How to choose your garage door?

We love sectional garage doors, and they are probably our biggest seller. We tend to use Hörmann for these as, in our opinion, they make the best sectional doors.

They can make a huge difference to the security and warmth of your garage and any rooms above. This is because they are 42mm thick and foam filled and have flexible, weather-resistant seals on all four sides.

A sectional garage door is made up of separate interlinked panels rather than one. These panels rise vertically and are suspended under the ceiling. This means there is no loss of driveway space when they are opened, and they provide maximum headspace inside.

Sectional garage doors can be fitted in almost every garage door opening. They come in a range of designs, colours and materials, and are operated via a smartphone app or remote-control key fobs for effortless access, depending on the automation system you choose. More on this here.

They can even include a wicket door (a door within the door) for easy pedestrian access. Be warned they are expensive but are a brilliant bit of engineering and make the opening extremely versatile.

Things to bear in mind with a sectional door. The frame fits between or behind the opening where possible and it takes up 100mm of width. This can reduce an opening drive-through. The height of a sectional door is usually higher than an up-and-over and will open to the opening height, i.e. 7ft or 6ft 6ins. Sectional doors are easily modified by the factory for width and height at a minimal cost, so we can usually make them fit any opening.

It is also worth noting that the tracks go back around 2.6 metres depending on the opening height of the door. These need to be in line with the sides of the doors. If a gas meter or fuse board is close or in the way, then it may mean it cannot fit. We are very used to working round lots of obstacles, so do ask for a free survey to check.

This is another one of our favourite doors and we get asked for these a lot! We generally fit SWS roller doors or those from Euroll.

The roller door market is littered with manufacturers, so please do check out what you are buying and from which company. Prices vary hugely and, in our experience, you get what you pay for.

A roller garage door consists of a curtain of horizontal aluminium slats that smoothly open vertically by rotating around a barrel. The benefit of a roller door is the vertical operation and compact nature of the door curtain once it is fully opened.

The slat sizes are either 55mm or 77mm. Ideally, we always try to fit the 77mm slat as it is bigger and considerably thicker than the 55mm slat. The only reason for using the 55mm would be lack of headroom. The 55mm rolls up into a roll of 205mm by 205mm. The 77mm rolls up into a roll of 300mm by 300mm. These rolls can either be boxed in or left open.

There is no standard size for a roller door as they are all made to measure. They also come in a variety of standard colours, which are generic across the manufacturers. The manufacturers we use also offer a customisation service where a RAL number is supplied, and the door is coloured to this bespoke specification.

In our opinion, the SWS 77mm slat is the market leader. They are always trying to improve their design. They offer three models: the LT which is the standard roller door and then two upgraded doors – the Original and the Excel – both of which have Secured by Design accreditation. Please do read more on their website and in their brochure. There is also a video that is worth watching.

We also fit Hörmann and Garador roller garage doors. These are built like tanks. They have a different way of working compared to the traditional roller door. We won’t bore you with the details here. Please get in touch with us and we can explain.

An up and over garage door, also known as a canopy garage door, is usually constructed from one single panel.

The door panel lifts via a spring mechanism above the door, using an external handle. It tilts to lay flat above at head height with part of the door sticking out-hence the name canopy.

There are also retractable doors, which have a set of horizontal tracks that the door slides away into. They open fully into the garage space. They are harder to open than the canopy garage door as they have to be pushed all the way in above one’s head. We usually use these with an automation as in the picture.

Both are made in a range of materials (steel, GRP and timber) all of which are put onto a steel chassis and rubbing gear. There are a range of set manufacturer colours. These are powder coated so there is no need to paint them, and the finish will not peel or crack. Please note, that like a car’s bodywork, they will need looking after and cleaning at regular intervals.

These doors are also the cheapest way of replacing your garage door. They offer functionality, design and colour.

We tend use Hörmann and Garador for these doors as they manufacturer quality doors that, as we have learned over the years, can be trusted to provide to best up and over garage doors.

These are the easiest to open of all the garage doors. Many houses have the traditional timber doors that were installed when the house was built. Today, we have moved away from joiner-made timber doors and manufacturers use steel chassis that carry the material of choice (steel, timber or GRP). This means we can be sure they will open and close without the seasonal swelling or rotting of timber.

These doors open exactly as the words say. They have a set of hinges on both side and they open outwards. Not particularly practical for putting a car in, but they offer easy access to a wheelie bin or garden tools, or even to a gym, workshop, office studio, etc.

As space in our homes has become a premium, many people have turned their garages into extra rooms. We do a range of side-hinged doors that are fully insulated and seal like a front door, so the space behind is very usable.

These doors come in different configurations. This can be left-hand leading or right-hand leading. They also come with door stays which means they can be locked in the open position to stop them moving around.

Ryterna offers a fairly bespoke service. Their doors can be ordered to suit with a 1/2:1/2 or 1/3:2/3 configuration, as well as in different designs, colours, surface finishes and windows. They use the sectional door panels to make their doors. Garador also make side-hinged doors.

We specialise in garage door conversions and bespoke garage door solutions.

We carry out all the building work required to turn two single garage door openings into a double or we can expand garage door openings to make them more accessible for larger, modern-day cars. We also turn car ports into secure garages and replace doors of challenging prefab garages.

Many garage door installers will not touch jobs like these, but we relish taking them on and being able to think outside the box to create solutions that exactly meet our customers’ needs by utilising our design expertise and building experience to come up with ideas to overcome what had been considered insurmountable hurdles.

All the work is done in house by South East Garage Doors. Nothing is subbed out to other companies. Any building work, including the installation of RSJ steels, timber supports and lintels, to negate the stress of you having to deal with multiple tradesmen from different companies. We ensure the job is done neatly and professionally, and we always remove all rubbish from site and finish off all brickwork and uPVC work.

If you have a conversion or bespoke garage door challenge, please call us to find out more.

In today’s society we live in relative luxury in comparison to previous decades. Automation of your garage door is now well within everyone’s means.

Who wants to get out of the car when it is pouring with rain to open their garage? Or pop out to the freezer and struggle with the door carrying the food? You need an automated garage door.

It may be possible to automate your existing door or you may need a new door. But, the first requisite you need is power to your garage! Believe it or not, I have been out to survey for a new automation and the customer hasn’t realised they didn’t have power in their garage!

If you don’t have power, there are some types of garage door that can run off a rechargeable power pack. Bear in mind these are more expensive than the usual automations and the battery packs will need replacing after three to five years.

Retractable and sectional garage doors automate perfectly. Do bear in mind we need space above the opening garage door to fit the operating device. This will then plug into a three-pin socket.

Canopy doors, particularly the older models, cannot be automated. A motor can only pull and push and a canopy door also needs upwards force. There are bow arms on the market, but we find these incredibly difficult to fit and can be unreliable at getting the door to open fully. Hence, we won’t automate canopy doors.

It is possible to change the canopy gearing to retractable. We can source kits for this. This is particularly helpful when the door itself is in good condition and does not require changing.

These days, automation operates from a remote or from your smartphone via an app and Bluetooth. There are also options of different colour remotes, external and internal keypads, and push buttons.

We choose to use Hörmann for garage door operators as we find these to be the best. They offer a range of motors that offer a variety of different applications.

The most common side door we do on the garage is a uPVC double glazed unit. These are made to measure and made by a local manufacturer.

We can do doors up to a metre wide, with glazing as required or with solid panel infills. They make the garage much more secure and warmer.

We often get asked for a matching front door to the garage door we are installing. This is usually in the colour.

We use a local manufacturer who uses the Distinction range, which are composite doors. There is a huge range to choose from.