A Quick Lesson in Painting Garage Doors

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Garage doors, like other exterior features, bear the brunt of our weather extremes, from scorching heat to frost with hailstorms and torrential rain thrown in for good measure. Regardless of the quality of the paint finish, garage doors will eventually need repainting to protect the raw surface. Choosing the right paint is essential for a lasting finish, as a metal door will need a different type of paint from a wooden door.

How do we know that? Well, we know a lot about garage doors because we supply and install industrial, commercial and domestic roller and shutter doors. Direct Door Services has over 20 years’ experience in the industry and over that time, we have answered thousands of questions and helped our clients choose the most appropriate garage doors for their needs.

Start Right with the Right Primer

Whether the door is metal or timber, it may need a primer as part of the preparation. A primer suitable for a timber surface may not produce long-lasting results on a metal surface. An old metal garage door may also be harbouring rust under the faded paint, so a primer containing a rust inhibitor should be selected for this work. Choosing the right primer is easy as there are many reliable brands on the market that are suitable for either surface.

Epoxy Enlivens Metal Doors

For metal garage doors, with or without primer, epoxy enamel paint is a better choice than plain enamel. It is far more durable, it is easy to clean and binds completely to the metal, provided the surface has been properly prepared. In our harsh environment the finish will look great for many years.

Exterior Enamel Spruces up a Timber Door

Exterior enamel paint is the best choice for a timber garage door. When properly applied, it has a hard, glossy finish that washes easily, resists heat, retains colour and provides excellent coverage. Cleaning up afterwards is easy as the brushes and rollers just wash clean in water.

Good Advice, Quality Paint and Preparation – Can’t Go Wrong

When choosing garage door paint, discuss the project with the sales assistant who usually can answer most questions and very often will offer alternative solutions based on their experience. Always choose the best quality paint you can afford. Painting takes time and effort, and this is all wasted if poor quality paint is used and that hard-won finish does not last.

It is worth stating again that, even with the right type of paint, preparation is the key to a long-lasting, professional result that adds value to the main structure. This is our approach at Direct Door Services when we custom build doors for our clients. We work with them to prepare a brief, finalise the design and choose the finish. When this is all agreed, we begin work and finally, install the doors. This is how we consistently achieve excellent results.

Getting It Right In Commercial Premises Is Essential

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When most people think about selecting and installing any sort of shutter they can be forgiven for automatically assuming it is for a domestic situation. Selecting the right shutter is essential as it can make or break the mood of a room.

For Direct Door Services when we talk shutters we think about large and small commercial applications. Our vast range of commercial shutters, doors and fire shutters are constructed with quality materials. They can be made from perforated or slotted slats.

Each slat on our shutters and doors are fitted with windlocks. This design allows for greater strength, preventing the slats from popping out of their guides during high winds or sudden gusts.

Fire Shutters

A fire shutter is recommended to impede the spread of a fire. Indeed they are essential items in most commercial premises.

Whilst some of our doors can be hand operated a fire control panel can be used to activate the 240v or 3-phase motors on these shutters. They are also designed to activate should an installed fusible link detect temperatures of higher than 72 degrees Celsius.

Size is No Issue

Our experienced design, installation, and maintenance crew have worked on some very interesting projects.

We have been involved with the construction and installation of shutters, doors and fire shutters as small as a large door all the way up to loading dock shutters that measure 10 metres high and 17 metres wide, or more.

Security and Safety

At the end of a long working day you can relax when conducting your end-of-day procedures such as counting cash and balancing up the day’s takings without fear of exposure or theft.

Each business will work in a different way and require something different to help with this. Our team are able to give advice on design improvements and implement them, thus affording you and your staff the greatest convenience and safety.

Maintenance and Repairs

As previously mentioned, our roller shutters are made up of individual slats. These slats range from 50mm to 75mm all the way through to 100mm.

Should your door incur any damage our trained technicians are able to attend your premises to assess the level of damage. The extent of the damage will control their next steps.

They may be able to get the door working well whilst there, but more often than not, they will get the door as operational as possible whilst new slats can be organised in the colour required.

Go Motorised – Convenience And Protection In Tight Spots

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Are you dreaming of being able to drive into the warm and welcoming cover of a lockable garage? Those dark cold nights can make the outside seem a bit creepy. Your big problem is that you have a really tight spot and you think that it could be difficult to manoeuvre your car and your garage door safely.

For Ease of Access in Tight Spots

It maybe that all you really need is a motorised door that will open and close with the click of a button that you keep with the vehicle. They truly are the best solution to get you into warmth and safety and out of the cold or even worse – the wet – quickly.
They come in all styles so we are sure to find the right door to allow you maximum space to park the car and transfer the family inside without fear of getting wet.

