We see the same problem every week in Southbourne and Poole.
Beautiful houses, nice driveways, but the garage door looks like it has been shot at.
The bottom panel is bubbling. The paint is flaking off in chunks. You can actually see the brown rot spreading under the surface.
It’s the postcode.
People forget how aggressive the air is down here. You might be three miles back from the beach in Christchurch, but the salt is still in the wind.
If you fit a cheap, mild steel door around here, you are throwing money away.
The “Galvanized” Trap
A lot of builders will tell you their doors are galvanized, so they won’t rust.
Don’t bank on it.
Galvanizing is just a coating. All it takes is one stone chip from the lawnmower or a scratch from a bike pedal. Once that seal breaks, the salt gets in.
In the Midlands, a steel door lasts 20 years. In Bournemouth, it’s on borrowed time from the day it goes in.
The Fix: Aluminium
This is why we push Aluminium roller doors so hard.
It is the only material that genuinely handles the coast.
Boats are made of this stuff for a reason. It handles the wet and the salt without turning into brown cornflakes.
Buy Right, Buy Once
We hate ripping out doors that are only five years old. It feels like a total waste.
But if you buy a cheap steel “up and over” from a catalogue, that is the reality. The sea air wins every time.
If you want a door that lasts, stop buying steel.
Come down to 78 Alma Road. We can show you the difference in the materials. You can feel the weight and see the finish for yourself, or give us a call on 01202 533126.
