General Garage Door Information

Measuring your own garage door opening is a relatively simple process that can be done following the steps below:

1. Measure the width of the garage opening: Use a tape measure to measure the width of the opening at the widest point. Take measurements from the inside face of the door jamb on one side to the inside face on the other side.
2. Measure the height of the garage opening: Measure the height of the opening from the floor to the top of the opening. Take measurements from the inside face of the doorjamb to the floor.
3. Measure the headroom: This refers to the distance between the top of the door opening and the ceiling of the garage. Measure this distance to ensure there is enough space for the door to operate properly.
4. Measure the backroom: This refers to the distance from the back of the garage to the inside face of the door jamb. Measure this distance to ensure there is enough space for the door to fully open and close.
5. Measure the side room: Measure the distance from the inside face of the door jamb to the nearest wall or obstruction on each side. This will help determine if you need a special track system to accommodate any obstructions.

To take note of the measurements and act as a visual guide we have a site survey template which you can download for free by following this link:

Once you have these measurements, you can then send them to us to get accurate pricing without the need for us to visit. Following the tried and tested rule of ‘measure twice, cut once’, if you then wanted to proceed with your quotation we would attend for free to double check all the measurements. Accurate measurements are vital to ensure the best fit and function of your garage door.

Yes, garage doors can be insulated. In fact, insulating garage doors is a common practice to help keep the garage and any rooms connected to it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, as well as to reduce noise and improve energy efficiency – which is particularly important with current energy costs.

There are a few different ways to insulate a garage door, depending on the type of door and the insulation material. Here are some of the most common methods:

1. Insulated garage doors: There are a range of garage doors which come with insulation as standard. The most effective of these is double-skinned steel sectional garage doors which can achieve U Values as low as 1.0 W/m²K. The same insulated steel panels are available in side-hinged doors too. Roller doors constructed of double-skinned aluminium offer a degree of insulation with a U Value of around 3 W/m2K but are not as effective as sectional garage door panels. With modern manufacturing techniques many different styles can be achieved, including timber faced doors, to combine thermal and acoustic benefits to match any home.
2. Retro-Fit Insulation panels: If your garage door is not already insulated, you can add insulation panels to the inside of the door. These panels are typically made of polystyrene or polyurethane foam and are attached to the door with adhesive or clips. This is better than not, but is nowhere near as effective as a garage door that is built and designed with insulation in mind.
3. Spray foam insulation: Another option is to use spray foam insulation to fill the gaps between the panels of the garage door. This is a more labour-intensive option, but it can provide better insulation than panels but often at the expense of the function of the door.

It’s important to note that while insulating your garage door can help improve energy efficiency and comfort, it’s not a replacement for proper sealing and insulation of the walls and ceiling in the garage. For best results, it’s recommended to insulate the entire garage, including the door, walls, and ceiling.

Get in touch today to find out about our insulated garage doors, and options to help insulate and fit out your whole garage.

The most insulated of all the garage door types – both thermal and acoustic – is the sectional garage door.

Typically constructed of twin skin steel panels with a foam core (although also available in solid timber) the doors in the normal specification are 40mm thick and, depending on the doors gasket seals and the fitting position, can have a U Value of as little as 1.35 w/m2k, which is equivalent to a brick wall.

For situations where you need to have an exceptional level of thermal then the doors can be supplied in a 67mm thick variant which reduces the U Value to only 1.0 w/m2k, which is the same performance as the most insulated front entrance doors and double-glazed windows can achieve.

There are two doors which are best suited for situations where space saving is the top priority – the roller door and the side-hinged door.

Where you need to maximise all the available space both inside and outside the garage then a roller garage door with the minimum space requirement in the compact variant requires internal space of just 205mm x 205mm. This means that the door has a very low impact spatially, and with vertical opening also requires no external space meaning that cars or other items can be very close to the outside of the door and it can still be operated.

Alternatively, the side-hinged type garage doors take up absolutely no space within the garage (apart from the slender profile of the door and its frame) making it ideal for situations where storage space within the garage is at a premium. However, the trade-off is that as the doors open outwards they do require the most space in front of the doors of any garage door type. In addition, if you have a driveway that slopes upwards in front of the garage openings then these doors may not be practical as the door leaves, depending on the gradient of your drive, may be restricted from opening fully.

In more niche scenarios we can supply sectional garage doors – which provide the best functionality of any garage door – with special track arrangements that can run flush with the internal ceiling, including angled ceilings.

Get in touch today to let us know what you need to achieve and we will provide the best solution.

In most cases, you will not need planning permission to change your garage door. This is because garage doors are generally considered to be a permitted development, which means that you can make changes to them without seeking planning permission from your local authority.

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, if your property is in a conservation area or if it is a listed building, you may need to seek planning permission before making any changes to your garage door.

Additionally, if you live in a leasehold property, you may need to check your lease agreement to see if there are any restrictions on changing your garage door. There can be covenants in certain areas requiring the garage doors to conform to a uniform appearance – this doesn’t mean you can’t change your garage door but it does mean some care will be needed to find the closest match to the prevailing style. Where there is a specific colour required we can get doors in any colour to match – either direct from the manufacturer or we can get them custom finished to suit before they arrive to you.

One thing to also be aware of is that on some new developments some covered parking spaces are specified as car ports, rather than open garages, and local councils can be resistant to the addition of a garage door as there is a perception that they will then not be used for parking but for storage.

