Garador has been making garage doors in Yeovil since 1968. In 1948, Westland Engineers Ltd. produced the first up and over garage doors in the UK, after receiving a Canadian license to manufacture. In the 1950’s, Westland Engineers diversified from helicopters to garage doors and established a factory in Yeovil. The Yeovil factory has been making doors since 1958.
Where It Sits Today
Garador is a Hörmann Group company and has been since the 2000’s. Before the acquisition, Garador was an established British factory that lacked resources. Garador has invested £ 24 million into the Yeovil production facility in the past 20 years, making it one of the most up-to-date garage door manufacture facilities in Europe. Other manufacturers do not have the same combination of heritage and engineering, making the doors Garador offers truly unique.
The extensive product range includes up and over, sectional, roller, and side-hinged doors. Garador makes up and over and side-hinged doors. As part of the Hörmann group, sectional and roller doors are made in other factories.
Up and Over Doors
This collection is the backbone of Garador’s standing in the market. Doors are available in steel, timber, and GRP. The steel collection includes standard and bespoke sized doors in an array of design styles. For UK consumers, the GRP collection is noteworthy because customers can achieve the classic appearance of a traditional, timber panel door without carrying the maintenance load. GRP doors will neither rust nor warp and will retain a painted finish, unlike timber, which will succumb to the elements.
All doors are made rigid by the inclusion of a steel chassis sub frame. This frame allows the door to retain its squared shape over time. Garador’s canopy and retractable gear systems have proven reliable, having been in service for many years.
For some models, the Secured by Design option is available. This is significant for homeowners insurance and customers in regions where police preferred specifications are given stronger consideration.
Sectional and Roller Doors
The GaraGlide door is Garador’s entry level electric roller door. This door is compact, insulated, and aluminum and features easy operation and an attractive price point. This door is a great option for homeowners looking for an electric roller door, but do not want to spend the money for a more expensive door option, like SeceuroGlide or Hörmann.
The sectional range has a variety of designs to choose from and uses PU foam-filled steel panels. As these doors are part of the Hörmann group, the quality baseline is consistent with what that implies.
Pricing and Availability
Garador is comparably priced against most other UK premium brands. Most like-for-like comparisons show their pricing sits below both Hörmanns and Carteck, and this likely reflects their high volume (thanks to Garador being a “well supported” brand) and the high productivity of their Yeovil Facility. Garador is a well-considered first option for buyers looking for a good, well-supported product, but who don’t want to pay the prices associated with the prestige brands.
You can order the doors via managed distributors (like Jewson) and specialized installers and distributors. This gives them greater availability in comparison to many specialist brands.
A Specific Note on History
Garador was limited in their expansion from the 1960s to the 1990s due to their ownership by Catnic and later Caradon. These companies primarily focused on steel lintels and drainage, respectively. Investment in the garage door business during this time was non-existent, and Garador fell behind their competitors in Europe. This was reversed with the purchase of Hörmann, and now Garador offers a range of products that have little similarity to their product line from the 1990s, and have greatly benefited from consistent reinvestment.