Garage door design: overview of available models and methods of their design


Garage structures refer to buildings of a utility type and for a specific purpose, necessary to accommodate vehicles. In the local area you can place a detached garage or a structure attached to the house, and for convenient access it is important to arrange a special path.

Looking at the photos of garage doors, you can see that this element of construction is mandatory for every building. Such designs are quite convenient and easy to use, but to maintain such functionality it is necessary to choose the right type and type of them, which is possible thanks to the rich offer on the market.

conclusions

Sectional sliding structures are often installed in small garages. However, they can also be used to protect spacious rooms. In the latter case, two doors are installed. Such gates are moved to the side and placed parallel to the side wall. They are convenient to install and operate.

Such products are made from sandwich panels, which allows you to protect the garage from the cold. Additional insulation is possible. The joints of foam plastic or polystyrene foam boards are covered with aluminum tape.

For convenience, an electric drive is mounted on such structures. Automation can be configured for a specific mode of opening and closing the sash. This simplifies the operation of the gate. When installed correctly, garage door repairs will be required very rarely.

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Comments

  1. where to buy sliding sectional doors? in Sterlitamak?

    Alexander09/05/2020 at 21:10

    Answer

Requirements for structures

When choosing a design, it is imperative to take into account the complex of their technical, functional and operational characteristics and requirements:

  • optimal strength and reliability for long service life;
  • the presence of a protective coating on the canvas to increase wear resistance;
  • the possibility of remote control and the presence of an electric drive;
  • resistance of the base material to mechanical and physical stress;
  • Convenient location of locks and fasteners for ease of operation.

Installing garage doors yourself requires certain skills and knowledge, so it is better to invite experienced specialists for this procedure.

Up and over gates

overhead garage doors

The leaf of this door design rises up and is located under the garage ceiling. The leaf of such gates can consist of a continuous leaf or of separate sections. Options for lifting the sash may also differ.

The main advantage of this group of gates is saving free space in the garage and in front of it while maintaining the protective functions and strength of the gate leaves.

One piece leaf of up and over gates

lift gate diagram

A lever-hinged mechanism, turning the entire leaf of the sash, lifts it to the ceiling of the garage. The winch sets the cable in motion, which lifts the door leaf, and the counterweight regulates the tension of the cable.

The door leaf of overhead gates can be solid steel, with additional insulation, or made of two sheets of profiled galvanized metal with insulation. There are up-and-over gates with a metal frame and wooden trim.

The main advantages of up and over gates:

  • due to the fact that the lifting mechanism is mainly mechanical (winch, cable and counterweight), the design is reliable and easy to repair with your own hands;
  • no space in front of the garage is required to open the gate;
  • it is possible to install an automatic gate opening drive;
  • the torsion spring mechanism of the garage door makes it easier to lift the door;
  • it is very difficult to hack such a structure;
  • insulation reliably maintains positive temperatures inside the garage;
  • Maintenance comes down to timely lubrication of the lifting mechanism and maintaining the integrity of the protective coating of the metal sashes. Wooden cladding must be treated with antiseptic, water-repellent and fire-retardant impregnations;
  • You can choose any decorative finish option.

photo of overhead gates

The lifting and turning mechanism has few disadvantages:

  • This type of garage door design can only be installed in rectangular openings with at least two meters of free space in front of the garage;
  • when the sash is lifted, it protrudes forward by one meter - this must be taken into account when installing in garage cooperatives with a limited distance between garages;
  • Since the leaf of the sash, when rising, is located under the ceiling, it will not be possible to install overhead lifting crane mechanisms - the ceiling is completely occupied by the raised sash.

If space in the garage is strictly limited, then you can choose overhead sectional doors, they are more compact.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O1pt1rbCls

Lifting sectional types of garage doors

overhead sectional garage doors

The torsion spring mechanism smoothly and silently lifts the door leaf, which consists of several slats. Horizontal sections are connected using hinges, the optimal width is 50 cm, but you can also order individual height sizes.

Why is this design better than a solid door leaf, and what other advantages do sectional gates have:

  • the panels weigh little and do not carry loads on the walls and foundation;
  • the entire canvas easily rises up, both automatically and mechanically, just press the lift handle;
  • You can order gates according to individual sizes, taking into account the presence of a gate and additional automation;
  • the insulation, which is located in the middle of the lamellas, is resistant to moisture and high temperatures, and is fire resistant;
  • excellent tightness and insulation of the sash ensures reliable thermal insulation of the room;
  • maintenance is simple - periodic lubrication of the moving parts of the lifting mechanism;
  • When making repairs, there is no need to change the entire blade - you can easily replace one damaged lamella.