If in doubt, it is always a good idea to check with your local planning authority before making any significant changes to your property, just to be sure that you are not breaking any regulations or requirements. A certificate of lawful development can be obtained as proof that you have made the appropriate enquiries.

We’d be really happy to discuss this with you in more detail, just get in touch today.

The majority of garage doors come with 2 keys. In addition, nearly all modern garage doors have the ability to be locked and unlocked from the inside. The notable exception to this is the Secure By Design ‘Guardian’ range of up and over doors from Garador which have no internal handle for enhanced security.

Where more keys are required than those supplied as standard then in some cases these can be supplied directly by the manufacturer but usually it would require a trip to a locksmiths to get the extra keys you required cut.

For more advice or information about specific door types get in touch today with one of our garage door installers.

At the top of a lot of people’s requirements for their garage door is that it be watertight. This makes a lot of sense as damp getting into the garage means that items stored in the garage can either be damaged directly by water ingress or it can make the garage generally damp, causing mildew and mould to form on your items in the colder months of the year.

Of the garage door types, insulated garage doors – sectional garage doors, roller garage doors and insulated side hinged garage doors – all have robust weatherseals integrated into the doors themselves. This takes the form of a rubber seal in the leading edge of the door where the door meets the floor, creating a compression seal to the floor. In addition, they typically have seals all around the frame – either rubber seals or nylon brush seals – which stop water from pushing through the door. It’s important to note that the seal at the bottom edge of the door is only as good as the floor it is closing against. As such, if your floor is cracked or significantly out of level then the seal may not be as good as you want.

In this scenario we would recommend installing a Weather Stop Floor Seal. This is a ramped rubber seal (think of it as a mini sleeping policeman) which attaches to the floor with a bitumen type seal. The doors own rubber seal then closes against the rubber floor seal, creating the best seal possible. The ramped nature of the Weather Stop floor seal means that getting wheeled items in and out is still easy – and they are suitable to be driven over regularly. They are available in different thicknesses to suit different applications and for more commercial or heavy use applications the strip can be aluminium instead, and mechanically fixed to the floor.

For doors that are not insulated – such as up and over garage doors and non-insulated side-hinged garage doors – they typically always have a gap between the bottom edge of the door panel and the floor. They do though normally have rubber seals at the sides and rebates within the frame to provide weather protection. For these types of doors then again, the Weather Stop floor seal is the best solution.

Other popular options for up and over garage garage doors and side hinged garage doors are the more traditional brush strip or rubber strip attached to the bottom edge of the door leaf. In our experience they are less effective than the Weather Stop floor seal but if you don’t want anything fixed to the floor, or if you have a particularly large gap to fill, then this may be the choice for you.

In addition when we install doors we always point the frame into the garage opening with a flexible silicone bead to stop water penetration between the frame and the garage itself.

For the most effective solution for sealing between the frame and the garage structure we have our unique Frame Barrier. This is a dense foam layer that cushions the door, stops water and wind penetration and for insulated doors can act as a thermal break.

All the solutions detailed above can be fitted to new garage door installations and also retro-fitted to existing garage doors.

It is important to note that whilst all these solutions provide an excellent solution and will work to make your door as sealed as it can be, in extreme weather conditions or following prolonged periods of wetness it is still possible for water to penetrate into the garage.

Whatever your requirement, get in touch today and we would be pleased to assist.

Of particular relevance in more rural locations, but equally a problem that is encountered in urban environments, is how to stop pests such as rodents and insects from getting into your garage. Whilst it may seem a small nuisance, it is surprising how much damage can be done in a short period of time!

As per the section ‘How do I stop water from getting through my garage door?’, the same solutions that prevent water getting into your garage are the same ones that will stop pests from getting in.

In particular, the Weather Stop floor seal, due to its solid nature, is effective at blocking the space at the bottom of your door and is more difficult for creatures to squeeze through. The rubber strip and brush strip attached to the bottom edge of the door offer less protection as due to their flexible nature pests can push through them.

Whilst taking these steps might stop pests from getting through the garage door, if other parts of your garage are not particularly sealed then they may still find their way in!

For more information and friendly advice get in touch today.

The majority of garage doors are supplied with nylon plastic handles in black which are reliable, functional and designed to blend in with the door style. Typically they take the form of a ‘knob’ handle which you turn to release the doors locks and then swing the door open.

Sometimes however the colour or style of your door can be enhanced by something a bit different.

For up and over garage doors the vast majority of suppliers offer a range of alternative handles, typically made from metal, and are available in chrome, white, brass and brushed steel finishes.

For sectional doors and side-hinged doors there are a wider range of handles available, and they can also be colour-matched to suit any colour.

On non-insulated side-hinged garage doors then again a ‘knob’ handle is standard, but this can be upgraded to be a lever handle.

The widest range of handles are available on insulated side-hinged garage doors. Lever handles in black, white or bare aluminium are standard – with the door hinges typically in a matching colour. The style of these handles can also be specified from a wide range. For the most modern lock, they can be upgraded to more modern stainless steel bar handles on either just the leading door leaf or both. Alternatively the doors can have no handle at all for a modern flush look. In these cases the door is secured and opened with just a key.

On motorised doors such as sectional garage doors and roller garage doors there would normally be no external handle, and motorised up and over garage doors can also be specified to have no external handle, which is particularly popular on timber garage doors.