Garage Doors

The garage is one of the first things visitors see when they arrive at your home; therefore garage doors are as important as the front door to your home when it come to first impressions.

A garage that compliments the style of your house increases the overall value of your home.

Types of Garage Doors

Your garage doors have a dual role, not only do they contribute to the overall look of your home; they also provide security for you cars. There are many types of garage doors on the market each with different qualities and price tags to match.

• Steel Garage Doors
  • Steel garage doors are the most affordable and require very little maintenance. These doors can be sectional overhead, roll-up or tip-up. Steel doors can also be automated by gliding on a track. A double roll-up door is not recommended as it is too heavy.
• Wood Garage Doors
  • Wood garage doors are suitable for tip-up and sectional overhead systems and are available in various designs. Wood doors must be treated every six months or so with oil or painted with an oil based sealant. Wood is not suitable if you live at the coast, due to moisture damage.
• Aluminium and Glass Garage Doors
  • Aluminium and glass garage doors are expensive, but require little maintenance. The industrial look is fashionable and is suitable for a modern style home.
• Fibreglass Garage Doors
  • Fibreglass doors require no maintenance and can be easily washed. It comes in a gloss or a wood-grain finish. These doors are suitable for sectional overhead doors and can be used in coastal areas.

Colour

Try to avoid bright colours for your garage doors as unless they have lots of character, you don’t really want them to be the focal point of your exterior. Rather select white, cream, earthy colours such as; warm greys, charcoal, sandstone, black or dark green. A good idea would be to paint the doors the same colour as the other finishes, for example, if your window frames and door frames are wooden, then wood garage doors would suit your home the best. You could also match the garage doors with the colour of the roof or keep them the same colour as the walls.

Security

Sectional overhead garage doors are the safest as they are difficult to pry open from the outside. For extra security, install a sensor and an alarm system that is activated when movement is detected. Make sure you keep trees and shrubs pruned for safety reasons in this area – no hiding places for criminals.

Automatic Doors

Make sure that your automated garage doors are installed by an accredited installer, the likelihood of the doors closing on your car or failing altogether will be less. Automatic garage doors are convenient and can assist with security if they work properly. Select a motor that has a standby battery to prevent you from being locked out during power failures. When the installer does the safety test, he should close the door on his shoulder, if the sensors are set sensitively enough they will not damage your car, a person or pet. Make sure that your remote that is equipped with rolling code technology that shuffles the code and cannot be easily intercepted.

Purchase a remote with a light that warns you when the battery is flat.