For architecture studios delivering high-end residential work, concealed garage doors are one of those details that require careful coordination. Clients expect seamless facades. Builders want clarity. And your team wants to protect the design intent all the way through to completion.
This guide outlines what we've found to be the most critical considerations when detailing concealed garage doors using our timber and aluminium batten and cladding systems. It's not a checklist; it’s a consolidation of what's worked across dozens of luxury residential projects. The aim is to provide your studio with material data, documentation and insights that support design continuity and avoid last-minute compromises on site.
In high-end residential architecture, the garage door is often the largest moving element on the front facade and the most difficult to conceal. It needs to perform mechanically while aligning perfectly with surrounding battens or cladding. When detailing isn't resolved early, even the smallest deviation in spacing, substrate or clearance can disrupt the visual flow.
The problem isn’t just aesthetic. If the door type, perimeter gaps or backing structure aren't coordinated from the outset, installation becomes reactive, not deliberate, and the result rarely meets the standard expected in luxury residential work.
This is where the detailing becomes critical. Our systems and technical support are designed to help your studio maintain clean lines, ensure batten alignment and manage movement tolerances, so the garage door disappears into the facade without compromising function or finish.
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Achieving seamless visual flow involves substrate stability, batten fixing strategies, edge transitions, and matching tones and colours. Our systems are designed with continuous application in mind, offering flexibility in profile sizing, spacing, and backing systems to help achieve perfect visual alignment, even as the door operates.
The choice between a counterweight tilt or sectional system influences how you handle joints, gaps, and mechanical tolerances. Below, we break down the typical detailing considerations for each system, along with downloadable technical guides to assist with your documentation.
Beyond detailing, total panel weight can have a real impact on whether the design is buildable. Using solid timber or deeper aluminium battens can add significant load to the garage door. It’s essential to confirm that your chosen garage door system, whether counterweight tilt or sectional, can safely carry this additional weight.
We recommend checking early with your garage door provider and reviewing our Price & Spec page for indicative weights per m² or ft². Addressing this during design, rather than later on site, helps avoid last-minute compromises and keeps the door performing reliably over time.
Tilt systems allow for clean, single-plane alignment with minimal segmentation. These work well when vertical battens continue uninterrupted across the garage face.
Sectional Garage Doors Sectional systems offer flexibility, especially on facades with horizontal emphasis or where internal clearance is limited. They do require more planning around how the batten or cladding is broken visually.
Design Support from Concept to Completion We support your architectural team with:
Early coordination is key, the sooner we’re involved, the more streamlined and successful your concealed garage door integration will be.
Book a Design Consultation If you’re an architect working on a concealed garage door detail, book a consult with our technical team. We’ll review your concept, recommend the best materials and systems, and provide advice to help your team deliver a seamless, high-end result.
