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Crocodile Garage Doors - experiences?

ToTo Man

the band not the dog
We need to replace our rotten wooden garage doors and are considering a roller door. We keep seeing rather appealing TV adverts for Crocodile Garage Doors, but certain online review sites (if you believe them) paint a rather different picture of this company. I was just wondering if anyone on pfm has had first hand experience with this Crocodile or if there are others you would recommend? (We're in Glasgow BTW). Cheers.
 
go on checka trade and find some reputable locally.

Which is what we did earlier this year
Tried that but it only displayed two companies, the nearest of which is 220 miles away!

Mind if I ask what company you used?
 
We've had the cheapest Somfy roller doors and I cannot find any fault with them.
They replaced Chamberlain Motor Lift operated up and overs.
Mind you - if the electrics fail it could be panic time.
Not keen on the look of them. They'd be better employed in an industrial estate far away somewhere where I didn't have to see them.
But then I have traditional tastes.
 
Rollers bad then in general or only certain brands to be avoided? (I see Hormann do rollers).

We inherited one when we moved 15 years ago (so it'll be quite a bit older than that) and it's been absolutely fine but getting old now. I would say they do need some maintenance, i.e. lubrication, so ignore at your peril. I completely agree with the above, find someone locally who knows the score. Ours is Somfy but obviously I can't speak for current quality.
 
Generally, watch out for garage door companies, they're closely related to double glazed window companies. One of these blood suckers attached itself to my dad when he was over 80 and had him for the best part of £5k just for a simple fibreglass mechanical up and over. I found all the paperwork, and he had still just enough wit left to work out that the finance deal they were offering was a joke, but not enough to see the whole deal was a rip off.
 
https://premier-garagedoors.co.uk/

very local to me in Hertfordshire, and I believe only cover Herts, N London and surrounding area.

They installed a Gliderol door to replace a pair of rotten side hung wooden doors. It has been great so far.

Second vote for Gliderol. Installed a 15ft wide electric roller door in 1993 and it's still going strong and looks great cosmetically even some 28 years later. It has had one service in all that time.
 
Hormann door here, no problems in the last 12 years, initially with my uncle. Only issue is the original remotes were so easily set off that you could do it while putting the remote back into your pocket. My uncle did it regularly, neighbour got used to shutting the door using the internal switch. I got some better remotes from eBay.
 
Best I’ve worked on were Hormann by some distance. Excellent build quality with fundamentally good design.

Had no experience of Crocodile but they are just a basic plastic roller shutter door, however with all the advertising they’re doing it’s unlikely they will be cheap. Those adverts have to be paid for somehow! I suspect with national coverage they may sub contract the work out so worth checking!

If the Crocodile style appeals then check out companies like Thermaglide and Novoferm. I’m pretty sure they’ll be better value.

My advice, also go to the Hormann and Garador websites and contact your nearest dealer / installer.

Ultimately you need to decide which style you prefer. The Canopy up and over style overhangs the entrance which is hand if your emptying you car boot in the rain but requires adaptation if you wish to motorise.

Retractable doors generally have a less complex mechanism and have the advantage a motor can be added easily. Future servicing or repairs are easiest on this type of door and easily done by the owner.

Both the above have plastic strips at the sides of the panel but are not strictly watertight!

Roller doors in metal are generally noisy and best kept for commercial premises however some of the plastic ones are ok but I certainly wouldn’t have anything of great value behind them as the are pretty flimsy!

To me Sectional doors have always been the best quality offering an almost airtight seal to prevent the elements getting in and are available with insulated panels as well if you work in the garage or it’s attached to your house.Easily maintained and an electric operator can be added cheaply as well!

Just noticed you’re in Glasgow so worth checking these guys out

http://www.thedoordepot.co.uk/

Not sure how far west they go but I knew someone who works for them and they are good people.
 
I have a Henderson rolling plastic door fitted with an Ansa control unit. It was always temperamental from new stopping and starting going up and down then would run for a few months trouble free then start to sulk again. Recently I spotted some ex bankrupt stock Ansa units on ebay at a good price. So I bought and fitted one. Trouble free bliss ever since. I took the old controller apart and discovered the original back of the board - with the odd surface mount component- had never had the excess flux washed off. So I now know why it was so stop start from new.
 
Had a Garrador up and over fitted with a fob activated motor about 5 years ago. Can’t fault it at all.
 
My first electric garage doors were interesting.

Started operating by themselves. Next door's kid had some gizmo on the same frequency! Easy to sort though.

Existing set up was a nightmare last year. Power failure trip inside the garages. Manual release didn't work properly, no side door. Brute force with shovels etc to lift door and physically break off the actuator was the only way in. Fortunately it went back together with little trouble. Now rewired to stop it happening again.
 


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