- One-piece steel or timber panel
- Counterbalance spring mechanism
- Motorisable with the right operator
A tip-up garage door swings out and up in one panel, running back into the roof space on a simple frame. It is the door on a great many older Roodepoort houses, particularly through Florida, Florida Park, Discovery, Horizon View, Witpoortjie and Maraisburg, and it is still a sensible product where the geometry suits it.
Tip-up garage doors we supply in Roodepoort
- Steel tip-up doors in the traditional ribbed and panelled profiles.
- Aluminium tip-up doors where a lighter panel is wanted.
- Timber tip-up doors where the house calls for it.
- Single and double widths, on new or existing frames.
Where a tip-up door works and where it does not
It needs clear space in front of the opening, because the panel swings out before it lifts. If a car parks close to the door, or the driveway falls steeply away as it does on parts of the ridge through Roodekrans, a sectional or roll-up door is the better answer. We will say so.
Replacing an old tip-up door
Most tip-up doors we replace have gone out of balance, rusted at the bottom edge, or had the frame move. Where the frame is sound we fit a new panel to it, which is the cheapest route. Where it is not, the frame is replaced with the door.
Balance, springs and safe operation
A tip-up door is held by spring tension on each side, and the balance is the whole safety story. An out-of-balance tip-up door is heavy to lift and can come down hard. We replace springs in matched pairs and set the balance so the door stays where you leave it.
Motorising a tip-up garage door
Tip-up doors can be automated with a rail-mounted operator and the correct arm, but only once the balance is right. Automating a heavy tip-up door is how operators get destroyed. We check the door by hand before quoting the motor.
Finishes and appearance
Powder-coated steel in the trim colour is the usual choice on the older Roodepoort housing stock, because it sits with the house rather than shouting. Timber-look finishes are available where the elevation wants it.
Maintenance for tip-up doors
Springs, pivots and the frame fixings, checked annually. The failure that matters is a spring, and a spring that is about to go usually gives warning in how the door feels for weeks beforehand.
What a tip-up garage door costs in Roodepoort
Usually the least expensive garage door for a given opening. Priced on width, panel material, finish, whether the frame is being replaced, and whether it is automated.
Common questions
About tip-up and up-and-over garage doors
Yes, and we still fit and repair a great many of them. They are the simplest mechanism we build: one counterbalanced panel, few moving parts, and cheap to repair. They remain a sensible choice for a detached garage where sealing is not critical.
That is how the mechanism works — the bottom of the panel arcs outward as it lifts. You need roughly a metre of clear space in front of the door. If you park close to the door, a sectional or roll-up door is the better fit.
Yes, with an operator that has a swing arm or a curved rail to follow the arc of the panel. The springs must be correctly balanced first — a heavy, badly balanced tip-up door will destroy a motor in months.
Almost always the counterbalance springs have fatigued or one has broken. It is a straightforward repair and should be done promptly, because an unbalanced tip-up panel can drop hard enough to injure someone.
Related
Also worth a look
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Robertville, Stormill, Technikon side
Galvanised shutters for the West Rand industrial units, built to span workshop and warehouse openings and take daily vehicle traffic.
- Openings to 8 000mm wide
- 0.8mm–1.2mm galvanised slat
- Chain hoist or motorised
Security Roller Shutter Doors
Storerooms, cash offices, workshops
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- Anti-lift bottom rail with bolts
- Alarm and access control integration
Residential Roller Shutter Doors
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Garage doors for the older West Rand housing stock, measured properly because very few of those openings are square any more.
- Insulated aluminium, quiet running
- Battery backup for load shedding
