Garage Door Panel Types: A Comprehensive Guide

There’s little doubt that when most homeowner’s today think about garage doors one image comes to mind. And that is of the sectional garage door slowly rising, bending neatly every vertical foot or so before coming to rest above the car. This type of door has become the standard from coast to coast. But it’s not your only choice when it comes time to replace the garage door. First you much choose between a single panel or sectional, then you need to pick whether you would like short or long panels. In this article we will cover all options. So which is actually better?

Single Panel Garage Doors

The single panel garage door actually predates the sectional door by quite a few years and was considered the standard way back in the day. In the years after World War II however the sectional door shoved the single panel door to the side largely because it was marketed as a superior product both from a practical perspective and an aesthetic perspective. But is that actually the case? Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of the single panel door.

Pros

• Affordability - Single panel garage doors tend to be the least expensive garage door option. That’s because it’s cheaper to manufacture a single large panel than 20 or 30 smaller panels that have to be connected and hinged.
• Easy open - The single panel garage door typically opens in one smooth motion and, because they’re usually very well balanced, they can be opened manually with little or no effort. A good thing if the power goes out.
• Looks - While there are plenty of great looking sectional doors when it comes time for garage door replacement you’d be remiss not to consider the simple good looks of the single panel door. It has a throwback charm many find very appealing.

Cons

• Spatial requirements - The single panel door swings outward to open. As such you need to make sure nothing is in front of the door when it’s in operation. Some homes simply don’t have the space to give to this type of door.
• Durability - The sectional door is held in place with numerous rollers that lock into tracks on both sides of the door. The single panel by contrast has only one point of attachment and may therefore be more susceptible to damage during extreme weather events.
• Overall safety - Regardless of how many times you tell people to stay clear of this type of door as it opens and closes you still have to keep an eye out for those unaware that the door swings outward before rising.

The single panel door is attractive, reliable, easy to open by hand if necessary and quite affordable. The downside tends to revolve around the additional space required for it to open and close. Now let’s look at the sectional garage door.

The Sectional Garage Door

The sectional garage door is everywhere these days but what is it about them that makes them so appealing to homeowners? And is there a downside to this type of door? Let’s look at some of the pros and cons:

Pros

• They use very little space - No doubt a big selling point of the sectional garage door is the fact that it quietly and quickly transitions from vertical to horizontal. You don’t have to have a no-go zone around the door to allow for it to swing out, as with a single panel door.
• Dependability - Sectional garage doors today tend to be extremely dependable. They’re also durable since they’re anchored in more places than a single panel door. They’ll typically last longer which means less frequent garage door replacement and finding parts for them is easy.
• Automation - It’s a simple matter to add your sectional garage door to the Internet of things. This allows you to operate it remotely from anywhere in the world. While the same can be done with a single panel door the more complex lifting mechanism makes it a riskier proposition.

Cons

• Maintenance - More moving parts means more things that can break down and the sectional garage door has many more moving parts than the single panel door.
• Commonality - Let’s face it, everyone has this type of door so it’s very difficult today to make your sectional door stand out from the herd. Something to consider if your home has a distinctive design.
• Expense - Sectional doors are more expensive than single panel doors simply because there are more panels that need to be fabricated and fit together and all that fitting-together hardware costs money too. So do tracks, springs and rollers and everything else.

If you want to provide your home with a distinctive look it’s hard to beat the single panel garage door. If however, you want something very dependable that takes up minimal space the sectional garage door may be a better choice. Talk to the garage door professionals at A Better Garage Door about these and other replacement garage doors.

Raised Panel Steel Doors

At A Better Garage Door, we take our name to heart and strive to provide our customers with a better brand of garage door than what is typically seen on most homes. To that end the doors we use are manufactured by C.H.I. Overhead Doors. We chose C.H.I. after a long search for a company that reflected our values and beliefs regarding craftsmanship and value. Having installed hundreds of these doors we are more certain than ever today that our doors remain a cut above what you’ll get from other garage door companies.

Why You Should Choose Our Garage Doors for Your Brighton, CO Home

Our philosophy is to install value in the homes of our customers. Our steel doors are not only incredibly well built and attractive, but they’ll also help reduce your energy usage and increase your home’s level of safety and overall security. Our doors can be broken down into two main categories: Short Panel Steel and Long Panel Steel. Let’s take a look at both.

Short Panel Steel

Short panel steel garage doors provide your home with a tasteful, contemporary look that’s versatile enough to mesh with nearly any home design. The variety of window options, colors and optional accents means that you’ll always be able to individualize your doors to fit your taste. Each one of our doors are made from high-density 24 or 25 grade steel that will stand up to whatever time and the elements have in store.

