Nowadays, we don’t see our garage door as just a functional architectural feature, but also a safety element. Besides deciding on whether they’ll open manually or with the help of an opener, or by means of a remote control, the most important thing to consider is the direction in which they open to ensure optimal use of the space around them. A classic garage door includes two or more leaves attached to side hinges, but there are also up and over, sectional, roller shutter, and side-opening garage doors. Up and over garage doors lift up from the bottom outwards, up to the ceiling, which is why they take up too much space. They often lack insulation, which compromises their air tightness. Sectional garage doors also open vertically, sliding along the rails up to the ceiling, where they retract into the roof. What’s great about them is that they feature a wicket door, so there’s no need to open the entire structure every time. A sectional door too can open manually or with an electric opener. Roller shutter garage doors resemble window blinds in the way they rise and retract into the box at the top, beneath the ceiling. They come with manual or electric openers, and don’t require too much space to open. Side-opening garage doors can be short, but wide. For these to open manually or automatically, there must be plenty of space either on their left or right side, since hinges are placed on one side only. Garage doors are usually made of metal, wood, or PVC. Metal garage doors are usually the most robust and easily maintained type, along with PVC doors. Wooden garage doors can be easily damaged and require regular maintenance and painting. A garage door should match its surroundings and the house in style and colour, and should feature some sort of burglary protection and an alarm system. Check out other advice we’ve prepared, and use our calculator to find out prices of garage doors and their installation. You can also always contact our experts, who’ll be more than happy to reply.