At a time when many people are investing more time and money into their home, garden and leisure activities, the humble garage has a lot more importance. If your garage has been neglected for long enough and you want to start making the most of the space, this series may help you. Last week we looked at clever ideas to save space inside your garage. This week, we are looking at different types of garage doors.
It may feel like choosing a garage door is a simple job, but in truth there are a whole range of choices – and price points – to consider. Here are the basics.
Up & over
The most common type of garage door is the up & over door. Easy to install, relatively low cost, and space saving, the up and over is a tried, tested and trusted style which offers easy opening and closing. Available in a range of colours and styles, you can choose from canopy or retractable doors which are manually or electrically operated.
Side-hinge
Side-hinged garage doors open like typical barn doors. Low cost and easy to use, these are ideal for doors where pedestrian access may be required, or where quick and easy access is needed without opening the whole garage.
Roller
Like the up and over door, the roller door opens vertically. However, it operates more like a blind, rolling up instead of remaining a solid sheet. Roller garage doors are great where headspace is limited, or if you want to use your ceiling space for storage without having to worry about leaving space for the door when it’s open.
Sectional
A cross between roller doors and up and over doors, sectional doors have panels which slide upwards into each other before curving back into the garage along ceiling rails. They are also suited to garages with limited headspace, but don’t allow for ceiling storage.
Round the corner
Round the corner garage doors do exactly what you might expect; a hybrid between a cross section door and a roller door, it slides horizontally along a side wall. This type of door is ideal for garages that are unusually sized, where head room is limited, and where narrow access for pedestrians is required.
Choosing a garage door can certainly be more complicated than it first seems; contact your local garage door supplier for advice and quotes.
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