There is a large selection of spectacular design options available for sale. For cottages this year, it is popular to choose sectional gates with panoramic, transparent, durable and impact-resistant slats.

photo of overhead sectional doors

What are the disadvantages of this design:

  • There is no way to select components yourself - only factory assembly;
  • Professional installation required;
  • the hinged connection of the panels can be hacked, so such doors are installed in garages in a protected area;
  • automation requires regular maintenance and expensive repairs;
  • the price of the gate is higher than that of traditional options.

Conclusion - the gates look great, are easy to use and save space, but are expensive.

Overhead guillotine garage doors

Lift-guillotine gates

The door design is suitable for an industrial garage, since the leaf rises upward and requires a large room height.

What are the advantages of the design:

  • simple mechanical lifting design that can be inexpensively automated;
  • saving of free space is maximum, both inside and outside the garage;
  • you can insulate the door leaf with any type of thermal insulation;
  • high resistance to burglary;
  • it is possible to install any locking mechanisms;
  • the galvanized coating of the blade and reliable mechanics are strong and durable;
  • the cost of such gates is two times lower than sectional type doors.

There are only two disadvantages to this design:

  • if the sash is damaged, it will have to be completely replaced;
  • You need a large room to lift the sashes.

Of the three types of up-and-over mechanisms, sectional doors are the warmest, and swing doors are the most reliable.

Generally accepted classification of garage doors

Depending on the location and number of doors, such structures can be single-leaf or double-leaf, and according to their functioning they are divided into:

  • swing and sliding;
  • lifting and rolling;
  • sectional and folded.


A canvas is attached to a metal frame, which is made from materials with different physical properties; metal and plastic, wood and sandwich panels are used as materials.

Swing

The most traditional and familiar single-leaf and double-leaf garage doors are the most budget options.

When open, such gates take up quite a lot of free space and can impede free movement around the area near the house or garage.

How to make a wood surface look antique

Antique wood finishing, in the so-called retro style, is gaining increasing popularity in the design of country houses, mansions and, of course, the adjacent garage doors.

whetstone grinding

To give the gate an antique style, you need to follow a certain style and proven techniques:

  1. The outer side of the gate can be treated with stain to visibly age the surface and give it a darker color.
  2. Gates can be equipped with massive forged products in the form of various antique hinges, rivets, and fasteners.
  3. The product can be complemented by designer items in the form of surrounding handles for garage doors and gates.

A type of art such as wood carving or ready-made materials with a touch of antiquity will also be useful here.

Recoil

Single-leaf structures are made from different materials and require a minimum of physical effort to open or close them.

Thanks to a unique technical solution, the door leaf moves along special guides and an electric drive can be connected to automate the movement, which will determine the possibility of remote control.

Design of sliding sectional doors

The maximum dimensions of structures that can be installed in a garage can be up to six meters wide and three meters high. In garages that are equipped with a large opening, two sliding doors should be installed. They move towards each other when closing. Such gates look respectable and modern. They are often installed in garages located on the ground floor of the house.

The door leaf for a sliding garage consists of vertical panels. Roller carriages are attached to the top of the sash. On them, the door leaf moves along a guide. The supporting beam is attached to the wall above the garage opening. It should be level with the top edge of the finished gate. To give the gate rigidity, aluminum guides with durable plastic protrusions should be installed on the floor in the line of movement.

The new gate mechanism does not require installing a spring, which most often breaks during operation. Therefore, working with such models is safe and convenient. Rubber seals are inserted around the perimeter of the frame and between sections to prevent cold from entering the room. They also do an excellent job of dampening noise from the street.

The lower guide beam must be secured to the garage floor. There are no difficulties during its installation. This design works flawlessly even at low and elevated temperatures - from -30 to +70 degrees.

Lifting

Standard overhead garage doors are a monolithic leaf made of lightweight but reliable materials, fixed to a frame.

The frame itself is connected to a drive, by controlling which you can ensure free movement and change the position of the canvas; remote control or levers (buttons) are used for control.

Automatic swing gates

Most garages are equipped with swing gates. Yes, the solution is not ideal, but everyone is used to the pros/cons. If your garage already has one of these doors, you can convert it into an automatic one. You need to choose a drive that will open and close the doors.

Electric swing gates

Types of drives

In general, the drive for swing doors can be of two types - linear and lever. For gates, choose linear ones - they are more powerful and reliable, can be with a control panel, can be operated by a button or have a double opening system. Lever ones are designed for smaller masses and do not have such wind resistance - they will break in strong winds. After all, they will have to hold the massive door leaf, which is affected by the wind.

The lever type of drive for heavy sashes is not very reliable

There is also an underground system for opening swing doors, but for this case it is absolutely unprofitable - the cost is high, complex installation, many problems with operation in the autumn-winter period. In general, it is better not to consider an underground garage door operator.

