There are many considerations when choosing an ideal garage door for your home. One of these considerations is the functionality of your home. The garage door option you pick can either enhance or compromise the functionality of your home, especially if the garage is attached to it.
You need a garage door that can open seamlessly and offer reliable security for your home and family. If you’re in the market for a new garage door, we’ll help you pick the best one for your home’s functional needs so you can enjoy seamless integration.
Sectional or panel Garage Doors
As one of the most popular garage doors in the U.S., sectional ones are loved for their security, style varieties, and convenience. They comprise a few horizontal panels that fold onto each other when the door is opened.
The panels are connected with hinges that bend as the door slides overhead along a bent track system. The door opens fully to allow the panels to rest side by side with the garage ceiling, offering optimal internal and external garage space.
You can always get sectional garage doors at local stores that offer a wide range of garage doors. For instance, in Texas, the Central Texas overhead door company offers a wide range of garage doors from which you can choose. You can also take advantage of these companies’ expert advice before settling on the sectional garage door as your final choice.
Hinged or Old-Fashioned Barn Doors
If you love the traditional way of doing things, a hinged garage door is perfect for your space. They’re made of two vertical panels that swing outward from the middle, making them ideal for garages with enough open space in front of the door.
They come in different sizes and materials, so you can customize them to fit your space and style. The door panels are often solid, opening outward like the old-fashioned barn doors, and can sometimes be built in vertical sections to fold against your door’s side frame.
Since they’re more traditionally inclined, you can mostly find wooden options that easily replicate the first barn doors. However, galvanized steel and composite versions also exist for those who want dominantly modernized options instead of heavily traditionalized ones.
While you can manually open a hinged garage door, using the automated opener is always easier, which comes at an additional cost but is worth it. Enjoying a safe and efficient garage door operation is more important than the few extra bucks you’ll be charged for an automated opener.
Roll-Up or Coiling Garage Doors
You might have met most roll-up garage doors in commercial setups, and this is true because of their space-saving ability and durability. Today, they’re also more common in residential garages with high or constricted ceiling space.
They’re a close replica of panel garage doors, only that they have smaller widths and have a different opening formula. When you open a roll-up door, it wraps around a drum at the top of the door frame instead of lying flat against the ceiling.
Coiling garage doors are commonly available in galvanized steel, but some manufacturers make them from wood. The galvanized steel options make the door appear more suitable for commercial buildings than residential ones.
However, using the steel option in your residential garage offers a robust solution that is more resistant to impacts and wind.
Like all garage doors, roll-up models require periodic inspections to ensure smooth operation, especially given their mechanical components. If issues arise, seeking professional garage door repair in San Diego or your area can restore functionality and prevent costly long-term damage.
Around-the-Corner Garage Doors
Also known as slide-to-the-side garage doors, around-the-corner doors are a common option. They open by wrapping around one section of the garage and sliding horizontally along a track system alongside the wall inside the garage.
If you have a smaller garage, you’ll only need a single door that opens to one side of your garage wall. However, if yours is a big garage, you need two doors sliding to both sides of the wall and meeting in the middle of the opening space to close your garage.
This door type is perfect for homeowners who want to save headroom but have enough space on either or both garage walls. The slide-to-side garage door is also usually custom-made, so you can rest assured you’ll get a door perfectly designed for your available space. You can find it in aluminum, steel, or wood options, so you can pick the one that best fits your budget and needs.
Tilt-Up or Up-and-Over Garage Doors
Also known as the canopy, tilt-up or up-and-over garage doors are an affordable option that can open vertically, where they get lifted and then slide over the top of the opening. This opening style is only easily possible when using the automated opener, as operating it manually can be dangerous and difficult.
Despite its manual operation challenge, this garage door is a perfect fit for modern homes as it’s available aluminum or steel options that can easily blend into modern home designs. They’re preferred in residential areas and are loved for their ability to add a touch of luxury and style while remaining functional in small spaces.
Since choosing a befitting garage door is mostly about balancing style and functionality, it’s important first to consider functionality and then style later. You can always devise ways to customize the style, but choosing a non-functional garage door can be expensive. With these options above, you can choose the right, functional door ideal for your space before considering style and aesthetics.