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Garage doors

Sue Pertwee-Tyr said:
Opened our tired old up-and-over garage door yesterday to put some stuff in the car, and the bloody thing failed and refused to shut. Tried for about an hour but it wasn’t having any. Ended up dismantling it and screwing the door to the inside of the frame, for security.

So, we need a new (single) garage door. Options seem to be another up and over (not keen, this one was always crap and I’m not after another the same. The basic design looks cheap, unless there are well-engineered options for sensible money?); a roller shutter (don’t want it to look like a shop front, and not sure whether you need more room for the roller); or a slatted jobby which rolls up and over. Any benefits/pitfalls the pfm massive can flag up? Also, GRP or steel?

Prolly not looking for a really long term solution as we may reconfigure the garage at some point and need a different opening then anyway, but need >5 years of durable and reliable use, with sensible security.

Thoughts?
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I very much doubt you need a complete new door. What make is your current door? What's wrong with it? How bad is the damage ?

I have a 40 year old Henderson basic "Up and Over" garage door which, while it may not be the greatest door in the world, it's perfectly serviceable despite Henderson having gone out of business years ago. I've just had mine serviced, including springs re-tensioned etc. for around £80.00, much cheaper than a new door!
 
gintonic said:
that was the brand my neighbour had levered up in the corner to gain access
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Old Garador doors say pre 2000 weren’t great but improved after the Hormann take over. In fact if you check out an old Henderson or similar from years back the hinges are likely to be do worn due to lack of maintenance that there will be enough play to open dome without a lever!

As stated in the other thread If I wasn’t worried about doing damage I could get into most doors pretty quickly back in the day.

A retractable version is more difficult to have its door corner levered due to the catches being on the lower side edges. Canopy doors where the catches are at the top are much easier to force at the bottom but again if someone wants in they’ll get in!

Those garage door “Defenders” that bolt to the ground also help but also advertise “ I have something of value in here”
 
I moved into my house in late 1976 The integral garage was fitted with a Henderson Merlin door. It's galvanised steel. It worked well until Mrs Mull missed the brake pedal when I was teaching her to drive and rolled into it. She severely bent and fractured one of the side channels, which provide much of the door's rigidity. I used an allen key to 'peg' the large spring which drives the mechanism, removed the door and repaired the side channel with a combination of tin bashing and a pop riveted and soldered patch, all on the inside.
Put it back together and all was well.

The door continued to work well until one of the side cables snapped, due to corrosion from lack of lubrication. My fault. I bought a pair of new cables from a garage door specialist in St Helens and fitted them. It's a ball ache, but not difficult. I now make sure the cables and the side 'runner' rails are sprayed with a 'moly' type lubricant at least yearly..or at least when I remember.

The latch release cable broke a year or so back. I called a local company and found I was speaking to one of their employees in the next village. He told me he could supply me a cable if I popped round. He had the cable ready in his porch and refused all offers of cash.

Finally... after 45 years.. the keys were getting very worn. A friend, fellow audiophile and locksmith provided me with new keys..F.O.C.

The door has been assorted colours since installation, ranging from bright yellow, through mid blue and black. When we got a nice new dark blue Rockdoor, I obtained the RAL (colour code) number from the supplier. It was no bother to get B&Q to make up matching paint for the garage door.

As far as I can see, the only people around here who have changed their garage doors, are those with loadsacash. All of the others are still functioning.
 
wow&flutter said:
Those garage door “Defenders” that bolt to the ground also help but also advertise “ I have something of value in here”
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Yep. Friend of mine with many £k of Harley in hs garage had no fancy locks, but his bike was secured with mighty chains to massive steel 'ragbolts' in foot deep concrete.
 
Mullardman said:
I moved into my house in late 1976 The integral garage was fitted with a Henderson Merlin door. It's galvanised steel. It worked well until Mrs Mull missed the brake pedal when I was teaching her to drive and rolled into it. She severely bent and fractured one of the side channels, which provide much of the door's rigidity. I used an allen key to 'peg' the large spring which drives the mechanism, removed the door and repaired the side channel with a combination of tin bashing and a pop riveted and soldered patch, all on the inside.
Put it back together and all was well.