Our short raised panel steel polyurethane insulated door models 2206 and 2216 feature:

• High density polyurethane insulated core.
• R-values of 13.40 (model 2206) and 17.19 (model 2216).
• 1.5" thick (model 2206) or 2" thick (model 2216) door sections.
• An array of window insert options including Cascade, Waterton, Sherwood styles and more along with glass options ranging from plain to glue chip.
• Our 2206 doors are available in almond, white and sandstone while our 2216 doors also come in evergreen, bronze and desert tan colors.
• The model 2216 garage door includes an optional Endurance and Appearance Package as well.

Our short panel steel polystyrene insulated door models 2241, 2251, 2255 and 2283 feature:

• Tongue and groove design to achieve a more potent weather seal.
• Each garage door section is 2" thick and made of either heavy, 24-gauge (model 2241) or 25-gauge (2251, 2255 and 2283) galvanized steel.
• 1-3/8" (2241 and 2251) or 9/16” (2255) vinyl-backed CFC-free polystyrene insulation.
• R-values range from 3.56 (2255) to 7.94 (2241 and 2251) and 9.65 (2283).
• A variety of beautiful window insert styles including Mission, Cascade, Sherwood, Sunburst and more along with either plain, tinted, frosted, obscure or glue chip glass.
• Available colors include white, almond, sandstone, brown or evergreen (2241) plus desert tan (2251, 2255 and 2283) and bronze (2283 only).

Our short panel non-insulated steel garage door models 2240 and 2250 feature:

• Tongue and groove construction on all section joints for enhanced weather seal.
• 2" thick sections formed from heavy, 24-gauge (2240) or 25-gauge (2250) steel.
• An array of window insert design options including Cascade, Mission, Waterton, Sherwood and more as well as plain, frosted, obscure, tinted or glue chip glass.
• A variety of beautiful and tasteful color schemes.

Again, all our long and short panel garage doors are high density galvanized steel for maximum safety, security, durability and energy efficiency.

Long Panel Steel

Long panel steel garage doors from A Better Garage Door have the flexibility to adapt to any size garage door opening and work with any type of home exterior; from vinyl or wood paneling to brick, masonry and more. Our long panel steel doors are available with either polyurethane or polystyrene insulation that will save you big on your energy bills and are built to the highest standards of contemporary craftsmanship.

Our long panel steel polyurethane insulated door models 4206 and 4216 feature:

• High-density CFC-free injected polyurethane core.
• R-values of 13.40 (4206) and 17.19 (4216).
• 1.5" thick (4206) or 2” thick (4216) door sections.
• An array of optional window inserts along with plain, frosted, glue chip, obscure or tinted glass.
• White, almond or sandstone color schemes.
• The 4216 also offers the Endurance and Appearance Package upgrade.

Our long panel steel polystyrene insulated door models 4241, 4251, 4255 and 4283 feature:

• Tongue and groove section joints that provide an exceptional weather seal.
• 2” thick door panels fabricated from 24 (4241) or 25-gauge (4251, 4255 and 4283) steel.
• R-values of 7.94 (4241, 4251) or 3.56 (4255) or 9.65 (4283).
• An assortment of window insert options and 5 types of glass including tinted and plain.
• Available in white, almond, brown, evergreen or sandstone (4241) with desert tan (4251, 4255) as well as bronze and gray (4283).
• Galvanized steel wide-body hinges for enhanced stability.

Our long panel non-insulated steel door models 4240 and 4250 feature:

• Tongue-and-groove design between sections produces exceptional weather seal.
• Garage door sections are 2" thick and formed from heavy, 24 (4240) or 25-gauge (4250) galvanized steel.
• Window insert styles include Cathedral, Mission, Cascade, Waterton, Sherwood and more.
• Glass options include frosted, plain, tinted, obscure and more.
• Colors available in your choice of white, almond, sandstone, brown or evergreen

Steel garage doors are virtually maintenance free and will withstand whatever the Colorado winter has in store for them. Versatile, durable, attractive and affordable they’re the garage door choice that makes sense from just about any angle you choose to consider them.

A Better Garage Door has been helping the people of Broomfield and Brighton make their homes more comfortable, convenient and energy efficient for years by installing the best steel garage doors on the market. You’ll rest easy knowing you’ve made the right choice once you install short or long panel steel garage doors from A Better Garage Door in your home. Call us today on (303) 920-2267 to find out more or to discuss annual garage door maintenance or any other related issue.