Types of Garage Doors

types of garage doors

There are many types of doors to the garage, each with its own specific features. The various possibilities are all referred to as garage doors, although this usually refers to single-car garages. If you have a larger garage it is possible that you use an additional door to access your car or manually go in and out of the house. There are many different types of garage doors to choose from, such as roller doors, tilt doors, centurion garage doors and more. Today we may focus on one particular type of single car garage door.

Most people think that there is only one type of overhead sectional garage door, but they would be wrong. There are actually three main types of overhead sectional garage doors:

  • High Lift Sectional overhead Garage Door
  • Vertical Lift Sectional Garage Doors
  • Standard Lift Sectional overhead Garage Door

What are Residential Garage Doors?

A residential garage door opener is a type of garage door that is designed to be used in homes. This can include single car garages or overhead sectional doors. There are many types of garage doors.

Sectional (overhead) Garage Doors

These are the traditional types of doors that most people think about when they think about garages. They are large sections that move up and out of each end of the garage, usually on tracks mounted to the ceiling. This type of garage door is usually composed of 4-7 pieces and they open upwards like an old fashioned window shade.

A traditional overhead sectional garage tilt door are great as they offer a large opening for vehicles at a reasonable price. Since this door opens upwards it also means you can park your car(s) in the garage without having to worry about scraping the tilt door when you pull in.

You could only install overhead sectional garage doors if you have enough garage space and your ceiling height allows for one. The drive screws used by belt and chain drives are located in the centre of the door, so you may need enough clearance to be able to lift it up. If your ceiling is too low then an automatic garage door opener might be a better option for you.

High Lift Sectional Doors

A high lift garage door is similar to an overhead sectional door, except that it opens even higher. This type of garage door has the same rails and tracks as a standard sectional garage door, but these doors require additional clearance space above them in order to open correctly. A screw drive or chain drive is used to lift this type of garage door.

These doors are usually used if your garage ceiling is too low to allow for a regular garage door to open correctly, or if you need additional room for tall vehicles such as RVs or trucks. These doors also serve the purpose of being more aesthetically pleasing than overhead sectional garage doors since they have one piece instead of multiple panels.

High lift garage doors are available with torsion springs that can be counterbalanced for easy opening and require very little maintenance over time. This type of garage door is also weather-resistant due to its solid construction, but you could still remove any debris on the tracks regularly so that it doesn’t damage the mechanism inside the door.

Vertical Lift Sectional Doors

A vertical lift garage door is similar to a traditional overhead garage door, except that instead of opening upwards it opens downwards into the floor. These doors usually have more than two panels and they also require more clearance space than standard overhead sectionals since the mechanism for opening it is located at the bottom of the door.

A vertical lift garage door typically has an electric motor drive which means you may need to install an automatic opener inside your home in order to operate them with ease. The panel(s) of this type of garage door are made up of several smaller pieces (usually four), but they can be installed flush with walls on both sides if necessary. This makes it easy to install even if you do not have much room, although there are some models that require moderate clearance above them to operate correctly.

types of garage doors
Sectional Garage Door

Standard Lift Sectional Doors

A standard lift garage door is typically an overhead sectional door that uses a torsion spring to open and close it instead of a chain or screw drive. These types of garage doors usually have two panels and they are the most common type on the market today. They often require very little maintenance, but if you live in a particularly high rainfall area you might want to look into purchasing a weather-resistant model as water can damage these doors over time. This type of garage door also has a manual release option so no power source is required for safe operation making it great for emergency situations where your power supply may be cut off from your home

These types of sectional garage doors are usually fairly easy to install, but if you are having trouble with the installation process hiring a professional is always an option.

Belt Drive Garage Door Types

Belt drive garage doors are the newest and quietest type available. The motor is hidden above the door and uses a rubber belt to rotate the trolley that lifts the door. These types of doors come with additional features such as windows, intercoms etc. They can be programmed to open at set times and include security features like glass breakage sensors and motion detectors (to detect intruders). Belt drive doors also close more slowly than chain or screw-drive models to ensure they don’t damage anything. A downside might be that if your power goes out you may need to climb up a ladder to manually open them. However, there are battery backup systems available that may trigger the garage door opener to go into power-failure mode just in case there is a power outage.

Chain Drive Types of Garage Doors

Chain drive garage doors are also quite popular, although they are known for being noisier than belt drives. The motor is located on top of the door assembly and uses a roller chain to move the trolley that lifts the door. They can be fitted with windows or intercoms etc., but rarely have security features like glass breakage sensors or motion detectors installed. Since they use a chain, you can expect some noise during operation, but this is often considered part of their charm. Chain drive doors open faster than belt drive models so they are great if you need quick access to your car at all times. On the downside, if your power goes out you may need to climb up a ladder to manually open them.

Roller Door Type Garage Doors

Roller doors are the oldest style of a sectional garage door. The roller door consists of three or four panels that roll up into a cassette at the top of the door instead of opening outwards. The roller door types generally do not require an automatic opener as they can be opened and closed by hand with ease, although there is a certain type of roller garage door that includes an electric drive system that enables you to open the roller door on command.

Although they are quite popular on commercial properties, these types of overhead garage doors are rarely used in residential areas since they require more clearance space than other models. Additionally, the roller garage door tends to use older technology so if your power supply is cut off for any reason you may need to manually open your roller door. Due to the way it’s made, this garage opening does not feature windows and is mostly for commercial applications.

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