If you're in the market for a new garage door, a simple Google search might well leave you scratching your head and thinking which type of garage door is best for me.
What are the different types of garage door?
There's a whole range of sizes, types and brands available to buy, and every garage door will offer something different, each with its advantages and disadvantages.
Let's take a look at the different types of garage door available to you...
Roller garage doors
At Garolla, we believe that roller garage doors are best garage doors you can buy. In fact, we're the UK's number one recommended supplier, with thousands of 5-star ratings on Trustpilot.
From our nationwide network of engineers who carry out the initial survey and then fit your door, to our fabricators in our Yorkshire factory who meticulously construct each door to withstand everyday life, we believe that we offer the best value for money garage doors out there.
What are the advantages of roller garage doors?
Roller garage doors open vertically and roll neatly into a top box, helping you make the most of your garage space. They do not need the driveway space to swing open like side hinged garage doors, nor do they require the limiting, clunky framework of up and over garage doors. This means that you can benefit from up to 25% more space, allowing you to use side walls for storage and give you greater clearance for your vehicle at the garage entrance.
Our electric garage doors are effortlessly convenient. They are operated at the touch of a remote control button from inside the house or the car, and there's no heavy lifting involved.
The horizontal slats are made from strong, light aluminium with a polyurethane core, which means our insulated garage doors help control the temperature in your garage during extremes.
Our range of four garage doors makes them suitable for most shapes and sizes of garage, and they're available in up to 21 powder coated finishes to suit the look of your home.
Head on over to our online garage door builder to get an instant estimate, and to book your free, no obligation survey.
What are the disadvantages of roller garage doors?
We'll level with you, there aren't any. Unless you're adamant that you want vertical slats, then there's no reason not to get a roller garage door.
Sectional garage doors
Like roller garage doors, sectional garage doors also open vertically but because they are made up of large, horizontal panels, instead of rolling into a top box they slide on tracks into the ceiling space of the garage.
What are the advantages of sectional garage doors?
Similar to roller doors, sectionals give you maxiumum drive-through width and height thanks to their vertical opening, which also means they are ideal for short driveways. They are also often automated, with opening and closing operated at the touch of a button.
What are the disadvantages of sectional garage doors?
Sectional garage doors tend to be more expensive than roller garage doors, which could prove to be a blocker for many homeowners. They also open and store on internal metal tracks. Not only do these look a little unsightly in your garage, they also prevent you from accessing ceiling storage or hanging items from your timbers (a punchbag, for instance). The tracks need securing to your roof timbers and also to the internal walls of your garage, which could prevent you from putting up wall storage, too.
Because of the tracks and springs, sectional garage doors often require regular maintenance to ensure their smooth operation. Whereas Garolla's roller garage doors roll up into an enclosed top box, which prevents dust or insects interfering with the mechanisms.
Up and over garage doors
Up and over garage doors do what they say on the tin. They need raising up, before they swing back and into the garage ceiling space. They are manufactured in a wide range of different materials and styles to match your home. However, the majority of doors that Garolla replaces are up and over garage doors, because they potentially now look a little bit dated and can also become tough to lift over time, especially for older homeowners.
What are the advantages of up and over garage doors?
Up and over garage doors come in variety of styles and materials - from steel, to GRP and timber. As they are a single panel, they can come with windows or with vertical ribs. With fewer moving parts and no insulation, they are often the budget option.
What are the disadvantages of up and over garage doors?
Unfortunately there are quite a few disadvantages to up and over garage doors, which is why a roller garage door is often the upgrade choice.
Up and overs tend to require manual operation. Not only can the pivots and tracks seize up over time, but so can you! These types of doors can be heavy and are simply impractical for older homeowners; it can mean that their garage becomes inaccessible.
They also swing out on opening which means that you always need to park away from the garage door - meaning they aren't suitable for small driveways - and they also store in the garage ceiling, taking up vital storage space.
Up and over garage doors are often not insulated, which means that your garage could become very cold and damp in winter, and hot in summer. They are supplied off the shelf in a range of standard sizes, and because they don't run inside fixed guide rails, there needs to be a gap between the door and the frame - this can let in drafts, water and even small rodents.
Side hinged garage doors
Side hinged garage doors are made up of two doors with hinges built into the side of the framework. These doors open outwards on to your driveway, giving you single, or double access to your garage.
What are the advantages of side hinged garage doors?
This type of garage door is one of the simplest, requiring no tracks, springs or cables. They come in various materials - such as timber and steel - and can also be fitted with personnel doors for easy access.
What are the disadvantages of side hinged garage doors?
Because side hinged garage doors open on to your driveway, you'll need to park some distance from your garage, which can only be done if you have a decent length driveway.
Speaking of driveways, this type of garage door would not be suitable if your driveway sloped down towards your garage as the doors would make contact with the ground before opening fully.
Timber side-hinged doors can also be heavy and require upkeep over time if wood begins to rot or paint starts to flake in the heat of the sun.
Top tips for choosing a new garage door
So, where do you start? Making a choice can be difficult and the options overwhelming, so here are our top 5 tips for choosing a new garage door... Spoiler alert: we'd recommend a roller garage door!
1. What will your garage be used for?
This is usually the first question our team of garage door experts asks when you get in touch with Garolla. Our roller garage doors not only provide you with maximum storage space internally, but they're perfect for short driveways as you can park right up to them. Our Transform and Transform Pro doors are perfect for securing the usual garage possessions, while our Titan and Titan Shield Pack upgrade (our toughest door yet) is the perfect barrier between opportunist thieves and your prized classic car, road bike collection or power tools.
2. How big is your garage opening?
Our range of roller garage doors covers all garage openings up to 5.8m wide. If your garage is opening is above 5m then you'll need the strength and rigidity of our Titan Shield Pack door. Our Titan provides superior strength up to 4m, while our Transform Pro is engineered for garages up to 3.2m and our Transform is suitable for openings up to 2.5m. Garolla doors can also be fitted to double, triple (and more!) garages.
3. What colour and style do you want your garage door?
Because Garolla roller doors roll up neatly into a space-saving top box, the design of our doors is limited to two slat options - 55mm high and 77mm high. However, we believe that these horizontal slats provide a sleek, minimalist and modern look to the front of your property. Our doors are available in up to 21 different powder-coated colours, including a number of woodgrain finishes - easily allowing you to match the design of your home.
4. Do you want to insulate your garage door?
Our roller garage doors slats are all insulated with high-density polyurethane, wrapped in double-skinned aluminium. This 'curtain' of slats runs inside a fixed guide rail system and the bottom of the door is fitted with a heavy-duty rubber weatherproof seal. All of this means that our doors provide excellent insulation and allow you to make more use of your garage. Whether you want to run your business, work out or enjoy your favourite hobby, you'll be able to do so in comfort with a Garolla.
5. How important is garage door security to you?
Garolla garage doors are engineered to withstand everyday life and protect from opportunist criminals. Each door runs in fixed guide rails, while an auto lock fitted to the toughened steel barrel inside the top box prevents the door from being lifted when its locked in place.
Furthermore, we also fit SafeGuard Plus to our Transform Pro, Titan and Titan Shield Pack. It can also be added to a Transform door to help keep people, pets and possessions safe. This is our industry-leading obstacle detection motor (ODM) that instantly rebounds your door should it encounter an obstruction. A range of extras to SafeGuard Plus can also boost security and safety, including a infra-red light curtain for contactless safety, sound alarm and control unit with courtesy light.