A sectional garage door is the most common option for UK homeowners replacing old up-and-over doors. This is because of how sectional garage doors operate compared to up-and-over doors. Sectional garage doors consist of four to five horizontal panels that are hinged together. When opened, these doors roll up on tracks that are attached to the garage ceiling. Instead of swinging out, sectional doors sit parallel to the ceiling.
The construction of sectional garage doors is important because not all doors are built the same. The thickness of the steel outer skin that provides the garage door its strength is usually 0.4 to 0.5mm. Cheap doors use polystyrene for insulation but garage doors that are better in quality use polyurethane foam. This not only provides better insulation but also makes the garage door more rigid. The panels are connected at the hinges by small wheels that run along the door tracks.
Sectional garage doors truly offer you more space. Because nothing swings out into the driveway, you can park all the way up to the garage. And, since the garage door opens and sits flush against the ceiling, you get to use all the height of the garage. This matters if you have a car with a roof box, or if you need to store things vertically in the garage.
Garages get cold and wet in the winter, but a sectional door garage door will help keep the weather out. A single sectional door can help keep out wind and rain, while a properly fitted door will sit against a rubber seal along all 4 sides. This is a huge advantage over all the other garage door types. Quality sectional doors also have rubber weather seals between all the moving door sections which will help to stop drafts. If you use your garage as a workshop, you will appreciate the added comfort of insulation and the elimination of drafts.
The most important element of a garage door is the insulation. There is a huge variation in the amount of insulation provided in these doors. Entry-level sectional garage doors provide 20-25 mm while the premium models offer 40-45 mm. If your garage is attached to the the house or if you use it as a workshop, the difference in heat retention between all the doors will be highly noticeable. Some garage doors have a U-value and anything around 1.0 W/m²K or lower is going to provide the basic heat retention detail.
The type of door or the price of the door is not as important as who the door is going to be installed by. Local contractors can be a bad choice to go with as it is a common misconception that local contractors do good work, and that is not always true. If you are doing price comparisons, then it is better to put more money into the door as you can do better with the installation with a more expensive door, than with a less expensive door and bad installation. \n \nThe local company’s work is usually going to be of a decent standard; however, they are going to be better than average. Consider avoiding local contractors as they can be more expensive, since they have less competition. What you want is a contractor that shows you some of the work that they have done, and explains the type of work some other contractors do, and explains the type of materials used, and explains some of the type of contractors used.When asking questions about warranty, always ask about springs first. Springs do the majority of the door lifting, so they often need to be replaced. If a company offers a 10-year warranty on springs, you can be assured that they are reasonably good quality. If you are looking for door automation, ask what door operator they are going to fit. Some motors have trouble lifting heavy insulated doors and will burn out after a few years.
Thicker steel tracks are a noticeable improvement for doors, and the added cost for tracks makes for a worthwhile investment. 2mm tracks, as opposed to 1.5mm, will save you time and money in the long run.
Polycarbonate window panels in garage doors are not true garage doors, but they are often found in garage doors, so it’s understandable. On the contrary, window panels keep some of the heat from the garage, so be aware of that. Light is able to enter the garage, and some people prefer that, but keep in mind that panels will reduce the insulation value of those sections.
In the end, sectional garage doors last 15-20 years before they need to be replaced. Annual track lubrication and spring checks will keep the doors in working order for years to come. Sectional doors cost more than simple up-and-over doors, but the benefits, such as better space efficiency and more seamless functionality, make the expense worth it. When you get quotes, be sure to compare the same sectional type, as the differences in basic and premium sections are large.