Garage Door Finishes, Materials, Colours & Sizing

There are several materials commonly used for garage doors which typically include steel, timber, fibre-glass and aluminium. Below is a snapshot of their benefits and some other factors to consider:

Steel: Steel is the most popular material for garage doors – both as a single skin of steel and as an insulated sandwich panel – because it is durable, low-maintenance, and can be painted or textured to resemble other material. Steel up and over garage doors offer the best value of all garage doors. As a slight negative steel is relatively heavy so will rely on some form of counterbalance mechanism – this is normally springs but can be counterweights. At the end of its service life, steel garage doors can be recycled.

Timber: Timber garage doors are a popular option because they are natural, beautiful and can be customised to match the style of your home whether modern or traditional. Garage doors are typically made from Western Red Cedar because it has a high resin content so resists water whilst also being lighter than most other woods with similar properties. Timber is most often stained but can also be painted in any colour. Some steel doors use a skin of timber to combine the strength and security of steel with the aesthetic of timber.  However, timber garage doors require more maintenance than other materials and are more expensive.  Again, timber doors can be recycled at the end of their service life.

Aluminium: Aluminium is lightweight, durable, and low-maintenance and is used in garage doors almost exclusively in roller garage doors. This is because roller garage doors typically don’t have a counterbalance mechanism and the lightweight nature of an aluminium door mean the motor can easily control the weight. Aluminium doors come in a range of standard powder coated finishes but can be finished in any RAL or BS colour too. Aluminium doors are also popular in coastal locations as they are more resistant to saline than steel – please see our section on ‘What is the best door for coastal locations?’ for more in depth information. Whilst aluminium doors can be repainted, this is significantly more challenging than other door types due to the preparation required. Aluminium doors are readily recycled at the end of their service life.

Fibreglass / GRP: Fibreglass, otherwise known as GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic), garage doors are made of woven fibreglass built over a timber subframe. They are particularly popular in coastal locations due to their resistance to saline. Their other strong point is that they can be painted or stained to achieve very realistic timber effects, without the maintenance burden of real wood. Fitted to a steel frame and chassis they also offer a good level of security. They are available in a wide range of styles and finishes, in both stains as mentioned but also a range of popular solid colours. Whilst they are resistant to dents, if they are hit too hard you can punch a hole through the door panel itself as, like all fibre-glass products, they are quite brittle in the areas that are not timber backed.. Fibre-glass doors are not a particularly environmental choice as they cannot be recycled at the end of their service life and are relatively expensive.

Each material has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to consider your budget, style preferences, and maintenance requirements when choosing a garage door material.

Get in touch for more information.

There is a huge range of customisation available on garage doors so whatever the style you want to achieve, or existing door that you are trying to match, we can help.

As standard options there is a vast selection in terms of different shapes and sizes of windows, stainless steel decals, a wide range of standard and non-standard colours and all in a variety of materials.

When you have a need that is beyond the items available as standard then certain suppliers such as Ryterna and Cedar Door can make the door truly bespoke – matching either a custom drawn design or design queues from other parts of your home. In these cases we will produce either a hand drawn or CAD technical drawing so that you can see how your door will look before it is made.

For inspiration you can visit the bespoke section of our gallery page at www.upandoverdoorsltd.co.uk/gallery/bespoke.

Get in touch today and let us help turn your ideas into reality.

There are a wide range of RAL colours available as standard from all the suppliers but sometimes you still can’t get the match that you need.

In these cases we can get a bespoke colour match to suit your needs – in many cases the manufacturers themselves can provide a match from the full RAL or BS spectrum which includes over 400 different colours. In addition to this we can also get matches to the range of Farrow & Ball colours. If the manufacturer are unable to match the colours themselves then we can arrange to have your door colour matched ourselves by our powder coaters.

The benefit of using colours in the RAL spectrum is that they are used across virtually all industries so enables you to match colours across different products by matching the four digit code assigned to each colour.

If the colour you want is not covered by any of the normal colour spectrums then if you can supply a sample of your colour then we can send it to the manufacturer who can scan it and then send us a sample of the proposed colour match to ensure that it meets your expectations before your door is then made.

We would love to help with your project so get in touch today and put us to the test.

Garage doors for coastal locations should be able to withstand high winds, heavy rain, and saltwater exposure. Here are some garage door materials that are suitable for coastal areas:

1. Fibreglass: Fibreglass garage doors are a good option for coastal locations because they are resistant to corrosion, resistant to saline and can withstand high winds and heavy rain.
2. Aluminium: Aluminum garage doors are durable and can withstand harsh weather conditions, including saltwater exposure. They are also lightweight and low-maintenance.
3. Steel: Whilst most steel garage doors would not be recommended for a coastal location, it is possible to specify stainless steel doors and hardware – whilst this is a relatively expensive option it does give the best strength and reliability. It is often possible to pair stainless steel hardware with aluminium or fibreglass doors to.

