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| Garage doors |
When looking to make home improvements, one often overlooked and neglected aspect is the garage doors. As the largest moving object within the home, it is essential that the door is maintained in good condition or serious injury can occur. Think about it, a garage door weighs around 50-150kg and should it come crashing down on someone`s head has the potential to kill so why do people consistently neglect to care for the door and instead opt for a new patio.
In addition to the safety aspects, most garages store many hundreds of pounds worth of gardening equipment and household items therefore require a garage door that will provide high security. Old fashioned door types are simply not up to the job and often require no more than a good kick and you are in to the garage.
Another thing to remember is that whilst some companies may offer a “facelift” cover that sticks to the existing door, these are often fraught with potential safety risks. This is because the moving parts often wear out much sooner than the door panel itself. By adding additional weight, the load will be increased on the moving parts therefore making a failure much more likely. For this reason, they should be avoided at all costs.
By replacing worn out doors for a much higher quality door type, not only will you reduce the risk of injury occurring and increase security, but will also add value to your home because it will look much more desirable in terms of kerb appeal.
With many types of high quality garage door available on the market that are far superior in terms of design, security and performance available to the homeowner, it will really pay to do some research before committing to an expensive purchase.
The main factors to consider are;
■Type of doors available – Fast becoming the most popular types being installed by homeowners are roller garagedoors or sectional garage doors. This is because they offer many benefits over traditional up & over doors such as insulation, ease of use and available bespoke sizes.
■Material – Steel, aluminium or timber are the most common materials used in the construction of garage doors. The choice is vast but most often the deciding factor on which material to use is the budget available.
■Colour – More and more standard colours are available to help tie the garage door in with the rest o f the homes colour scheme. Gone are the days of the only option being a white door.
■Style – The design of the door should blend with the architectural style of the home. Modern homes suit smooth panel sectional garage doors whilst period homes suit wooden side hinged garage doors. Get it right and you can add thousands to the value of your home, get it wrong and the door will stand out a mile.
■Insulated – Where the garage is attached to the house, installing an insulated door type such as roller garage doors will lead to long term saving in energy bills because the heat will stay inside the home much better. This is because the thermally efficient door panel acts as a barrier to the elements.
■Glazing – For a unique look, the addition of windows can totally change the look of a simple door style that will really enhance the home however are often quite expensive and for that reason only tend to be specified on high end properties.
■Manual or electric operation – Occasional use of the garage space requires no more than simple manual opening of the door. Where the car is to be parked inside the garage, the added convenience of an automatic garage door is a luxury that wil;l leave you wondering how you managed before.
One final point to note is that regardless of whether you replace or repair, in order to keep the garage door safe to use for you and your family, it is essential that regular servicing is carried out to ensure all the parts are in good condition.