How to Choose Between Solid or Sectioned Garage Doors
The type of garage door that you install is an important decision that you’ll have to live with for a long time.
Solid Garage Doors
Solid garage doors, also known as single panel doors or swing doors, were many years ago the only option for garage doors. Solid garage doors are constructed of one single piece with no sections or breaks, and are designed to lift up and into your garage door ceiling space. The way that they swing out is what gives them the name swing doors. Solid garage doors generally operate by an attached hinge system that has springs attached, but can be attached to an opener that resembles that of a sectional panel garage door opener.
Canopy-style garage doors, which aren’t seen often anymore, require manual manipulation in order to open. They are also built with a torsion spring, but are far lighter than the other style of solid door. They slide on two tracks that run vertically on either side of the door’s opening.
Pros of Solid Garage Doors
The pros of having solid garage doors include how sturdy the door is. Many people who own older homes enjoy the retro look of the doors because it complements the look of their home or garage. They are simple to install and have less small parts that make up their mechanism, which means less can go wrong with them. They are also quick and easy to install, with less room for error because of their basic construction.
Cons of Solid Garage Doors
By design, solid doors are heavy, and so they are generally always constructed of wood because other materials don’t work well. While beautiful and easy to paint, wood can fall vulnerable to the elements and other attackers, such as termites or mold, because the door is constantly exposed to the outside. This means you have to pay attention to maintaining the exterior of your door.
Unfortunately, solid garage doors can also be less safe than solid panel doors. This problem can mostly be traced back to issues with the extension springs that solid garage doors use. Sectional garage doors use what are called torsion springs, but solid garage doors rely on extension springs to lift and lower them. If these springs become rusty, wear down, or are not maintained, a spring can give out suddenly, which can cause damage to your garage’s wall or items that are stored in there. Sometimes it even causes the other spring supporting the door to go out at the same time because of the weight of solid garage doors. When this happens, the door could slam shut with very little warning, which could cause major damage to your vehicle if it happens to be underneath and even injure you or your passengers.
Sectioned Garage Doors
Sectioned garage doors are more commonly found on residential garages nowadays due to their easy installation, sturdy construction, and the ability to replace the panels when they become damaged. While it would seem like a sectioned garage door would be the right choice for most homeowners, this can really depend on your specific garage and needs. While they are currently the most popular choice for garage door type, they still have their pros and cons. A sectional garage door operates by sliding up and down on tracks that run along the sides of the garage and up along the ceiling. The sectional doors fold up in sections and roll up to the area below the ceiling.
Pros of Sectioned Garage Doors
The pros of having sectioned garage doors are often stronger than having solid doors for many homeowners, but there are always factors in each individual section to take into consideration. They are generally much quieter than solid garage doors when going up and down, due to the mechanism of action of the torsion springs. Despite needing to have their individual parts serviced more often, these doors generally outlast their solid counterpart by a significant amount of time.
There is a greater variety of these types of door available because they are so commonly used, so you have more customization for how you want your garage door to look. This can make a major improvement in the appearance of your home overall.
Cons of Sectioned Garage Doors
Sectioned garage doors are generally more expensive to install. Their parts are also usually more expensive, especially when you compare torsion springs versus extension springs. However, they last far longer than extension springs, so you will have to replace them less frequently. Sectioned garage doors also require more professional repair if something should go wrong with them, because they have so many moving parts.
These types of garage doors require you to lubricate the parts once or twice a year, which while not being a major issue, can be an inconvenience to some. Sectioned garage doors take up a fair amount of space on your ceiling, and you have to be careful not to accidentally bump into any of the parts when you’re bringing things like lawn tools into your garage.
Choosing Between the Two
The choice between a solid garage door and a sectioned one should be made individually by the homeowner and the garage door installation team, considering all the factors they have available to make an informed decision. Consult with the other members of your family and consider all of the pros and cons of each door, as well as your garage space, how often you use your garage, and the price you want to pay. Also consider how you want the garage door to look, and whether you would prefer to have something cheaper for now or invest in the future. Whatever your decision, you’ll feel better knowing you considered all of your options.