Thursday 16 July 2015

A Beginner’s Guide to Steel Garage Door Frames…

When people come to buy a new Up & Over garage door, they are sometimes offered a steel frame. More often than not, they say ‘we never had a steel frame on the old door, and that one was fine… it lasted for years’. That may well be true, the steel frame isn’t essential, but it sure does make life a lot easier.

Internal shot of opening Garador garage door with steel frame

Straight onto the brickwork

It makes the door quicker and easier to fit and the steel frame can go straight onto the brickwork. Rather than fitting a timber frame to the brickwork, then fitting your garage door to the timber frame. Furthermore, a steel frame is there for the long run. Whilst a timber frame may warp or rot over time, the steel frame will last.

Cost savings

But how does that help me? I hear you say, well… most homeowners will have an existing timber frame to fit the garage door onto, but if the timber frame is on its way out (i.e. it’s a bit spongy or even slightly rotten) then the cost of replacing the timber frame is likely to exceed that of a steel frame. Especially when you factor in costs such as the cost of the wood to build a new timber frame and the cost of labour for a builder to construct it, it just doesn’t make sense.

A more accurate fit

Steel frames for Up & Over doors are an ancillary benefit, but they do offer a more accurate way of fitting the garage door too, so the door functions at maximum efficiency. The frame itself is constructed from high grade galvanised steel, to prevent rusting. With a precision design, it’s also engineered to fit the door size that you have ordered exactly… so your fitter can more accurately fit the door and there is no need for PVC cladding to fill-in unsightly gaps which are sometimes found around a timber sub-frame.

A colour to match

For those who like to have a coloured frame that matches, the steel frame comes factory painted and the exact same colour of paint can be used so there is no risk of getting a colour that isn’t quite right.

Any Up & Over gear type

A steel frame can be fitted to an Up & Over garage door with any type of gear, including:

  • Canopy gear
  • Retractable gear
  • Retractable Plus gear

Garador canopy Up & Over door with frame

So here’s a quick summary… to put it simply, a steel frame for a Garador Up & Over garage door means:

  • A faster and more accurate way to fit the door
  • There is no need to paint the frame, as it is supplied pre-painted.
  • The colour of the steel frame will match the colour of your garage door!
  • There is no need for PVC cladding to fill in unsightly gaps around a timber frame.
  • A steel frame will stand the test of time, unlike a timber frame which may warp or rot overtime.

Ordering a steel frame with an Up & Over garage door could be a great choice for your property. There’s no need to order a separate frame on Sectional or GaraRoll roller garage doors, as these are supplied with their own framework.

Talk to your local Garador stockist to find out more.