Garage door

Selecting a garage door that suits your needs can be very tricky. The choice of types of garage doors, materials and operating systems is vast. On this page, you will find more information about types of materials, security and maintenance of garage doors.

Garage door prices

A garage door does not have to be expensive at all. The price depends on the material and type of garage door. Take a look at the comprehensive garage door prices for your situation below.

 

Is my shed suitable for a garage door?

An important question is whether a garage door will fit in your shed. Remember that the side space on the left and right should be at least 8 cm wide. The top space should be at least 15 cm high.

Do you opt for an up-and-over or sectional garage door with a manual operation? In that case, the garage must be at least 6 cm deep, including the garage door’s height. For an electric operation, the space should be just a little bigger. Then the garage depth must be at least 13 cm, including the height of the garage door. This does not apply to the roller and swinging garage doors.

View the sizes in a handy overview below.

 

*this does not apply to roller shutters as this door rolls up.

Garage doors are often supplied in standard sizes. Chances are the size you need is available. The smallest size garage door is 187.5 cm high and 225 cm wide. The largest size standard door is 300 cm high and 600 cm wide.

 

Type of garage doors

What your garage door looks like is entirely up to you. Your choice depends on the type of material and your situation. Below is an overview of the most popular types of garage doors.

Garage up-and-over doors

Garage up-and-over doors are the simplest garage doors and, therefore, also the most affordable doors. Up-and-over doors are available for as little as £500. The up-and-over door opens outwards and away through the ceiling. It is also possible to install this garage door with a wicket door. This makes it easy to get in and out without opening the entire garage door. Up-and-over doors are poor insulators. Installing insulation material is, therefore, not an unnecessary luxury. You insulate an up-and-over door by installing insulation panels and draught stoppers.

Garage roller garage doors

Garage roller garage doors are relatively inexpensive and are available from £600. The roller doors roll themselves up when opened, leaving the ceiling of your garage free. As a result, the door takes up minimal space. On the other hand, roller doors do not have an insulating effect. The thin slats are designed for roll-up and not for blocking heat and cold from outside.

Sectional garage doors

Sectional garage doors are available from as little as £1,100. Sectional garage doors consist of horizontal slats. These slats roll vertically upwards when opened. It is also possible to have a sectional garage door roll sideways. You don’t have to open the door all the way, then. Handy if you want to get something out of the garage quickly. Since sectional garage doors roll inwards and do not open outwards, this also gives you more space outside the garage. You can have sectional doors insulated by installing insulation panels and draught-stoppers.

Opening garage doors

Opening garage doors start at a price of £3,500. Opening garage doors are almost always made of wood, giving your garage an authentic look. Double garage doors open outwards just like a normal door. This makes for an easy wide opening. Opening garage doors are already well insulated. Wood already has naturally insulating properties. Do bear in mind the high purchase cost of this type of garage door.

 

Garage door materials

The material of your garage door is very important. The material determines the price, appearance and ease of maintenance. Steel garage doors are the most popular.

Wood garage doors

Do you like an authentic look? Then go for a wooden garage door. Wooden garage doors offer an authentic look and have a natural insulating effect, unlike plastic and steel doors. Besides, you can paint your wooden garage door any colour you want. Do note the big price difference between types of wood. Cedar doors cost an average£ 250. An oak door costs around£ 750. Oak is the most popular because it is very strong and hard. Both types of wood hardly expand and shrink at all.

Plastic garage doors

Want a garage door that you hardly need to maintain and that will last for years? Then go for a garage door made of plastic. Plastic garage doors are a very good alternative to wooden garage doors. Plastic is insulating, durable and maintenance-free. In addition, plastic doors are available in various colours, so painting is unnecessary.

A sectional garage door made entirely of plastic is not possible. These doors are made of steel but have a plastic look.

Steel garage doors

Would you like to spend as little money as possible on a garage door? Then go for a garage door made of steel. Steel garage doors are the cheapest option. The nice thing about steel garage doors is that you can easily give them a new colour. The disadvantage of steel garage doors is that they insulate poorly. You solve this by installing insulation boards and draught strips.

Garage door controls

Most garage doors are electric, which means that you open the garage door from the car with a simple push of the remote control. Do you want ultimate control over your garage door? Then control your garage door via your phone. You can control your garage door from anywhere in the world via an app. Of course, it is also possible to open the garage door manually.

Renoca tip: Would you like to retrofit your garage door with electric operation? If so, this is possible in most cases. The specialist can provide an electrical point where necessary. Ask the specialist about the possibilities.

Security garage doors

Garage doors are often prone to burglary. Burglars are above average and interested in your tools, bikes and cars. Yet garage doors are easy to secure with an SKG** approved lock. SKG** locks are designed to be burglar-resistant for at least 3 minutes. Depending on the type of garage door, there are different types of locks. Tilting doors can be secured by track blockers. Securing a sectional door requires a lock on the side of the door. Ask your expert about the best security solution.

Renoca tip: Get a garage door with an electric motor for extra security. When the motor is inactive, lifting the garage door is impossible.

 

Renoca tip: Place lights near your garage door that turn on via motion sensors. This way, burglars are immediately in the light if they want to enter through your garage door.

Garage door maintenance

A garage door requires little maintenance. However, it is always important that the rubbers are greasy and that the treads, bearings and hinges are lubricated. In addition, a wooden door needs a lick of paint every few years.

It is important that an expert checks whether the door is still balanced a few months after the garage door is installed. In addition, during the maintenance service, the expert inspects whether the brackets and springs are working properly. It is important that you do not work on the garage door frame yourself. The frame is under extremely high tension due to the springs. It is, therefore, dangerous to tinker with it. Always call in an expert if something turns out to be wrong with the garage door.

Tips for buying a garage door

Hopefully, you now have a good idea of what your garage door will look like. Now it is time to decide which specialist you are going to hire. Check out these 2 tips to find the specialist with the best value for money.

• Garage doors are large areas that are difficult to insulate. An insulated garage door can save a lot of money. Garage doors can be additionally insulated by installing draught stoppers on the rails. Do you use your garage as a hobby area, or is your garage directly adjacent to your house? Then an insulated door is recommended. The garage stays nice and warm and does not draw cold from the house.
• By comparing garage door quotes, you can save up to 40 per cent on hiring a garage specialist. See what services specialists offer besides installation. Do they take your old garage door with them? Do they charge a call-out fee? How long is your warranty for?