Garage doors provide the ultimate convenience for homeowners. They keep your car safe from unpredictable British weather, safeguard your vehicle from potential burglars and add to the value of your property. However, there’s more to a garage than just the door itself – there’s also the garage door opener to consider too. They’re an important safety feature that can be augmented with home automation for easy and quick access to your home as well as improve security. This guide will help you navigate the options available to you, as we want you to be confident that your choice makes that most sense for you and your needs.
For the past few decades, it has been necessary for garage door openers to be fitted with a safety reversing mechanism. This feature uses two sensors on both sides of the garage door. This is so that for example if a child or pet passes through the sensors when the door is shutting, it will instantly stop and reverse direction. If your garage door opener doesn’t have such a feature, or it has one that’s faulty, we advise replacing it immediately as it’s an essential safety measure.
Older garage door openers can be more prone to burglaries. This is due to the fact their remote controls operated with a fixed code. With such a system, someone with a special gadget could easily crack the code and find their way into your home. Newer garage door openers benefit from the rolling code feature. This means every time the garage is used – the code will automatically change. As a result, thieves will not be able to hack the code and enter your garage uninvited.
The newest garage door openers offer Wi-Fi and smart device connectivity that allows you to do many useful things. A smart device with the relevant app can monitor and control your garage door from a remote location. For example, you can open/close your garage from wherever you are, or the app can warn you when you’ve left your garage door open. Run into heavy rain on your way home? No problem! With such smart features, open your garage door as soon as you’ve turned the corner of your road, to get inside your warm, cosy home quickly. Automated garage door openers often come with digital controls and read-outs that show time and temperature display, motion-sensor light control and programmed lock-down periods – what more could you want?
Prices based on a good quality electric garage door opener (automated) will vary from one supplier to another. However, as a rough guide, you can expect such prices:
Installation will normally require servicing of the existing garage door, which in some cases could mean new parts too.
However, on average, without any additional parts, and power readily available, installation can start from approximately £180.
If you’re one of those people who often forgets to shut the garage door, or you’re constantly worrying whether you remembered to close it after heading out – automated garage door openers are a worthwhile investment. There are important qualities to look for when on the hunt for one as keeping your home safe as well as your life comfortable is essential. Therefore, picking the right garage door opener requires research. Let’s take a look at our top two recommendations in more depth:
Sectional – these have four or five horizontal panels joined together with hinges that allow the door to bend and follow a curved path as it opens/closes.
Up and over – these retractable doors have spring-aided horizontal runners which go into the garage.
Roller – if your garage door has a continuous curtain that rolls, it’s easy to switch to an electric version.
Side-hinged – if they’re made with a durable chassis, an automatic garage door opener will be suitable.
Electric garage door openers are add-on devices connecting to your existing garage door opener so you can open/close the door from wherever using an app on your smart device. It doesn’t change the way your garage door works; it simply enhances it. What this means for you is it gives you a helping hand with things such as automatically shutting the garage door at night or opening it up when you’re pulling up on your drive after work. Plus, it also operates like a smart lock, offering you another way to let people in if you’re not at home. And, with firms such as Amazon offering an in-garage delivery service – you’ll never miss a parcel again! The benefits don’t just stop there either – some electric garage door openers allow you to hook up to voice assistant features. As well as this, they can also integrate with smart home systems to manage everything at once with just a touch. Whether you have an up and over garage door and need a Dexxo Pro 800 RTS, or perhaps you have a roller garage door which requires an RDO 50 CSI – Somfy can help.
Remote controlled garage doors are something that people are looking for more and more due to their many benefits. Whilst you can use an app to open/close your garage door, there’s also the option of using a pocket-sized remote to carry out these functions.
Forget your phone and there’s heavy rain outside? Don’t fret! Just grab your remote out of your pocket and open your garage door.
The good news is that you can actually program your opener to open multiple garage doors with a remote control. Take the Keygo 4 RTS for example – it’s a compact and easy to use four channel remote control which gives you the ultimate automatic control over your garage door. It can be programmed to control up to four garage doors when paired with RTS electric garage door motors – and it can do this as when you please with just the touch of a button. Just pop it in your pocket and you’re good to go, and don’t worry about accidentally pressing a button as it has contemporary recessed buttons. Comfortable living just got better and that’s all thanks to the remote control garage door opener!
Now that you know a bit more about garage door openers, you can make a confident and informed choice when you come to purchase one. Go further with Somfy and explore all our electric garage door solutions to find the perfect one for you and your needs. With all the attractive benefits they have to offer, there are plenty of reasons to invest in automated garage door openers. Whether you use your garage as a DIY workshop or as a place to keep your vehicle safe, they’re an important addition for convenience, safety and security. So, go ahead and make life more comfortable, enjoy stress-free mornings and allow friendly faces access to your home, without you even having to be there.
Open or close your single or double garage door and manage your other Somfy equipment from your smartphone using the TaHoma® app.
Combine all your smart devices
With the TaHoma® switch intelligent centralisation you take convenience to another level. It allows you to control not only your electric garage door motor from a smartphone, but also your lights, alarm, roller shutters and other connected objects. You can manage all of your equipment individually or jointly through scenarios.
RTS motor and rail for up and over or sectional garage doors. Many additional operational options.
The Somfy GDK 700 is a silent garage door opener with burglar protection and obstacle detection. This easy to install device is suitable for sectional and tilt opening doors.
Motor for rolling garage doors, includes manual override in case of power failure.
Somfy’s market leading LT CSI tubular motor, combined with the Rollixo RTS control is an unrivalled solution for motorising Roller Garage Doors.
It warns motorists that your vehicle is entering or exiting. It is positioned outside on one of the pillars or near your garage door. It is compulsory if your access is directly onto the public road.
Any garage door fitted with automatic or remote control must be fitted with photoelectric cells. They make it possible to instantly stop the motor in the event an obstacle is detected.
You can also opt for the installation of a backup battery. It is designed to manage ten opening and closing cycles.
Electric garage doors are very secure and offer additional security features over manual door.
Find out the importance of garage door security here.
Yes you can add an electric motor to an existing garage door.
Electric garage door come in a few different forms, but generally consist of a motor and a drive system to automatically open and close the door.
Home security cameras are just videos cameras that save data to either an on-board card or use an internet connection to store it on a server in the 'cloud'.
Our electric garage doors can be controlled via a wall switch remote, app or add a smart hub for voice control.
TaHoma® is a solution that lets you control connected equipment in your home. It is a companion which helps you manage your connected equipment every day (lighting, doors and windows, alarm, heating,etc.) that you can control from home or on the move, using your mobile devices or your computer.
View all Somfy products and packs for TaHoma®, Alarm, Garage door and accessories.
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