The garage door - which is the right one for me?

For the decision regarding a new garage door, there are a lot of things to think of. The time of simple, monotonous, functional metal doors is over. Nowadays there is a huge range of garage doors that combine function, appearance and security. We have made a summary that provides you with a good overview when buying a new garage door with the most important details.

1. Types of garage doors - which door opening is ideal for me?

When talking about garage doors, there is a distinction between sectional doors and rolling shutters. Sectional doors are hidden either under the ceiling of a garage (ceiling sectional door). The ceiling sectional doors consist of different sections that are guided up over a guiding rail. Therefore, they do not take space away in front of the garage door which offers the opportunity to park a second car right in front of the garage. This kind of garage door is good to thermal insulation and offers various design options. Thanks to the different advantages, the ceiling sectional door is often preferred often by homeowners.

Figure: Ceiling sectional doors are multifunctional and are therefore favored by house builders and people modernizing a property.

If the ceiling of a garage needs to offer space as storage room for water sport or winter sport equipment, there is another suitable door type: rolling shutters that are wound on a shaft right over the door opening. It can offer good thermal insulation and various design options.

2. Material for the garage door - wood or steel?

Typical materials for garage doors are wood and steel. Real timber garage doors are available in different designs and fit well for houses with wooden elements. As wood is a natural material, timber garage doors require a lot of maintenance work and are relatively expensive. Maintaining the timber garage door regularly is especially important to keep the wood surface protected.

Figure: Entrance doors made of wood and timber garage doors fit together easily and therefore offer a complete and natural overall look.

Steel garage doors are sturdy and have a long life. The hot-galvanized material and a high-end polyester-based coating on both sides makes rain drip off and protects against rust. Steel sectional doors are good to thermal insulation, offer various design opportunities and are easy to clean. In our catalogues you can find more details for sectional garage doors.

Figure: Steel garage doors are durable, long-lasting and available in a lot of different designs.

3. Insulation of garage doors - why is it so important?

The topic of insulation is particularly important if the garage is directly connected to the house or used as working room or hobby room. Double-layered sectional doors have a good thermal insulating characteristic. Apart from that, thanks to the strong door leaf, they can close and open quietly, which is really important for your peaceful life. Additional synthetic material profiles can minimize the thermal bridge between wall and frame. Such profiles can improve the insulation by about 15%.

4. Garage access - which garage doors are available?

When the garage is not connected to the house, it is recommended to have a door that is included in the garage door. So-called wicket doors are convenient, because you do not have to open the garage door in case you just need your bike. To minimize the risk of stumbling, the door step should be as low as possible. For large garages, a side door can also be included to the garage, which has no door threshold.

Figure: Side doors for garages can be adapted to the design of the garage door.

Figure: Wicket doors that are integrated to the garage door offer direct entry to the garage, without opening the garage door first.

5. Garage door drives - advantages of automated garage doors

With the help of smart home solutions, it is now also possible to open the smartphone anytime and anywhere. In addition, garage door operators offer a good degree of security against break-ins, because they can practically not be pushed open by a safety device when it is closed. It should be paid attention to a slide protection, which also works in case of power failure.

Hörmann specialists give advice and carry out the installation

In this overview we have shown what you have to think of when buying a garage door. Therefore, the right choice when buying the new garage door will be easier. You can talk to your Hörmann specialist directly about your personal requirements for your door. After your choice is made, our specialists will undertake the installation of the door, which guarantees the garage door is installed correctly.