Mr Old's Garage

Garage is the shelter for your car. That is its main function. Hence, most people then think about their garage doors as strictly functional. They protect the contents of the garage. Now, more and more people care about how they look. The garage doors have to look good and welcoming. Garage doors after all make a huge personal statement about one’s taste and style.

The garage is considered the threshold of a home. First thing that we come faced up with when we enter a house is usually the garage door. Garage doors are becoming a major design element as they say. Most homeowners use the garage as the primary entrance to the house. It is only fitting that the garages must be impressive and attractive, as it is durable and secured. The style and the condition of the garage door is influential on the appearance and impression that the house projects.

Today, several manufacturers have created different styles of garage doors with various exceptional features to choose from. Some of these stylish doors are made from the finest woods in rectangular, square, or arched overheads with elaborate designs such as window inserts. Homeowners must be very careful, though, in selecting the right garage door. Some styles are very deceptive. They will look so invitingly attractive with their fancy features, but over time their aesthetic aspect will give no aid to security and safety.

Homeowners now have found more uses to the garages. A spacious garage can be used as playroom for the kids or teenagers’ workroom. A three-car garage for a home with one car is usually renovated to accommodate additional bedroom or an office. For this reason, homeowners care more about the style and appearance of the garage door than anything else.

Garage doors are built to be durable and long-lasting. The average life of a garage door is about 30 years if you take care of it. Thus, it is imperative to pay extra attention to its specifications and features. It should weather any storm and should perform efficiently even in extreme temperatures. It is important to settle always for low-maintenance garage doors. It will save considerable amount of money and time.

Wooden garage doors are a top choice for homeowners. The designs available best match the charm and warmth of a home. And it does help that doors made of wood are more affordable than those made of any other material.

Just like any other major appliance or fixture in the home, wooden doors require some amount of care if you want your investment to last a long time. Don’t let the mass and size of your garage door intimidate you. You only need to have a keen eye on these three main areas:

1. The Moving Parts – Hinges, tracks, chains and other mechanical parts take a beating everyday. Less rust and dirt on the mechanism helps keep the system operate quietly and lessens the chance for major mechanical problems. Keep moving parts clean and well lubricated. All you need is your favorite all-purpose household lubricant or oil and an old toothbrush to reach into the tiny spaces. You can also spray some WD-40 on those parts that need to get un-stuck. Tighten up any loose screws. Make sure that the locking system works.

Check also the alignment of the door’s rollers against the tracks. Call the pros if the door does not completely close or open because of misalignment, a faulty panel, or if a part needs to be replaced. Keep in mind that a broken door not only makes your home vulnerable to theft, it may also cause unnecessary accidents to pets and people.

2. The Weather-Proofing Features – Peek in between and on the sides of the panels of the door. See if the weather stripping is still holding up. Pay particular attention to the bottom of the door. This part meets the pavement and weather stripping here gets the most beating. Replace worn out weather stripping as soon as you can.

Wooden garage doors, especially single-panel types, tend to droop in the middle part as the wood contracts and expands because of humidity changes throughout the year. But this can easily be fixed with a metal rod to act as a brace.

3. The Paint or Stain – The aesthetic charm of wood comes from being able to see and feel the grain even under the paint or varnish. But there’s more to the paint job than just helping your house look great. The paint layer protects the wood from moisture and harsh temperatures that cause cracks and sagging. It may seem like a thick enough coat but sunshine, rain and snow will bear down on the finish after a year or so. Warped wooden panels will in turn affect how the mechanical parts run.

Take note of any weathering or stripping on either side of the door. The lower part of doors are closer and more prone to damage caused by water and snow accumulating on the pavement. This part of the maintenance check is especially crucial if you live in an area known for extreme weather conditions.

Newly installed doors will start to show some wear and tear after a year. So it’s best to go through a regular run through of the mechanism, the weather stripping and the paint annually. Remember that the garage door not only helps hide the vehicle and the other stuff in your garage. It also forms part of the protective shell of your home.

The task of choosing garage doors can be much more complicated than you first anticipate. You’ll have to make allowances for the interior and exterior clearance you need; whether or not your garage is attached to your house, and whether you need a single, or multiple garage doors. Then there are decisions about the materials from which your garage doors will be made.

