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Previously, we’ve discussed how to avoid damage and repair a garage door, but we haven’t really gone into how to do this for a roller shutter door, as this can be a more complex process.

Unlike a more basic garage door, such as an up-and-over door, or even a sectional overhead, a roller shutter has a tracking mechanism, which everybody who has ever owned a bike will be able to attest to, can sometimes be knocked out of alignment, and cease to function. Because the roller shutter has a far more limited capacity than a bicycle, mobility is less of a demand, and the risk of running out of alignment is much lower, but it can happen. The trick to avoiding this from happening is to not constantly start and stop the door’s opening and closing part-way through, so that the stress of the tracking mechanism is lessened. If the tracking stops working, we would suggest that you hire a professional, unless you’re very familiar with working with similar mechanics, as taking the operating mechanism of a roller shutter apart could cause more damage.

A problem which regularly arises for owners of garage doors is when they’ve been in use for a while the mechanisms responsible for lifting and bearing weight-tension experience a lot of wear-and-tear, and regularly break down. This can require a large expenditure to repair and get the door back to working order.

Lots of things can occur which could require such a repair job: the nuts and bolts could become rusted, needing replacement; the levers could become slightly bent, increasing pressure and tension in certain areas in the design and ruining its integrity; wires could snap; or any automation computer could stop working within a few years of use. Looking at this list, there are things that you can do to avoid any significant cost on your end; such as repairing damaged levers as soon as possible, so that the damage doesn’t begin to build over time. Of course, basic maintenance, such as using grease and hinge oil on the levers and bolts, can avoid the need for regular replacement of some of the mechanism’s components.

There are a lot of options for you to choose from when picking out a garage door for your home as you can see in an earlier post, but for a bit more detail on up and over garage doors, such as their advantages and disadvantages, then you should keep on reading.

As said before, up and over garage doors can work through a variety of mechanisms, some of which allow for greater functionality than others. The canopy up and over door is great, although it will typically be more expensive than a standard, or even a retractable model, so if price is a concern, it’s worth avoiding this. Also, they are more likely to break down due to the more flimsy mechanism managing the tension. A great advantage of a standard up and over garage door is that they are very sturdy, and unlikely to break down. This fact makes them one of the most economical garage door options.

We have already discussed 3 types of garage doors in our previous post but we’re afraid there are more! Along with custom made doors there are 2 main types that we have yet to discuss – sectional and round the corner:

• Sectional Garage doors offer a higher level of security. They can be made of thicker/stronger/more resistant materials and can be insulated. They are similar to roller doors, by how they operate. They are pulled up into the roof of the garage by vertical tracks, but instead of curling up into a roll they follow the roof. These types of doors can even be made from wood as they are made up of horizontal panels. These types can be converted to remote control use.
• Round the corner are also able to be made from wood, in-fact they usually are constructed from timber panels. However, you can purchase them in other materials, namely metals like aluminium and steel. You can have 1 door, that crosses your entire garage, or you can select two (called bi-parting) which meet in the middle. They are pulled aside and the panels curve around the wall(s) and into the garage. They can be either remote or manually operated.

There are several types of garage doors and mechanisms: Sectional, Roller, Round the Corner, Side Hinged and others. Electrically operated doors tend to be more expensive, and the garage door as a whole becomes cheaper or more expensive when you add the type of door material be it metal or wood or PVC etc.
A Canopy up and over operating system is quite simple and works by having cables lift the door.  You can recognise this because when the door is open, about one third of the door protrudes out, hence canopy.
The retractable up and over is similar to the canopy, however the side mounted arms can restrict your drive through space, so be cautious of this. The side mounted arms lift and carry the weight because of tension springs.
A compromise is the Retractable PLUS up and over. This is just like the previous operating system, however, the lifting arms are positioned higher up in the frame so as not to interfere and reduce the drive through space.

When it comes to garage doors, there are many, many options. Electric doors have been on the rise since the 90’s and so the selection is continuously growing.

Roller shutter types come as insulated or non-insulated. You also have sectional doors which work in a similar way which also have the two options.

You will have many choices of materials to choose from; this is very much dependent on your budget. If this is not an issue, then you should be able to find a material, or colour to suit your required size and function and to suit the exterior design of your home.

Roller and sectional garage doors work in a similar way, you can chose for these to roll up electronically or manually, this decision is up to you.

SECEUROGLIDE have been used for roller garage door in the UK for many years and are still the market leader in this field. They offer high levels of security and great levels of thermal efficiency.