Roller garage doors for townhouse garages

In short

A townhouse garage sits on the ground floor beneath living rooms or bedrooms, often opening close to the pavement or a shared parking area. A roller garage door suits it because it opens straight up without swinging out, but the floor above can leave very little headroom for the box. Box position, lath size and noise are the details that matter most.

Three-storey townhouse with a grey roller door on its integral ground-floor garage

Computer-generated image

Why do roller doors suit townhouse garages?

Roller doors suit townhouse garages because they open vertically and take up no space outside the opening. Many townhouse garages open almost straight onto a pavement, a shared courtyard or a short drive, where a door that swings outwards can be awkward and can block a path while it's moving.

The curtain coils into a box at the top of the opening, so the garage ceiling stays clear. In a townhouse that ceiling is often the floor of a room above, with joists, pipes and cables close by, so there's rarely room for the tracks an up-and-over or sectional door would need.

Is there enough headroom for a roller box in a townhouse garage?

Sometimes not, which is why headroom is the first thing we measure in a townhouse garage. Headroom is the height between the top of the opening and the ceiling or beam above it, and the floor structure over a townhouse garage often leaves very little.

Domestic roller boxes are roughly 205 to 300 mm or more, depending on door height and lath size. Smaller laths coil into a more compact box, which helps where space is tight. Our low-headroom roller garage doors page explains the compact options, and if there still isn't enough space behind the lintel, the box can go somewhere else.

Where can the roller box go if there's no room behind the lintel?

The box can go behind the lintel, under it or on the front of the wall. Behind the lintel is the usual position and keeps the box out of sight from outside.

Under the lintel: the box sits inside the opening, which reduces the clear opening height. Check that your car, and any roof bars or roof box, will still fit.
On the front of the wall: a face-fixed box leaves the full opening clear but is visible from the street. On some developments the appearance of the front of the house is controlled, so check before choosing this.

We'll measure the clear height for each option at the survey so you can compare them properly.

Will an electric door disturb the room above?

An electric roller door does make some noise, and in a townhouse it's directly below a living room or bedroom, so it's worth keeping it down. Insulated laths reduce noise compared with single-skin laths, and a door with square guides, brush seals and well-set limits runs more quietly than one that rubs or overruns.

The tubular motor sits inside the barrel, so where the box goes affects where you hear it. Tell us at the survey how the room above is used and we'll take it into account when choosing the laths and positioning the box and control box.

What else should I check on a townhouse garage?

Check the side room, the power and any rules on appearance. Townhouse garages are often narrow, with a front door, meter box or downpipe close to the opening, and the guide rails need around 75 to 100 mm each side when fitted behind the opening.

An electric door needs a power supply near the box. On some developments a management company or the deeds control changes to the front of the house, including colour, so it's sensible to check before ordering. Parking for the installer's van on fitting day is also worth arranging in advance if the street is busy.

Questions

Will an under-lintel box stop my car fitting?

It might, so measure before choosing it. A box fitted under the lintel sits inside the opening and reduces the clear height by roughly the depth of the box. On a tall opening that may not matter; on a low one, a high-roofed car or roof bars may no longer clear it. We'll give you the clear height for each box position at the survey.

Can my garage door match the neighbours' doors?

Usually, yes. Roller door laths come in a range of RAL colours and woodgrain finishes from the manufacturer, and we can often find a close match to neighbouring doors. White, silver grey and anthracite grey are included; other RAL colours and woodgrain finishes from the range add £95–£245 inc VAT to a new door, and colours outside the manufacturer's range are priced on survey. We'll show you samples so you can compare them in daylight.

Are low-headroom doors less well insulated?

Not necessarily, but the choice can be narrower. Compact boxes often use smaller laths, and which insulated options are available depends on the manufacturer's range for your width and height. We'll show you what's available for your opening at the survey, including whether an insulated lath will fit the headroom you have.