Are you in the middle of building or renovating your home? Would you like to choose or change your garage door? It is important to know that the latter is just as important as the front door, in many ways. Then the choice of the garage door requires special attention on your part. Especially since today’s garage doors are as contemporary as they are efficient. You have a whole range of different garage doors. So, if you are spoilt for choice, this text informs you about the criteria to take into account when choosing the right garage door.
Important points:
- What are the ideal dimensions of the garage door?
- Which material should you choose for your garage door?
- What types of doors are right for your garage?
- What are the security options?
- What about garage door customization options?
This article explains the details you need to consider when choosing your garage door. First, it details the ideal dimensions of a garage door, the materials for making a garage door, then highlights the types of garage doors, the security options of a garage door, and finally the options for customizing the garage door.
You will find on this site several other more interesting articles such as the multipoint lock
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What are the ideal dimensions of the garage door?
The garage of a house is a room in which you park your vehicle(s), but not only. It can also be used to store certain belongings. In fact, in many homes, the garage is used as a secondary room. The dimensions of the garage door will depend on the type of door to be installed.
Either way, these range from 2 to 2.25 meters high to 2 to 2.5 meters wide for a standard size. For maximum dimensions, they can be extended to 3 meters high and 5 meters wide. Your garage door installation technician is the most qualified to determine their measurements.
Which material should you choose for your garage door?
The choice of the material that makes up your garage door is what requires your attention the most. It alone determines other criteria such as safety, insulation, elegance and even price. As a material, you can choose between PVC, wood, aluminium and steel.
PVC, for perfect insulation
It is the ideal material to ensure excellent thermal and sound insulation of your garage. Of course, this room in the house does not necessarily require insulation, but it could change the insulation of your entire house if you do not neglect it. Then a PVC garage door is better, because this material prevents cold, heat and moisture from entering your room. PVC combines maximum safety with insulation. In addition, it is better value for money.
Thanks to its lightness, you can easily give it the design of your choice. It is important to add that it is weatherproof, although it is much less resistant than aluminum. It is also easy to maintain.
Wood, for a durable door
It is the most commonly used material for garage doors. Timeless, he naturally gives them elegance with a rustic touch. In addition, it has natural thermal and sound insulation, reducing the passage of cold and sound. A durable material, it is perfectly resistant to scratches, shocks and weathering. Nevertheless, it requires regular maintenance to stay in good condition.
A wooden garage door is ideal for side opening since it weighs a lot. However, its weight does not prevent you from giving it the finishes and the model you like. In addition, you can easily repaint. Let’s add that several types of wood are available for your greatest happiness.
Aluminium for an elegant door
For a high-end garage door, aluminum is the most recommended material. The aluminium garage door combines aesthetics, safety and resistance at the same time. Indeed, aluminum is ideal to protect you from burglaries and give style to your garage. It is ultra-strong and has a long service life.
Being lightweight, it easily gives you the possibility to motorize it and give it the design of your choice. It also has excellent weather resistance and is easy to maintain.
Weaknesses? Aluminum is not an excellent insulator. It is also very expensive.
Steel, for optimal safety
Steel is a material of choice for flawless security, as it is highly resistant to shocks and break-ins. However, we are talking about galvanized steel and a door designed with a double wall. Another advantage of this material is that it requires little maintenance. It is a heavy and durable material that is ideal for vertical opening.
Due to its heaviness, the steel garage door is difficult to manoeuvre. Also, it only allows partial insulation of the garage.
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You will find on this site several other more interesting articles such as the one about the different access controls available on the market
What types of doors are right for your garage?
The type of opening you want for your garage will be determined based on the structure of your door and your needs. Several types of openings are available to you.
The Sliding Garage Door
It is also called a sectional side garage door. The sliding garage door is made up of several vertical leaves connected to each other. These leaves are suspended from one rail and placed on a second. It should be noted that the first leaf is designed to facilitate daily pedestrian access.
This door opens by sliding sideways. It is easy to maneuver and is one of the reasons why it is preferred by manufacturers. In addition, it offers good thermal insulation and takes up very little space. However, the design of such a door is quite expensive.
The overhead garage door
The overhead garage door is a very affordable solution. It is composed of a single panel and is located on the ceiling. You have the option to design it in an overflowing way or not. The overhanging overhead door extends beyond the doorway and requires enough outside space to make it possible to open. The non-protruding overhead door does not require this outdoor space, as it does not extend beyond the door opening.
Either way, you need to have enough space in your garage to incorporate an overhead door. This can be motorized. It is also resistant, but offers low thermal insulation.
