When double garage doors – a garage door that is more than 10 feet wide – begin to sag, rust, rub on the frame and generally become less attractive than they used to be, homeowners have a choice to make: What garage door to choose next?
I am going to lay out the pros and cons of the most common garage doors to give you a little help.
Choice 1 – The up-and-over garage door
Pros – The up-and-over door comes in a full range of styles and this is sometimes the most important factor when choosing a garage door.
Cons – An up-and-over door of this width will be extremely heavy. It is a single piece of fixed metal, timber or glass reinforced polyester (GRP) that opens outwards. This means parking a car in front of it is always tricky and if the door is not automated with an electric opener, then it will be very difficult to open.
Up-and-over doors can also let in drafts around the gaps and edges. If you are using your garage to extend your living space, this will prove rather chilly and increase your heating bills. These gaps can also let in annoying leaves and garden debris.
Choice 2 – The roller garage door
Pros – Roller garage doors rise vertically and roll up into 300mm of space above the head of the garage opening. Indeed, many people choose a roller to get rid of the tracks and automation units that can take up valuable ceiling space.
A roller door can be insulated to cut out drafts because roller door run in guides with soft brushes in them and they close using a neat rubber seal on the ground with the last slat shutting firmly against the head of the garage opening.
Cons – If there isn’t enough space above the garage door opening for the 300mm x 300mm roll of garage door, a roller will not be suitable.
The roller garage door comes in just one design, although there are many colour variations. The horizontal 77mm slat is attractive but fairly standard looking as far as garage doors go.
Choice 3 – The sectional garage door
Pros – Sectional doors also rise vertically and run on tracks and slide up into the roof space of the garage.
The sectional garage door is also super-insulated. They seal into a rubber strip all the around door. The ability to keep heat in behind 42mm foam filled panels is extraordinary good. Many customers boast of not having to turn radiators on in the rooms above once one of these doors is fitted.
The sectional door comes in a traditional Georgian style or a selection of widths of horizontal panels.
Sectional garage doors are generally cheaper than the roller and up-and-over models.
Cons – There aren’t any really!
What now?
So these are your choices. We will gladly talk you through your options if you are looking to replace your double garage door.
Please do not hesitate to contact me or Click Here to browse our gallery to see examples of our work.
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