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To reliably protect their car from intruders and adverse weather conditions, owners choose garage doors very carefully. Each model has a specific set of characteristics suitable for garages made of different materials, located in a private yard or in an unguarded area.

Types of garage doors

Many car owners, after buying a house for their iron horse, plan to change the garage door for a number of reasons. You can choose the optimal model after getting acquainted with the entire range that the modern construction market offers. All designs are divided into:

• mechanical, which are opened directly by the owner;
• automatic garage doors equipped with an electric drive. Almost any type of mechanical gate can eventually be equipped with automation.

Depending on the type of wings and the mechanism of their opening, garage doors are:

• standard swing;
• lifting and turning;
• rolling;
• sectional;
• retractable.

Garage lifting gates

For cold-type garages, swing-type automatic lifting garage doors are suitable, which are a single metal panel. More often it consists of two sheets of galvanized steel, between which there is a heater. External finishing can be any. The canvas turns and rises under the ceiling of the room with the help of a lever-hinge mechanism. This design has a number of advantages over others:

• a monolithic sash reliably protects the building from intruders;
• a simple opening mechanism in the event of a breakdown can be repaired independently;
• in the open state, the sash does not take up space;
• a layer of insulation keeps the positive temperature in the room;
• any type of exterior finish is possible.

Despite all the advantages, the mechanism also has disadvantages:

1. Can only be installed in rectangular openings.
2. Limited number of uses. Such gates are not recommended to be opened more than 10 times a day.
3. It is almost impossible to repair the canvas if it breaks, you will have to replace it.

Garage sectional doors

Another type of lifting models are electric sectional garage doors. They consist of several sandwich panels (sections), connected by special hinges, which rise along the rails under the ceiling of the room. The presence of an electric drive is not necessary, but significantly increases the level of comfort during use. This model is good because:

• has an aesthetic appearance;
• provides good heat and sound insulation;
• significantly saves space.

The main disadvantages of the design:

• low resistance to burglary, so it can only be installed in protected areas;
• the features of the mechanism require a certain height and length of the garage;
• it will be problematic to install such garage doors and fix them in case of breakage, so you should consider the cost of service maintenance.

Garage swing gates

The most popular, inexpensive and reliable are metal swing garage doors. They are two wings made of sheet steel, metal profile, sandwich panels or timber, attached to a reinforced frame with hinges. Often an entrance gate is made in one of the wings. Obvious advantages of the design:

• one of the most reliable types of gates;
• having certain skills and tools, you can make it yourself;
• if desired, it is easily insulated with foam;
• require minimal care in the form of lubrication of hinges and treatment of sashes with anti-corrosion coatings.

Disadvantages of the model:

• in front of the garage you need a place to open them;
• it is impossible to install sashes with a width of more than three meters, the hinges and the frame will not withstand them;
• to seal the room, you need to install additional seals and heaters.

Roller garage doors

Do not take up space when opening and closing garage doors roller shutters. They consist of steel or aluminum strips, lamellas connected into a single web, which is wound on a special drum enclosed in a protective box. For reliable fixation of the lamellas, special rails are mounted vertically. The design can be opened both mechanically and be equipped with an electric drive.

Advantages of the model:

• compactness, because the canvas moves only vertically;
• acceptable cost;
• aesthetic appearance;
• ease of installation.

This type of garage door also has its negative properties:

• low burglary qualities;
• poorly retain heat in the room;
• at low temperatures, the lamellas can freeze to the frame.

Garage sliding doors

If for a number of reasons it is impossible to install all previous types of garage doors in the existing opening, then it is worth considering the option of retractable structures. They can consist of one, two wings or several sections that move along guides on special rollers. Their obvious advantages:

• the ability to install in an opening of any size;
• convenient to open by yourself;
• you can order a model with automation, or install the electric drive yourself at any convenient time;
• aesthetic appearance.

However, this design can not be installed in all garages:

• if the beams are heavily contaminated, the mechanism may jam;
• in winter, the rollers can freeze to the beams;
• if you plan to install a gate, then it is worth considering the reduction in structural rigidity.

How to choose a garage door?

When choosing one or another type of garage door, it is worth considering a large number of nuances, because different models may simply not function due to certain characteristics of the garage and the area in front of it. Before recommending a certain type of construction, the door sales specialist will inquire about:

1. The size of the opening and the garage itself: its length and height.
2. Ceiling height. This is the distance from the garage ceiling to the top edge of the entrance.
3. The presence of communications under the ceiling. Sandwich panels are not mounted where they pass.
4. The space in front of the gate and the features of the entrance (turn, difficulty opening, and so on). If there are any difficulties, it is better not to use swing options.
5. The presence of heating in the room and the need to install warm garage doors.
6. The desire of the owner to install automation, because she uses it least often on swing structures.
7. The wind load of the area, since specialists do not recommend installing roller shutters in strong winds.

Garage door dimensions

When calculating the dimensions of structures of different types, the following parameters should be taken into account:

1. The size and number of parked cars. For a sedan and a crossover, these figures will be different. However, it should be borne in mind that over time the car can be updated, therefore, if possible, the dimensions are calculated with a significant margin. The width of the garage door opening should allow the car to enter freely even when other cars are already parked.
2. The dimensions of the garage itself and its design features: the strength of the walls and foundation.
3. Features of the entrance to the premises. If there are any difficulties, whether it is a corner or a steep climb, it is better to increase the size of the valves.
4. Each manufacturer of garage doors offers its own size range of models and their pitch. Standard options are cheaper, but if there are unusual dimensions, you can always buy a product made to order according to individual sizes.

Garage door protection

Any gate in the garage is designed to protect the premises from intruders and car theft. If the garage for your iron horse is located in an unguarded area, then you should take care of:

1. Sufficient strength and thickness of the metal. Sectional models have lower burglary qualities than monolithic panels.
2. Sliding garage doors are best equipped with reliable locks of various types.
3. Protect the area around the padlock with a special box so that criminals cannot cut it off.
4. If there are loops, they also need to be strengthened with additional pins, corners or welding.

Garage door lock

All castles are divided into:

• mortise, that is, those that are installed indoors;
• mounted, threaded into special metal loops on the gate.

Mortise locks, which have their own varieties from simple crossbar to complex code structures, more reliably protect up-and-over garage doors and other types of structures. Experts advise installing several types of locks with a minimum step of 30 cm, so that the load on the wings is distributed as much as possible. Each installed mechanism must have a protection class of at least 3.

Remote controls for garage doors

When the car owner is not ready to spend his time mechanically opening metal garage doors in all weather conditions, manufacturers offer to install an automatic opening and closing system driven by a special radio remote control. Such devices can simultaneously open from one to ten locks on one gate and set in motion a lifting or sliding mechanism. There are models with a permanent code, and more advanced ones with a dynamic code change system.

DIY garage doors

Self-manufacturing and installation of garage doors is possible only for swing structures. The main stages of their construction:

1. Measuring, drawing up a drawing and calculating the amount of materials needed.
2. Welding of a frame from a metal corner.
3. Production of a gate frame from a metal profile of a selected section.
4. Sheathing of the frame with steel sheet. Both the appearance and the reliability of the future design depend on this step.
5. Installation on the supporting frame of hinged loops.
6. Installation of locks, stoppers and bolts.
7. Anti-corrosion treatment and painting.
8. Mounting.
9. Insulation of garage doors with mineral wool, other similar materials or foam.