Garage Door Lifting Gear and Materials explained
Canopy Gear (described as O/H, Canopy, Safelift, and Overhead Spring) protrudes out of opening approximately 1/3 when open.
Advantage - Simplest gear to install, allow greatest drive through width, usually cheapest to buy.
Disadvantages - Can be difficult to install remote control, except when using a bespoke operator i.e. Cardale Canopy door and Autoglide Operator.
Tracked Gear (described as Tracked, Fully Retractable, Slide-Away, S/A,)
The door swings out further during operation, and then back on tracks into garage, when open, it is almost fully under the roof when open.
Advantages - Smoother, lighter operation than canopy gear, ideal for electric automation.
Disadvantages - Slightly more expensive than Canopy gear, on some single doors, the lifting arms will diminish drive through width.
Sectional Doors
Lift vertically and back along ceiling tracks into garage.
Advantages . Able to park vehicles very close in front and inside garage, ideal for people carriers and 4x4s' and short driveways. Ideal for electrical operation. Very safe operation. Available insulated. Weather seals all round.
Disadvantages - More expensive and take longer to fit, limited designs.
Roller Doors Roll up garage door, to be fitted behind brickwork opening.
Advantages Able to park vehicles very close to door, available in pre-finished and maintence free finishes, many colours, able to electric operator.
Disadvantages Require a lot of headroom inside garage for roll, one design only.
Insulated Roller Doors Roll up garage door to be fitted behind brick work opening.
Advantages Insulated with weather seals, electric operation as standard, fully finished in many colours, able to park vehicles very close to door.
Disadvantage s Require headroom, limited design.
Materials
Steel Available, Primed, Powder coated, Plastisol Coated in White, Black, Dark Brown, Mahogany etc.
Timber Cedarwood, Hemlock, Nordic Pine, Marine Ply backed with Cedarwood facings. Normally base coated for on site finishing
G.R.P Fibreglass, Many colours, and designs, available in White High Gloss and coloured woodgrain finishes.
ABS Impact resistant white, which will closely match PVCu doors and window frames.
