How to Choose the Best Garage Doors for Your Home

by | May 26, 2017 | Home

Choosing the right garage door is an important decision that will affect both the appearance and the security of your home, so it’s important to spend a bit of time researching all the options.

There are four main kinds of materials used in the manufacture of garage doors – aluminium, timber, steel and fibreglass reinforced polyester, or GRP. The opening and closing of these doors can be either manual or by remote control, and the three different styles on the market are canopy, roller and sectional garage doors. Let’s take a look at each of these in turn.

  1. Sectional garage doors – an ultra-modern choice

Sectional garage doors are made up of separate sections rather than a single panel, and they rise vertically so there’s no loss of driveway space in front of the garage. They can be fitted to almost any size or shape of garage and are available in ribbed and Georgian-panelled designs in a variety of colours. Their construction is either from timber, steel, or GRP, and they offer excellent thermal insulation. Sectional doors glide upwards and slide neatly into the garage roof on horizontal tracks.

  1. Roller doors – a compact solution

Roller garage doors combine space-saving design with the convenience of an electrically operated door, and are perfect for short driveways, or where the outside space is limited. When the door is opened, it rolls up and wraps into its own barrel-like compartment at the top of the garage. 

Available in a variety of materials and styles, these doors are installed with a powder-coated finish which is easy on the eye and easy to look after. There’s wide choice of colours plus a wood-grain foil finish. Offering great value for money, roller doors are an all-round attractive and secure solution for your home.

 

  1. GRP doors – durable and resilient

GRP, or glass reinforced polyester, doors are lightweight yet strong, stable and resilient. They’re able to withstand the harshest of weathers and are durable enough to keep rust and rot at bay. GRP doors are practically maintenance-free and come in a variety of styles including side hinged, up and over, and sectional. They also need no staining or protective finishes to preserve their appearance or stability.

  1. Timber doors – all the options

With timber doors, you have 5 different options and these include sectional timber doors, up-and-over solid timber doors, timber door panels in a steel chassis, timber round-the-corner garage doors and the most traditional, timber side-hinged doors.

You need to decide which type are most suited to your property – side-hinged doors, for example, can pose problems in high winds and also take up a lot of space. In the case of up-and-over timber doors, when open, their width reduces drive-through height. You should consider all these factors before making your final selection.

  1. Aluminium and steels doors 

If you’re looking for durability, strength, and value for money, then steel garage doors are a great option. There’s a vast range of colours and finishes to choose from, with wood grain and coloured effects also available, and they can be side-hinged or up and over. 

Side-hinged doors are perfect if you want quick and easy access to your garage. These doors can be centre or off-centre split, and are a good option where you’re frequently moving tool boxes, lawnmowers and bicycles in and out. Side-hinged doors operate in the same way as conventional doors do and open outwards. This is particularly handy if space inside is limited – no part of the door enters the garage. The split door options allow you to enter and exit without exposing the contents to the elements.

Up-and-over steel doors are ideal for people who own vintage or classic cars which are kept inside for long periods at a time. You can choose between a retractable or canopy option, and the doors come with a powder-coated steel frame which keeps maintenance down to a minimum.

Aluminium doors offer greater insulation than steel because the slats are double-skinned and are filled with insulating foam. This improves their ability to retain heat and helps you save on your energy bills. Because aluminium garage doors are lighter than steel, the operating drum, which takes up space inside, is considerably smaller, and this means you have more room in the garage and can maximise on the height and width.

As well as there being a wide range of styles, colours, and finishes to choose from, there are plenty of different size slats available, which means doors can be made for even the most awkward of spaces or a larger than standard garage.

Read through our useful guide for more information

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