Nearly 35 years ago, Farner Storage opened its doors in Ames, Iowa. The established facility is comprised of 375 units varying in sizes from 5'x5' all the way up to 10'x40'. While many of these units feature traditional, overhead doors, 63 of the units feature traditional swing doors.
Being in the Midwest, the self-storage facility has seen a fair amount of snow and ice over the years. When the snow accumulated, it presented a unique challenge for the 63 swing door units. This is because the snow would get pushed up and against the door's surface, causing the swing door to become inaccessible. To keep these units accessible, they would have to regularly shovel the snow and ice away from the unit doors- especially the ones that weren't being used frequently. The nearly 35 years of wear and tear combined with the harsh environmental elements added up over time, and many of the swing doors were in major need of replacement. That's when Farner Storage decided to turn to Janus International to install 63 steel roll-up doors that would outlast and outperform the traditional swing doors.
Before and After Door Replacement at Farner Storage:
While Farner Storage decided to replace their traditional swing doors because they were showing their old age and starting to rot, there are many signs to look for when determining if it's time for a door replacement project. Typically, if your door's curtain is starting to chip, chalk, or fade, it's time for a new door. While you may think a door's aesthetic is not that big of a deal, it actually plays a huge role in customer attraction, retention, and the rental rates you're able to charge at your facility. In fact, most facilities are able to charge an average of $5 more per door after a door replacement project. Hello, potential ROI!
Self-Storage owners also have an obligation to their customer's safety. Many facilities out there today are outdated and have old, heavy doors that can hurt tenants or damage their property. This is a major liability and could result in a serious claim. This means when your unit doors become hard to operate or are in constant need of repair and maintenance, it's time for a replacement project. Never delay when it comes to your customer's safety and talk to your insurance provider about the potential discounts that could come with a door replacement project.
Janus replaced 63 doors in just 2 days at Farner Storage. By partnering with a team that is experienced in door replacements, specifically for the self-storage industry, you can streamline the process while minimizing downtime for occupants. Make sure your provider can take care of everything, from assembling and dispatching install teams to disposing of the old doors.
Worried about replacing a unit door on an occupied unit? Not a problem. With a third-party security team, you'll have video footage of the entire door replacement process from start to finish. This extra step in security helps provide peace of mind to the self-storage owner and tenant.
"I had a hard time understanding how they were going to integrate the new doors with the existing door frames. Once they got started, I saw how quick and easy it was and felt great about the entire process." - Tyler Farner
Self-storage owners have been taking advantage of significant tax benefits for quite some time. When a self-storage owner completes a door replacement project, it's a facility improvement that can often be depreciated on a much quicker tax schedule, rather than a traditional depreciation schedule. This results in a significantly increased cash flow. However, bonus depreciation benefits are set to change at the end of the 2022 year, dropping 20% each year until 2027. If you want to learn how to take advantage of bonus depreciation benefits before it's too late, make sure to check out our Bonus Depreciation article where we cover the topic in more depth.
