When you come home you do not want the bother of having to get out of your car in order to open the garage door. You want the convenience of pressing a button on a garage door remote control unit in your car and the garage door gliding open effortlessly.
For this job you require automatic garage door openers to do the work for you. In order to know what type of garage door openers you require you need to know your door type and how currently opens.
A garage door opens in a number of different ways depending on the type of door fitted as follows:
- Up and over garage doors (this is divided into two basic types)
- Retractable
- Canopy
- Sectional garage doors
- Side hinged garage doors
Which one do you have?
Up and over garage doors
Most people refer to these garage doors as “up and over” simply because you basically lift the door up which runs on vertical or horizontal tracks.
It’s important to know the difference between the two before you can to determine the type of door opener needed for the job.
Retractable – this garage door lifts upwards. On the top end of the door there is a roller on each side. When the door is opening the rollers run along tracks which sit horizontally within the garage space at roof or ceiling level. When the door is in the fully open position the entire door retracts completely into the garage, supported on the over head roller tracks. The opening of the door is usually aided by a pair of strong springs located on the door frame at the sides.
Example of a Retractable Type Door
Canopy – A canopy opens very similar to a retractable door except with one difference. The door, when fully opened, does not retract completely into the garage overhead. Part of the door will stick out beyond the front of the garage forming like a canopy overhead - this is where its gets its name from. The opening mechanism is slightly different also. In this case the roller tracks are not over head but located on the on the door frame at the sides. A roller pin is fixed to the door side about one third from the bottom. The roller runs in the vertical track in a vertical motion. The door is supported by support area and the opening is also aided by powerful springs, usually located across the top of the frame.
Example of a Canopy Type Door
Both of these door types are suitable for attaching garage doors openers.
Sectional Garage Doors
This door is not unlike an up and over style door except the door itself is in sections and not one piece or panel, like the traditional up and over door. The sections of the door are hinged to each other. Rollers are mounted on each side of the door section. The rollers run in a tract that is mounted vertically on the frame and also within the garage space itself at roof or ceiling level. These two tracks are joined at the top of the door with a curved section linking both together. The end result is continuous track running the full height of the frame, through a gentle curve and then horizontally into the garage. The door sections run effortlessly in this track until fully opened and positioned over head.
Internal view of sectional door on guide rails
Side Hinged Garage Doors
Traditionally all garage doors opened by swinging on hinges. They are still very popular for the traditional look. Basically the door leafs swing, usually outwards, until fully opened.
You may also be interested in reading about replacing garage door springs.