Matthew Anthony () -

You may think choosing garage doors is straight forward, however there are many things to consider, such as whether your garage is adjoining your property, is it a single or a double garage, how much clearance inside and out is needed and so on. Also, the appearance of the garage door can influence what material you use. There are four basic types of garage door and three different materials commonly used to construct these doors. We take a brief look at the four types of garage door which are sectional, roller, side hung and finally the common up and over garage door.

The first type of garage door we look are sectional garage doors. These doors open vertically and so are perfect where space in front of the garage is at a premium. They are a versatile solution for a new garage door with the added bonus of aesthetic appeal, which is obviously very important as most garages are located at the front of the house. A sectional garage door has a series of hinged horizontal panels that lift up and lie parallel with the ceiling of the garage when the door is opened. There is no overhang or canopy and it is possible to park a car right up next to the door as there is no protrusion at any point of the operation of opening the door.

Roller garage doors are very similar to sectional garage doors. The major difference is the need for a certain amount of headroom inside the garage above the door opening. This is because the door rolls up inside a drum above the opening of the garage door. Like a sectional door there is no need to allow any room inside or out to operate the door. Also, roller doors are often automatic.

If it is traditional look that is required for a garage door then side hung garage doors are the usual solution. For those people for whom image is important, a timber side-hung door is essential. Also, for period properties, this type of garage door will be much more in keeping with the appearance of the property rather than a newer steel or GRP style of door. Side hung doors can be fitted directly onto brick or onto a wooden frame.

The final type of door we consider is the most common variety which is the up and over garage door . There are still the most popular type and are extremely versatile. They are manufactured from all three of the common materials used in garage door construction, which are timber, steel and GRP. The up and over garage doors can be either automatically or manually operated which gives even more choice. Importantly, they are relatively easy to install and operate.

About the Author

Matthew Anthony is a regular contributor to home improvement sites such as garage doors .

• http://www.new-garage-doors.co.uk

Comment #1 jen (202.84.125.205) -

Offers door and other restoration hardware including barn door, strap hinge, weather vanes, dead bolts, and square nails.

• Pocket Door, Cabinet, and Gate Hardware, Emtek, Bouvet, Kitchen, Strap Hinge,

Comment #2 jen (58.71.68.50) -

Los Angeles building contractor offering home improvement and remodeling services for Southern California.

• Luxury Home Design, Construction Company Los Angeles, Second Story Addition,

Comment #3 Lee from North Pole -

I think we are going to replace our garage doors next summer. One side is automatic and the other is manual. Somehow the automatic just broke like 3 weeks ago. And the manual side is a bear to lift up. They are wooden doors so we will probably replace them with new wooden white doors. Hopefully my husband will get automatic on both sides so I don't have to lift that big heavy door up anymore.

Comment #4 casper (87.240.12.198) -

what brand of doors to buy?

• friends blog

Comment #5 George from Dead Like Me -

The garage doors came with the house, but putting the opener in was up to us. Our neighbors across the street are still opening theirs by hand. Our door rolls up. We don't park in the garage yet. We need to move a lot of stuff out of the garage and into the attic. Even then my truck probably won't fit in the garage.

Name:           
E-Mail:         

Optional (please add to our directory first)
Web Link:       
Link Title:     

Message:

Note: once you register your email address with The Furniture Machine it is used across our whole network of forums and blogs. You can create seperate profiles for each forum or blog, but use the same login.