Garage doors. This shouldn't be so difficult

[saveasteading]

We will be installing a roller door to convert the smaller shed to a garage.

All the web searches seem to result in spurious generic ads pretending to be local but with no contact addresses.

They all seem to rely on me filling out a form and they will then arrange an "engineer" visit.

We have no existing garage to inspect.

I tried one and got lots of emails about having arranged a visit but nobody came.

I suspect these are all agencies selling on the contact. I don't like that.

 

I have contacted a maker who has been great and so could have it made and delivered at a decent price. I am fairly confident we could install it.

 

I met an impressive supply and fix company at an exhibition ( from Sunderland, but said Kent was no problem) but have lost the details.

 

Any experiences or suggestions please?

 

BTW I have had hundreds of industrial loading doors fitted so know the principles. But garage doors seems to be a very different (and a bit shady) market.

 

We can make the frame to suit and I'm thinking 8 x 2 timber will be easiest for a goalpost opening.

[Kelvin]

Because I had a similar experience I decided to fit a commercial Hormann door and motor. I went with an insulated sectional door and the WA300 S4 shaft operator (which can operate a roller door too) I called Hormann directly they gave me a list of installers. My assumption here is with it being commercial and designed for multiple actuations per day it should last a long time. We shall see. The other advantage of this motor and system is it allowed the door to open and follow the pitch of the roof. Obviously not a concern with a roller door. 

[nod]

We fitted a roller doors on our previous build 

Very simple to fit Electrics are colour coded 

The only difficult thing that we found was feed the roller door in 

While Im a strapping 6”4 and 15.5 stone My wife is 5”6 and 8 stone We managed But could have done with another pair of hands 

[saveasteading]

@nod where did you get the door? Was it one complete kit, and well thought through?

 

I've had a quote of £1,200 + vat, delivered. It's 3m wide which is more than the standard.

As an industrial door, in plain galvanised slats it would be £400 cheaper.

Edited Friday at 14:10 by saveasteading

[markc]

I used garage doors online and bought a sectional insulated door from Teckentrup, had to fit myself but it’s a good door and garage doors online were really good.

[nod]

1 hour ago, saveasteading said:

@nod where did you get the door? Was it one complete kit, and well thought through?

 

I've had a quote of £1,200 + vat, delivered. It's 3m wide which is more than the standard.

As an industrial door, in plain galvanised slats it would be £400 cheaper.

It was from garage doors online It wasn’t a real colour so an extra 150 

£825 all in 6 years ago 3.7 wide x2000

Full kit everything there 

It took wife and myself 3 hours to fit 

 

We built a garage for my know it all neighbor He bought and fitted his himself and had all sorts of problems As he fitted the Motor on the wrong side which made it upside down 

Quick fix Took us four hours as he wouldn’t listen 

They ask you which side you are fitting the motor as it’s built into the bar

It’s one of those things that one d you fitted one it’s a doddle 

One unit 

two runners 

slat door 

electric box 

 

[saveasteading]

Such useful responses thanks. The @nod one is like I want.

I've gone on the Garage Doors Online website. There is an immediate difference between them and most others.

Information on the products.

They have an address.

Their enquiry form is interactive and there was an immediate quote for supply.

Unfortunately that quote is nearly double what I've had before. But then they are an intermediary and have a web presence to pay for.

 

@nod are the laths insulated? Was it the model flagged as diy friendly?

 

And i can't resist this, sorry:

 

How durable is it in use? 

Because " He who's laths last, laughs longest."

[dpmiller]

The one in Nods photos is the same as ours, supplied for our shed by Garage Door Systems

 

https://garagedoorsystems.co.uk/products/insulated-roller-doors/

 

foam filled slats, brush seals at the sides etc

[saveasteading]

10 hours ago, dpmiller said:

Garage Door Systems

Thanks @dpmiller.

 

A nice clear website. But the form is just going to invite a callback from dome random local fitter, I feel.

I'll do it later.

Can you advise the cost level? 

How long were they on site?

[dpmiller]

They're a local supplier, but the kit will be Garador or the likes. Can't assist on pricing as it was included in the cost of the shed.

The two guys were here for a couple of hours. There's not much to the install, you could happily do it yourself. A lot depends on the squareness of the opening tho...

[saveasteading]

An industrial door manufacturer gently implied that some systems are cheap because they are fabricated on site. I think he was implying that the laths are formed from coil, and it is all a bit lightweight. And that the installers had a franchise but weren't necessarily expert enough. 

Any thoughts on that?

 

Basically saying the advertisements of doors for £850 were true but there is a reason.

 

[gaz_moose]

i bought a 'rollerdoor' one off ebay. the cheaper ones with the shorter slats are thinner and less insulated/ more flimsy than the taller/thicker slats. 

i installed it on my own in a few hours. 

id got quotes from 2 local places to install near identical items and i think they wanted about 2 grand more than i paid for the door only.

NODS one looks better as it has those white guide wheels in the top corners whereas mine just has the top bit of frame bent into a curve (which i had to bend to adjust as the door was catching the top box inner cover).

 

id just buy it and fit it yourself unless you cant be bothered. they are really easy to do.

[G and J]

Ummmm, I hesitate to ask but what’s wrong with side hung doors?

[Kelvin]

9 hours ago, G and J said:

Ummmm, I hesitate to ask but what’s wrong with side hung doors?

Nothing but I’m in and out of the workshop with stuff all day so having an electric door is less hassle and I don’t like leaving the door open and having a door that disappears up into the roof is more practical. 

[saveasteading]

10 hours ago, G and J said:

what’s wrong with side hung doors?

They can't open inwards obviously. So they open outwards and take up space... and you can't park a car outside and use the doors. And they are simply in the way. And get caught by the wind.

And they need 2 powerful motors if not manual.

And they are expensive.

That's about all though.

[G and J]

So all in all nearly a good idea.   If you swap your car for a Citroen Ami then you can have inward opening doors.  Simples. 😉

[gaz_moose]

i drive a few Citroen Ami's regularly and i would never recommend to buy one to use as an actual car.

[ProDave]

I bought mine from Rollerdor on ebay.  Made to my size and delivered for about £500

 

 

Mine fits to the inside face of the opening not "in" the opening and is sized for that.

 

It came with the door rolled onto the roller mechanism and the side rails separately.  It was easy to fit but a 2 man job to lift the roller assembly into place.

 

As well as electric opening with 2 remote controls, it can be opened manually with a handle from inside if needed.

[saveasteading]

44 minutes ago, ProDave said:

rolled onto the roller mechanism

Were these foam-filled laths or plain? Coloured?

There seems to be a jump in price somewhere beyond 2m width, but £500 has to be good for the standard size.

I've filled in their enquiry form for an "instant quote". As often it's not a quote at all, and they will phone.

But at least they have an address.

[ProDave]

10 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Were these foam-filled laths or plain? Coloured?

Foam filled, white, 2.5M wide 2.7M high

[saveasteading]

Quite big then and similar spec..

3x 2.8 = 8.4m2

2.5 x 2.7 = 6.8m2 .

that's 1.24 or thereabouts

£500 so I'm hoping for £625. 

Let's say £700 because of the width.

Hmmmm. I'm not expecting that but 

I will report back.

 

One supplier from Shropshire quotes delivery included... except Scotland and Cornwall. On principle I may discount them on grounds of not trying very hard.....even though I'm south of them.