Types of Garage Doors

Shopping for a new garage door can be a confusing and frustrating process. There are several different garage door styles to choose from and each has their own benefits and weaknesses.

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Below are the pros and cons of five popular types of garage doors to help guide you when selecting the best option for your home. Once your choice is made trust the experts at Action Door for residential and commercial installation.

Canopy Garage Door

Canopy Garage Doors are a type of single panel garage door that only uses vertical tracks on the sides of the door frame to flip open. About one-third of this up and over garage door is designed to protrude outside offering a small amount of extra shelter beyond the garage.

A Canopy Garage Door will typically require manual operation. However, this garage door is built with a torsion spring which makes it easy to manually open and close. Canopy garage doors are typically light-weight which adds to the ease of moving it up and down on its vertical track. Cables on the side additionally help guide and lift the door.

There are a few disadvantages of canopy garage doors. If you have vehicles parked close to the edge of the garage, they will need to be moved back further as the canopy door swings outward. In addition, this style of garage door can be noisy when opened or closed.

Although rarer today, canopy style doors are usually one of the cheapest garage doors sold. With no wheels or track leading back into the garage, canopy garage doors often require less maintenance than other designs.

Retractable Garage Doors

Retractable garage doors are also single panel garage doors but differ from canopy style doors in many ways. An opened retractable garage door will fully retract back into the garage, unlike the canopy garage door which partially hangs over the outside.

An advantage of a retractable garage door is that it is designed specifically for electrical operation. These automatic garage doors typically run smoothly along horizontal tracks that guide back into the garage, which reduces noise when opening and closing.

Retractable garage doors will require more space inside your garage than other options. All retractable garage doors will have horizontal tracks running across the ceiling of the garage. In addition, any automatic retractable garage door will require an overhanging garage door opener that will shrink the available height in your garage.

The retractable garage door mechanism depends on several factors in its operation. As a result, this complexity can lead to a greater chance of failure. If this happens, schedule service on your garage door immediately. Action Door takes both non-emergency and emergency service requests.

Roller Garage Door

Roller Garage Doors are designed as a compact solution and are typically built with corrugated steel panels. This allows the entire garage door to smoothly roll up into a box directly atop the opening in the garage.

Roll-Up garage doors are the most compact garage doors on the market. They do not have horizontal tracks leading back into the garage like retractable garage doors. The added space can allow for more storage room on the garage ceiling. In addition, access doors to the roof or attic within the garage will not be blocked.

Roller style garage doors are often more expensive than other garage door types but are very limited when it comes to appearance. It is nearly impossible to hide the lines from the corrugated sections of the door. These panels also make it difficult to customize your door with a different coat of paint. There is the costly option to switch the roller garage door out completely for the sake of appearance, but even then there is only a small selection of designs to choose from.

Roller Garage Doors are very durable, secure, and usually require little maintenance once installed. Due to the nature of their steel frame, they can withstand harsh weather conditions. Most roll-up garage doors are insulated to keep your garage free of extreme outside temperatures.

Roller doors are normally quieter than most other garage door designs as they roll straight up or down from their compartment above. Most roller garage doors are built with automatic operation.

Sectional Garage Doors

Sectional garage doors are the most popular design of garage door on the market. A sectional garage door uses both vertical tracks on the side of the garage and horizontal tracks on the ceiling of the garage to lift and close the door. Sectional doors are typically built with automatic garage door openers for quiet and smooth operation.

Sectional garage doors are the middle ground between single-panel designs and roller doors. These doors are usually made up of 3-8 large panels that retract up overhead to the ceiling of the garage. This can limit the storage space on the ceiling of smaller garages.

The outside vertical tracks of sectional garage doors allow you to maximize the width of the opening in your garage. They also allow for insulation to keep the inside of your garage warm in the Winter and cool in the Summer.

These doors are on the expensive side due to their well-engineered design. Sectional garage doors require multiple tracks and a variety of parts needed for operation. As a result, there are more potential places for problems to occur within the mechanism. Frequent lubrication and maintenance are required to keep your garage door running smoothly. If a breakdown does occur, do not hesitate to have your garage door serviced by Action Door.

Due to the popularity of sectional garage doors, there are many options when it comes to appearance. There is a large selection of sectional door designs and finishes available to match your home.

Side-Hinged Door

Side-Hinged garage doors use steel hinges to open outward unlike any other garage door design. This allows for maximum height in your garage enabling more ceiling storage space and drive-thru room for larger vehicles.

However, side-hinged garage doors usually require manual operation and are not used for driving in and out of. Side-hinged doors are typically installed by those that are using their garage as a workshop or for long-term vehicle storage. Since side-hinged doors install in pairs, it is great for controlling how much fresh air or breeze you want while working on projects in the garage.

In rare cases, side-hinged garage doors will be installed with an electric garage door opener. With these style of doors, you will want to make sure to not have another vehicle or anything else of importance in front of the door as it swings open.

Since side-hinged doors meet in the center, they are inevitably less secure than their counterparts. However, due to the simplicity of the design, side-hinged doors are easier to maintain than other doors.

Single Panel vs. Sectional Garage Doors

Most people can spot the design differences between a single panel garage door and a sectional garage door, but what are the pros and cons of owning one versus the other? There are slight operational and functional differences between the two garage door styles that make them suitable for different types of homes and homeowners.