Increase Your Street Appeal

Direct Door Services provide many styles or fascias to ensure we find the best possible match to your home. The host of colours, designs, and patterns are sure to please and you will find it difficult to decide which will suit.

Increases Property Value

We all know that by going the extra few yards such as pathways and landscaping, we add value to our homes. A quality garage door can offer not just increased street appeal, but also value to your home far beyond its cost. That sounds like a good investment.

The Cherry on the Top

The cherry on the top of having a Direct Door Services motorised door is that it offers peace of mind as you know that your motor vehicles and stored items are protected and secure. In some cases this is more than doubly important as your garage door offers access directly into our home.

Service Variety

Here are just some of the great companies we offer new installations, service and repairs, including insurance work, for:

  • Austral Monsoon
  • Ezi-roll
  • Gliderol
  • Mirage
  • B&D
  • Grifco Motors
  • Steel-line
  • Merlin Motors
  • ARD
  • ATA

    • So whether you need a new door, or an old door serviced or repaired give us a call.
    One of our friendly staff can come to you and offer an obligation free measure up and/or quote to get you on track to the garage door that your family and home deserve.

Choosing the Right Material for Garage Doors

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Commercial garage doors/shutters protect and secure the assets in your place of business. The material used to make the commercial garage door/shutter will determine the longevity of the door/shutter, what type of punishment it can withstand, or even how much annual care and maintenance it will need.

Garage doors and shutters come in different materials. The following is a brief summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the different materials used in commercial garage doors. The information provided for each material will help customers choose the right material for their commercial garage doors/shutters.

Steel

The most popular garage door/shutter material is steel because of its reasonable price, durability and low maintenance requirement. Steel can be powder coated with the colour of your preference.

There are two things to take note of when buying steel garage doors. steel offers durability and reduces impact and destruction from burglary attempts.

Aluminium

Aluminium doors have many similarities to steel, with enduring finishes available to customers. Compared with steel, aluminium is lighter.

Wood

Wood, the material used to make the first garage doors, is perfect for those looking for traditional styles and materials. Although wood provides better insulation than steel, insulated garage doors are better at saving energy. Regular maintenance and refinishing are required for wood garage doors.

Wood Composite

Made with recycled wood fibres, wood composite doors combine the strength of steel and the appearance and feel of wood. This material can be painted or stained. Composite doors that more resistant to rot and breakage than solid wood.

Fibreglass

There are not many fibreglass garage doors available in the market. The material has its shortcomings including its lightness, poor insulation capability and susceptibility to weather exposure. However, fibreglass can withstand salt-water corrosion better than other materials used to make garage doors, making it suitable for coastal sites.

Material is just one of the factors to consider when shopping for a garage door/shutter. Choosing a garage door requires a lot of thought. This ensures that you will not regret your purchase later on.

The Importance of Installing Infrared Safety Beams on Commercial Garage Doors

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An established business owns many assets. Among these many assets are vehicles. It is the responsibility of a company to keep these vehicles safe and well maintained. This is important so that the vehicle will continue to serve the company for a long time. One of the ways to protect company vehicles is by installing a commercial garage door.

A company can further protect its vehicles from harm by installing a commercial garage door with an infrared safety beam. Infrared safety beam technology is one of the most significant inventions in garage door history. The infrared safety beam is basic motion detection technology. It works by automatically reversing the closing of the door if it senses that something is blocking the way or if something breaks the beam as the door is closing.

You can buy a garage door that includes an infrared safety beam. Alternatively, you can buy the safety beam separately if you already have a commercial garage door. In either case, it is a good idea to call a professional to install your garage doors and/or your garage door’s infrared safety beam. There are several reasons why it is important to have an infrared safety beam installed with your commercial garage door.

Protection for your Company Vehicles

Safety sensors provide protection to your car. If you neglect to park the vehicle far enough inside the garage, an infrared safety beam will not allow the garage door to close. It will remind you always to park the vehicle properly.

Protection against Theft and Harsh Weather

You could unintentionally leave the garage door open when you park the car. An infrared safety beam will alert you that the garage door is still open and remind you to close the door. There are advanced safety beams technologies that will even close the door for you. Closing the garage door after you is important to prevent theft or damage to the vehicle, especially when the weather is very cold.

A high-quality infrared safety beam is a good investment for your company. If you are ready to invest in an infrared safety beam, seek the help of a good garage door installer or a reliable supplier. If you have a very old garage door, you need to call the manufacturer before your purchase an infrared safety beam. This will prevent compatibility between the existing garage door and the new safety beam. If your place of business still does not have a commercial garage door, it is a good idea to hire a good garage door installer who has the experience and training to install the unit properly.