The roll-up garage door
The roll-up garage door is the perfect solution for a small garage. It is often automated and easily rolls up over the door. For more aesthetics, you have the option of placing a chest on the lintel, so that it can be rolled up in it.
The roll-up garage door can be motorized. This is also recommended, as this type of door weighs a lot and is difficult to open without automation. In addition, it offers good thermal insulation and allows you to save space inside and outside the garage.
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The Sectional Garage Door
Also known as a sectional garage door with vertical opening or a sectional ceiling door, it consists of several connected leaves. It fits under the ceiling of the garage by sliding on the guide rail from which it is suspended. This type of door has the advantage of not bulking. However, it will be necessary to provide a space under the ceiling equivalent to its size. Also, it is not advisable if your ceiling is too low.
The sectional garage door promises good thermal insulation and gives you many design options. It is motorizable.
The hinged garage door
A great classic, the hinged garage door consists of two leaves that pivot and open outwards or inwards. It requires a permanently free space depending on the opening of each leaf. This is because each leaf can open differently (one inwards and the other outwards).
The casement garage door is very economical and can be motorized. However, it offers poor thermal insulation. In addition, it is not at all suitable for homes facing a public road.
The Folding Garage Door
It consists of 3 to 4 leaves that open by folding like an accordion. The folding garage door allows you to save space both indoors and outdoors. However, it cannot be motorized and therefore requires manual opening. The latter accelerates its wear. For this reason, it is often noticed that the leaves get stuck during manoeuvring.
After choosing the materials and type of door you want, you can now turn to the style you will give it.
The aesthetics of your garage door also matter
Garage doors adorn the front of your home. You should then pay particular attention to their aesthetics. When we talk about aesthetics, we take into account appearance, finishes and colors. First of all, let’s make it clear that depending on the city in which you reside, the town hall may restrict your options, which could spoil your fun. However, if you don’t have any restrictions, then you have a wide range of designs for a garage door.
For example, you can opt for a door with horizontal, vertical, oblique ribs , etc. Placing portholes on garage doors is also very much in vogue right now. You have the option to choose the shape you like (round, square, rectangle, diamond or other custom design).
You can also opt for a cassette garage door. Cassettes are also in vogue right now. Just let your creativity run wild to decide what shape you’ll give them and how you’ll place them on your door. You can also choose to pair them with the styles mentioned above.
When it comes to colour, you should know that garage doors come in several colours. Depending on the material, you can give the color of your choice. Also, you have the possibility to coordinate it with the other doors of the house.
Maybe you want a motorized garage door?
Motorizing your garage door has many advantages. For starters, it makes it easy to open and close with a remote control. Some motorized garage door models are even more powerful and can be controlled remotely with a smartphone that you only have to connect via Bluetooth.
Secondly, the motorisation system optimises the safety of your garage. Since the door cannot be opened manually, it prevents a possible break-in. Some systems use a digicode. Others, even more secure, are activated by a fingerprint reader or facial/voice recognition. However, prefer a system that works even in the event of a power outage. You can also install an emergency manoeuvring system.
There are garage doors on the market that are already motorized and others that are not. In the first case, all you have to do is install it and you’re done. Just make sure you have enough space to install the motorization and electrical equipment. In the second case, on the other hand, several engine options are available to you.
Integrated motorization
The integrated drive is suitable for roll-up garage doors. It is identical to the one designed for roller shutters and is incorporated into a box placed on the lintel. She is the one who drives the door into the trunk.
Remote motorization
The remote motorization is made for vertical and up-and-over sectional doors. To install it, you need to provide enough space. It is attached to the ceiling and operates the tracks to which the door is attached.
Articulated arm motorization
The articulated arm drive is suitable for casement garage doors. It is similar to the motorization used for gates.
What are the security options?
To optimize the security of your garage, there are several options available to you. To begin with, you need to equip your motorized garage door with an anti-fall system to prevent it from falling when the engine stops.
You can opt for an obstacle detection system to stop the engine when an obstacle (person, animal or object) is in the doorway. Also, an automatically flashing light can be essential when your home is on the side of a road.
Also opt for an anti-finger clip to prevent children from getting their fingers caught between the panel and the door jamb.
What about garage door customization options?
Customizing the garage door adds more comfort and practicality. This gives you several options.
A porthole, in addition to adding beauty, will make it easier for light to enter your garage when the door is closed. A garage door with a wicket gate is also a fairly common option today. The gate allows easy access to the outside of the garage without having to operate the entire process of opening the garage. This is ideal if you often travel by bike or if the garage gives direct access to a room you visit daily.
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We recommend that you check out several other articles on our site, if you are looking for a locksmith outside of Ixelles, such as in Waterloo
