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Q:What is a sub frame on an up and over door?
The sub frame is the 3 sided frame around the main garage door panel that enables the panel to be installed with the operating mechanism for the door to the garage opening.
All up and over garage doors whatever they are manufactured from require a fixing sub frame and it is the most often missed item in the sizing equation when people order doors. You may well have a door that is ordered as a 7' x 7' but there is always the sub frame size to add onto this as well making the overall width and height greater.
Sub frames can be in timber, steel or GRP clad around timber for up and over doors. The steel sub frame is definitely the best for most doors as it is the strongest and is nearly always factory fitted and also offers tighter tolerances between the door panel and the inside of the frame for a better and tighter fit. These steel frames are nearly always available as the same colour as the steel door panel chosen too saving on decoration.
Timber Garage Door Frames
Timber garage door frames are used most frequently with timber up and over garage doors to ensure a continuity of material and finish and properly specified and installed are superb. We quite often use timber sub frames where structural openings are out of square or on older, rough stonework openings as the timber frame can be planed on site to suit the opening.
Beware of cheaper softwood sub frames however as they will very rarely be able to match the door panel finish if light or medium woodstain colours are used. Cheap redwood timber frames are knotty and take the wood stain differently to the cedar wood or Idigbo of the main door panel.
For help call us with your requirements and we can advise the best sub frame to use.
