If you're looking on the market for a new garage door, you've likely come across the common options of roller-powered doors and "up and overs." However, you may not have heard of the relatively uncommon side-hinged door that is starting to find use due to its ease of installation and security. As such, you may have some questions needing to be answered and below is three of the most common queries regarding side-hinged doors:
What Materials are Best Suited for Side-Hinged Doors?
In the majority of cases, timber is used when constructing swing-type garage doors. However, this doesn't mean your options are limited when it comes to installing your residential garage doors. Rather, there are a number of different types of timber that are suitable for this purpose. Oak, cedar, and idigbo are the most common forms of timber used due to their strength, but if you have a particular preference then you should discuss it with your supplier.
Out of the three main types of timber used, cedar is by far the most common. This form of timber is naturally light, meaning the support frame used to hold the door in place doesn't have to be extensive. Additionally, cedar is light in color, meaning you can stain the door any shade you want to match your property.
While not used extensively, some side-hinged garage doors are constructed of steel. This low-cost material is also extremely strong and secure, meaning you will benefit from the long design life of the door. With that said, there can be difficulties when securing the door to the hinge. The extra fittings required can add to your overall cost, so it's important to price not only the door, but also the ancillaries.
How Secure are Side-Hinged Doors?
The security of your garage should paramount when installing your garage door, so it's understandable you'll want to purchase only the most secure of structures. Thankfully, side-hinged doors can be extremely secure in the majority of cases, so long as you source the door from a reliable supplier. Typically, the strength of a side-hinged door lies in its fixing to the sub-frame. This can be a fairly tricky installation to carry out, so it's important that you have a qualified contractor carry out the works on your behalf.
If you're looking to maximize your doors security, considered purchasing a double-skinned, insulated steel door. These doors offer the best potential for security due to the number of different locking mechanisms that can be built into the structure. Additionally, the sub-frame on these models are typically extremely robust, increasing the security and giving you the peace of mind you need.
Cheap softwoods or thin sheet metal are available on the market at relatively low cost; however, you will end up paying for these materials down the line due to repairs and replacements. The fixings to the sub-frame and locking mechanisms are very low strength, making it fairly easy for a savvy intruder to gain entrance to your garage. As such, it's important you source only the highest quality of materials when sourcing your garage door.
What Sub Frame Do I Need?
Regardless of material used, every side-hinged door requires a sub-frame. These fixings are usually made of steel or timber and are used to connect the door panels to the support structure. Additionally, sub-frames provide a weather-tight seal against the environment, ensuring your garage doesn't experience any leaks when it's wet outside.
The material used for your sub-frame depends on the material used to construct the door. With most types of timber doors, it's important to use a form of timber clad for the fixing. This makes it easier to make the connection while also allowing the structure to act as one robust unit. Furthermore, you will be able to treat both the door and frame to ensure a close match in color is achieved.
If you are considering a steel door, then you should also use a steel box section for the sub-frame. This decision isn't so much about esthetics; rather, you want the strength of the sub-frame to be as close to the door as possible. If you have an extremely strong door with a weaker sub-frame, any impacts on the structure could cause failure in the support frame rather than the door itself.