The Next Wave of Garage Door Designs

Third-party research into garage door trends show “Increasing demand for products that are environmentally sustainable and Eco-friendly.” So, is the traditional up and over garage door, not known for its energy saving qualities, set to become obsolete on building sites? The answer is no, not entirely, but designs are evolving, and other types are making an appearance. Hans Garbutt of Eastern Garage Doors looks at how manufacturers are pressing forward with their green agendas and how it’s impacting on garage door designs.

Individualising Home Styles

Up and overs are commonly installed on sites all over the UK, attributing to their straightforward appearance and low cost. They have been a mainstay for decades, yet of all the designs they are the draughtiest. The trade-off has always been that up-and-over doors are regarded as an inexpensive alternative to other designs. Now, homeowners are looking for a more unique look, and whilst traditionally they remain a popular choice for budget-conscious projects, bespoke products are meeting specific requirements and preferences for higher value architectural house building categories.

The key lies in garage doors, operators, frames, and components delivering long-lasting performance and quality, fortified with modern methods of manufacture that are evolving with improving standards and the industries quest for Eco-friendly house construction.

Here are three examples that House Developers can consider in a similar fashion to other thermally adept ‘building fabric’ elements. They have been designed and developed to specifically help support and build the energy efficient homes of the future:

Being Energy Efficient

Italian manufacturer Silvelox, operating in the UK, provides a self-lifting counterweight design without the need for tracks, enabling greater scope in design flare. It is a complete departure from the familiar tracked ‘torsion spring balance’ system synonymous with the traditional up and over garage door. Within a multi-layer panel is a honeycomb structure that provides thermal and acoustic insulation. These stylish doors are very popular in high end properties.

Manufacturer Novoferm also reflects preferences for custom finishes combined with energy efficiencies. The company’s Evolution Premium offering, blends styling akin to a custom wood unit, as well as metallic, luminous, and pearl effects, with a panel design that provides thermal separation between its outer and inner shells. This offers a notable enhancement in heat insulation, with a thermal resistance value of 0.46 W/m2K.

Hörmann UK produce a sectional line that also provides some of the lowest U-values below 1.0 W/m² K, made from a metal-foam-core that integrates a thermal break-system. Their commitment to the green agenda also includes the development of CO²-neutral products as a standard in their garage door designs, manufacturing and supply.

Summary

Homeowners gravitating toward sustainability will drive an uplift in the installation of bespoke, individually styled garage doors, supporting changing habits over design choices on residential building projects. Factors such as kerb appeal, market value, saleability and profitability will increasingly play a significant role in complementing different needs. For home designers, architects, and housing developers the explosion of styles which has proliferated over recent years is continuing to evolve and will require original thinking to match nuanced home buying behaviour.