Overhead Door Garage Doors – A Buying Guide

• There are three types of overhead door garage doors as follows:
• The roll-up – this design is more for commercial use.  You will see these types of doors on storefronts or on auto shops and the like.  They roll up like a window shade and are practical but ugly.
• Tilt-up – this is a one panel garage door.  The whole door is raised up to the top of the garage ceiling.  These can be attractive but have space issues.
• The sectional – this garage door generally has three to four panels that are connected.  This type of garage door is what you typically see in most homes.

All of these types of overhead door garage doors can be powered and come with remotes.  The best looking ones are the single panel as there are generally more design options in terms of the type of wood or fibreglass used and the amount of glass.

Materials Used in Garage Doors

The most durable material is fibreglass and the idea of a wood door is nice but they can rot more quickly than the other materials that are available. Fibreglass is the most expensive type of garage door to buy but that is because it is the most durable, doesn’t rot or rust and is available in many designs.  Fibreglass doors are also lighter than most other types of doors so if you do have to open the door manually you will not break your back.

Steel and aluminum are used for roll-ups and are usually very practical and functional but not esthetically pleasing thus why they are mostly used for businesses.

Personally I like the the one panel doors the most as I find them the most attractive and the quietest but the sectional doors are the most practical and the garage door opening systems built for them are very good.

Take a look at either a full panel or sectional when shopping for overhead door garage doors – most big box retailers have them but your best bet would likely be a local shop that specializes in the instalation of them