Advantages and disadvantages

Swinging automatic garage doors have the same disadvantages as regular ones:

  • Requires large free space in front of the garage. Moreover, the space has been cleared. That is, after a snowfall, you will first have to clear the site, so open the gates. In this case, there is no point in automation.
  • There is a possibility of damaging the car: by placing it too close to the gate and not holding the gate, without securing the gate leaf, getting hit by them in the body during a strong gust of wind.

    Electric swing gates

  • They have a large windage, therefore, when selecting a drive, you need to take it with a significant margin - in order to overcome wind resistance and hold the doors in place.
  • Usually they are just a sheet of metal on a frame, that is, they are “cold”. You can insulate them, but this increases the already considerable mass; an even more powerful (and expensive) drive is needed.
  • Difficult to achieve tightness.

The advantages of swing automatic garage doors are the ease of installation of the drive. In addition, you don’t have to buy a drive, but simply install a hydraulic lift of sufficient power from some device. There are no other advantages.

In general, swing automatic garage doors are worth making only if the gate itself is already in place and in use, and there is not enough budget to purchase another system.

Rolled

Similar in design to sectional doors, but individual elements of rolling doors according to the standard must exceed 25 mm.

Profiled metal is quite strong and reliable, and has an optimal level of resistance to mechanical and physical damage, which ensures a long service life of such structures.

Formation of the gate mounting frame

The design is based on the supporting frame. Since we are talking about a product for a garage, the frame will consist of two parts: an internal and an external frame. The external one is needed to fix the structure in the opening, and the internal one allows the gate to move. The frame will be made of a metal corner.

Do-it-yourself swing gates for a garage - step by step process:

  1. The first step is to measure and write down the opening parameters (width and height). Here you need to take accurate measurements, since the correctness and ease of installation of the product in its place depends on this.
  2. Now a metal corner is used. The best option for work is products with a square cross-section, the sides of which have a size of 16 to 20 cm. Using a tape measure, the rod is marked and cut according to the specified dimensions. The first frame will be external. You should end up with 4 segments of corners, 2 of which have one size corresponding to the width of the opening, and the other 2 have a different size corresponding to its height.
  3. Next, the elements need to be welded with each other. To do this correctly, you need to prepare your workplace. It is important to ensure a flat and perfectly level surface. The elements are laid out on the surface and perfectly leveled. If there are differences, they need to be leveled with pads. To ensure the correct design, a square is used. The angle on all four sides should be exactly 90°. It turns out that a ready-made frame of the future gate has formed on the surface, but not yet connected.

  4. Using a welding machine, you need to weld the elements together. There is a little trick that allows the structure to move freely and fit tightly to the frame. The inside of the frame should be flat and smooth. If the welding seam is very large, then it is protected with a grinder.
  5. Next, you need to weld vertical arms into the corners. They act as spatial rigidity, allowing the structure to more reliably connect to the wall of the opening in several places. For this purpose, trimmings from the corner are used.

This completes the work on creating the external frame.

Folded

A unique solution that allows you to realize all the advantages of sectional doors and get rid of their possible disadvantages.

The fabric of such structures consists of separate sections and increases the functionality of the entire structure, resembling a screen in appearance, characterized by increased stability and reliability.

Insulation of sectional doors

To choose a method of insulation, you should decide on the type of material used for such work. All heat insulators have their own characteristics, which relate to the installation method and service life. For example, some materials require moisture protection, while others do not need such a measure. It is worth considering the main properties and advantages of various insulation materials:

  • Styrofoam. When insulating sectional doors with this material, the work will be relatively inexpensive. Foam boards can be mounted on plastic dowels. There is no additional cost for such material - it does not need to be treated with antiseptic agents.
  • Mineral wool. It should be classified as fiber-type insulation. Mineral wool is produced by processing basalt rocks or metallurgical waste. The insulation has a low level of thermal conductivity. The material is sold in the form of slabs or rolls. The only drawback is that mineral wool is hygroscopic.
  • Polyurethane foam. In construction, this material is considered the highest quality. It is easy to install - the insulation is applied by spraying an aerosol. It is able to penetrate into gaps and joints, reducing air flow.

To insulate sectional garage doors, you do not need to have any special skills. First, measure the width and height of the gate and cut the corresponding sheets with a knife. Then they need to be glued to the garage door. The joints are treated with polyurethane foam.

When insulating the gate yourself, it is necessary to prevent the formation of condensation between the insulation and the gate. To do this, waterproofing is laid between them. Self-adhesive isolon is excellent. You can attach polystyrene foam to it using tile adhesive. The seams of the gate should be taped with aluminum foil.

Making sectional doors yourself will be more expensive than buying a ready-made structure. This is due to the complexity of their design. Such products should be purchased from trusted manufacturers.

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