GARAGE DOORS - ADVICE, TIPS, FACTS

Besides an obvious necessity, garage doors have also become an esteemed accessory for home owners. It not only serves them its basic purpose but also if they want to add value to their home, then a good garage door installation is more than an accessory for the house. When planning a garage for your home you should consider all the possible options available in terms of garage doors. There are quite a few advantages of some kinds to others, but the choice of the door totally depends on your needs.

Overhead garage doors

Overhead garage doors consist of many panels joined together to form one door. When the door is opened or closed, these panels roll over tracks which are in turn guided by rollers. These doors are installed at the top of the mouth of the garage and open by rolling down. Similarly they close upwards, rolling back.

A torsion spring or pairs of extension springs are used to balance the weight of the door. These types of doors are mostly seen installed in warehouses etc. Torsion spring is a central spring used to help in lifting the door, connected to the central shaft of the door mechanism. Extension springs run along both the sides of the door and help in raising the door with the help of tension stored in them.

Single panel garage doors

As the name suggests, this type has one solid single panel installed as the door. They open just like a room door opens, only difference being that they are positioned to be swung upwards from the ground. The door slides up and overhead on rails inside. Mostly this swinging is done towards the outside of the garage; therefore the vehicle should be parked at a distance before opening such doors. Advantage of these doors is the unyielding strength they carry because of being built using a single panel.

Sectional garage doors

These doors are built up of six to eight panels or "sections". These panels slide up and over when opening the door.

There are a number of advantages sectional garage doors have over single panel doors, which include:

The door is more stable as each section has its own joint to the retracting track.
There is no need to leave distance between them and the vehicle before opening them as they do not swing outwards and only retract upwards.

Roller garage doors

Roller garage doors are usually made up of corrugated steel sheets, or in very few cases corrugated fiberglass sheets. The corrugated design gives the door its strength. The doors come equipped with rolling mechanism at the top with springs loaded in them. When the door is lowered the springs open and tension gets stored in them.

When the door is lifted the springs unwind and the same tension helps in "picking up" the door and it rolls on top of a central rod in a cylinder-like way. While this mechanism is most commonly used, industrial roller garage doors use a much niftier and stronger chain pulley mechanism. This is either used manually or can be hooked up to a motor to raise and lower the door. Advantages of such doors are that they are easier to install and are quite cheaper and lighter as compared to other kinds of garage doors. The disadvantage of roller garage doors is that they cannot be successfully insulated.

Garage door materials

Garage doors can be made of countless materials, but keeping practicality in mind the best materials for garage doors include steel, aluminum, wood, corrugated fiberglass and vinyl. Out of all these most commonly steel is used in its stainless form. Other than being non-rotting steel doors are also preferred due to their weight and different styles. Steel sheet doors can be made to look more exquisite by forming them like raised panel wooden doors. They can also be made to look like carriage house doors of earlier times; giving the house an antique and elegant look.

Garage insulation

It is really important that the garage is insulated from the outside climate. A good garage door insures that. Nowadays, door manufacturers insulate their doors with polyurethane (an incredibly resilient and flexible material manufactured to take the place of paint, cotton, rubber, metal, and wood). Other composite compounds are also popularly used to insulate the doors. Also rubber cladding is used to make sure that no dampness or moisture or water itself finds its way into the garage. This cladding is mostly present at the ground and across the rails of the door and completely seals it when the garage door is lowered.

Other than housing the cars, garages can also be used as sheds for storing various items like tools etc. A garage is a definite necessity and a sturdy door to guard it is just as important.

Garage windows

These should let enough light in to see around, although if you are working in your garage you will need powerful electric lighting systems.

They should also be secure as people might break in to steal tools or even your car or van.