Roller Garage Doors

Although this site is called RollerGarageDoor.net, it is actually a guide to every type of garage door opening mechanism ranging from sectional and sliding, to up-and-over and side hinged. You can use the underlined menu items in the red index box above to find out about the style and opening system of door that you are interested in.

What is a roller garage door

A roller garage door does exactly what its name suggests - It rolls up above the garage opening when not in use, and unrolls back down when the garage needs securing. This makes it simple and easy to use and ensures that the garage door occupies the minimum of space when not in use.

Roller doors are available in a number of opening formats that include remote control, automatic, motorised and manual movements. They can be bought in standard sizes, or made to measure.

In addition to the opening mechanism options, there are a number of extras or accessories that can be included in an automated garage door package. These include manual overrides, extra remote control units and lighting (which may be automatically triggered by the remote).

The advantages of a roller garage door

The big advantage of a roller garage door over the alternatives is that is maximises the space both outside and inside the garage when the door is open.

With this kind of door there is no overhang, no need for a counter balancing mechanism, and no possibility of the door accidentally self closing.

Roller style doors can be motorised and automated and their life expectancy is generally higher than that of most other garage door models (e.g. up-and-over, sectional, side hinged etc) because relatively little stress is placed on the operating mechanism. They require a minimum of maintenance and have good sound and heat insulation properties.

When a roller garage door has remote control opening and closing it also enhances security by enabling the car driver to leave or enter the garage without the need to get out of the vehicle. This is ideal if the driveway is poorly illuminated.

For a summary of the advantages of this style of door see our "roller advantages" page.

How they work

The majority of roller doors are made from a sheet of galvanised plastic coated steel. The door panels roll up around a tubular drum that is suspended above the garage door opening and that stores in a compact and efficient manner. There is usually a rubber seal that acts as an interface between the base of the door and the surface of the ground.

These doors can also be manufactured from a double skinned aluminium lath. This is particularly common with insulated doors and in this situation the individual panels hinge rather than bend in order to facilitate the roll-up storage.

Roller garage doors have a high ease of operation and this is due to a powerful steel spring balancing mechanism that makes their up-and-down operation almost effortless. If the door is automated by a remote controlled drum motor, then the operation can be controlled from within a vehicle.

Directional guides (and weatherproof seals) run down the vertical thresholds of the garage walls ensuring that the door's movement is smooth and unhindered. Despite this, the door's external appearance offers no give-away signs of the type of opening mechanism being used.

The horizontal ribbed effect, typical of many garage doors, is a result of mechanical pressing during manufacture. This ribbing strengthens the door and gives it the typical appearance associated with regular and traditional timber garage doors.

Opening and closing - manual or automated

You can choose to have a manual opening and closing mechanism, or one of many variations of a motorised opening and closing mechanism.

Motorised doors require an electrical connection which may be hard wired or accessed through a mains socket. Automated roller doors work by connecting an external sensor to the drum’s motor and this in turn is activated by a hand held remote control unit.

Most motorised garage doors come with remote control units that operate up to a range of 20 or 30 metres (60 feet). In the event that other accessories like external and internal lighting are required, these are normally triggered by the remote control unit's sensor, or the mechanism's opening action.

Appearance

For the vast majority of properties, a garage door represents a significant area of a building's frontage. This necessitates that the door should be both attractive to look at and present a secure and theft-proof appearance to all passers by.

Roller doors succeed in both of these aims by offering a wide range of colour and style variations combined with some of the most secure locking mechanisms in the industry.