Garage doors are constructed in four distinct types, and commonly made from one of three materials. The four types of garage doors are the roller, side hung, and sectional doors and then most popular, up-and-over garage doors.

Roller And Sectional Garage Doors

Roller and sectional garage doors are very similar in concept. Each opens vertically, making it ideal for situations in which there is limited space at entrance to the garage. They also have an attractive appearance, which is a big factor in those garages visible from the front of a home.

The difference between the roller and sectional garage doors is in their operation; a roller door, as its name implies, will roll up into a drum which is located above the door’s opening. A sectional door, on the other hand, is constructed of hinged panels which lie flat beneath the garage’s ceiling when they are raised.

The sectional door does not protrude into the driveway at any point, so cars can be parked with their front bumpers right at the garages entry way with no danger of being struck by the garage doors as they are lifted or lowered. Both roller and section garage doors are available with wither manual or automatic operation.

Side-Hinged And Up And Over Garage Doors

For older homes whose owners wish to maintain a traditional appearance, the side-hinged garage door is the most popular choice. And if the home’s owners are sticklers for period detail, the side hung garage doors will be constructed of timber; the contemporary steel or GRP–glass-reinforced plastic–garage doors would look very much out of place in such surroundings. Timber side-hinged garage doors are attached either onto the garage’s wooden frame or brick exterior.

Side-hinged garage doors will almost always open outwards in order to preserve the garage’s interior space, and are always sold as a pair, although the size of each door in the pair can be different. In other words, they can be either center-split or off center, depending on the garage owner’s needs.

Up and over garage doors are the most popular for one reason; their versatility. Available in steel, GRP, or timber, they will look good in any style of garage. They offer either manual or automatic operating, and are simple to install.

There are hundreds of garage door openers to choose from but before you can do that there are two key considerations concerning your garage door itself.

Before deciding on an electric garage door opener check that an able bodied person can effortlessly open the garage door manually as a motor will not do what they can’t.  If the door works smoothly and effortlessly, then adding an electric operator should be straight forward.

You will also need to check that your door balances at around chest height to ensure you have the correct spring tension for the operator to lift the door.  If the springs are broken or the door is not balanced properly the electric operator will not work effectively.  You may need to service the door by lubricating the moving parts or replace the door springs and other moving parts.

The other consideration is to know what type of garage door you have.  This is because it is essential for you to choose the correct device to suit your door mechanism to ensure the safe and smooth operation of your garage door.

There are four main types of garage door mechanism: retractable door, canopy door, side hinged door, and sectional door.

Up & Over – Retractable Garage Doors (Tracked)

These are identified by a single door panel with springs either side or horizontal ceiling tracks which support the door in the open position.  When the garage door is fully open, the bottom edge of the door is flush with the garage door frame

If you have a retractable up and over garage door then you are in luck, as these are ideal for automation and you can safely use any type of operator.  Your main considerations must be the noise (AC or DC motor) and the material, width and weight of the door to ensure you choose an operator powerful enough to lift the door.

Up & Over – Canopy Doors (Trackless)

This door type is not recommended for safe automation although there are options available; I would never recommend or safety and reliability.  If you don’t want to replace the entire door and mechanism you can purchase a retractable door mechanism and replace the canopy door gear.

An up & over canopy door is identified by the large spring which runs over the head of the door and when the door is open the garage door panel protrudes by approximately 600mm from the opening.

Side Hinged Doors

These garage doors can be automated using a conversion kit with most operators.  You will need to check the operator can be use for side hinged doors so that the auto-reverse safety feature functions normally.

Sectional doors

Sectional Garage Doors are identified by hinged panels that allow the door to rise vertically without swinging out as the door opens.

They are perfect garage doors for automation as no additional parts are required and you can use any type of AC or DC operator.  To ensure the operator will fit it’s a good idea to check the clearance above the door during its opening cycle then check the minimum clearance requirement for the operator as they vary.

Again your choose an operator powerful enough to lift the door.

