Sectional Garage Doors
As the most popular in the world, sectional garage doors are made up of panel sections that are connected with hinges. As the door opens and closes, wheels at the edge of each panel roll inside a vertical track on each side of the door opening. The hinges between each panel section bend over a curved portion of the track. This feature allows the door to sit parallel to the ceiling when completely open or in line with the walls when completely closed.
A pair of high-tension springs above the opening are attached to cables that operate the door and hold it from drifting down when only partially open. These doors are typically made from aluminium, are low maintenance, and can be customized to include window inserts, hardware, textures, and colors. They come in both insulated and non-insulated models.
Roll-Up Garage Doors
You’ll probably find these more in commercial applications than residential, but roll-up doors are a no-frills design option built for areas with limited ceiling space. This style is made with 2″-3″ steel slat sections that roll around a drum above the door opening.
Roll-up or coiling doors are built to withstand heavy usage and high-performance units can be built without springs or enclosed to prevent rust, corrosion, and freezing. Due to the heavy-duty nature of the roll-up model, the upfront costs are higher than a sectional design.
Tilt-Up/Up and Over Garage Doors
The tilt-up garage doors don’t have sections – they’re made of one solid piece. They have a pivoting hinge mechanism, so they can tilt up into the garage. The canopy-style door sits parallel to the garage ceiling and extends past the front of the house when the door is open.
