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Garage doorsdon’t just protect vehiclesthey also strongly define a home’s exterior look.
Once thegarage door openeractivates, the door slides up a curved track into the garage.
When open, the door remains about 7 feet above the garage floor.
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A torsion spring above the garage door assists with lifting the door.
These doors are so heavy that thegarage door openeralone cannot lift them.
Sectional garage doors tend to be less expensive than other types.
Most garage doors at local home centers are sectional doors.
These doors are secure because it is difficult to break between the panels.
Sectional garage doors are heavy and dangerous toopen manually.
All of these moving parts need to be kept clean and well-lubricated.
Lower cost
Availability
Secure
Frequent maintenance
Difficult manual operation
Complicated installation
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For balance, the hinges are roughly midpoint vertical instead of at the top.
Tilt-up garage doors are easy to open by hand.
Clearance inside and outside the garage is the main issue with tilt-up garage doors.
About a third of the door remains outside the garage when the door is open.
However, some manufacturers offer a two-point locking system that keeps the door safer.
If a single-panel tilt-up door becomes damaged, the entire door often needs to be replaced.
Rollup garage doors are often found on commercial buildings.
They are extremely strong and secure, and they preserve most of the garage’s ceiling space.
One downside of rollup garage doors is their appearance.
While some have a sleek, industrial chic look, others look sterile and bland.
Rollup garage doors are difficult to customize, and they do not have much space for windows.
The doors open manually, just like barn doors.
Unlike sectional garage doors, hinged doors have no internal track and require no garage door opener.
Since the doors open outward, the inside of the garage is kept open and free.
Ceiling storage racks can be installed up to the garage door opening.
Theycan be paintedwith ordinary exterior acrylic-latex paint.
Garage doors that open outward require driveway clearance of at least 5 feet to allow the doors to open.
The retractable mechanism keeps the door out of the way in the garage and saves space in the driveway.
It can be opened either manually or with an electric garage door opener.
This door opens smoothly and typically opens and closes quietly.
Though this store is expensive, it is highly secure and durable.
To allow the door panel to tilt upward, extra vertical room in the garage is required.
A second rail, anchored to the floor, keeps the garage door moving without swinging.
It also prevents intruders from pushing through the bottom of the door when it’s closed.
A side-sliding door requires no torsion springs, which are difficult and dangerous to install and maintain.
The garage ceiling is left completely free for storage racks.
The trade-off, though, is the loss of one of the garage walls for storage.
Classic
Classic or traditional garage doors are characterized by symmetrical raised panels.
This garage door has a clean appearance but is balanced out with enough ornamentation to look classic.
Attractive and unfussy, it complements most home styles.
Classic door styles come in steel and fiberglass.
Either material can benon-insulated or insulated.
Modern
Modern or contemporary garage doors are smooth and coolly functional, with little ornamentation.
They emphasize colors and materials more than showy textures.
Modern garage doors are great for updating a mid-century modern home or for building an entirely new contemporary home.
Carriage House
Carriage house or barn-style garage doors have two side-hinged doors that meet in the middle.
Garage Door Sizes
Garage door sizesrange from 8 feet to 20 feet wide.
Garage door heights are usually 7 feet high, but 8- and 10-foot heights are available, too.
