Sectional Garage Doors

About Sectional Garage Doors

Garage doors come in three essential types, divided into many sub-categories based on design, style, materials, and other features. While the side-hinged models make the most traditional choice, modern motorised versions offer a lot of added convenience of use. 

Sectional garage doors are exceptionally space-savvy, making a better option for use in restricted areas than roller doors or canopy models. They are characterised by the hinge-connected panel sections that slide straight upwards over the rails. Unlike the models that roll up at the top, they proceed sliding horizontally inside the garage space. Such operation allows more control over security while also providing better insulation.

Types of Sectional Garage Doors

Steel Sectional Garage Doors 

Steel is a cost-effective, lightweight, yet durable material. It’s easy to customise, offering a lot of design flexibility - including mimicking the natural wood. Embossed steel with a faux wood-grain finish bears the same visual quality as genuine timber for a fraction of the price, and almost no hassle of maintenance. 

The most significant disadvantage of steel is its susceptibility to rust and corrosion, which can be minimised with the right caring solutions. Also, steel doors need proper insulation in order to be thermally efficient.

Timber Sectional Garage Doors

Genuine wood garage doors are distinguished from other types by their timeless elegance and upscale appeal. The variety of species, styles, and customisation options available on the market takes these visual qualities even further. Wood is also a renewable resource, making the doors an eco-friendly solution.

The disadvantage of timber sectional garage doors are, above all, high maintenance requirements. They need recoating every few years, and if the task is delayed for long, it will probably include sanding and doing all layers again from scratch. However, proper care will make such doors last a lifetime, looking as good as new. Real wood is best to use in dry, generally milder climates, as the humidity and strong temperature changes will make it swell often and deteriorate faster. 

Aluminium Sectional Garage Doors 

Aluminium is lighter than steel and easier to maneuver without an electric garage opener. It’s also very stable and resistant to harsh weather conditions. On the downside, it’s more susceptible to damage, denting, and bending at the same time. 

Insulated aluminium garage doors offer a lot of design versatility, available in laminated or painted finish with an extensive colour palette. For that reason, it’s the material of choice for conveying a contemporary look to a variety of applications. 

Operation

Sectional garage doors are suited for both manual or electric operation, depending on the desired levels of convenience, security, design geometry and gear mechanism. While automation makes the process smooth and effortless, manual mode is also a suitable option due to the panels’ well-balanced functionality at all sizes.

The choice of either torsion or tension spring lifting mechanisms also varies, including front-mounted, rear-mounted or horizontal torsion, and side-mounted tension. It’s also possible to find doors with springs fixed high into the horizontal guide channels. Each option comes with specific sets of requirements, including different headroom sizes and structural fixing points.

Installation

Sectional garage doors require installation to a frame to install directly to. The frame section serves to hold the operating gear and spring mechanism secure, and must be straight and sound. Therefore, professional installation is strongly recommended. 

Initially, this type of door was fitted behind the opening and restricted by positioning the springs and the guides. Today, it’s also possible to fit them in between the opening with the help of adapted installation kits and suited gear mechanism options. It allows the designer sectional garage doors and customised panelling to also be used with any kind of opening. The only thing to take into consideration before installing is the headroom and the horizontal length needed for the curve of the tracks.

Things to Consider Before Buying Sectional Garage Doors

Size

Sectional doors are remarkably versatile when it comes to sizing. The reasons are two:

• This type does not swing through the opening, which means it requires no additional space inside or outside of the perimeter. That way, the door panel can effortlessly cover for larger openings, making it a convenient solution for both residential and commercial use. 
• The strength of the system can handle both small and large dimensions, which is suitable for a variety of domestic applications. 

Handles

The offer of handles and optional locking methods available on the market can vary considerably, including anything from single-point latch to cable operated double latch. 

Pedestrian Wicket Door

While the optional pedestrian door is not meant for vehicles, they make a convenient addition for anyone using their garage regularly - especially if there is some storage attached to it. A wicket door provides easy access to sports equipment, bicycles, a freezer, or anything that could be used without opening the garage door. 

Weather Seals

A high-quality rubber weather strip attached to the bottom panel can provide a superior level of protection against wind, rain, dust and vermin.

Hi-Tech Features

Different manufacturers offer different spring-lifting operation modes. Hi-tech communication between the operator and the handsets enhances security levels, preventing unauthorised manipulation of the system.

A remote control electric operator is a handy addition for situations when the garage is extra-large or frequently used. The convenience of remote control is particularly notable at night or during rainstorms.