subject: Recent Decline In Housing Starts Shows Slow Economic Growth [print this page] Economic news reports are showing declines in housing starts. Because most people are not economists, it is frequently hard to know what this really means to the daily lives of most people.
Well, to begin, fewer housing starts implies fewer construction jobs because there would not be as numerous carpenters, framers, roofers, sheet rock hangers, and electricians needed. Fewer housing starts would most likely imply fewer garages becoming constructed which would imply fewer automatic garage door openers becoming sold to open the garage doors. Fewer garage doors and openers sold means fewer people working to make the items.
Obviously, there isn't a one to one correlation between housing starts and garage doors and automatic openers being purchased. Some individuals in warmer climates are just fine with getting a carport rather than a complete garage. Some people can't afford to construct a garage at the same time they're getting a home constructed, so they might leave the garage, the door, and also the automatic opener to some future point, or possibly even attempt to construct it themselves and save some money (though this kind of do-it-yourself project is just as likely to price much more than it saves).
Some individuals will have a garage constructed that doesn't have a garage door at all. It may be known as a super carport but truly, it is a garage without a garage door. Some neighborhoods and towns ban the constructing of a garage unless the garage and garage door meet particular constructing criteria. It is not just in areas with historical preservation guidelines that may limit the constructing of garages and also the use of garage doors. You will find numerous Homeowners Associations and deed restricted communities around the United States that specify the look and shape of garages in their communities. In these communities, beware of the neighborhood busybodies who have given themselves the personal mission of assuring that everyone within the community or association is in complete compliance with all the numerous guidelines and regulation and woe to those who fail to comply.
Nevertheless most folks are reasonable (or at least attempt to be reasonable in their own eyes) and just want a home they can feel good about returning to. Regardless of whether it is a new home, constructed on spec or custom constructed, or an existing home becoming purchased from an original owner or a bank, if there's a garage, there's most likely a garage door - and maybe even two or three garage doors - and a whole industry of folks supporting that garage door from the garage door installation to the ongoing garage door service and repairs.