6 Types of Garage Doors: What You Need to Know

Garage doors not only protect your car, they also dramatically shape the exterior appearance of your home. Learn about the main types of garage doors to get the most attractive door while keeping your car clean and safe.

Sectional Garage Doors

Sectional garage doors consist of four or five horizontally oriented panels connected by hinges. When the garage door opener is activated, the door slides up a curve into the garage. When open, the door remains approximately 7 feet above the garage floor.

The torsion springs on top of the garage door help lift the door. These doors are so heavy that the garage door opener alone cannot lift them.

Sectional garage doors tend to be less expensive than other types. Most garage doors at your local home center are sectional. These doors are secure because they are difficult to break between the panels.

Sectional garage doors are heavy and dangerous to open by hand. Additionally, sectional garage doors have many moving parts—torque springs, rollers, bolts, hinges, etc. All of these moving parts need to be kept clean and well lubricated.

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Tilt-up or awning garage doors

A tilt-up garage door, awning, or panel, is a single flat panel made of metal or wood that tilts upward. For balance, the hinge is almost at the midpoint vertically rather than at the top.

Tilt-up garage doors, popular in the first half of the 20th century, still retain a distinct classic appeal for many homeowners.

Tilt garage doors are easy to open by hand. Not only is the door panel itself lighter in weight, but the panel is also well balanced to support lifting from the outside.

Clearance inside and outside the garage is the main issue with swing-up garage doors. In the front, in the driveway, the door needs 3 to 4 feet of clearance to swing up. About a third of the door remains outside the garage when the door is open.

If security is an issue, a tilt garage door may not be the best choice because it can be opened from below. However, some manufacturers offer a two-point locking system that makes the door more secure.

One advantage of a panel garage door over a single panel garage door is that if one section of the panel garage door fails, it can be removed and replaced. If a single panel garage door fails, the entire door usually needs to be replaced.

Garage door

With roll-up doors, the flexible steel plate rolls around the spring shaft as the door opens. So instead of lying flat on the garage floor, the steel plate is rolled tightly into a cylinder in front of the door.

Garage roller doors are commonly found in commercial buildings. They are extremely strong and secure, and they protect most of the garage’s ceiling space.

One downside to roller shutters is their appearance. While some have a sleek, industrial-chic look, others look sterile and bland. Roller shutters are difficult to customize and don’t allow for much window space.

Hinged garage door

Hinged garage doors, sometimes called side-hinged doors, carriage doors, or barn doors, have two panels that meet in the middle, each with hinges on either side. The doors open manually, like barn doors.

Unlike sectional garage doors, hinged doors do not have an interior track and do not require a garage door opener. Since the door opens outward, the interior of the garage is kept open and airy. Ceiling racks can be installed up to the garage door.

The classic look of hinged garage doors means they can be fitted with a wide range of hinge, handle and lock options. They can be painted with standard exterior acrylic-latex paint.

Outward opening garage doors need to be at least 5 feet away from the entrance in order to open.

Automatic door openers are quite expensive, ranging from $700 to $2,000, not including installation.

Retractable and tilt up garage doors

Retractable tilt-up garage doors, sometimes called lift-up garage doors, have a single panel that tilts up and slides across the door on a set of parallel tracks.

The retractable mechanism keeps the door out of the way of the garage and saves space in the driveway. Unlike tilt/awning doors, which protrude into the driveway when open, no part of a retractable tilt door extends into the driveway.

Can be opened manually or with an electric garage door opener. This door opens smoothly and usually opens and closes very gently.

Although this door is expensive, it is very safe and durable. In order for the door panel to tilt up, additional vertical space is needed in the garage.

Side Sliding Garage Doors

Horizontal or side-sliding garage doors have vertically oriented panels that wrap around the inside wall of the garage when open.

Working like a curtain, the door moves on a track mounted above the garage door, running along one of the garage walls.

The second rail, anchored to the floor, keeps the garage door from swinging. It also prevents an intruder from pushing through the bottom of the door when it is closed.

Horizontal sliding doors do not require torsion springs, which are difficult to install and maintain and are dangerous. The garage ceiling is completely bare for storage. However, the trade-off is losing one of the storage walls.

Garage door style

Most garage doors fall into one of three styles: classic, modern, or garage-style.

Classic

Classic or traditional garage doors feature symmetrical raised panels.

This garage door has a clean look but is balanced with enough ornamentation to look classic. Attractive and unfussy, it complements most home styles.

Classic door styles come in steel and fiberglass. Both materials can be insulated or non-insulated.

Modern

Modern or contemporary garage doors are sleek and cool, with little ornamentation. They emphasize color and materials rather than striking textures.

Modern garage doors are great for renovating a mid-century modern home or building a brand new contemporary home.

Steel, aluminum, glass and sometimes a touch of wood finishes combine to bring a serene atmosphere to the exterior of a modern home.

Garage

A garage or shed style door has two hinged doors on either side that meet in the middle.

For a farmhouse style home, it can look very rustic, with rough-finished wood and cross bracing, or it can incorporate the more refined decor of a Craftsman style home, with solid vertical door jambs and horizontal rails.

Garage doors are always made of wood or have a wood-like appearance, but they can have small glass windows and many are decorated with black or bronze painted steel handles and hinges.

Garage door size

Garage door sizes range from 8 feet to 20 feet. One-car garage doors range from 8 to 10 feet wide, and two-car garage doors range from 12 to 20 feet wide.

Garage doors are typically 7 feet tall, but 8 and 10 feet tall models are also available.

Single Garage Door Size