Garage Doors

Sectional Garage Door Pro`s & Con`s

Sectional garage doors were first seen in operation in the USA around the mid 1930`s and since then have evolved considerably.

An ingenious design, the door is able to open and close vertically in the same manner as a roller door. Where it differs is that rather than coiling into a roll that sits behind the lintel, the door panels of a sectional garage door  hinge back into the garage on horizontal tracks that when fully open sits within the garage roof space.

A key advantage of owning a sectional garage door over a roller door is that it is available in a number of more traditional designs. This is opposed to a roller door that has horizontal profiling which some customers find too industrial looking.


Modern sectional garage doors are very easy to operate due to the fact that each door panel will generally have a minimum of one roller per side that runs up and down the vertical and horizontal door rails. This makes them much easier to operate safely than say a traditional up and over type garage door that has been so popular now for a number of years.

Another benefit of the sectional garage door is that when locked, they are very difficult to force entry into the garage. Most customers also specify automation and in this situation a door handle does not need to be installed meaning there is nowhere to be able to gain leverage to open the door.

Other advantages include vertical lifting (ideal for properties with limited parking), the option of insulation, full rubber seals, full drive through width and height as the doors can fix to the back of the structural opening, ease of automation, range of colours and available designs.

The evolution of this type of door has seen a greatly increased emphasis placed on user safety. Doors are fitted with anti drop mechanisms, where any failure of cables etc will prevent the door from unexpectedly closing on someone. Doors are also provided with finger protection door panels to stop any nasty accidents occurring.

The only slight disadvantage of a sectional garage door is that the horizontal tracks must be fixed within the garage to support the door when fully open.