And Which Is Right for You
Maybe you’re a homeowner, and want to purchase a home upgrade with a 102.7% return on investment. Or maybe you’re a commercial property manager, and want to make your facility more secure, efficient and presentable. Either way, you would probably be hard-pressed to name a single type of garage door – and even more so if you had to decide which one is best for you.
No worries! You’ve got your local Sioux City garage door service to walk you through your options, as well as help you choose the garage door best suited to your needs, budget and style. Here are the five major types of garage doors along with their advantages!
Sectional Garage Door
This is the most popular type of garage door among American homeowners, so you’ve no doubt seen plenty of them around the suburbs. True to its name, the sectional garage door is split into multiple hinged sections. Either side of each panel is equipped with a wheel that fits into a track; when the sectional garage door opens or closes, it bends to conform to the track’s contours. A set of springs positioned above the sectional garage door make it easy to open manually, as well as safe from snapping shut with the force of 100 pounds or more.
Sectional garage doors are popular for a number of reasons. They’re difficult to break into. They withstand strong winds. They sit parallel to the ceiling when they are open, which provides a more spacious garage that’s easier to park in. They’re available in any size, color or style you could imagine, and with a number of different automatic opener options as well. If you don’t want to put any more thought into which garage door you should add to your home, choosing a sectional garage door is a great bet.
Tilt-Up Garage Door
A tilt-up garage door is essentially a sectional garage door with only one section. It is a large single-piece door positioned atop a hinged pivoting mechanism that allows it to tilt upward and backward simultaneously, ultimately resting parallel to the ceiling of the garage. Tilt-up garage doors are available in two different styles: canopy, which protrudes from the top of the doorway, and retractable which does not extend beyond the siding.
As a general rule, a mechanism with more moving parts also has more places in which it can break. This is the primary advantage to a tilt-up garage door: its lack of hinged sections make it more reliable – not to mention more durable. Tilt-up garage doors are highly customizable. They also give homes a cleaner, more modern aesthetic. Just take care that this type of garage door typically isn’t automated, and also places more strain on its torsion spring than a comparably sized sectional garage door would have.
Roll-Up Garage Door
This type of garage door is made of multiple horizontal sheets of steel – many more than a sectional garage door, which typically has only three panels. Instead of running along a track system, its 2–3″ slats neatly roll up into a drum positioned just above the garage door opening.
Roll-up garage doors are typically favored for commercial applications thanks to their rugged design which doesn’t require springs that need regular maintenance. (The majority of roll-up garage doors feature fairly drab, utilitarian designs for that reason.) In addition to low maintenance, roll-up garage doors boast excellent security and durability. They also take up the same amount of space inside the garage whether they are open or shut – very convenient for busy commercial spaces.
Side Sliding Garage Door
A side sliding garage door is essentially a sectional that opens and shuts horizontally instead of vertically. It is attached to a horizontal track that is positioned just above and parallel to the top of the doorway, which makes it ideal for garages with limited overhead space.
As you might imagine, opening and closing a side sliding garage door requires relatively little force: the reason why it’s so convenient during a power outage, and also why its motorized opener emits so little noise during operation. Better yet, partially opening a side sliding garage door allows you to duck in and out of your garage without stooping over. Maintaining and repairing a side sliding garage door is also quick and straightforward – a boon to passionate DIYers.
Side-Hinged Garage Door
A side-hinged garage door essentially features the same design as a French door: two panels that swing open outward, and which are often secured with a similar kind of mechanism.
A side-hinged garage door is a great option for a homeowner who wants their garage door to take up zero interior space, as well as a commercial property manager who wants the highest level of security. It’s easy to install and requires just about as much maintenance as any other exterior door. And like a side sliding garage door, a side-hinged garage door allows you to keep your garage partially open. Just take care that a side-hinged garage door does require a significant amount of clearance in order to open fully, and therefore isn’t the best solution if you have a smaller driveway.
Still not sure which garage door you need – or which type of material your next garage door should be made of? Shawn’s Garage Door is more than your ultimate garage door repair & replace solution. Part of our same day garage door serving mission includes informing our clients of all their available options so they can zero in on their best one. Contact us today whether you’d like our expertise or our same-day service. We’re here to serve all of Sioux City’s garage door needs!