The ‘Best Practice Guide for Specifying Security Hardware for Doors’ has been produced for tradesmen and companies working within the door, security, building, glazing, window and locksmith industries.

Included in the guide is a detailed description of which locks and security products meet the required standards, including multi-point locks and the most up to date versions of electro-mechanical keyless locks. Advice and direction on components such as cylinders, door security handles, door restrictors, viewers and letterboxes is also presented in the guide, which can be downloaded from the DHF website.

Michael Skelding, DHF general manager and secretary added, “In recent times, huge strides have been made in improving door security. In particular, the security of domestic entrance doors has been transformed. This is due to the introduction of a raft of new standards and the launch of greatly improved locks and associated hardware products.

“It’s vitally important that the trade is brought up to date with these developments so building professionals and installers can give expert and accurate advice on door security to their customers. To that end we have published this guide which is a concise and factual summary of the latest security measures available for domestic and commercial entrance doors.”

The guide is a result of the UK’s leading building hardware manufactures working together to combat the increasing risk of theft, caused by criminals using the internet to educate themselves on lock attack techniques.

Commenting on the guide, James Pierce from ABi added, “It’s good to see the major hardware manufacturers working together to raise the standards and improve the quality of locks for garage doors. Customers are becoming increasingly security conscious, so the demand for high security garage doors has never been higher. The more the industry can do to improve standards, the better the service we can provide to consumers”

Commenting on the acquisition, Martin Hormann, Director of the Hormann Group added, “We are delighted to have Michael Schumacher, a world-renowned and well-regarded figure, as a Hörmann brand ambassador. For years, Michael Schumacher has stood for success, ambition, experience, enthusiasm for technology and family values – and therefore goes perfectly with a family-run company such as Hörmann”

“Michael Schumacher embodies everything that makes Hörmann a powerful brand – dedication, reliability, continuous progress and uncompromising quality. “Given this background, I am confident that Michael Schumacher will give additional impetus to the business activities of our partners around the globe,” says Martin Hörmann.

Schumacher was also keen to offer his thoughts, saying “I have known the Hörmann brand since the start of my motorsport career. Even the industrial sectional doors at our go-kart track in Kerpen are from Hörmann”

It is hoped that Michael Schumacher’s involvement with the Hormann brand will help raise awareness whilst also endorsing the company’s strong values of quality.

Luke Pierce, director at ABi Garage Doors added, “It’s great to have someone like Michael Schumacher supporting the Hormann brand, which we hope will raise awareness in the UK. In our opinion Hormann supply the best quality products in the garage door industry. As the most successful motor racing driver in history, he is the perfect ambassador”

The victims of the theft woke up on Sunday morning to find their garage doors had been forced open, and whilst larger items had not been taken, many smaller items such as tools had been the target.

To get access to the garages, the thieves had either cut or bent the garage door upwards and then forced the door open.
Resident Beverley Waller, whose husband’s power tools were stolen expressed her disgust adding, “I think everybody is fed up. You work hard and pay for these things and then during the night someone ruins your weekend and takes your things away”

Inspector Kevin Lister from Bolton South Neighbouring Police Team added, “We will have extra patrols in the area over the next few days, so if anybody spots anything suspicious then please let us know’. Lister also encouraged anybody with a shed or garage to be vigilant and ensure they had the appropriate security in place to protect the contents inside.

If you have concerns that your garage might be at risk of being burgled, ABi have a wide range of high security Hormann garage doors that are virtually impossible to break down. To see how strong and durable our range of sectional garage doors and roller garage doors are, visit our showroom. Alternatively give us a call and we will gladly visit your home to discuss your garage door and security needs.

Firefighters and Ambulance Services were called to the property on Fairford Road at around 1.20pm and took about 40 minutes to release him from the garage door.

Luke Coleman from the Fire & Rescue Service said that the up and over garage door had got jammed and the man had been trying to fix it. Crews from Dee Road and Caversham Road fire stations first had to secure and support the door, before removing it from the frame in order to free the man’s finger.

He added, “Fortunately the young man’s neighbour heard his screams and called us”.

“It was also fortunate that the neighbour was a garage door repair man so he was able to give us expert advice on how to deal with it without making the injury any worse. His finger looked badly mangled, but he was in very good spirits considering.”

Coleman went on to say that anybody who finds that they have a jammed door should think twice about trying to fix it themselves, but to seek expert advice from a qualified garage door engineer.

If you have a problem and require the help of a garage door repair engineer, contact ABi. We have a team of expert repair engineers ready to respond to your needs quickly.

At that time the concept of sectional doors was very much confined to the commercial sector, in the form of shutter doors, industrial doors, rapid rise doors and fire resistant doors.

