The Hidden Dangers of Cheap Roller Doors

When comparing garage door prices online, you will no doubt have come across many companies offering so called high quality doors for around £500 suitable for a large opening and felt extremely tempted to jump right in and purchase it based purely on the price.

However, what if you were unwittingly buying something that is actually dangerous, does not comply with the latest safety legislation and will no doubt start to show signs of wear after around 12 months (just when the warranty expires). Do you think the offer of such a cheap door would still seem as appealing?

If the answer is no then please read on.

The reason that roller doors vary so much in price is down to the quality of the materials used and the level of features offered. Cheap doors can only be made from one thing. Cheap materials!

Quality of Components

Whilst 2 doors at the opposite end of the price spectrum might look identical in appearance at first glance, once you start to break them down into individual components, the differences become much clearer. Poor quality motors are the main difference. Imported products often have motors that are not strong enough for the size of door and as a result of the wear and tear placed on them need replacing within a matter of months.

When compared to a high quality motor fitted by the likes of Gliderol & Seceuroglide that have a 5 year warranty and the difference is like chalk and cheese.

In addition to the difference in the quality of the components, cheap doors will probably only feature a single photo cell as the sole means of safety. These are no longer compliant with the latest regulation changes so if you are offered this it is strongly advisable to walk away. This is because they do not cover all the opening so leave users vulnerable to injury if beam is not broken or comes out of alignment.

Safety Features

If you look at a high quality roller garage door, you will see that whilst a photo cell may be fitted, this is generally only present as a secondary precaution. The main safety feature should be a hard wired or wireless safety edge that is fitted to the bottom of the curtain which moves with the door up and down therefore providing total coverage of the opening. The other safety requirement that needs to be fitted to doors over a certain size is a “safety brake” as this will prevent the curtain dropping unexpectedly should the motor ever fail.

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