Hi Chaps,

Going to replace the "temporary" conventional wooden garage doors I made from scratch when I built the house 15 years ago - cant believe they lasted this long especially since we live on top of a hill in Scotland and on the wet side of the country too!

I want to include some insulation so in the collectives experience what is the best type? Not sure I want an up and over as I remember them failing regularly at my folks house. Am attracted to ruggedness of roller doors but sectional doors are available with thicker insulation and her indoors likes the look.

Are sectional doors robust? I'm fitting 2 one will be electric the other manual and like most of us I store high value tools etc in the garage so security is a concern but I don't want to get neurotic about it.

Thoughts and experiences much appreciated.

Was looking at garagedoorsale.co.uk Novaferm anyone used them?

Cheers!

I've got these doors, based up in the very windy and very wet far north of Scotland and they seem to do the job. Insulated and have some decent security features like anti jacking etc.

http://www.dpdoorsandshutters.co.uk/filedepository/documents/SeceuroGlide_Brochure.pdf

Didn't buy them from this company and I have nothing to do with them, it's the only brochure I could find of the doors I have.

My side hinged doors are rotten so looking for info on this too- keep the posts coming please!

Hate the up and over in my garage, saving to get rid of and fit a roller door.

Up and over cons

The springs break, loads of force if they break free it will hurt

You cannot park up against them and still open

It's easy to be moving your car and if not fully up they come crashing down on your cars roof/bonnet

Hard for short people to operate unless powered

Take up a lot of internal space at front of your garage

I have a strip light at the front, when open it obscures this so rubbish if you just want the nose in to work out the rain and keep another car inside.

Grrrghnh hate the bloody thing

quote:

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Originally posted by dubzter
I've got these doors, based up in the very windy and very wet far north of Scotland and they seem to do the job. Insulated and have some decent security features like anti jacking etc.

http://www.dpdoorsandshutters.co.uk/filedepository/documents/SeceuroGlide_Brochure.pdf

Didn't buy them from this company and I have nothing to do with them, it's the only brochure I could find of the doors I have.

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That securoglide looks supiciously similar to thermaglide - same controls, electronics, the lot.

There were a lot of issues with thermaglide doors, particularly the electronics being dodgy (the company supplying closed down and "phoenixed" to avoid fixing all the issues) and the lockstraps breaking - there are 7 of them on my door and they were breaking every 9 months or so, they are £40 each to replace - I fashioned a makeshift replacement with rope which has worked for several without issue.

If you do buy a roller and it uses lockstraps be sure to question their warranty and supply.

I've had swing out garage doors, slide sideways doors, and I currently have both roll up and sectional overhead doors.

If you're adding insulation a sectional overhead door with a garage door opener wins hands down.

I really like the metal roll up doors, but there's no way to seal the top gap securely and should they get jammed, which happens more than you'd expect, they are all but impossible to get them un jammed.

There's jamming through the chain twisting up in the top mechanism but the worst is the bottom latch getting caught underneath the edge of the side track. That simply can't be fixed unless you can get inside to pry it into the proper position.

I have been looking into new doors too, and from my findings Sectional appear to come out on top for reliability and for quality per pound.

would also like to hear from people who have real world experience though.

When I built my workshop, I opted for an insulated, electric roller door. Partly because is did everything I wanted it to, and partly because it was ex-display and £570 or so delivered. Mine's an SWS Securoglide and it's been faultless so far. It could do with a clean though, as I've done a lot of very dusty work recently and the hinges between the sections could pivot more smoothly. They used to, I just can't be bothered to give it a wash as I'm moving out on Friday!

Fitting it was easy, and I even managed to get the curtain fitted by myself. I did find a way of sealing the cover plates at the top, but if they ever need taking apart it'll be a massive PITA to do now. The electrics were also dead simple, as was setting up the remote controls. My base unit also has a light in the top, so you can see your way round the garage before the lights are on. I have inadvertently tested the anti-trap feature once or twice, and it has stopped the door before doing anything any damage.

Compared to an up and over, their just isn't any choice, unless cost is a primary factor. Once fitted, the door takes up very little space, is easy to operate, reliable and keeps the place draft free and warm/cold as per the weather. I can't say how it compares to sectional doors as I've never had them. The only thing I can foresee "normal" doors having over this type of door is the ability to open them and sling a cover over to give a little extra room in poor weather.