Garage door jobs in New Plymouth
The usual jobs come up here: new doors for new homes, old tilt doors replaced, openers fitted, electric gates and gate motors, and repairs when a door turns noisy, heavy or crooked.
The weather is what sets New Plymouth apart. Taranaki Civil Defence describes Taranaki as one of the windiest regions in New Zealand, often in the path of weather systems coming over the Tasman Sea.
Wind off the mountain and the sea
New Plymouth Aero has a mean annual wind speed of 18.9 km/h, NIWA says, and records gusts over 63 km/h on an average of 83 days a year. Southeasterlies are common at the airport because Mt Taranaki turns the southerly winds and cold air drains off its slopes.
Strong wind is hard on doors and openers. Dominator's opener manual says very strong winds can push on the door and tracks and sometimes trigger the obstruction sensing mid-travel, and its roller doors run in side tracks so the curtain cannot blow open or shut.
Storms have done real damage here. NIWA records that ex-tropical Cyclone Bola in March 1988 severely damaged almost 500 houses in New Plymouth District, and that a swarm of about seven tornadoes in July 2007 damaged homes around Oakura, Inglewood, Waitara and Bell Block.
Surf, salt and steel
As set out in NZS 3604:2011, homes within 500 m of the coast or 100 m of a tidal estuary sit in exposure Zone D, and BRANZ notes the E2/AS1 Acceptable Solution adds a Zone E for severe marine conditions on breaking surf beach fronts.
BRANZ says coastal buildings close to breaking surf need more frequent maintenance, especially washing off salt, and that ocean winds can carry salt more than 20 km inland. B&D NZ's care guide says to wash sectional and roller doors more often where salt is likely in the air.
Around New Plymouth
The council
New Plymouth District Council handles building consents for the district, so ask it before any job that changes the opening or the framing.
On the surf coast
Ask how the door's finish and fixings suit a Zone D or Zone E site, and how the warranty treats salty air.
Windy springs
Spring is New Plymouth's windiest season: NIWA puts 31% of the airport's strong winds in spring.
Rural gates
For a gate far from the house, Dominator's sliding gate openers come with battery backup and SmartSolar packages.
Before the door specialist calls
- Which way the garage faces, and how exposed the section is
- Roughly how far the house is from the beach or an estuary
- Whether the opener has ever stopped and reversed on a windy day
- The brand and age of the door, if you know them
What we would do
Near the surf, plan the washing before you choose the door. Ask the door specialist which finish they suggest for your distance from the beach, and set a reminder to rinse the door more often than the care sheet says, because the warranty may not cover salt damage.