Front Doors From Around the World

The front of your home should be approachable and inviting, sending a clear message of welcome to any visitors. Doors are the pathway into somebody’s home and while we have a fairly straightforward idea of what a front door should look like, globally there is a plethora of beauty and history to be found in these simple features. From rainbow colours to ornate decorations, expand your horizons take a look at some of the most interesting front doors from around the world.

Chefchaouen, Morocco

These bright doors are located in the visually striking Moroccan city of Chefchaouen, a place painted entirely in a variety of blue hues. It is widely believed that Jewish refugees who settled in this city in the 1930s were responsible for the striking colouring, blue being the colour of divinity in Judaism.  

Toda Huts, India

These houses in Southern India are certainly memorable, and are home to the Toda people who build these huts, or dogies, from bamboo. What makes these abodes so exceptional is the size of the entrance which measures roughly 3 feet wide and 3 feet in length. Whilst this is perfect for children, adults are forced to crouch or crawl to get inside.

Sweden

This may appear to be an average looking door, but it has a secret; it opens outwards. Unlike most of the world, the majority of Swedish doors swing outwards to sweep snow away from the doorway and prevent it from falling into the house.

Madeira, Portugal

In the Portuguese city of Madeira, local artists have reached for their paintbrushes and transformed the front doors of abandoned abodes into colourful designs, creating an open-air art gallery for tourists to enjoy. The impressive “Art of the Open Doors” project can be viewed in the Funchal neighbourhood.

Burano, Italy

This explosively colourful island lies in the Venetian lagoon, and its patchwork of rainbow houses has made this little town famous around the world. So keen are the residents to maintain their unique look, that if you wish to paint your home, you must first ask for permission from the government who will send you a list of approved colours.

Here at Eastern Garage Doors, we understand the need for your home to make a great first impression. We provide our professional garage supply and installation services across the entire East of England, offering a huge variety of materials and styles to suit any home. For more information or advice, then please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team who are always happy to help.

Front Doors From Around the World

Most manual garage doors are cumbersome to open and close, and sometimes when we’re struggling to lift our garage door, battling the wind and rain, the idea of sitting in our car and simply pressing a button to achieve the same result can seem very appealing. Automated garage doors can offer convenience to homeowners, as well as enhancing security and safety. However, you don’t always have to install a brand new door to accomplish this; many types of garage door can be upgraded by automation, meaning you can minimise hassle by adapting your existing door.

What are the benefits of automating? And how is it achieved?

• It allows you to make use of your current door without having to install a new one.
• UK weather is renowned for being fickle, and when the wind, rain and snow are raging outside, leaving the warmth of your car to open the garage can be an unwelcome prospect. Automation allows you to stay seated and comfortable while your garage opens with the click of a button.
• For elderly people or those with disabilities, opening and shutting heavy garage doors can be a challenge that automation can eliminate.
• When opening manually, if the movement is not completed correctly, with the door not being opened at the centre, this can throw the door off balance and lead to eventual expensive repairs. However, if the movement is automatic then this ensures that the door opens in a smooth, centered motion that preserves the performance of the door for as long as possible.
• Automation may also improve security, as forced entry is more difficult to achieve with non-manual garage doors.

What Types Of Garage Door Can Be Automated?

Many types of door can be automated with a couple of exceptions. If your door is too badly damaged or warped, they might not work effectively with an electric motor, and repair or replacement should be considered instead. In addition, if your door possesses an especially odd spring and gear arrangement, then this could hinder automation.

Retractable Up and Over: This type is the easiest to automate, and is also fairly cost effective. A boom is simply installed above the structural opening, and an electrical motor is installed at the other end. Sectional garage doors can also be automated in a similar manner.

Canopy Up and Over: This style of up and over do not adapt as well to an electrical opening system. Instead, these doors may require a bow arm conversion kit, which is fitted against a door and is able to slide, giving the door the ability to fully open and shut.

Side Hinged Garage Doors: Almost all doors of this style can be automated, usually through one of two methods. 1) Swing arm kits, which work by installing two pivotable arms to each side of the door and the boom. 2) Electromechanical system, which consists of a series of mechanical components used to open the doors.

Roller Doors: Most roller doors can be automated, but demand some reconstruction and dismantling of the existing garage to achieve this.

Eastern Garage Doors recognise the comfort and convenience of automatic garage doors, and can provide quality upgrades of existing doors in addition to installing brand new electric doors. Our team of professionals serve a wide range of areas, including the East of England and North London, and offer a variety of garage door systems and solutions. Call us today for your free, no obligation survey.

Why Should I Automate My Existing Garage Door?

If your garage refuses to close, this could pose a risk to the security of your garage and all the valuable items contained within it, including your car. It’s security 101 to keep your garage door operating smoothly and without any hitches, so when a problem does arise, it’s important that you are able to identify it and know what your next steps are. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the most common faults that hinder garage door closure, how to identify them, and what you should do to fix it.

A common factor affecting closure is issues with the photo eye sensors that sit on both sides of the door, facing each other. They work by transmitting a beam between them, and if anything gets in the way of the beam, it will not allow the door to close, which is an essential safety feature normally, but can cause problems when triggered at inconvenient times. One sign of a fault is if the usually solid red lights on the sensors are blinking.

There are a few things that could be causing this, the most probable being that the eyes are misaligned. Move them around, if you can, to see if they realign. Another problem could simply be that the photo-eye lens is dirty, or that there’s debris blocking or obstructing the safety beam’s path. Both of these can be fixed by wiping down the photo eye lenses, or checking the floor for debris accumulation. If none of these techniques work, call out a professional, who may need to replace the sensors.

Garage Door Track

The garage door track itself may have become warped over time, due to changes in temperature causing the metal brackets to expand and contract. This warping may mean that the door might not fit in the tracks properly. In this case, the track or might need to be replaced by a professional.

Springs, Hinges & Cables

Cables or springs in the door may have become frayed or worn, and will possibly need replacing. These issues can potentially be identified by yourself, by looking. These repair jobs can potentially be dangerous, so it may be best to called out a trained professional.

Another possible issue may lie with the the limit switch; it’s the job of this feature to control the travel of the door, so if there is a defect with this component, then this could cause the door to only shut part way. Adjusting or resetting the limit switch could fix this.

If the door is making strange noises as well as getting stuck when shutting, then it might not be lubricated properly, causing the joints and hinges to stick. Purchase some lubricator to rectify the problem.

Electrical Components

If you have an electric garage door, check all wires in all electrical components of the doors to see if any wires have become loose or damaged.

Wonky Garage Door

Your garage door might not be level and parallel with the ground. Run this simple test to find out; lower the door a few inches from the ground and put something below it to hold it there. Assess if the bottom of the door is parallel with the floor. A garage door that is not level can cause issues, and needs to be corrected immediately through professional means.

Whatever the problem, Eastern Garage Doors is here to help, offering expert advice and professional garage repair services for many areas in the east of England. Speedy and efficient, we respond quickly to problems whenever they arise, ensuring your garage security is not compromised for long. Contact our team today for a free, no obligation survey.