The door continued to work well until one of the side cables snapped, due to corrosion from lack of lubrication. My fault. I bought a pair of new cables from a garage door specialist in St Helens and fitted them. It's a ball ache, but not difficult. I now make sure the cables and the side 'runner' rails are sprayed with a 'moly' type lubricant at least yearly..or at least when I remember.

The latch release cable broke a year or so back. I called a local company and found I was speaking to one of their employees in the next village. He told me he could supply me a cable if I popped round. He had the cable ready in his porch and refused all offers of cash.

Finally... after 45 years.. the keys were getting very worn. A friend, fellow audiophile and locksmith provided me with new keys..F.O.C.

The door has been assorted colours since installation, ranging from bright yellow, through mid blue and black. When we got a nice new dark blue Rockdoor, I obtained the RAL (colour code) number from the supplier. It was no bother to get B&Q to make up matching paint for the garage door.

As far as I can see, the only people around here who have changed their garage doors, are those with loadsacash. All of the others are still functioning.
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The Merlin was a pretty simple design and lasts pretty well like you say with minimal maintenance. The main pain with those is if the cones wear and the cables get tied up and or break. You can get away with just replacing the cables but they are the worst if you have to replace the cones and the garage has had a leak or is damp.

Getting the rusted roll pins out can be a real pain as is when you arrive and see there is no room either side of the spring shaft to remove the cones!:D
 
I can't honestly remember whether I replaced the cones or just the cables. It was many years ago.. but your mention of the roll pins made me think... maybe I did.
Eitherway.. for an inexpensive design, the Merlin works well with minimum maintenance and a lick of paint occasionally. I will inspect it tomorrow.. maybe..
 
MikeMA said:
I very much doubt you need a complete new door. What make is your current door? What's wrong with it? How bad is the damage ?

I have a 40 year old Henderson basic "Up and Over" garage door which, while it may not be the greatest door in the world, it's perfectly serviceable despite Henderson having gone out of business years ago. I've just had mine serviced, including springs re-tensioned etc. for around £80.00, much cheaper than a new door!
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Definitely need a new door. I had to get a bit medieval on its ass to get it un-wedged. Also, it was always crap, so a cheap repair to a crap door will leave us with a crap door, which I never had much confidence in at the best of times. Time to bite the bullet. Lots of love for Hormann on here, and there's a local installer. I'll give them a shout.
 
Mullardman said:
Yep. Friend of mine with many £k of Harley in hs garage had no fancy locks, but his bike was secured with mighty chains to massive steel 'ragbolts' in foot deep concrete.
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Good idea the weight of the Harley should keep any one from stealing his garage.


Pete
 
Garador.

My Dad got a bent one from the builders supplies bloke next door after a lorry had run over it in the yard - straightened it up a bit and its been fine for nearly forty years, the only problems have been with the cracked and crumbling bricks around it.
 
We've just fitted a Gliderol roller door to our new garage





It's the standard 7ft one; no electric, works superbly.

Cost c£450 with £60 delivery and comes with all the fitting parts and instructions. It took me & my engineer neighbour a few hours to fit as you've to ensure you do it right, first time

Would highly recommend one as long as you have the room above and around the door area to fit one
 
Management has decided we’re moving from a canopy style up and over to a pair of side hinged doors. I agree, and we like that you can get them in a 1/3 - 2/3 split. So the search for a decent local supply and fit resumes next week.
 
Sue Pertwee-Tyr said:
Management has decided we’re moving from a canopy style up and over to a pair of side hinged doors. I agree, and we like that you can get them in a 1/3 - 2/3 split. So the search for a decent local supply and fit resumes next week.
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We looked into those... The prices were scary!

Hence why we went with the roller door instead!

Good luck
 
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