installing a new, efficient garage door

If you are a homeowner who wants to add a basketball hoop to your home, you have a choice between the old-school hoop attached to the roof in the driveway or a portable hoop stand. The roof-installed hoop definitely has a smaller footprint and leaves more room in the driveway, but it has some definite disadvantages when compared to a portable hoop on a stand, not the least of which has to do with your garage door. Here are two big reasons why choosing a portable hoop is a winning decision.

Damage to Garage Door

The hoops that sit above a garage door can result in the ball hitting the door if the shot is too low. In a gentle, informal game where no one is really trying to show off fancy moves, that might not be so distressing. But if the game becomes more intense and the throws become harder, the ball can do some damage if it hits the door at the right spot and at the right angle. Paint can chip off, and if the garage door has windows, those can break easily.

A portable hoop can sit in another part of the driveway, away from the garage door. You can angle the hoop so that missed shots end up in your front yard. That still results in potential harm to your lawn, but that's easier to fix than broken glass.

Incorrect Installation

If you don't install a roof-attached hoop correctly, you can damage the roof or the gutter. That lets rainwater in, which can create its own problems for your home. A portable hoop doesn't need to be attached anywhere, so as long as you're throwing the ball away from the house, you're not going to have much of a risk of damage to the roof at all.

If you do end up with a rot/mold problem, especially over the garage, the rot and mold can creep into the controls for the door. The door might not open or close when you need it to, or it could get stuck halfway, allowing inclement weather and pests to get into the garage itself. Remember that mold and corrosion don't have to be blindingly obvious to cause a problem -- they can be well hidden behind the controls for the garage door, for example.

For more advice on protecting your garage door and ensuring that any recreational pursuits don't result in damage, talk to a garage door repair company like M & M Garage Doors and Service. The staff there will know what to do and what not to do.