Roller Garage Doors - Manual or Automatic

Roller garage doors come in two flavours - Automatic/Electric or Manual operation.  A customer’s choice will need to ponder on considerations such as price, accessibility, and access to electricity.

Manual garage doors, like the name suggests, require “manual” opening/closing of the garage door.  Unlike other types of garage doors, roller garage doors are light without compromising structural integrity.  Although light, manual roller garage doors could be unsuitable for accessibility for the elderly or disabled.

Automatic roller garage doors typically have a specialized tubular motor built into a barrel which rests at the top of the garage door and its opening.  The garage door or curtain rolls around the barrel. Other varieties of electric roller garage door will have a motor situated outside of the curtain on the top left/right.

The technology behind motorized roller garage doors makes the price-difference between manual and automatic roller doors substantial. Manufacturers have designed automated roller garage doors with performance and reliability in mind.

We always recommend an automatic roller garage door over a manual roller door for four main reasons:

• Comfort of ease of use
• Accessibility
• Home selling-point
• Security

What are roller garage doors made of?

Roller doors are very different from other types of garage doors in that the door itself (or “curtain”) rolls up into itself.  This characteristic requires that roller doors maintain versatility and lightweight design without sacrificing strength.

A curtain is made up of multiple slats which are hinged together.  The hinge design offers a look

Roller garage doors come in two different forms:

• Single Skinned Doors
• Double Skinned Doors

Being the cheaper of the two, single skinned doors are comprised of and outer sheet of (rust-free) galvanized steel. Each slat is enlosed with high-dense foam insulation. The door has a ribbed effect/shape which is how the door gets its strength.

Double skinned doors are quite similar except the door possess a higher amount of foam insulation providing greater warmth and a greater sound barrier.

For further info, give us a call. We service all of Surrey.

Sectional Garage Door Security

If your prime concern about purchasing a garage door is security then a sectional garage door is your door.

What makes sectional garage doors so secure?

Sectional garage doors are comprised of several lengthy panels. Each of these panels is made of two steel walls/sheets which are reinforced with large amounts of dense insulation. The manner in which each of these panels combines with interleaving edges further reinforces the door.

Those who purchase a sectional door usually purchase an accompanying automatic garage door opener.  Due to a sectional door’s construction and purpose, these doors are slightly heavier and can be more difficult to open. Read our article about Security of an Automatic Garage Door Opener for further information.

Sectional Garage Doors are sought after due to their air-tightness.  These draught-proof doors not only keep out draughts, leaves, and dust but burglars too.  While Up & Over doors are penetrable with merely a crowbar, such is not the case with a sectional counterpart.

Sectional doors are usually mounted against the garage door opening wall as well as the ceiling. In addition, the door sits flush against the wall and floor when in the closed position making it difficult to leverage any tools upon the door.

Sectional Door Draught Strips

The best style of garage doors for keeping draughts down are the roller and sectional garage doors.

Sick of all those leaves blowing underneath the door? Thought about how you can save on your energy bill?

Consider a sectional door that is fitted with a draught strip. The draught strip is attached to the bottom-side of the garage door. Most garage door manufacturers supply sectional doors with draught strips included.

Sectional garage doors create a draught-proof seal for your garage, whilst providing maximum space for access. A rubber seal at the bottom of the door prevents debris such as leaves from entering the garage.

Increased thermal insulation

Sectional garage doors are popular on today’s market because of their thermal properties. Many find that they are ideal for converting your garage into a playroom, workshop, gym, home office or storeroom.

Some sectional doors offer over 40mm thick panels. These panels are constructed of an outer and inner steel skin separated by a special foam core. The panel’s construction gives the door a rigid strength without compromising style. Rubber seals around the door prevent drafts and debris blowing into the garage.

Increased drive-through width

One great benefit of a sectional garage door is the fact that the door increases the available drive-through width into your garage.  This is because a door frame is usually NOT required provided the opening is a standard measurement.

Sectional doors fit to the rear surface of the front brickwork of your garage opening against the clear brickwork to the sides and top of your garage opening.

If you own an MPV or 4×4, you might be interested to know that sectional doors offer greater headroom clearance to accommodate large vehicles.

The Benefits of a Sectional Garage Door

Mr. Roy Jones of Guildford recently submitted a rather interesting question: “What is the benefit of a sectional garage door over other types of doors?”

Firstly, sectional doors open vertically upwards. In turn, this gives you more space inside and in front of your garage and the whole opening is clear. You can park your car close to the door without having to move the car to open/close the garage door

Sectional doors van fit in a variety of garage door openings including angular and arched garages.

They can fit a variety of different houses including Victorian, Georgian or even your modern 1950s home. Sectional doors are suitable for a variety of home styles.

In terms of thermal insulation, sectional doors offer the greatest protection from outside temperature differences.  The insulation found in a sectional door is generally many times thicker than its counterparts.  In addition, sectional doors close nice and tight with rubber seals minimizing any possible drafts.

Sectional garage doors are the most secure against burglars.

Lastly, sectional automatic doors are as easily to operate as your TV. One button pressed and you can drive securely into your garage.

Garage Opener Guarantee

Purchasing an automatic opener with an accompany guarantee is imperative.  Garage doors with electric garage door openers guarantee a smooth and quick operation and a lifetime of trouble-free operation. Things don’t always go according to plan, and openers do break.

The length of the guarantee is an important point to consider. A lengthy guarantee demonstrates the manufacturer’s confidence in its products. Furthermore, a manufacture’s confidence demonstrates value for money including product excellence.

Electric Garage Door Speed

While doing a quote for a gentleman in Woking, Surrey, I was asked a rather interesting question: Is there a difference in the speeds between automatic garage door openers?

Unfortunately, this will depend on the manufacturer of the opener.  In most cases, the more expensive garage door opens much faster, cutting down the waiting time on your driveway.

Although they will close much faster, the same theory does not hold true for closing. The quicker opening models still close at a slower speed for safety reasons.

With that explained, be sure to check that the garage door opener is equipped with soft-start/soft-stop technology (which is usuallly the case). If not, we suggest you take the time to invest in a different garage opener.

What is soft-start, soft-stop?

The greatest benefit of having a garage door which features soft-start and soft-stop technology is that it is very quite, a great benefit for those of you who have a bed or family room situated above your garage.

With a soft-start/soft-stop opener, the door is accelerated until it reaches a predetermined rate of constant speed. Just before closing, the door is decelerated.

The technology was devised as a means of lengthening the life of garage door openers.  Stress is reduce on the drive train making the technology particularly beneficial on larger, heavier doors.