Door Industry Journal - Spring 2019

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk 60 THE door industry journal spring 2019 Domestic Garage Doors The Finishing Touch As the ethos of ‘don’t move, improve’ continues to sweep across the UK, simple updates to the home to improve its aesthetic appeal are becoming commonplace. One such way for homeowners to update their home is to replace their garage door and choose a door finish that maximises the property’s kerb appeal. Hörmann, the leading manufacturer of garage doors, has developed 24 new Duragrain finishes which will instantly transform any garage and give it a new lease of life. Duragrain is an innovative printed finish, which is compatible with the hugely popular sectional door offering from Hörmann. The finish uses a protective exterior paint to provide an ultra scratch-resistant surface finish, helping the door to remain in good condition for many years. Plus, the inclusion of a UV-resistant layer means that the colour won’t fade during sun exposure. The new finishes include a wide range of wood effect options, including a stylishly dark Terra Walnut and a soft Whitewashed Oak – which is perfect for anyone trying to master the popular Scandi style. Alternatively, for those who don’t want a wood finish, ‘Concrete’, ‘Rusty Steel’ or ‘Mocca’ are just some of the other options available and will give a contemporary look to the exterior of any property. For a complete garage refresh, Hörmann can also create lintel and frame fascia panels in a colour that matches the finish. Visit www.hormann.co.uk or call 01530 516 888 for more information. Guide to Retrofitting an Alutech Levigato Garage Door Operator In the short time since its launch last year, the Levigato garage door operator from Alutech has proven so popular that it already accounts for 80% of operator sales at sole distributor, JD (UK) Ltd. Homeowners love its sleek, stylish design and ease of use, while installers appreciate its versatility, ease of installation and the range of accessories available. One area in particular where Levigato is creating a lucrative revenue stream for installers is that of the retrofit and replacement market. Darren Chamberlain, MD at Garage Doors South West Ltd, has used the Levigato to replace old motors for his customers. He says, “As well as being easy to fit and programme, it looks great too, especially compared to some of the bulky old operators I replace. Levigato is sleek and compact, with a stylish LED light that runs around the outer edge. The operation is very quiet and smooth. I’m always confident when recommending it to my customers and it’s great to be able to offer a matching Alutech operator with the new Alutech sectional doors that I install.” Darren goes on to describe the process of a live retrofit installation in more detail, saying, “Levigato is mounted with a good quality, belt driven, one-piece boom and simple hanging straps, with one bracket to attach the head unit to the boom, meaning it is very straight forward to hang the operator and move from one to the other. “In this instance, the Levigato is being installed on a newly installed steel framed canopy, on a bow arm. The electric plug socket was already in situ, so it was simply a case of plugging it in and programming, once the operator had been hung. “As most installers are aware, canopy doors are not the most straight forward to automate. The Levigato has some great benefits with regard to adjusting the parameters of the force settings and speed to operate the canopy door without any glitches, allowing the installer to change the down force and up force independently, and the same for the speed, giving smooth reliable door movement on opening and closing.” Darren concludes, “This job was completed in 30 minutes. The customer was very happy and particularly liked the contemporary design of handset and head unit.” The Levigato Garage Door Operator is JD (UK)’s most competitively priced automation system yet. The sleek, slim, award-winning Levigato motor was designed by Pininfarina, a famous automotive design company also associated with premium brands such as Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Maserati. It opens up new opportunities to installers in the replacement motor and retrofit market and is also the perfect partner to the new Alutech double side sprung door. For more information on Levigato, please call sole UK distributor, JD (UK) Ltd, on 01924 472924, email nichola@jdukltd.co.uk or find them on facebook.com/Alutechg aragedoorsuk © Photos courtesy of Garage Doors South West Ltd. All rights reserved.