5 tips on which garage door is better to choose: types, sizes

Choosing a garage door is one of the key steps building design. Such important characteristics as thermal insulation of the room and its safety, ease of use and saving of both the internal space and the territory in front of the garage directly depend on the type of their construction. You’ll find helpful tips on how to which garage door is better to choose as well as information on the minimum and maximum allowable sizes of paintings of various types.

Types of gates by design

The choice type of garage door depends on several factors:

• Budget
• Availability of free space in front of the garage;
• The size of the opening for mounting the gate;
• The need for an additional entrance in the form of a gate;
• Management method.

Manufacturers offer us to choose from the following designs.

Swing gates

One of the most common types. They consist of two canvases that have a rigid frame and are held on hinges. Them advantage consists in:

• simplicity of design;
• affordable cost;
• sufficient reliability;
• ease of installation;
• Possibilities to supplement one of the paintings with an additional entrance (gate);
• the ability to make a gate for almost any size of the opening.

Disadvantage is that most swing gates open outwards, so they require enough free space in front of the garage. However, this problem can be eliminated by setting the gate so that it opens inward. Another disadvantage follows from this - the side walls of the garage become non-functional, since along them it will not be possible to install racks or work tables. Also, in order to open the gate in winter, you will first need to rake the snow. The total width of the web cannot exceed 6 m.

Sliding gates

Ideal with limited space in front of the garage. They are a web that moves sideways along the support beam using rollers. The canvas can be single-leaf and move to the right or left. Bivalve - move apart in two directions. Folding - consisting of several sections, which when opened are folded according to the principle of an accordion door. Advantage retractable structures is:

• unlimited in size;
• long term of operation;
• sufficient strength and reliability;
• space saving.

TO disadvantages can be attributed insufficient thermal insulation. Also, if the door leaf is jammed, it will be quite difficult to open it.

Sectional

The canvas in this case consists of several horizontal or vertical sections, the width of which does not exceed 50 cm. The design itself may be lifting section - when the door leaf on special guides rises up and is located under the ceiling. Or movable - when the open canvas is located along the side wall.

• Such gates are convenient in operation and provide good thermal insulation;
• TO disadvantages include the concealment of the internal space, especially in the case of a side structure.

Lifting and swiveling

In this case, when opening the door leaf, it first makes a rotation around the horizontal axis and changes its vertical position to horizontal, and then goes under the ceiling along special guides. To their the benefits include:

• reliability and high anti-burglary qualities;
• space saving;
• the ability to install a mechanical opening system.

TO disadvantages refers to the ability to install exclusively in rectangular openings.

Guillotine lifting

The door leaf is made of metal and is one-piece. When opened, it does not fold, does not transform, but simply rises up along the vertical guides. This allows

• save free space inside the building;
• ensure tightness, thermal insulation and safety.

However, in this case, the space above the garage should be free. Significant disadvantage there is a need to replace the entire canvas when even minor damage occurs.

Rolling type

The canvas consists of horizontal strips of small width, which when lifting the gate are wound on the shaft by analogy with roller blinds. The shaft is enclosed in a protective box, which can be mounted both outside and inside the garage. Them the benefits are:

• light weight;
• wide price segment;
• space saving;
• the ability to install in the opening of any size;
• possibility of automation.

TO disadvantages include the decrease in structural strength with an increase in its size, the absence of a gate, low thermal insulation and resistance to breaking.

Summarizing the information the following conclusions can be made:

• If the goal is to save as many funds as possible - choose a swing or rolling gates;
• If you need a decent thermal insulation - sectional;
  If the space in front or to the side of the gate is limited, sliding or lifting gates will do;
• If in the foreground is security - choose the lifting-guillotine type.

Control method

By default, the standard cost of the gate implies the use of manual system management.

• Modern designs make it quite easy to raise / lower the sashes, while applying little physical exertion;
• A manual control system also provides a lower cost per set.

If we proceed from the point of view of comfort, then automatic system control will have an obvious advantage - you can control the gate without even leaving the car. Which is especially convenient during cold weather or during heavy rainfall. In this case, the automatic system is equipped with remote control which has a range of 30 to 50 m. Opening / closing can also be carried out using buttons which is mounted directly on the wall of the garage outside. This option is considered less comfortable. Whatever type of automation you choose, keep in mind that this will significantly increase the total cost of the product.

Minimum and maximum web sizes

Any type of gate has limitations in the form of a minimum and maximum size of the door leaf. This point also needs to be considered when garage design.

• Standard Minimum Gate Size sectional type - 2000 × 1800 mm, maximum - 5000 × 3000 mm;
• Lift-up type - 2250 × 1920 mm and 5000 × 2125 mm, respectively;
• Roller - 2000 × 1500 mm and 6000 × 5000 mm.

Depending on the manufacturer, the size step in width is 20-50 cm, in height - 5-15 cm.

What else to look for

Once you have decided on the most convenient design, make sure that the product meets the following recommendations.

• It has protective covering, resistant to corrosion and rust. This will significantly extend the life of the unit;
• If the canvas has insulation pay attention to its material. It is preferable to choose a polyurethane that does not deform even after several years of operation and does not lose its properties;
• Cloths of any kind should have internal metal stiffening rib. They will provide a more reliable fastening of the gate and prevent the sash from deforming over time;
• If sectional doors are chosen, pay attention that there are no large gaps between the plates;
• If the system is equipped with torsion springs, for safety reasons it is necessary to install and locking device. In case of breakage or breakage of the springs, the mechanism will block the sash in any position and prevent it from falling onto a person or a car;
• If you live in the northern regions, which are characterized by severe frosts, you need to make sure that the chosen design does not have elements made from materials prone to freezing. Otherwise, the system simply cannot function;
• The most important criterion is sustainability to hacking. However, do not have illusions on this score. Any, the most modern and expensive designs can be hacked if desired. In this case, the question is the time that the attacker will spend on this. The longer the gates will resist, the more likely that the security service will arrive in time;
• And most importantly - pay attention to availability of warranty and her term. A quality product from a normal manufacturer will have a guarantee of at least 5 years.