Your garage provides shelter and security for your vehicles, as well as whatever tools, sports equipment, lawn care equipment or other valuables you choose to store in it. If your garage features an entry into the house, the safety of you, your family and your home depends on having a dependably secure garage. Clearly the key to making your garage safe and secure is to choose the right garage door.
In addition, the door of your garage is not just an essential security feature — its color, design and general looks have a major impact on the overall appearance of your entire property.
Before you build a new garage or give an existing structure a facelift, you should give serious consideration to choosing the style, shape and size of its doors. Keep in mind your basic needs, including how big your door should be to accommodate your vehicle, what materials will blend well with your home and property, and ease of usage.
There are five basic types of garage doors which are offered by all manufacturers of these products. These types include retractable doors, canopy doors, sectional doors, roller doors and side hinge doors. Each of these garage door types is different from the other, providing unique features in performance and services.
Retractable Doors:
In opening this type of door, the bottom swings outward and then it swings up and retracts the entire door to rest parallel to the ceiling of the garage, pivoting at points at the top of the door. Retractable doors are among the most popular types because they offer some great qualities. Installing these doors is relatively simple, and this is the easiest type of door to fit with an automatic electric opener.
Retractable doors feature four sturdy latches to provide good security at your garage entrance. These doors are available in timber, GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic), steel and ABS.
One potential drawback of this type of door is that it swings out fairly far into the driveway, so when driving up to park in the garage, your vehicle must be stopped at a good distance to allow room for the door to open. You’ll want to be sure your driveway is long enough to let you pull off the street, while leaving enough room to open the door.
You should also take into account the fact that retractable doors include side-spring assemblies which will slightly narrow the entrance to your garage.
Canopy Doors:
Like retractable doors, canopy doors open by swinging outwards, and sliding up and along the garage ceiling. When open, however, the bottom third of the door remains outside the garage, serving as a kind of awning which can provide convenience and comfort.
The security of canopy doors is enhanced by the fact that the pivot points are located down the length of the door. These doors are easy to install, as no tracks are required inside the garage and the entire door mounts to the door frame. This type of door does not limit the drive-through width of the entrance.
Canopy doors are available in timber, steel, ABS and GRP.
Sectional Doors:
Sectional doors are composed of numerous separate panels, hinged together horizontally. They are fitted to the rear surface of the garage brickwork. These doors rise upwards vertically and then slide into the ceiling space. Sectional doors provide exceptional security and are insulated for added protection against inclement weather. Sectional doors are usually made of steel. They are sold as kits which can be assembled by an experienced person in about four hours.
Roller Doors:
Roller doors roll up into the garage ceiling as a single curtain. They are fitted to the garage’s rear surface of the front brick work. The roller door, as its name suggests, rolls vertically upwards. These doors provide good security and protection levels. These doors are primarily manufactured in aluminum and steel. The installation of these doors is quite easy.
Side Hinge Doors:
Side hinge doors are manufactured in steel, timber and GRP. These doors open outwards and look very traditional. These doors need appropriate clearance to open. Installing bolts at the top and bottom of side hinge doors will ensure excellent security.
Garage doors are an essential component of your garage. So, when considering your purchase of a garage door, be sure to carefully check for quality, security and durability.
Parts of this article copied with permission from: http://plrplr.com/27450/choosing-the-right-garage-door/