Purchasing garage doors isn’t a task that anyone should take lightly. After all, the doors will be responsible for keeping some seriously expensive items – like the family car – safe! That’s why we’ve put together this guide on the things to think about when making this key purchase:

Is a remote needed?

A lot of modern garage doors come complete with a remote control system. Though virtually no-one could insist that a remote garage door opener was a necessity, it can still be useful in some cases; especially for those people that are genuinely in and out of their garage all day or have two or more doors in their unit.

Is exterior lighting required?

It’s possible to purchase lighting for the exterior of the garage door, as well as for the inside of the space. This serves multiple purposes. It can offer a form of security lighting for the home’s driveway (set to come on automatically when anyone walks into the vicinity). It can act as a general light for those that like to use their driveway in the winter evenings, such as those who play outdoor sports or do DIY. The light can also be remote controlled, so that those parking in darker driveways can turn it on to help guide themselves in.

What locks are going to be used?

As a general rule, this decision is largely going to be down to what the garage is used for. For those that only use their garage to store a few essentials like gardening equipment and sports gear, there’s no point investing in a full, high quality locking system – the standard key in most cheap garage doors will do. However, if the homeowner is planning to keep a £500,000 Ferrari in there, then it’s wise to invest in a more professional, high-quality security system with some added bells and whistles – literally!

One or two?

When renovating a larger garage building (i.e. one that has space to store two or more cars in) there are a few different options to take in terms of doors. The first is to focus on one large door. Whilst this is convenient, it does mean that every time the garage door is opened, the whole space will be on display to the neighbourhood. Another option is to install two separate doors with a wall in between them. This will mean that although the inside of the garage is still a single space, only one door will need to be opened at a time, enabling some more valuable items to be stored behind the other one.

Which panels?

Garage doors are typically designed using a range of different panel types. Flush panels are largely flat, no-fuss and complement the surrounding wall area.  Long-raised panels give the door a bit of distinction and style. Short-raised panels offer a similar impression to the long-raised models but look a bit more traditional (they look great on Victorian-style homes). Which option to go for is purely a visual thing, so it’s completely down to the eye of the beholder.

If you’d like to discuss your garage door requirements with us, call us on 01691 670394 or contact us online.