Wide and double roller garage doors: buyer's guide

Quick answer

Roller doors suit wide and double garages because the curtain coils into a box and never swings out. Our price list covers openings up to 5.5 m, with wider ones priced on survey. Wide doors usually use larger 77 mm laths for rigidity and a motor sized to the curtain's weight. Removing a central pillar to make one opening is structural work needing approval.

How wide can a roller garage door be?

Our price list covers domestic roller doors up to 5.5 m wide, and openings wider than that are priced on survey.

We group widths into bands: single up to 2.4 m, wide single from 2.4 to 3.0 m, double from 3.0 to 4.0 m and wide double from 4.0 to 5.5 m. Manual doors in our list go up to 4.0 m, because a wider curtain is heavy to lift by hand. Steel doors wider than 4 m are priced on survey. If your opening is close to the edge of a band, we measure it exactly at the free survey before confirming which price applies. Height matters as well as width, because a tall, wide door makes a larger coil and needs more headroom for its box. See our double roller doors page for the range.

Which lath size suits a wide roller door?

Wide roller doors usually use larger laths, typically around 77 mm, because they're stiffer across a long span than 55 mm laths.

A lath has to span the full width between the guides without sagging or flexing. The deeper the lath, the more rigid it is, which helps it stay true in the guides and resist wind and knocks. Insulated laths add further stiffness from their foam core. The trade-off is a bigger coil, so a wide door generally needs a larger box and more headroom. Our lath guide explains the difference between lath types.

How do wide roller garage doors cope with wind?

Wide roller doors catch more wind than narrow ones, so the lath, guides and fixings are chosen to suit the width and how exposed the garage is.

A strong gust pushes on the whole face of the curtain, and the wider the door, the more it can flex between the guides. A stiffer lath, firmly fixed guides and correctly anchored brackets all help the curtain stay in its guides. On exposed sites, such as open countryside or the coast, the manufacturer may specify heavier components for wider doors. Tell us at the survey if your garage faces strong prevailing winds, so we can take it into account when we recommend a door.

Can I remove the pillar between two single garage doors?

Yes, two single openings can often be made into one wide opening, but removing the central pillar is structural work that needs a correctly sized lintel or beam and building regulations approval.

The pillar between two doors usually helps carry the wall, and sometimes a floor or roof, above. Taking it out means the load must be carried by a new lintel or beam across the full width, designed for the job. In England and Wales that needs building regulations approval through building control, in Scotland a building warrant, and in Northern Ireland building control approval, before work starts. This work is priced on survey. Our planning and building regulations guide explains more.

An alternative is to keep the pillar and fit two single roller doors, each with its own motor. That avoids structural work and means one door keeps working if the other needs attention.

What size motor does a double roller door need?

A double roller door needs a tubular motor rated for the weight of its curtain and the size of its barrel, which is larger than the motor on a single door.

Tubular motors are rated by the turning force they can deliver. A wide, tall, insulated curtain is heavy, so it needs a motor with enough torque to lift it smoothly without working at its limit. An undersized motor runs slowly, gets hot and wears sooner. The manufacturer's sizing tables match the motor to the curtain, and we follow them for every door we supply. A wide door also takes longer to open than a single, so battery backup can be worth adding.

If you keep two single doors instead of one wide one, each door has its own motor and controls. Remote handsets can often be set up with a separate button for each door, which we confirm when we quote.

How much does a double roller garage door cost?

A double roller door costs more than a single because of the extra laths, longer barrel and larger motor, and the price depends on the width band and door type.

Door type	Double, 3.0 to 4.0 m	Wide double, 4.0 to 5.5 m
Manual	£1,395–£1,995 inc VAT	Priced on survey
Electric single-skin	£1,795–£2,595 inc VAT	£2,195–£3,195 inc VAT
Insulated electric	£2,195–£3,295 inc VAT	£2,595–£3,995 inc VAT
Security-rated	£3,195–£4,695 inc VAT	£3,795–£5,495 inc VAT
Steel electric	£2,095–£3,095 inc VAT	Priced on survey

Prices include supply, fitting, commissioning and taking away the old door. Openings over 5.5 m and any structural work are priced on survey.

Questions

Is one wide roller door better than two single doors?

It depends on the garage. One wide door gives a clear opening that's easier to drive through and park two cars behind, but if there's a central pillar, removing it is structural work needing approval. Two single doors keep the pillar, use smaller motors and keep one side working if the other has a fault. We can price both options at the survey.

Can a manual roller door be fitted to a double garage?

Yes, up to 4.0 m wide in our price list. Manual doors are spring-assisted, which balances the curtain, but a wide curtain is still heavier to lift and lower than a single door. For wider openings, or if lifting the door would be a struggle, an electric door is the more practical choice, and it can be fitted with battery backup for power cuts.

Will a wide roller door need a bigger box?

Usually, yes. Wide doors often use larger laths and a bigger barrel, which make a larger coil, so the box is deeper than on a single door of the same height. The exact size depends on the door height, lath and manufacturer. We measure the headroom at the survey and, if there isn't room inside, look at a face-fixed box.