While front entry doors often steal the spotlight—with their decorative glass inserts and fancy sidelights drawing admiration—it’s truly the overhead garage door that significantly impacts your home’s curb appeal.
Let’s be honest: if your home features a front-facing, attached garage, the sheer expanse of your garage door is often the very first element people notice when driving by or pulling into your driveway. Because of this, you’ll want to choose thoughtfully when considering a replacement garage door.
You have many options for garage doors. The six most common types are sectional, roll-up, slide-to-the-side, side-hinged, tilt-up canopy, and tilt-up retractable. You’ll also need to decide on the door’s material, finish, color, and specific features like windows, insulation, and hardware.
If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed already, don’t worry! We’ve created a straightforward breakdown of the different garage door types to simplify the process and give you valuable insights into each one.
Exploring Garage Door Types
Sectional Garage Doors
As the most widely adopted garage door style in the United States, sectional garage doors are constructed from individual panel sections connected by hinges. As the door moves, wheels on the edge of each panel glide within a vertical track situated on either side of the door opening.
The hinges between each panel section flex over a curved part of the track. This clever design allows the door to rest parallel to the ceiling when fully open or align perfectly with the walls when completely closed. A pair of high-tension springs located above the opening are linked to cables that facilitate the door’s operation and prevent it from drifting downwards when partially open.
These doors are typically made from steel, require minimal maintenance, and can be customized with window inserts, various hardware, textures, and colors. They are available in both insulated and non-insulated models.
Roll-Up Garage Doors
You’ll likely encounter these more often in commercial settings than residential ones, but roll-up doors offer a straightforward design ideal for areas with limited ceiling space. This style consists of 2-3 inch steel slat sections that coil around a drum positioned above the door opening.
Roll-up or coiling doors are engineered for heavy usage, and high-performance versions can be built without springs or fully enclosed to prevent rust, corrosion, and freezing. Due to the robust nature of the roll-up design, their initial costs are typically higher than those of sectional doors.
Slide-to-the-Side Garage Doors
As the name suggests, the slide-to-the-side garage door operates by bending to one side of the garage and resting parallel to the wall. These were among the earliest garage door styles and were originally used for garages with limited headroom.
They run along lower trolleys that are flexible enough to accommodate slight variations in floor or ceiling slopes. Slide-to-the-side doors do not require balancing springs and often feature a built-in retractable motor for automated operation, eliminating the need for a ceiling-mounted opener.
Side-Hinged Garage Doors
An older, more traditional design, side-hinged garage doors swing open and closed from a hinged frame on either side of the opening. They resemble large barn doors and are commonly made of wood, although more robust commercial-grade galvanized steel versions are also available.
There’s been a recent resurgence in demand for these classic doors, particularly for garages with internal obstructions or restricted headroom. Side-hinged garage doors can be purchased within pre-hung steel frames or custom-fitted into existing openings. They can also be automated using specialized conversion arms.
Tilt-Up/Up and Over Canopy Garage Doors
Similar to side-hinged styles, tilt-up canopy garage doors are made from a single, solid piece rather than sections. They feature a pivoting hinge mechanism that allows them to tilt up and into the garage. When fully open, the canopy-style door sits parallel to the garage ceiling and extends slightly past the front of the house.
Tilt-Up/Up and Over Retractable Garage Doors
Like the tilt-up canopy design, tilt-up retractable garage doors lift up and into the garage. The key difference is that they are suspended independently from the frame, meaning they do not protrude past the front of the house when open.
This configuration requires more overhead space than canopy garage doors. While some homeowners do opt for this type, they can be more challenging to operate than other styles and are typically more expensive.
Puls to the Rescue
Are you experiencing issues with your garage door opening or closing? Is it stuck in one position, or does it keep drifting downwards when you try to leave it partially open? Working with heavy-duty tension springs or cables can be dangerous.
Stay safe and leave things to the Puls professionals. Puls technicians offer repairs and inspections for all garage door types and can often provide same-day service. All services, parts, and labor are backed by our 90-day guarantee, and our skilled technicians are industry experts with years of experience.
Whether you need an emergency repair or routine garage door maintenance, our team of technicians will come to you at your convenience, regardless of garage size, type, or material. We’ll pinpoint the exact issue and fix it quickly, making the process as easy as possible for you. Schedule an appointment today to get your garage door working like new again in no time!