- Vertical Rise Sectional Garage Doors
- Up and Over Garage Doors
- Side Hinged Garage Doors
- Side (Sliding) Opening Sectional Garage Doors
The sectional garage door type is now a very popular choice particularly in the USA market and is suitable for wooden garage doors.
The main features are:
- Rise vertically and turn to the horizontal plane on guide tracks within the garage space
- Does not swing outwards beyond the front wall of the garage structure
- Since the door does not swing outwards the physical garage door opening can be any shape e.g. arched head opening, opening with angled corners etc.
- Maximising available space as the door is up at ceiling level when opened
- Can make full use of the space in front and behind the sectional door as the door opens vertically and therefore ideal for short driveways or a small garage
- Full width of garage door opening usable as the vertical roller track is tucked behind the door opening structure
- Provides good levels of security
- Large sizes of doors can be accommodated – up to 5m (16’ 4¾”) wide and 3m (9’10¼”) high
- Very smooth opening operation
- Remote control operation available with garage door openers
- Uses all available opening height to accommodate high roofed vehicles
- Excellent weather sealing properties
How it works is that the door is split horizontally into 4 or more panels. The panels are hinged to each other and the whole door is held in a vertical track on either side of the door. At the top the tracks curve inwards until they become horizontal and continue within the garage space the full height of the garage door. Each of the door panels have two rollers one at either end which run in the tracks giving a very rigid and positive movement of the door when opening and closing using garage door openers. This mechanism will support large width and higher than normal door types.
Internal View of Sectional Door Guide Rails
2. Up and Over Garage Doors
Up and over type garage doors come in two types with regard to operating mechanism – Canopy and Retractable types.
Both of these door types require a sub frame to be fixed around the structural garage door opening. The up and over door cannot be fixed directly to the garage structure. The sub frame is usually in timber but can also be in steel.
Canopy Type
The canopy type door is the simplest and most common type used. Its name is derived from when the door is in the open position a section of the door protrudes forward beyond the door frame forming a type of canopy over. The opening mechanism is assisted by garage door springs positioned above the door on the head of the fixing frame. It comes in limited width up to 2.38m (8’) and is not suitable for remote control electrical opening. It is relatively easy to fit.
Example of a Canopy Type Door
Retractable Type
Similar to the canopy type door except when the door is in the up and open position the door panel retracts fully into the garage space. The overall width though is somewhat reduced due to the position of the door lifting arms. This mechanism is well suited for remote control electric opening operation. Due the torsion spring heavier door loads is achievable. Retractable type door mechanism can be used for garage doors over 2.38m (8’) wide and heavier door panels such as wooden garage door.
Example of a Retractable Type Door
Examples of Up and Over Doors
3. Side Hinged Garage Doors
Side hung garage doors are arguably the most traditional style and provide a solution to many problems that other mechanisms cannot solve. They are particularity useful when the head room is insufficient for an up and over or sectional type opening mechanism. As the door open outwards you can utilise all of the garage space without the need for door guide tracks and lifting equipment. One of the main benefits is lack of maintenance required apart from the upkeep of the doors themselves. There are no springs, cables etc. to maintain or replace.
With side hung doors there is a wonderfully crafted range of ironmongery available on the market to suit all tastes and door arrangements in traditional or contemporary styles. It is also possible to build in a high level security locking systems to leave your garage secure.
Each door leaf can measure up to 3.1 m (10’2”) wide and 3.0 m (9’10¼”) high. Larger widths are possible but the door starts to feel like a gate therefore requiring stronger hinging and framework to support the extra weight. Bi folding the doors are also an option in order to reduce the space the door leaf takes up when in the open position. These usually are produced with either a 50/50 split or 33/66 split.
With the traditional style and versatility that wood offers they are appealing and increasingly becoming a very popular option again over the automated light weight, so called maintenance free, door types. Some people prefer the ease in which to open a side hung set of doors compared to up and over type.
For those of you who enjoy the traditional style that wooden doors offer but do not want the hassle of having to get out of a car to manually open doors remote control electric operation is possible. Contrary to popular belief remote control mechanisms can be fitted to swinging type doors. The mechanism are arranged so that one of the door leafs arrive at the closed position a bit sooner than the other to take account of doors with rebated meeting stiles and close the doors more securely. You may have to fit a manual quick release device for escape purposes if a pedestrian door is not available from the garage. Care is required in the selection of the motor required to open and close the doors. You need to take into account forces that are applied to the doors e.g. the overall size, weight, wind load imposed etc.
4. Side (Sliding) Opening Sectional Garage Doors
Side opening sliding sectional doors possess the most character and class with the slow smooth, quiet side movement of the doors, like a train pulling into a station. This is the perfect solution when head room is a problem and swinging doors is not desirable. An advantage with this mechanism, over the vertical rise sections door, is that the doors can be opened only partly for pedestrian access rather opening the complete door just to walk in or out.
Side opening sectional garage doors (or round the corner garage doors) were one of the earliest types of garage doors that were used other than hinged type. Door panels were attached to top rails with guide rails at floor level. Large doors were possible, however, the bottom channel forever gave problems. It was difficult to keep them clean from debris to ensure smooth sliding operation of the door panels therefore regular cleaning of the track was necessary. For this reason, remote control automation was very difficult in many cases. If the track became damaged replacement was difficult and floor finishes were damaged to get the old track out and the new track fitted.
Nowadays, thankfully there is an alternative to the sunken track. It consists of an inverted ‘T’ section fixed to the floor. Brackets mounted on the bottom of the door panels have a double line of wheels which fit over the inverted ‘T’ rails allowing the door to be guided along the track effortlessly. An advantage with the inverted ‘T’ is that it can also act as a weather bar preventing water running into the garage. The sunken track version is still available though. With the sunken channel type the actual door can be fitted so that they are closer to the floor offering better weather proofing. As the door panels are now top hung from a track the sunken track is there as a guide for the bottom of the doors. See diagrams below for both types at floor level.
Floor Guide Details for Side Opening Doors
Remote control automation is now also possible very easily due to the advances in the bottom rail arrangement.
The main disadvantage with this mechanism is that a wall equal in size to the door must be kept free from obstructions for parking the doors in the open position.
Example of Side Opening Sectional Garage Doors
Do you need to improve your security at home then read our steel security door guide for all about steel doors.