Despite a multitude of doors to choose from today, the traditional wooden garage door remains the most popular selection for homeowners. The following are a few of the reasons the wooden garage door remains a favorite choice. Price The cost of wooden doors is generally lower than doors made of steel or other materials. Painted, flat-panel wooden doors are the least expensive garage doors. Wooden doors with raised panels are more expensive than flat-panel garage doors but are still more affordable than doors made of other materials. Homeowners have a wide range of prices to choose from, and there is a wooden door to fit every budget. Wood Choices Wooden garage doors are available in different grades of wood. The most popular and least costly choice is painted wood. Manufacturers usually offer painted garage doors in several colors, and the homeowner can always choose to paint the door another color as a do-it-yourself project. Stain-grade wood is more expensive than painted wood and adds an elegant look to a home. Insulation Wooden doors provide better insulation than steel doors. Weather stripping can be added to the door for even better insulation. Wooden doors are excellent choices for garages that are used for play or utility areas because of the good insulation they provide. Styles The two basic styles of wooden doors are the roll up and the tilt up door. The roll up door provides a tight fit between the door and the door opening because it is installed behind the door opening. Roll up doors have four or more horizontal sections that are hinged together and roll on a track to open. Tilt up doors are installed inside the door opening, and the entire panel tilts out and then is pushed up to open. Tilt doors are a cost-saving option and are typically up to 35% cheaper than a roll up door. Customization The combinations of features for wooden doors are endless. The following are a few of the features available for wooden doors. • Windows: Some homeowners want solid wooden doors, and others want doors with windows to allow more light to enter the garage. Wooden doors can be made with any size, style, and number of windows. • Panels: Homeowners have a choice of no panels, rectangular panels, or square panels. The choice depends on the taste of the homeowner. The panel selection should complement the other garage door features as well as the home. • Special designs: Carriage and barn doors are two specialized wooden doors that give homes a unique look. Both doors appear to open by swinging open or sliding along a horizontal track, but they open the same as a traditional section garage door. There are many different wooden doors with specific features available from manufacturers. Be sure to consider all the available options before selecting a wooden door for your home.

I have a three car garage and want to build open shelving between the doors – floor to ceiling – they would not be against a wall so the stability is important…I want to build it myself from wood studs/plywood – any ‘free’ plans available?

Sectional garage doors
A sectional garage door is made up of separate sections instead of one single panel, which allows for easy and smooth operation especially when using an electric garage door opener. Since the sections are all hinged, the door can glide through a tight curve before finally settling in a horizontal position that is parallel of the floor of the garage. Because of its construction and mechanism, it is able to solve a lot of the common problems that are posed by up and over garage doors.

These doors are ideal for most garage doorways shapes including arches. Sectional garage doors are perfect for short driveways as you can have your car parked right up the door sans the risk of the door swinging out and hitting your vehicle or for any pedestrian that is standing close to the door.
Sectional doors hold many advantages over canopy or up and over garage doors. With sectional doors, the drive through width of a garage opening is maximized. It also provides better height clearance that is beneficial to tall vehicles such as 4X4s and Multi-purpose vehicles. All around sealing provides protection against severe weather conditions.

The Hormann Brand
Hormann garage doors forms part of the umbrella of construction components that Hormann sells to the market. Their sectional garage doors are available from 2 meters wide up to 5.5 meters wide. For door heights, there are models that go up to 3 meters. For special sizes requiring large space, Hormann offer a Combi door that is available for up to 7.5 meters wide.

Standard Features
Fully sealed perimeter – rubber seals are used. The big bottom rubber seal on a level ground would help prevent leaves and dust, etc.
Vertical operation – this means that you can park your car right up to the door inside or out and still be able to open or close the door.
Outstanding security – using 5 encapsulated rollers placed in steel hinges in either side of a standard door. A rotary latch locking system with europrofile type cylinder locking. The double skinned doors would provide protection against powerful physical attacks.

Ease of operation – Spring mechanisms are used assisting the door during operation make for ease of use compared to a canopy or an up and over garage door.

Powdercoat finishes – this is a standard feature for all doors both inside and out. For the external section of the door, bright white (RAL9016) finish is used while off white finish (RAL9002) is applied at the internal section – no need to paint.

Remote control ready – It can be used with an electric garage door opener owing to its design where the standard boom operator fitted with no further adaption is ready due to the retractable tracking mechanism of a sectional door. One can install both an external and internal electric garage door opener for this type.

Full drivethrough – Drivethrough width has no reduction. A 2286 mm wide door when opened is measured at 2286 mm too. When fully open, you lose only around 50 mm on the Z track while getting the full height because of the N track mechanism.

10 year guarantee – The door comes with a 10 year warranty.