Choosing your garage doors is not an everyday task. First, they are not a cheap item, and second, they become a focal point for the outside of your home. Can you afford your choices? Will the garage door you desire stop an intruder? Will maintenance be necessary? Do you need insulation if the garage is to be used for other purposes?
Obviously, security and budget when choosing your up and over garage is going to take centre-stage. However, you should also spend some time on the design. There is a vast range of types, sizes, looks, and colours, making it confusing. Here is a simple guide to the decisions you will need to make, focusing on materials, size and shape, and opening mechanism.
Materials
Your first choice will be the material you select. The good thing about an up and over garage door is that you have some choice here. If you select a roller door, you will be limited to steel or aluminium. With this garage door type, you can also choose timber and glass reinforced polyester, also known as GRP or plastic, or glass fibre.
The material you choose will make a difference to the aesthetic and to the level of maintenance. A wooden garage door will need to be coated, whether this is painted or varnished regularly or stained. A metal or GRP door will need to be cleaned to keep the shine and to prevent the build-up of dirt and cobwebs. The exterior of your house often defines the style you choose. Therefore, if you have an older home, then timber may be more fitting. If you live in a new build, the lightness and convenience of a steel door might work much better for you.
If you are looking for strength and resistance to age and to knocks, GRP is often considered the better choice. You can give this material the look of wood if that is the choice you hoped to make.
Size and shape
Most garage openings are built to a standard shape and size. Therefore, you can more often than not buy pre-fabricated doors. However, if you are doing a custom build, the size and shape of your doors become a factor. There is a wide variety of sizes, particularly widths. Therefore, you are not too limited to a standard square. If you are going to ask for a custom-made garage door, then you are going to seriously need to look at your budget.
Opening Mechanism
Up and over garage doors can open electronically or manually. They can also be canopy doors or retractable doors. There are pros and cons to each choice you make here.
An electric door is convenient and a lot more secure. However, the chances of losing the remote may cause some concern, and the budget restraints may make this an impossibility. A manual door comes with a locking system that is suitable for most residential uses of a garage and comes with the added peace of mind that the door will open even when the electricity fails.
A canopy door is overhead doors. These doors only retract a part way into the garage. This means that there is a horizontal canopy projecting out into the driveway or garden. This is all fine if you are an average height person. However, if you are unusually tall, you may want to watch your head. The bonus is that space is left inside the garage for storage at roof level. A retractable door won’t leave a projecting canopy and is generally considered to be stronger and quieter, but you lose that roof space.
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