A garage door is an integral part of any home. It can act as a main entry and exit point into the house and gives you a safe space to park your car. An insulated garage can be used as a workshop, studio, music room, and more! The opportunities are endless. So, when selecting a new garage door installation, ensure you choose the right garage door for your garage application.
We install two main types of garage doors – sectional or panel garage doors and roll-up garage doors. Both are options for high-quality garage doors, but they are two very different doors and have distinct benefits.
What is a Sectional Garage Door?
Sectional garage doors, also referred to as panel garage doors, are the most popular and “standard” garage doors you see on residential or commercial properties. They consist of horizontal panels (usually ranging between 21’’ and 24’’) stacked on top of one another to build a complete door; connected with hinges. The combination of horizontal garage door panels and hinges allows the garage door to “bend” as it opens and closes, travelling along a tracking system on either side of the door and typically resting in a horizontal position when the door is fully opened.
The sectional garage door uses a torsions spring and cable system to counterbalance the garage door weight to allow the door to open and close smoothly. You can install electric garage door openers on the sectional garage door to allow for automatic operation.
What is a Roll Up Garage Door?
Roll-up doors are types of garage doors that travel vertically and rest in a housing, canister, or roll above the opening (not behind in the horizontal position like the panel garage door outlined above). Roll up garage doors are built with individual slats that range from about 1 ½’’-3’’ in height; and are interlocked into one another, allowing the door to roll up into a coil as well as roll down in the closed position creating a door curtain.
Roll-up garage doors can be operated manually by pushing up or pulling down using a tubular spring system or with a hand crank (but don’t require any cables, hinges, or rollers like the sectional garage door). Moreover, roll-up doors can also have electric motors to have an automatic opening feature for easy operation.
Differences Between Roll Up Garage Doors and Sectional Garage Doors
Construction material
– Sectional Garage Door: All our panel garage doors are made from steel. The high-quality steel used holds up well against the elements in Canada and will have a long-lasting finish.
– Roll Up Garage Door: Candoor’s roll up shutter doors are made from aluminum. This is great for the Canadian climate since aluminum is rust-resistant.
Insulation
– Sectional Garage Door: Using either polystyrene or polyurethane insulation material, we can offer steel-insulated garage doors with R values that range between 10-18.
– Roll Up Garage Door: Our roll up doors also have insulated options, but the R-value only ranges between 2-4. They still provide a great barrier to the exterior elements, but if insulation is important to you, then a sectional garage door may be a better option.
Space Saving and Track Configuration
– Sectional Garage Door: Standard lift garage doors require the doors to sit in a horizontal position behind the opening when in the fully opened position taking up usable space behind and above the garage door. Using a steel galvanized tracking systems, in conjunction with hinges and rollers, allowing the door to travel in the up-and-down position. If you require a space-saving solution, then a roll up door would be your better option. *Sectional garage doors have high lift track conversion kits to extend the horizontal tracks, but they still take up additional space when compared to roll up garage doors*
– Roll Up Garage Door: Roll up doors are the best option for space-saving applications since they roll up in a coil above the opening. Taking up no further space other than their housing above the opening that the coil sits in. Therefore, if you are installing a car lift, want extra storage, using your garage as a gym, etc., then a roll up door is a great option due to its space-saving features.
Style and Exterior Finishes
– Sectional Garage Door: Our steel garage doors come in a variety of styles. You can get them from the traditional raised panel, carriage house, or barn-style garage doors, modern flush doors, glass garage doors, overlay garage doors, wood garage doors and more. Candoor also works with custom door manufacturers that can produce a door from a stretch. Sectional garage doors have a very wide range of design options.
– Roll Up Garage Door: Roll up doors need the ability to roll up in a coil above the opening, so they must have small individual slats to operate. Therefore, styles are very limited. But roll up garage doors have a very modern look that will separate you from the traditional garage door look of your neighbours.
Contact us for a free consultation to help you choose which option would be best for your next garage door!
Call us at 1 (866) 341-3253 or contact us online for any of your garage door needs. Looking for an insulated garage door? Roll Up Garage Door? Custom Wood Plank Garage Door? We have a highly skilled and passionate team to assist you through any project.