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Garage door styles

by David Kerr of D.A.R Garage Doors

Over the years garages have moved away from a being an out building or storage facility to becoming an extension of one’s house and is more than often the focal point when entering one’s home. Garages and the appearance of your garage door now play a vital role in “curb appearance” and substantially increases value of your property.  Now Days a garage doors need to have a functional purpose incorporating safety, security and convenience along with ascetically pleasing qualities.

Functionality and convenience
Garage doors need to be functional and convenient in the sense that they have a purpose in safe guarding your personal belongings.  Advanced opener technology now allows for doors to be opened and closed via automation systems which are quieter and faster thus adding to the convenience of opening and closing your garage doors. Automation of your doors will depend on the type of door you choose.

Security
In current times it has become apparent that safety is a key area of focus when it comes to entering your home.  Garage doors need to be a deterrent in terms of point of entry for burglars Whilst Automation systems give you the safety and convenience of not having to climb out of your vehicle in order to open or close your garage.

Types of Garage Doors
There are three main types of doors that one can choose from.
Fiber glass Garage doors
 These are light weight doors that have been hand crafted.  They are known for their light weight  and durability-FibreGlass doors offer a variety of colors and designs and are even molded to look like wooden doors.  
Steel Garage Doors
These doors are generally galvanized/chromadek  and come in a few STD colors-also can be painted to suit your requirements. They too come in few STD patters – raised and fielded and slated. A cheaper roll up door option is available too in variety of STD colors and are easily automated  . Steel doors offer clean crisp lines and are renowned for their durability and low maintenance.
Timber / Wood Garage Door
Timber doors are proving to be more and more popular as they come in various designs and can be custom made to your specific requirements. They add a stylish and warm appearance to your home. Timber doors are often incorporated into the design of the house as they have a variety of designs to suit your architectural style.  It has long been a fallacy that the  maintenance of wood or timber doors is extensive, this is incorrect as now days all that is required to maintain your door is a gently wipe over with a specific oil. This will allow for the wood to breath and show off its natural beauty Whist protecting it from any harsh elements.
Wooden doors are generally manufactured from Meranti  or your choice of hard woods on request. These are hard wearing timbers which are able to withstand harsh outdoor weather conditions. ….
 
Garage door Automation
 
There are many new and old brands of automations available – there are the local brands that we suggest as they have the backups available in the event you require them. There has been so many improvements over last few years in regards to the way the machine is made up going from worm drive back to chain drive units- this is a smoother and quieter operating automation. Battery backup also been introduced over last few years has really made a big difference for the home owner. no more being locked out of your garage and some times your house in the event of a power failure. This adds to your peace of mind .The remote systems have also gone through a huge change- going to a safer rolling code system. No more criminals hacking your binary code and gaining entrance whilst you are out. The rolling code gives you total peace of mind that your automation and your remotes only communicate with each other, with no chance of outside interference.
 
Maintenance
Garage doors are sometimes forgotten- people need to understand that a garage door and the automation have moving parts that require maintenance, they open and close daily and therefore in order for them to continue working effectively they need maintenance. The spring has a life span and to get the most out of it you will need to keep it well lubed and not smeared in grease.  It’s a common fault that door gets over greased and this collect dirt and sand which causes a gritty past that only further damages your door and automation.
Its best you call in the installer to check and re adjust springs and lubricate necessary parts when doing the service- THIS SHOULD BE DONE BY A QUALIFIED INSTALLER AS THE TORSION SPRING IS UNDER VERY HIGH TENSION AND COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURIES AND DEATH

Consider this when buying a new garage door

Garage doors are usually a standard size.  Styles on the other hand are a different matter and in most cases are reliant on the type of materials being used.  Price tags are also reliant on both style, material and garage door designs.

Steel is one choice and are very affordable both upfront and in terms of maintenance. Steel doors can be constructed as sectionals, roll-ups or tilt-ups and can be mounted on tracks.  A word of warning though, if you are using steel as your choice of material it may not be the best idea for a double roll-up door because of its weight. Durban and coast areas are not suitable areas for steel doors due to corrosion. Ensure it's galvanized garage doors.

Wood is a great choice of material for garage doors and is most suitable for all style doors except roll-up doors, for good reason.  These doors tend to be costly though but the advantage is that they can be designed and styled so that it compliments a home.  They are also a great asset in terms of increasing the value of a property.

Aluminium doors are also economical but when teamed with glass can become a little on the expensive side.  Their advantage though is that they require almost no maintenance.  They are fashionable and can be constructed in almost any design to suit most homeowner’s needs.

Fibreglass garage doors are very popular, they require no maintenance and come in a host of finishes and are really great for coastal areas.  Fibreglass doors can be constructed to suit most designs except roll-up garage doors. If security is the overriding reason for fitting a garage door the sectional overhead garage door is best, either a tilt-up or sectional.  They are very hard to pry open from the outside and open much faster than other garage doors.

A standard double garage door measures 4.88m by 2.13m