However over the last decade the garage door industry along with growing consumer demand has embraced the concept of sectional garage doors. Manufacturers began tailoring their technologies for the domestic market whilst also keeping costs low so that sectional doors became affordable.

Why have sectional doors become more popular?

There are several reasons why sectional doors are contributing to the demise of the one piece door and becoming a popular choice amongst homeowners.

Firstly, most sectional doors are insulated and draught proof. If therefore your garage is attached to you home, having a sectional garage door can help reduce your heating costs.

Secondly, sectional garage doors open vertically so they allow optimum driveway space. This has become a particularly popular feature as property space has become a premium and driveways have typically got smaller. It is also more common for an average household to have at least two cars, which again puts space at a premium if cars are parked back to back.

Thirdly, because manufacturers have introduced some of the same technologies from the commercial sector, sectional doors carry the highest security features and are extremely rigid and robust in design.

If you are looking to upgrade your up and over door to a sectional door, give ABi a call. We would be happy to discuss their benefits and advantages and show you some illustrations of the work we have done to date.

Lubricate all hinges and joints

If you are finding that your garage door won’t open or shut, it might be that either a) there is insufficient lubricant or b) the lubricant has stiffened or frozen. If you find this is the case, try lubricating all the hinges and joints with a good lubricant, such as Genie lubricant, which will help ensure the parts are sliding smoothly.

Check the brackets and runners

The brackets and runners are the parts of your garage door which ensure it opens and closes smoothly. When the temperature drops, the metal in the brackets and runners can contract, causing the two to become misaligned. If this has happened, you will need to adjust them to re-align.

Check the electrics

Extreme cold weather can cause damage to the electrics, so if you have an electric garage door this might be to blame. If you think this might be to blame, probably best to call out the experts.

Call the experts

If you don’t want to risk causing more damage to your garage door, it might make more sense to call out a garage door repair specialist such as ABi. We have been repairing garage doors for over 30 years and have a team of highly qualified technicians.

In future, having your garage door serviced once a year will help reduce the likelihood of it breaking during extreme weather conditions.

Running from the 21st to the 24th of March, the show is the UK’s biggest dedicated self-build and renovation event, featuring suppliers from all around the world. The exhibition will also be a centrepiece for buyers to get ideas, information, help and advice from leading industry experts.

To see the latest developments for the domestic market, visit Hormann on stand E139 in Hall 5. Hormann staff will be on-hand to give you advice on their full range of domestic products.

If you can’t make the exhibition, contact ABi garage doors, Hormann’s main dealer in the North of England. We can provide you with information and brochures for all Hormann’s leading products.

Available to buy from ABi, the low energy light strips can be fitted in the door lintel or to the bottom edge of the door and can be activated by almost all Hormann’s remote control operators.

Giving off a natural white light glow, the new LED lights will bring a new aesthetic quality to your garage door, whilst also deliver safety and security benefits. No longer will your garage and the front of your home be in the shadows, as the lights will illuminate your driveway. Particularly on dark nights, the lights will not only make it easier to navigate your way to the front door, but they will also deter intruders. Equally, when the weather turns cold, the lights will help show any slippery ice on the driveway.

Hormann has also launched a new range of driveway lighting posts, enabling customers to add some style, safety and security to the front of their homes.

For more information on Hormann’s range of garage lights and driveway lights, give ABi a call.

Steel garage doors are available in a huge range of style, colour and finish options including a wood grain ‘Decograin’ finish. They are also extremely robust and secure, and need very little maintenance with tough finishes that are not only attractive but durable. Unlike timber garage doors, fully insulated steel garage doors are available, offering very high levels of thermal and acoustic protection.

Ultimately if it’s the beauty of real wood you want, then nothing can really compare. A solid, well crafted timber garage door is a beautiful thing! It is worth bearing in mind that this does come with increased maintenance requirements and less thermal and acoustic insulation. A steel door with a Decograin finish can sometimes offer the best compromise between a timber and steel garage door; the Decograin wood grain finish is very effective and offers the option of having a fully insulated door without the maintenance requirements of timber.

Here at ABI we have a full range of both timber and steel doors available, we are also happy to work with architects or individuals who have specific design requirements and we have helped design and fit a huge range of specialist doors. So if you have any questions or design requirements feel free to drop in or contact a member of our friendly and dedicated sales team

A number of garage door types and styles will accommodate the fitting of a cat or even dog flap. Over the years ABi have fitted many pet flaps to garage doors. Over this time we have found some customers prefer to have a cat flap fitted to their garage door as opposed to their main entrance door for aesthetic reasons.

ABi can source and pre-fit cat flaps to most styles of garage door, so if you are worried about the family pet being left out in the cold this winter, fear not, we can make sure your four legged friends are just as safe and warm as their owners!