When you decide to install custom garage doors, there really is little limit to how much they can be adjusted to fit your needs. Don't be shy of making unusual requests: if the organization installing your doors is in any way competent, they should be able to accommodate needs far removed from the normal.

#Opening mechanisms

Almost any way of opening a garage door can be automated - you don't need to stick to the classic 'up and over' mechanism used in older automatic garage doors. Let's look through some of the choices that are open to you.

The standard 'up and over' mechanism is a good basis for a custom garage door. Because it is so widespread, it is possible to find doors with this mechanism in almost any style imaginable (and, let's face it, also in many styles that make you wonder if the designer was crazed or colour-blind).

Roller doors are a good choice if you do not have much space in front of your garage door. This might be the case in inner-city areas, for example, or in other areas where your garage is squeezed into an awkward position. In automatic garage doors with a roller mechanism, the door will simply roll itself up into a small space, allowing you to pass underneath it. It will not need any space in front of the garage. One aspect to note with these doors is that, despite the temptation, they should generally not be left in a half-open position. The mechanisms are not designed to hold in a position other than 'open' or 'closed', and they may end up being strained and wearing out quickly if you try to make them do this. If you do have a need to leave the garage door half-open, you should enquire about custom garage doors with a mechanism designed to accommodate this need.

Sectional custom garage doors, opening vertically, can be a very impressive effect. They open inwards: this needs a larger garage with some spare space inside, but it is highly satisfying to drive home in the evening and see your garage door swinging inwards.

Another advantage of sectional garage doors is that they are great for people who spend some time in their garage. If your garage doubles as a home gym or a workshop, you probably want a custom garage door that can let some light in. Sectional doors are great for this, because you can open them partially and get a lot of light into the garage. Compare that to up-and-over or rolling automatic garage doors, which open from the bottom up and so will not let much sunlight in unless you open them fully.

#Options for garage doors

The garage door doesn't need to be a plain facade - you can adapt it to your own wishes. If you would like to let light in, how about adding a window to your custom garage door setup? Windows can be included in sectional custom garage doors very easily. Remember that windows in your custom garage door are a feature reasonably easy to add initially, but very hard to incorporate later. If you would like to let sunlight into your garage, the time to do it is when you first buy your custom garage door. It is much easier to cover up an unwanted window in custom garage doors than it is to add one which was never installed.

And what about the colours? There is no reason why you should stick with standard white automatic garage door, unless you have consciously decided that you like that style. Much better to investigate different colours - or you could be even more adventurous. Some homeowners have chosen to have pictures painted onto their garage doors, often to magnificent effect. Custom garage doors with custom designs are one of the few demonstrations that spray paint has more use than writing teenagers' names under bridges!