Garages are where vehicles are stored for their safekeeping, this means that the door locking them in also has to be made sturdy but it also should be easily accessed so that the vehicle can be easily taken out to be used every day. Garage doors may look deceptively simple, but there’s a whole lot more going with them. Let’s find out:
Apart from single panel doors, what other styles are there?
The typical overhead garage doors are all built as a single piece panel which is mounted on either side using an unequal parallelogram feature of the hinge style lifting mechanism. But the newer models use several panels that are hinged together so that they roll along on a system made up of tracks which are guided using the help of rollers. The weight of that door can come to be around 400 lb or even more, but it is balanced out using a pair of extension springs or even a spring system which is known as torsion. Along with this, a remote-controlled mechanism is used for opening the doors. This allows for safety, security, and convenience.
The materials which make up garage doors:
- Aluminum garage doors: These doors are light, low cost, rust proof as well as low on maintenance. But they also dent easily since aluminum isn’t strong and they are also energy inefficient. This is because aluminum is material which is highly conductive.
- Vinyl and fiberglass garage doors: These form composite units by combining a steel core behind a vinyl or a fiberglass skin. Apart from this, these types of garage doors also use base sections that are polyurethane insulated or have any other form of foam insulation. They can be used as an imitation of wood and can also match steel garage doors but they very well could be more expensive than steel units.
- Steel garage doors: These, on the other hand, are pretty common, come in a variety of styles and sizes, are ideally great for security, have insulating (optional), cost competitive and can also be available with two or three layers of galvanized steel for extra strength.
- Wood garage doors: These look aesthetically pleasing but are high maintenance as well as expensive. Moreover, low-cost wooden doors may break easily.
Maintenance and safety
Garage doors do cause property damage as well as injury in various ways- these include falling doors, improperly adjusted opener, pinch points while attempting repairing yourself without adequate knowledge of the tools or mechanism and more as such. So, maintenance of garage doors should be carried out by following the process mentioned in the manufacturer’s instructions. These generally consist of a visual inspection of parts as well as checks to ensure if it is operating correctly. Don’t attempt to fix anything if you are unsure of how something works, always refer to a professional.
Garage doors should be maintained properly so that it lasts longer and doesn’t cause anyone any injury as such. It is advisable that while buying them one thinks of what they want to see in a garage door- aesthetic or sturdiness, and choose according to that.