Automatic Garage Doors
Many Garage Doors have become available on the market to meet various needs of consumers.
Some of these needs include disability, security, or lifestyle. Maybe you feel susceptible getting out of your car on dark nights or maybe you are just lethargic and looking for the easy life! If any of these applies to you then an automated garage door could significantly improve your life and add value to your home.
Automatic garage doors come in many different shapes and sizes. You may choose a roller door that is slatted and quite attractive in appearance, which rolls up into a casing. These doors are surprisingly quite quiet and provide good insulation for your garage.
The only negative point about these doors is that you will need the headroom above the opening to fit the box. If you do not have this then the box will have to sit within the opening – this could leave you with a vastly reduced opening height. This is a huge issue for smaller garages or owners of large vehicles.
There are solutions to headroom issue, doors are available that rather than rolling into a coil they continue on a track on your ceiling roof, this allows very little headroom requirement. However, these doors can be a lot more expensive than the traditional roller door.
Another style door is the same as mentioned above, but the slats remain vertical and the door slides to the left or right of the garage door opening. In this case, you need the depth of the garage to be available and if you have any side doors or windows it may not be a practical solution.
Options are available other than the slatted roller door. Sectional doors are similar but they have much larger panels. These can be very attractive but they come with added complications.
Finally the typical up and over doors are also available with an automatic operation. These tend to be the noisiest of doors so bear this in mind if you have a bedroom above and need to use the door when people may be sleeping. Kits can be purchased that allow you to motorize your existing door. These allow for quick and easy automation at low cost.
All the above operate on the same principle. You have a remote control in your car or on your person. As you approach the door you press the remote. The door should be pretty much open by the time you reach your garage. Drive in and press the button again and the door closes.
A few points to be aware of when considering using a garage door of this kind: What will you do in the event of a power outage? What will you do in the event of a garage door breakdown?
When selecting an Automatic Garage Door, ask for manual override systems and battery backups. The overdrive system will allow use of the door in case of an emergency.