A friend of mine recently bought a pig in a poke – well actually he had a new garage door installed and now finds that he can’t get his car in his garage. In my normal unsympathetic way I told him it was his own fault for having a wide car (actually he has got a rather nice Mercedes CLK of which I am slightly envious!). But it set me thinking… and I decided that some investigative journalism was called for to examine what I would have thought to be a rather simple, boring purchase. I contacted an old acquaintance that was able to provide some answers and I was amazed at the potential pitfalls that are sitting in wait for us unsuspecting buyers.
And so we begin … how many types of garage doors can you name? Answers on a post card please…. No, not really but I would suspect that most people would struggle to name more than three. I actually came up with 2 - up and over doors and roller shutters (my parents have and up and over and my uncle a roller shutter).
It seems that my friend is not in a garage door mess up minority of one – apparently this is a fairly common occurrence that people change their door without taking into account the new drive-through width and height. Even worse they have a new garage built before they consider the type of door they want and then find that their chosen door won’t fit the opening – ouch – major expenditure to have structural changes to the garage.
Security is a huge issue. I was horrified to learn quite how easy it is to break into most older type garage doors. My parents keep all sorts of valuables in their garage including Dad’s golf clubs, mountain bikes and the family freezer. I have now learned that it could take less than 30 seconds to slip the catches on his particular door. I wont tell you where they live as, frighteningly; they also have a door that opens directly into their house from their garage. How scary that some one could be in the garage in less than a minute and then have all the privacy they need to break into the house.
So, for all you lucky readers I have come up with my own 10-point guide to buying a garage door that won’t leave you with a red face and more importantly will give you increased security.
1) There are 5 basic types of doors with variations on each type: Up and Over Doors; Sectional Doors; Roller Shutter Doors; Side Hinged Doors; Round the Corner Doors. These doors are available in steel, timber, GRP and Upvc. Make sure that you find out about the various types of doors and what special features each door offers.
2) Check what opening height and width you need for your car (and take into account that you may change your car). Establish exactly what the drive through width and height you will achieve with your new door.
3) Have you got a short drive? If you have a drive that will only accommodate one car consider a vertically lifting door that allows you to park right up to your garage and still open your door.
4) Decide the look that you want to achieve. Make sure that your garage door complements your home. A rustic timber door will look a wee bit silly on a modern minimalist house, like wise a Georgian panelled door wouldn’t look to good on a thatch roofed cottage!
5) Trick or Treat. If you like the appearance of timber but hate painting or varnishing consider a GRP door. The trick is that they can look just like timber and they don’t need treating!
6) Think insulation! Do you use your garage for purposes other than storing your car? Is your garage integral to you house? It is actually possible to have a door fitted that will give you a fully sealed perimeter (although I think your brickwork and floor has to be pretty level). No draughts, leaves, no debris and hopefully no mice – mind you I think spiders will still get in.
7) Does your door open onto a street/public footpath – If so BEWARE - in our increasingly compensation chasing society you do not want to find yourself being sued for knocking some poor unsuspecting soul from here to Kingdom Come when you open your garage door. A roller shutter or sectional door will remove this particular issue as they open straight up without out-swing.
8) Do think about having remote controlled operation – it is just so convenient to push a button from the comfort of your car and hey presto – door opens. As one who wouldn’t dream of moving my posterior from my seat to switch over the telly I certainly have no intention of getting out of a warm car to open my garage door in future. Anyway it is sensible from a security aspect to stay in the safety of your car until you are in your garage. If your garage door doesn’t need replacing you could still have it converted to work with a remote controlled operator – Believe me an automatic door is not a luxury it’s an absolute necessity!
9) Make sure that you buy from a reputable company. Find a company that is well established – if you have problems after your door is installed you need to know that they will be resolved. Any reputable company should point out pitfalls as well as benefits. Do try to see the actual door that you are buying rather than just looking at brochures. Ideally it is easier to deal with a company that has a showroom. If they don’t have a showroom then ask them if they have any customers that would let you view their installations. Find out if they employ their own installation engineers or use subcontractors. And remember – local companies will normally offer better after sales service and you can get to see the people you are dealing with.
10) If you do choose a remotely controlled door make sure suitably qualified people carry out any electrical work – this is now a legal requirement.
My thanks go to David Blacklock of The Garage Door Centre (Three Counties) Ltd for his help and contributions and even more thanks to him for kindly donating a remote controlled operator for me to offer our readers the opportunity to win.
If you require further information regarding garage doors, I would happily recommend David who will give you impartial advice and professional guidance. You can contact him on 01908 586977
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