Everything You Need To Know About Smart Garage Doors

When electric garage doors were introduced back in 1926, it was a revolutionary moment for the industry. In the intervening 90 or so years, they’ve become commonplace at properties everywhere but there’s a new innovation that has transformed the industry even further – smart garage doors.

As tech continues to be incorporated into almost every area of our day-to-day lives, the last decade or so has seen smart garage doors become a regular feature at homes and businesses across the country. Designed to enhance security and make operation more convenient, at Rollerdor we know a thing or two about smart garage doors and have put together a handy guide outlining everything you need to know about this type of product.

So, read on to find out more about smart garage doors and whether they can provide your property with a boost. 

What are smart garage doors?

The term Internet of Things, or IoT, has been established for many years now and refers to any object that has had sensors, software or other technology connected to it which allows it to communicate with the internet, devices or networks. Think smart doorbells that allow you to see who’s at the door or CCTV cameras that are linked to your phone. Even home assistants such as Alexa or Google Nest that allow you to do everything from check the weather to phone your friends come under the IoT umbrella. 

These days almost every household object can be made ‘smart’, and the same can be said for garage doors. In a nutshell, a smart garage door opener works by allowing the user to remotely open their garage door via an internet connection. Usually, this can be done on a mobile phone app so home and business owners can open their doors, and check their garage’s status and condition, wherever they are in the world. 

How do smart garage doors work?

As mentioned above, smart garage doors work by using an internet connection with a garage door’s rails, meaning when the user activates it on their mobile phone or smart device, the door will remotely open and close. 

As well as being an extremely convenient way of operating, smart garage doors also provide a number of other benefits. 

Primarily, this includes their ability to enhance the security of your garage and therefore increase the integrity of your property as a whole. This is because smart garage doors give you greater control over who has access to your garage. If you have a smart garage door in place, only those that have the app that is linked to your door will be able to access it. Plus, most smart garage door products allow you to browse your garage door’s history – meaning you’ll be able to check when it was accessed. 

You can also incorporate CCTV cameras into your smart garage door system, providing you with a 24 hour visual of your property. Plus, some systems will send you alerts every time your garage door is opened, or if your garage has remained open for a significant amount of time – giving you peace of mind that your property is protected.      

Can any garage door be smart?

If you’re interested in converting your garage door using smart technology, there are two ways this can be achieved. 

These are:

Add on accessories – This option refers to the variety of add on accessories, such as smart garage door controllers, motors and more that can be incorporated to existing garage doors. At Rollerdor we stock a variety of accessories from leading smart home brand Somfy that can help transform your current garage door.

Smart garage door opener systems – Sometimes, it’s not possible simply to add smart accessories and a whole new garage door opening system will be required. This will see your current motorised structure completely replaced with a brand new system that is designed to suit smart garage doors.   

With this in mind, it means that any garage door has the potential to be made smart but you should discuss your requirements with your garage door supplier to ensure that you receive a product that’s right for you.

At Rollerdor we manufacture and supply a whole host of roller garage door types, all of which are designed here in the UK and are fantastic at maximising space in your garage. For more information or to chat with our expert technicians about your requirements, get in touch with Rollerdor today.