When choosing a garage door for a coastal location, it’s important to choose a material that is resistant to corrosion and can withstand harsh weather conditions. Additionally, you may want to consider installing a garage door with impact-resistant glass to protect your home during severe weather events.

For more information on the range of options available get in touch today.

Simply put, no.

Garage doors were available with a uPVC door leaf, normally fitted to a steel chassis and frame, but due to issues around reliability and relatively high price point they were discontinued by all suppliers. The closest to uPVC / plastic doors are fibre-glass doors which are much more rigid and therefore more suitable as a garage door. Fibre-glass is also what the external skin of composite entrance doors are made from.

When choosing a garage door to match your composite door, it’s important to consider several factors such as the style, colour and material of both doors.

Composite front doors have external and internal skins of fibre-glass so the simplest answer is a fibre-glass door. However, fibre-glass doors are available in a relatively narrow range of styles – and often not in modern styles – as well as being expensive compared to other materials so you may want to consider a range of other doors as described below:

Here are some options to consider:

1. Sectional garage doors: These doors are available with a woodgrain texture to the face of the door which is often a close match to grained composite doors. They can also be customised to match the colour and style of your composite door.
2. Side-hinged garage doors: These doors are designed to swing open like traditional doors and are available in a range of materials, including timber and steel. If you want a traditional look for your garage door to match your composite door, then side-hinged garage doors can be a good option.
3. Roller garage doors: These doors roll up and store overhead, which makes them an ideal option if you’re looking to save space in your garage. They are typically made from aluminium or plastisol coated steel which can give a surface-texture similar to that of your composite door, and in a range of colours to match.
4. Up and over garage doors: Whilst up and over garage doors are typically smooth surfaced, they are available in the widest range of styles so are most likely to have a style to suit your composite door.

Ultimately, the best garage door match for a composite door depends on your personal style preferences and the overall aesthetic of your home. Get in touch and we’d be happy to help choose the best option for your needs.

Timber is an enduringly popular option for garage doors and is available in both up and over, sectional and side-hinged varieties to suit your home. Whether you want a traditional panelled style or modern wide-boarded look, we have the door for you.

The timber we use in our garage doors is almost always Western Red Cedar which has many excellent properties including natural resistance to water and lightweight which make it ideal for this purpose. Beware of cheap doors made out of pine as they typically won’t last more than a couple of years at most before needing to be replaced.

Get in touch today to find out more.

Yes, there are a huge range of front doors available making it possible to find a cohesive look for your home.

Some door suppliers offer both garage doors and front entrance doors so they can be made to exactly match garage doors, down to the depth and spacing of the ribs in the door. When you don’t need an exact match, virtually all front door suppliers offer a range of colours in the RAL and BS palettes that are designed to ensure the closest possible match.  Using similar materials and features such as windows can further emphasise the connection. To ensure that your front doors match your garage door, you should consider the following factors:

1. Material: Choose a material that matches your garage door, such as composite (fibre-glass), wood, steel, or aluminium.
2. Colour: Select a colour that complements your garage door. With matching colour palettes shared between front doors and garage doors an exact match is possible or for a bold statement you could choose a colour that contrasts with your garage door.
3. Style: Choose a front door style that complements your garage door style. If your garage door is modern, you could choose a sleek, contemporary front door to match or for a more traditional look elegant panelled front doors can be selected to match the panelling in your garage door. Our suppliers offer the option for bespoke designs for true synergy.
4. Hardware: Make sure the hardware on your front door matches the hardware on your garage door. For example, if your garage door has brushed chrome hardware then specify your front door with matching hardware.

By considering these factors, you can find front doors that match your garage door and create a cohesive and attractive look for your home. The following link will take you to our front door page.

When you want to bring natural light into your garage, or you have a specific design or planning need for your garage door to look a certain way that involves windows, then rest assured that virtually all garage doors can have windows.

The simplest type of windows are the vision strips which are the glazing option on insulated roller garage doors. This takes the form of one of the slats of your door being replaced with a special ‘vision lath’ which consists of a non-insulated extruded aluminium section which has a strip of small windows, each one measuring 100mm wide x 50mm deep, across it. The most popular option where you want glazing in a roller door is to have 2 or 3 of these strips in the top of the door, normally starting 2 slats down from the top of the visible door curtain. There is a maximum number of vision strips possible in one door which is typically determined by no more than ⅓ of the door curtain having these slats.

For up and over garage doors then windows are available in panelled style doors where the window units are designed to seamlessly blend with the style of the door and also most popularly in the Salisbury style door to mimic the 1930s side-hinged style of door with the top quarter of the door all glazed. In these styles of door the glazing is polycarbonate and typically frosted – polycarbonate is used as it is stronger and lighter than traditional glazing. On some timber garage doors the windows can be custom specified to suit your design and are made of toughened glass rather than polycarbonate.

