Read more about Garage Doors:
- Garage door styles
- Functionality
- Security
- Types
- Automation
- Maintenance
- Before you buy
- Program your remote
Garage door styles
by David Kerr of D.A.R Garage Doors
Over the years garages have moved away from a being an out building
or storage facility to becoming an extension of one’s house and is
more than often the focal point when entering one’s home. Garages
and the appearance of your garage door now play a vital role in
“curb appearance” and substantially increases value of your property.
Now Days a garage doors need to have a functional purpose incorporating
safety, security and convenience along with ascetically pleasing qualities.
Functionality
Garage doors need to be functional and convenient in the sense that they have
a purpose in safe guarding your personal belongings. Advanced opener technology
now allows for doors to be opened and closed via automation systems which are
quieter and faster thus adding to the convenience of opening and closing your
garage doors. Automation of your doors will depend on the type of door you choose.
Security
In current times it has become apparent that safety is a key area of focus
when it comes to entering your home. Garage doors need to be a deterrent in
terms of point of entry for burglars Whilst Automation systems give you the
safety and convenience of not having to climb out of your vehicle in order to
open or close your garage.
Types of Garage Doors
There are three main types of doors that one can choose from.
Fiber glass Garage doors
These are light weight doors that have been hand crafted. They are known for their
light weight and durability- Fibre-Glass doors offer a variety of colors and designs
and are even molded to look like wooden doors.
Steel Garage Doors
These doors are generally galvanized/chromadek and come in a few STD colors-also can be
painted to suit your requirements. They too come in few STD patters – raised and fielded
and slated. A cheaper roll up door option is available too in variety of STD colors and are
easily automated . Steel doors offer clean crisp lines and are renowned for their durability
and low maintenance.
Timber / Wood Garage Door
Timber doors are proving to be more and more popular as they come in various designs and
can be custom made to your specific requirements. They add a stylish and warm appearance
to your home. Timber doors are often incorporated into the design of the house as they
have a variety of designs to suit your architectural style. It has long been a fallacy
that the maintenance of wood or timber doors is extensive, this is incorrect as now days
all that is required to maintain your door is a gently wipe over with a specific oil.
This will allow for the wood to breath and show off its natural beauty Whist protecting
it from any harsh elements.
Wooden doors are generally manufactured from Meranti or your choice of hard woods on request.
These are hard wearing timbers which are able to withstand harsh outdoor weather conditions.
Automation
There are many new and old brands of automations available – there are the local brands that
we suggest as they have the backups available in the event you require them. There has been
so many improvements over last few years in regards to the way the machine is made up going
from worm drive back to chain drive units- this is a smoother and quieter operating automation.
Battery backup also been introduced over last few years has really made a big difference for
the home owner. no more being locked out of your garage and some times your house in the event
of a power failure. This adds to your peace of mind .The remote systems have also gone through
a huge change- going to a safer rolling code system. No more criminals hacking your binary code
and gaining entrance whilst you are out. The rolling code gives you total peace of mind that
your automation and your remotes only communicate with each other, with no chance of outside interference.
Maintenance
Garage doors are sometimes forgotten- people need to understand that a garage door and the automation
have moving parts that require maintenance, they open and close daily and therefore in order for them
to continue working effectively they need maintenance. The spring has a life span and to get the most
out of it you will need to keep it well lubed and not smeared in grease. It’s a common fault that
door gets over greased and this collect dirt and sand which causes a gritty past that only further
damages your door and automation.
Its best you call in the installer to check and re adjust springs and lubricate necessary parts when
doing the service- THIS SHOULD BE DONE BY A QUALIFIED INSTALLER AS THE TORSION SPRING IS UNDER VERY
HIGH TENSION AND COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURIES AND DEATH.
Before you buy
Garage doors are usually a standard size. Styles on the other hand are a different matter and in most
cases are reliant on the type of materials being used. Price tags are also reliant on both style,
material and garage door designs.
Steel is one choice and are very affordable both upfront and in terms of maintenance. Steel doors can
be constructed as sectionals, roll-ups or tilt-ups and can be mounted on tracks. A word of warning
though, if you are using steel as your choice of material it may not be the best idea for a double
roll-up door because of its weight. Polokwane and coast areas are not suitable areas for steel doors
due to corrosion. Ensure it's galvanized garage doors.
Wood is a great choice of material for garage doors and is most suitable for all style doors except
roll-up doors, for good reason. These doors tend to be costly though but the advantage is that they
can be designed and styled so that it compliments a home. They are also a great asset in terms of
increasing the value of a property.
Aluminium doors are also economical but when teamed with glass can become a little on the expensive side.
Their advantage though is that they require almost no maintenance. They are fashionable and can be
constructed in almost any design to suit most homeowner’s needs.
Fibreglass garage doors are very popular, they require no maintenance and come in a host of finishes
and are really great for coastal areas. Fibreglass doors can be constructed to suit most designs
except roll-up garage doors. If security is the overriding reason for fitting a garage door the
sectional overhead garage door is best, either a tilt-up or sectional. They are very hard to pry
open from the outside and open much faster than other garage doors.
A standard double garage door measures 4.88m by 2.13m
How to program your remote
Recording a new remote via the Wall Console
1. With power on, if need be, turn the light off using the light toggle button.
2. Press and hold the light toggle button. The light will come on and after 5 seconds go off.
3. Release the button and the light will come on again.
4. Within 30 seconds, press the required button on the Digi-e key remote. The light on the digidoor will go off.
5. To confirm, press the same button on the transmitter again and the light on the digidoor will flash four times. The transmitter is
ready for use. Repeat the above for additional remotes. If the memory limit of 28 transmitters is reached the control board will beep
for 4 seconds to indicate full and return to normal operation.