door will control noise entering and leaving the garage space. The insulation acts as a barrier to capture the sound, so if your kids are forming a rock band, the neighbors will appreciate the reduced noise.
4. As the technology of our cars and their batteries continue to change, we know that they function better in a climate controlled garage. Starting your morning off right will be easier with an insulated door.
5. It helps at resale. We know, thanks to Remodeling Magazine's 2020 report, replacing your garage door with a quality high-end door is a slam dunk on the ROI (Return of Investment) at resale with a shocking 94.5%.
6. The average age of today's US homebuyer is 47. Which means that many homebuyers today are Gen X and Millennial with a tendency toward sustainability and efficiency. Offering this aspect as an element of your 'smart' home adds value.

For the most part, garage door manufacturers use a foam to insulate their garage doors, but this isn't enough. To get the most efficiency out of your garage door, it is important to understand more about R-Value, making the door weather tight, and insulating the glass sections.

R-Value measures the thermal efficiency (resistance to heat flow or temperature conduction of a product). It is used to represent energy efficiency and stands for Resistance Value and is represented in imperial units. It is calculated by the thickness and physical properties of the product. Simply put, a garage door with sufficient R-Value will keep heat inside the garage during winter and cool air inside during summer. Read more in our recent blog on R-Value.

But this isn't enough. Since the garage door will open and close and must remain mobile around all four sides, it is critical to maintain the perimeter weather-stripping and the bottom seal. Additionally, purchasing a door, such as a Fimbel door, with interlocking tongue and groove sections is very valuable. This design reduces the temperature and the weather from penetrating the garage.

The last suggestion we have to maximize your garage efficiency is to utilize insulated glass on any glass sections of your garage door. Failing this will not only cause issues with the temperature control, but it will also likely cause condensation in conditioned garages. For more on this, read our blog on condensation.

We have been manufacturing garage doors since our great-grandfather began his business in 1924. In that time we have made and insulated doors in many ways, but we know the value of protecting your home, your assets, and your finances. We are here to help you find satisfaction in your home.

Combining innovative materials and technology with classic craftsmanship, we have built two dynamic platforms upon which you can design your dream door. Our American Legends is built on vinyl-coated steel and adorned with smooth, solid overlays in your design choice. The Estate Collection, including our Euro-Dor, Presidential, and Roaring Twenties Series, offers a blank slate built on a hand-crafted wood frame and laminated with smooth, solid material to design nearly any style you wish.

To learn more, please find a dealer by using our dealer locator. We look forward to offering you more!