It’s all too easy to overlook the complexities of a roller door and what differentiates a great roller door from an average one. The differences between a good roller door and a not so good one are pretty clear when you start to compare different manufacturer’s models, and one of the key differences not picked up on is whether the roller door is supplied with a hood cover for the laths to roll up in.
There are currently a number of different roller door manufacturers supplying the UK market, which offer either a partial box cover or a full box cover, for the garage door to roll up into; and there are also manufacturers that offer no box cover at all.
The box cover is also sometimes referred to as a ‘hood cover’ ‘roller box’ or ‘shutter box’. So let’s look at the various options on offer and see what their benefits and drawbacks are.
Full Box Cover (offered on GaraRoll and GaraRoll Lite as standard)
This style of design is chosen by Garador for both its GaraRoll and GaraRoll Lite roller garage door models. This approach has been taken to comprehensively meet European Safety Standards and all GaraRoll roller garage doors are therefore supplied with full box covers.
According to European Safety Standard BS EN 13241, the hood box cover is necessary to prevent an individual’s fingers from becoming caught or squashed by the door. The main European Safety Standard, BS EN 13241, also indicates that a box cover is necessary with roller doors up to a height of 2500mm, in order to prevent finger clamping.
It also has the added benefit of protecting the roller door curtain, which is made up of individual aluminium laths, from dust and dirt which could arise from activities such as woodworking or car maintenance inside the garage. These sorts of activities tend to result in splinters, bits of dirt, dust, grease and or particulates in the air, which will inevitably come into contact with the roller door.
The other benefit of having a full roller door box cover is that it also slightly helps to reduce noise from the laths rolling against one another as the door is raised and lowered.
For the GaraRoll, their design of box cover has a hinge connector to allow part of the box to be removed allowing for maintenance on the door curtain without having to completely dismantle the door. The box cover also has excellent seals ensuring it can adequately protect the door curtain inside.
Partial Box Cover or No Box Cover (NOT OFFERED BY GARADOR)
Garador does not offer a roller garage door with either a partial box cover or even no box cover at all. All GaraRoll and GaraRoll Lite roller doors are supplied with a full box cover as standard.
Whilst having a partial box cover or not having a box cover for a roller door may be acceptable for some types of garage and might not affect the long term operation of the roller door, there could be issues surrounding protecting the laths from activities which would make them dirty (i.e. wood working). There is also an aesthetic drawback, as the laths are visibly exposed, rather than being neatly tucked away inside a box.
Finally it is also worth noting, that if the roller door is not particularly high (i.e. anything below 2500mm high) and does not have any form of box cover at the head of the garage door opening, there is a risk that someone could touch the door whilst it is operating; accidentally trapping their fingers or an item of clothing as the door rolls up.
The reasons for choosing a roller door with or without a box cover, or even a partial box cover are stark in comparison. But for safety, durability and maintenance reasons investing in a full box cover is more often than not a good choice for any build project.
For more information on Garador’s GaraRoll roller garage door, please visit www.garador.co.uk
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