5 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Garage Door

If you need a new garage door, you’ll want to choose one that compliments the overall look of your property. These days, there are countless designs, sizes and mechanisms available to choose from. What’s more, your garage probably houses your most expensive posession – your car. So you’ll want to ensure that your new garage door is secure as well as stylish. Read on to find out the top 5 tips for choosing the perfect garage door.


1. Consider your price range

uPVC garage door
Image via Pinterest
Your price range will depend on what material you’d like for your garage door. Generally, timber doors are the most expensive, whereas steel and uPVC garage doors are the cheapest. The price is also based on the mechanism behind the door, so a typical up and over door made from timber could be £800, whereas a vertically boarded sliding door made out of the same material could be up to £3,000. So decide on a price range so you know what options are available to you.

2. Decide what material you want

You can choose between a number of garage door materials:

  • Steel
  • Timber
  • Aluminium
  • PVC
  • GRP (Glassfibre reinforced plastics)

Your budget will partly determine what material you use, but you might also want to think about what your neighbours have. If your garage door is completely different to everyone else’s, it might stand out and could even affect the price of your property if you come to sell it.

Another consideration is the area you live in. If you live near the sea, a steel door isn’t a good choice because it may corrode quickly due to saltwater. And if you live in a conservation area, you might need to have a timber door or a steel door with a laminate woodgrain finish.

3. Decide which mechanism suits your garage

You can’t just consider the design and size of a garage door. The mechanism that your door is based on needs to fit what your garage is like. For example, if you have a narrow garage with little space near the entrance, a roller door is probably best.

If you use your garage a lot, a side hinged door will suit you best as it just opens like a normal door. They also suit garages with low ceilings compared to sectional doors, because sectional doors require a lot of headroom.

4. Make sure the garage door you choose is secure

up-and-over garage door
Image via Pinterest
Garage doors today come with the industry standard lock, which is a euro profile cylinder with internal locking rods. Industry experts say these are the most secure types of garage door:

  • Double-skinned sectional doors
  • Steel up-and-over doors
  • Insulated aluminium roller doors

If the lock is good, but the door panel is flimsy, you’re still not going to be protected from burglars. Make sure that if you opt for an electric door opener you ensure that your door has latching devices so it is still secure.

5. Choose a reliable and low-maintenance garage door

Most of us don’t want to spend our free time maintaining our garage doors, so ensure you choose something that will only need a bit of looking after. GRP and uPVC garage doors require no long term maintenance, except from a clean every now and again.

If you use your garage a lot, you may occasionally need to look at the mechanism, but most of the time your garage door should be able to be left alone.

Beware of cheap garage doors – if a door is too cheap, it will most likely cost you more in the long term every time you have to get it repaired.

Emily Rivers

Emily Rivers is the Customer Experience Manager at Quotatis. She informs customers of the latest developments in a range of products so they can make the best choice for their homes and ensures they get the best out of our service.