Talk to anyone who has had automatic garage doors fitted and they'll tell you that their life has been changed by this simple bit of home improvement. The idea behind automating your garage door is that you can drive straight in and out without having to get out of the car to open and shut the garage door. You also remove that age old question of "did I shut the garage door this morning?" as the machinery will do it for you every time.
Types of Automation
The big decision to make when you're look at automatic garage doors is how you want them to work. There are three main types of function to meet different needs and different budgets:
• Remote control - the basic model of automated doors are controlled by a small remote control that you either keep on your key chain or attached to the inside of the car. When you're ready, you simply press the button and wait for the machinery to work its magic. It's the cheapest option, but you'll have to be in range of the doors and remember to take it with you on each journey.
• Motion sensor - for a little extra, you can get a motion sensor fitted to the garage door. This will pick up large movements such as a car on the outside or a human on the inside, and automatically start opening the doors. This means that you don't need to press a button and the doors will start opening the minute you enter the garage, so you'll be ready to go as soon as you're sat in the car. Be careful to have the sensor placed correctly so your doors don't open when animals go past.
• Smart phone control - the top of the range automatic garage doors are controlled by an app on your smart phone. This allows you to "tell" the doors you're 2 minutes from home, lock and unlock them from anywhere with a WiFi connection and open when they pick up the signal from the phone. It's cutting edge technology so make sure you have a highly secure internet connection if you choose this option.
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