The Five Types of Garage Doors
The garage door is often one of the most overlooked features of a home. However, a new garage door will not only enhance the curb appeal of your home, but it can increase the value as well.
What many homeowners don’t realize is that there are more options than you might think when it comes to choosing a new garage door. You don’t have to stick with the commonly seen sectional style. Though this type of door is still a good, affordable option, there are varying styles and types of garage doors to choose from that can suit your needs and budget.
1. Sectional Garage Doors
The sectional style door is the most common type of garage door in the United States. This type of door usually consists of three to eight panels that are held together by hinges. These hinged panels allow the door to bend as it moves up and slides in along a track on the ceiling of the garage.
Sectional garage doors are a common choice because they don’t swing out as they open, allowing you to pull farther forward in the driveway without fear of the door hitting your car.
2. Roll-Up Garage Doors
Though it’s not unheard of to see a roll-up garage door on a residential home, they are more often used in commercial settings. As the door opens, it rolls around a drum or cylinder that hangs just above the opening of the garage.
Roll-up garage doors are made up of small slats that allow them to roll up, making them ideal for a garage with limited ceiling space or nowhere to attach a track. Their durability also makes them suitable for heavy usage in commercial buildings.
3. Sliding Garage Doors
The sliding style is one of the earliest types of garage doors, but over the years has fallen out of popularity with the invention of newer models and methods. However, recently there has been a resurgence of homeowners interested in the sliding door as it is a safer design and is excellent if you don’t have a garage with headroom or if you want to use the ceiling for other purposes.
Slide to the Side
The original slide to the side style looks similar to sectional or roll-up doors. Though instead of moving along a track that runs horizontal to the ceiling, it moves to the side and curves around a track that runs parallel to the wall.
Sliding Barn or Carriage Style
The sliding barn-style doors have been having a major comeback. Not only is this type of door used for garages, but homeowners are also installing them inside the home as well, in place of the traditional hinged doors. With this type of door, there are a few different variations:
- Bi-parting: Two doors that slide away from one another.
- Single sliding: One large door that slides to the side.
- By-passing: Two doors that slide along two separate tracks and can “bypass” each other.
Sliding barn doors have a beautiful rustic or industrial look. However, they do take up more space and often require a larger garage to have them installed.
4. Tilt-Up Garage Doors
The tilt-up garage door is also an earlier design that is not as common these days. Instead of the door consisting of panels or hinges, it is made of one piece that swings out before sliding up and along the ceiling of the garage. This design is not as popular now because you cannot pull your car too close or have anything else sitting or standing nearby as it could get hit when the door tilts open.
Tilt-Up Canopy Garage Doors
There are two different types of tilt-up doors. With the canopy style, the garage door has a pivoting hinge mechanism that tilts the door up. Once the door is open, it sits parallel to the garage ceiling, with a portion of it extending out past the front of the house like a canopy.
Tilt-Up Retractable Garage Doors
The tilt-up retractable design is almost the same as the canopy style. The only difference is that with this design, the garage door retracts into the garage and does not hang over any part of the drive-way as the canopy style does.
Both of these designs are not ideal as they take up more space both in front because of the way they tilt out and also along the ceiling because the door is suspended separately from the frame.
5. Side-Hinged Garage Doors
Side-hinged carriage garage door
The side-hinge style works primarily the same as doors that you see inside of the home, only on a larger scale. This style is more traditional and harkens back to barn doors that were attached with hinges and swung open. Not to be confused with the newer style of barn doors that slide open along a track.
Though this is a more classic design, some homeowners are once again opting for this style. Side-hinged doors are ideal when there is limited headroom, or if you are using the garage for something other than parking a car.
Different Garage Door Materials
Not only are there various mechanical designs for garage doors, but there are a number of materials to choose from as well. The four options below are the most common materials used for garage door designs:
- Wood
- Steel
- Aluminum
- Glass
Depending on the style you want, your preferred material may not be an option. It’s best to talk to your local garage door experts when considering a new garage door before making any major decisions or purchases. Some garage door designs are better suited for certain types of materials than others.
All About Doors
For over 25 years, All About Doors has been serving the Hillsboro residents for all of their garage door needs. Whether you need a repair, a replacement, or a completely new installation, All About Doors has the experience and knowledge to provide you with the best garage door services in the greater Portland metro area.