To help make your garage door choice more clear, this article will cover the nuances of single panel and sectional garage doors along with the benefits and drawbacks of owning each kind.

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What&#;s the Difference Between Single and Sectional Garage Doors?

Before comparing single panel garage doors and sectional garage doors, we need to understand what they are. Let&#;s look at what makes a garage door single panel and what classifies it as sectional:

What is a Single Panel Garage Door?

A single panel garage door comes in one large piece that slides up into the space above the car once opened. Typically, single panel garage doors are hung on a strong hinge system attached to the jamb instead of on overhead tracks. This type of garage door is typically found on older homes or newer homes with a vintage look.

What is a Sectional Garage Door?

The layout of a sectional garage door includes several horizontal panels joined together by hinges that enable the door to bend and curve as it goes up and down. Sectional garage doors are more modern and have a smaller opening clearance.

Pros of Single Panel Garage Doors

Even though it&#;s an older style, there are still plenty of benefits to choosing a single panel garage door for your home. Check out these main advantages of single panel garage doors:

1. More Variety

When it comes to design and material, single panel garage doors offer more of a selection of both. Although sectional garage doors come in many styles, they tend to be more limited to designs that function well within smaller segments and seams. Because single panel garage doors give you one giant palette to work with, you can use virtually any material without having to worry about additional panels interrupting the look of the door. 

2. Less Expensive

Typically, single panel garage doors cost less than sectional garage doors made from similar materials. And your single panel garage door will continue to save you money when you don&#;t have to worry about frequent garage door cable or torsion spring repairs. With fewer moving parts, single panel garage doors can be less expensive to install and maintain in the long run.

3. Simple

Because it is one big panel, a single panel garage door is much simpler to properly install than a sectional garage door. A single panel door has fewer parts, which means there are fewer bits to potentially wear down and break over time.

Cons of Single Panel Garage Doors

Along with its great benefits, a single panel garage door can come with some drawbacks. If you&#;re considering getting a single panel garage door, be aware of these factors:

1. Safety

The main reason single panel garage doors have gone out of fashion is their lack of safety features. As opposed to more modern garage doors, single panel garage doors use extension springs, which can fail drastically if not properly maintained. Old springs can fly off rusted connectors and cause damage to drywall, car windows or whatever else is in your garage.

2. Expensive Repairs

Single panel doors may require less maintenance and repairs, but when they do break down, there is potential for the whole door to fail at once. A sectional garage door that&#;s been crushed or dented in a single section can have just that section repaired, but a single panel garage door must be entirely replaced each time.

3. Space Restrictions

Smaller houses in tightly packed communities may not be the best fit for a single panel garage door. Single panel garage doors do not allow for quite as much space inside the garage due to the angle at which they operate. A single panel garage door will also need to tilt a few extra feet to open, which means you&#;ll need to be parked farther back as the door begins to open.

Pros of Sectional Garage Doors

Sectional garage doors offer their fair share of benefits. Here are some of the top advantages of a sectional garage door:

1. Security

Sectional garage doors offer some extra security because they have rubber seals around their perimeter, which block wind drafts and prevent dirt from blowing into the garage. Because they don&#;t have an obvious target point of entry, sectional garage doors also offer more security and protection from potential intruders.

2. Durability

A sectional garage door typically stands up to harsh weather conditions better than a single panel garage door. Sectional garage doors also grant you more control over how much the door is opened, so you can open it incrementally to allow for ventilation while cutting down on any glare from the sun.

3. Compact Operation

Unlike single panel garage doors that need a certain clearance space to operate properly, sectional garage doors move within a compact vertical plane. A sectional garage door&#;s narrow range of motion means you get more room for vehicles to come and go without restrictions. Sectional garage doors do not kick out at all when they open, so you can drive right up to the face of the door before opening it. This feature comes in handy for those with a short driveway or whenever a car needs to be parked close to the garage.

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Cons of Sectional Garage Doors

With the benefits of sectional garage doors in mind, let&#;s take a look at some of the negatives:

1. Continual Maintenance

A sectional garage door will require a bit more upkeep than a single panel garage door. The many components of a sectional garage door may need to be repaired and replaced when necessary to keep your garage door operating properly. If you choose a sectional garage door, you will need to develop a regular maintenance routine that includes lubrication and cleaning. 

2. Cost

The operational mechanism of sectional garage doors paired with their higher routine maintenance costs makes them a more expensive alternative to single panel garage doors. With more parts to repair or replace periodically, the maintenance costs of owning a sectional garage door can quickly add up.

3. Complicated Installation Process

Installing a sectional garage door is more complicated than installing a single panel garage door. Because the various parts of a sectional garage door make it a more complex mechanism, it is always recommended to have a professional install the door. Although sectional garage door installation can be tricky, hiring a garage door expert will ensure you get a safe and smooth installation.

Choose the Best Garage Door for You From Garage Door Specialists, Inc.

Now that you know the different appearance and performance characteristics of single panel and sectional garage doors, you can make an informed garage door decision. For a timeless traditional garage door or classically elegant carriage garage door, check out the variety of products from Garage Door Specialists, Inc. We even offer a selection of specialty garage doors.

To find out more about which garage door style is right for your house, contact Garage Door Specialists, Inc. for a free consultation in Western North Carolina today.

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