Council backs down garage restrictions

Door & Hardware Federation claim victory as council backs down on garage size.

DHF, the trade association representing the UK garage door industry ended a three year campaign for larger garages in new build properties with a victory after a local authority finally acknowledged that its policy of encouraging smaller garages to reduce car usage has failed.

Initially started by the Association of garage doors specialists

Julie Chester, chairman of the garage door installers and distributors group of the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) commented that

“This has totally vindicated our campaign of persuading developers and councils that the restrictions have made garages so small that many modern cars cannot fit in them.”  

For the past decade the government has actively encouraged developers to reduce the size of new build garages in an attempt to discourage the use of the car. The policy has ultimately failed after a survey carried out by Essex County Council high-lighted that 78% of garages on new build properties within the county are not used to park cars in. The main feedback homeowners gave was that vehicles did not comfortably fit inside.

Homeowners on new estates said this has led to an increase in the number of cars parked either in the road, on the pavement or even on cycle paths.

According to Ms Chester, “At the start of the campaign we pointed out that these unused small garages in modern homes would only add to parking congestion on the roads. Their policy on garage size has led to residents on housing developments parking on the street, blocking access to emergency services vehicles and refuse lorries, and leaving their cars at greater risk from damage and theft, just as we originally warned.”  

A result of the campaign has led to the increase in size of garages from 5 metres x 2.5 metres to a size of 7 metres x 3 metres.

The new garage size guidelines from Essex County Council will now be treated as a minimum rather than a maximum leaving developers free to design the size of the garage they know customers want.

The future of garage doors

The Future of Garage Doors

Continued investment and development within the garage door industry has allowed many manufacturers to meet the needs homeowners who are now looking to reduce energy consumption.

A garage opening is basically a large void in the buildings shell that allows heat to escape like an open door. Installation of a high quality insulated garage door will stop this heat loss thus reducing energy bills.

In the Uk the 2 main types of insulated garage doors are either aluminium roller shutter doors or steel sectional doors.

(Gliderol insulated roller garage door)

Insulated roller doors are generally constructed from foam filled aluminium laths interconnected to form a continuous curtain that rolls up vertically into a neat coil usually located above the lintel. Depending upon the manufacturer, insulated roller doors are usually somewhere between 12 – 20mm thick therefore providing a good level of insulation against the loss of heat.

In comparison a sectional door is constructed from 2 skins of steel that has insulation sandwiched in between.  Sectional garage doors are usually somewhere between 20 – 42mm thick depending upon the level of insulation the purchaser is looking to achieve. Obviously the thicker the door the higher the insulation properties will be.

Sectional garage doors are constructed from a number of panels that are hinged together to form a continuous barrier to the elements. This type of door opens vertically with the panels curving back in the side tracks situated within the garage rather than going into a coil, hence the name “sectional”

(Gliderol 42mm insulated sectional garage door)

In addition to the energy savings that can be achieved with the insulated door another great benefit is the strength that is provided due to the door been doubled skinned.

Be it roller or sectional, the only sensible choice for any homeowner looking to purchase a new garage door is one that is insulated. 

Tips for securing your garage

Garage Security Advice

In a bid to reduce theft, we would like to reiterate the importance of keeping garage doors and closed when not in use. A survey carried out by the Metropolitan Police discovered that 50% of residential break in`s occurred due to the fact that that the garage door was either left open or was not secured properly. Garages often store many valuable items and as such thieves know there are rich picking to be had as many people often forget to lock the door securely. Continued research and development within the garage door industry means stronger doors are continually been developed and launched into the market place.

HOW TO IMPROVE SECURITY

Upgrade

·       Modern garage doors are much more secure than older versions.  Choose from roller garage doors, sectional garage doors, up and over garage doors and side hinged garage doors. With a vast array of designs and color finishes there is sure to be a garage door to meet your requirements.

Lock the door

·         It may sound simple but the keys that came with the door are actually provided for a reason. USE THEM!!

Garage Door Motors

·       Modern electric garage doors offer auto locking through the use of the motor itself. The motor will actively engage and hold the door shut should it sense that the door is been forced open. Better still choose a door that has an operator with an inbuilt alarm that will also trigger should it detect an attack.

Open Door Alert Systems

·       Positioned in a prominent location with the house this type of system will ensure garage doors are never left open by mistake again. They work via a warning light that will illuminate whenever the door is in the open position.

Remote Controls

·       It may sound simple but as with other valuables, don`t leave the remote control in the car. If the vehicle is broken into, thieves will be able to gain access to the valuables housed within the garage.

Keyless Entry

·       Fast becoming a popular system it negates the need for a remote control handset or key. Various systems are available from simple keypad operation right up to fingerprint recognition for higher security requirements.

Sectional Garage Door Pro`s & Con`s

Sectional garage doors were first seen in operation in the USA around the mid 1930`s and since then have evolved considerably.

An ingenious design, the door is able to open and close vertically in the same manner as a roller door. Where it differs is that rather than coiling into a roll that sits behind the lintel, the door panels of a sectional garage door  hinge back into the garage on horizontal tracks that when fully open sits within the garage roof space.

A key advantage of owning a sectional garage door over a roller door is that it is available in a number of more traditional designs. This is opposed to a roller door that has horizontal profiling which some customers find too industrial looking.


Modern sectional garage doors are very easy to operate due to the fact that each door panel will generally have a minimum of one roller per side that runs up and down the vertical and horizontal door rails. This makes them much easier to operate safely than say a traditional up and over type garage door that has been so popular now for a number of years.

Another benefit of the sectional garage door is that when locked, they are very difficult to force entry into the garage. Most customers also specify automation and in this situation a door handle does not need to be installed meaning there is nowhere to be able to gain leverage to open the door.

Other advantages include vertical lifting (ideal for properties with limited parking), the option of insulation, full rubber seals, full drive through width and height as the doors can fix to the back of the structural opening, ease of automation, range of colours and available designs.

The evolution of this type of door has seen a greatly increased emphasis placed on user safety. Doors are fitted with anti drop mechanisms, where any failure of cables etc will prevent the door from unexpectedly closing on someone. Doors are also provided with finger protection door panels to stop any nasty accidents occurring.

The only slight disadvantage of a sectional garage door is that the horizontal tracks must be fixed within the garage to support the door when fully open.