CHOOSING GARAGE DOORS
Jane Crittenden reviews the options to help you narrow down your choices and settle on the best garage door system for your project
From opening styles to materials and everything in between, Jane Crittenden explains what you need to know
The first step to selecting the right garage door is deciding how this potentially multi-functional zone is going to be used. If it’s to house a workshop, gym or classic car, for instance, you’ll need an insulated door. Perhaps storage is important? Then you you’ll want a solution that allows you to maximise every inch of space. Another consideration is whether you need to park on your driveway in front of the garage, which could affect how the door opens. Or you might simply be looking for a design that matches your home’s front entrance. Garage doors come in a range of standard hues, with many manufacturers able to match RAL colours for an additional charge. Likewise, there’s a choice of standard sizes but many products are available in custom dimensions.
Door opening options
Choosing the best configuration is vital to make best use of your garage. “Sometimes we notice the practicalities of the door operation gets overlooked in favour of appearance,” says Ian Chubb, managing director of Deuren. “A 4m side sectional garage door looks great, for instance, but fitting a pair of 2m doors is more functional and looks just as good.” Here are the pros and cons of the main systems.
An up-and-over door is a rigid panel, typically made from timber, steel or glass reinforced plastic (GRP), that swings outwards and tilts back inside the garage. When a canopy version is open, part of the door extends out for added shelter; while a retractable style slides back along ceiling tracks. A basic design starts around £300.
Pros: Cheapest option. A wide opening. Plenty of style choices. An easy-fit solution delivered on a steel frame. Cons: A canopy isn’t suitable for automation. Needs room to swing forwards. Takes up roof space.
A roller door is a curtain of steel or aluminium slats that roll smoothly up and around a cylinder or into a box mounted to the wall behind the brickwork. A basic version starts around £400; insulated designs will cost more.
Pros: All the garage space can be used. Suitable for curved and arched openings. Possible to park a car in front. Can be automated.
Cons: One door style. Looks functional; although woodeffect designs are now available. Avoid entry-level products if security is a key consideration.
A sectional door is made of individual large panels, usually in steel, with a wide range of contemporary external finishes. These doors rise up and curve back section-bysection until the door is flat against the garage ceiling (or the wall, in it’s a side-opening design). Prices start at £600. Pros: Good for extra-wide garage openings due to its strength and stability. Won’t intrude on the driveway.
Can be automated. Most designs are insulated.
Cons: Takes up roof or wall space. Limited design choice; not generally available in traditional styles.
Side-hinged doors come in a pair, usually opening outwards, with a 50/50 or 70/30 split. Timber is a popular choice., and prices start at £300 for a basic wood door. “Newer versions have features like gas pistons, door stays, hinges hidden inside the frame, two-point locking with latches, better rubber seals and an aluminium threshold at the base,” says Neil Discombe, Garador’s managing director. Pros: Maximises internal garage space. Optional glazing. Partial opening is convenient for accessing a bike or garden equipment. Less to go wrong as no mechanical fixings (though can be automated).
Cons: Requires exterior space to fully swing open. Not suitable for drives that slope upwards from the door.
Door materials
There are four key options here, each with its own unique set of advantages and disadvantages. Whichever material you go for, look for guarantees both on the door itself as well as on the operating mechanisms and frames.
Some manufacturers specialise in matching garage and front door combinations. Deuren, for instance, sells a range of architectural timber designs. Garador has its Frontguard selection of options, along with an online tool to visualise how the products will look on your own property, while Hormann offers a wide array of steel and aluminium garage and entrance doors to complement your house.
Steel is the most hardwearing of all the material options, powder-coated in numerous colours or wood-effect finishes and a range of panel designs. Hormann has recently introduced Duragrain Individual Print to further expand your options. “You can print pictures onto the surface of the steel Hormann LPU 42 sectional door,” says David O’mara, marketing manager at Hormann UK. “It’s a great opportunity to create a totally unique garage door.”
Aluminium is low maintenance, like steel, but it’s more lightweight and will dent if it’s knocked too hard. A plus point is that it’s naturally resistant to corrosion, making it suitable for homes close to the coast.
Timber brings an elegant look. The most reliable and long-lasting options for solid wood doors are the likes of oak, cedar, idigbo and engineered products such as Accoya – though standard softwood remains popular. Doors can be bought factory-finished in microporous paints or stains, typically with a guarantee on the coating, or ready for finishing on site. Thick wood doors can offer decent insulation without any additional treatment (enquire about whole-unit U-values if this is important to you).
GRP (glass reinforced plastic) is a factory-finished material that appeals thanks to its lightweight, durable and maintenance-free properties. It’s often specified in a woodeffect finish to achieve a characterful look with minimal upkeep. You’ll want a thick door leaf and, as with any garage door, a good-quality frame.
Insulation & acoustics
Most leading manufacturers offer upgraded versions of their products that incorporate insulation to improve thermal performance. This is usually achieved with a double-skinned setup, eg a double-skin steel side-hinged or sectional door would likely have 20-45mm thick panels surrounding a core of foam insulation. Roller doors can also be enhanced in this way, but don’t perform as well due to the number of slats (high-quality rubber seals are a must). Hormann offers a Thermoframe kit to boost insulation at the sides, available through the likes of The Garage Door Centre.
Safety & security
However you use your garage, it’s likely the contents will be valuable – if not financially in terms of cars, tools etc, at least emotionally for those using the space to stow away family memorabilia. Secured by Design accreditation is a smart option for your entrance. Products with this seal undergo stringent security and safety tests: examples include Seceuroglide Excel roller door from The Garage Door Centre, Hormann’s LPU 42 and LPU 67 sectional garage doors and Garador’s Guardian range. Note that doors must also be installed to the Secured by Design fitting criteria.
In terms of modern tech, check any remote control has technology embedded to change the signal code every time it’s used to prevent cloning. Garador’s Garamatic operators can recognise when there’s an obstruction in front of the door and automatically reverse closing if an obstacle is detected, adding an extra layer of safety.