The widest style range of glazing is available for insulated sectional garage doors and insulated side-hinged garage doors. These doors can have traditional rectangular units, stainless steel units in either round, square or long rectangular styles and colour matched to the doors. In the stainless steel surrounded windows the glazing is toughened glass and is double-skinned. The positioning of the windows is totally up to you – although most often the windows are either dressed evenly across the top quarter of the door or stepped down one side. Finally, they can also be specified in the 1930s style, or a range of retro styles to achieve a more rural or traditional aesthetic.

Whatever your goals, we will have a solution to match – get in touch today to begin your enquiry and visit us to see the range of windows available in real life.

All the garage doors that we offer are available in made-to-measure sizes – in fact the vast majority of sectional garage doors and all roller garage doors are made-to-measure to suit your exact garage size as standard.

Up and over garage doors are most typically specified in standard sizes, but they are also available in made-to-measure sizes when an off the shelf solution just won’t do the job. It’s worth noting that not all styles of up and over garage door are available in made-to-measure sizes – normally the styles that are suitable are the standard narrow rib and panelled doors. Also, a made-to-measure up and over garage door costs around 20-30% more than the equivalent standard sized door. As such, wherever possible we would suggest trying to use a standard size door for up and over type doors in particular – for a list of the standard sizes, and their sizes including frames, take a look at our article ‘What are standard sizes for garage doors?’

In terms of side-hinged garage doors then whilst they are offered in a range of standard sizes they are also very often made-to-measure to suit, and all the styles are available as a made-to-measure door.

In conclusion then, whatever you need we would be pleased to help – get in touch today.

Whilst garage doors are available in virtually any size it is often more economic, the doors more readily available and in a wider range of styles to specify a standard sized door.

This isn’t so relevant for sectional garage doors, roller garage doors and insulated side-hinged garage doors, which are typically made to measure as standard, but for up and over garage doors in particular it is usually the best bet to have the door in a standard size, particularly if you are building a new garage and can choose the size of your opening.

For pricing purposes, sectional garage doors and single-skin roller garage doors are typically priced in one foot / 300mm increments, insulated side-hinged doors and insulated roller doors are priced in 500mm increments and single-skin steel side-hinged doors and up and over garage doors are priced in a wide range of sizes between 6’6 and 8’0, and then in feet increments thereafter.

Whether you are replacing an existing garage door, planning a new build or just after some advice get in touch today.

Garage doors are available in virtually any size but typically the maximum size for a normal domestic sized door is 5500mm.

For insulated roller doors the size is slightly smaller at 5200mm and for up and over type doors it is 4879mm (16’).

The doors that can be the widest are insulated sectional garage doors – this is because their double-skinned foam filled construction makes them especially rigid so that when the door is in the open position the panels don’t distort. This is further enhanced with special reinforcing bars that fix to the rear of each panel in over-width sizes. If you have the space to accommodate the larger spring mechanisms required then sectional garage doors are available up to 7000mm wide, although doors of this size are unusual. Doors of this size would have to be motorised, and the motor systems are more specialist than those used normally on domestic garage doors and as such are significantly more expensive.

Whatever your requirement, get in touch today and we will be pleased to discuss the feasibility and find the best option for you.

Garage doors come in a wide range of sizes but there are some limits to how small a garage door can be.

For up and over type doors the minimum standard width is 6 foot / 1830mm wide, although it is possible to have a door as narrow as 1500mm in a made-to-measure size, and 6 foot / 1830mm high but again, the door can be lower, down to 1600mm high – but at this height the doors aren’t very practical for regular use.

For roller doors the narrowest width is typically 1 metre wide and can be any height. The width for manual doors is largely because they have to have a certain amount of weight to easily close, but they can have a weight bar attached to overcome this. For automated doors the actual motor that lifts the door, along with the associated hardware, is 1 metre wide so it can’t be narrower than this.

Sectional doors typically have a minimum standard width of 6 foot 10 inches / 2034mm, but can be made to measure for narrower sizes, but again the practicality of the doors is the main consideration once they get to be less than 1 metre wise. Height wise, they can be any height again, the consideration of practicality is key here.

Finally, for side-hinged doors the minimum standard width for a twin leafed door is 6 foot 6 inches / 2000mm but they can be made-to-measure down to 1300mm. At widths narrower than this then the doors can be had as just a single leaf door, which can then be more or less any width, but much narrower than 600mm and the door opening isn’t very useful.

In conclusion, there is a door width to suit even the narrowest and lowest of garage openings, but the consideration of how practical the openings will then be needs to be thought through.

We would be really pleased to talk through your requirements and provide advice to help you decide – get in touch today.