Sectional vs. Roller Garage Doors: Which is Right for You?

If you’re planning to build a house or are having a garage added to your property, you will eventually be faced with a question: should you get a sectional or a roller garage door installed?  

What are the differences between sectional and roller garage doors?
Roller doors are made of one long sheet of steel that rolls up and sits above the garage door frame – in many ways, it’s quite similar to rolling up a carpet. Roller doors are an older version of garage door technology, but still have a few advantages over the more modern sectional design in certain situations. 

The key difference between sectional garage doors and roller doors is that sectional doors aren’t made from a single piece of material. Instead, they’re made up of segments that travel along rails to sit flat underneath the roof of the garage when it is open, rather than rolling up into a small barrel that sits above a roller door. Different designs do exist, such as panels that open horizontally along the walls rather than on the roof, but roof-mounted sectional doors are far more common and almost certainly what you would have installed in your own home.

Sectionals have become quite common in most homes, because they have more options with design, such as using wood panelling instead of a single sheet of steel. They can also have aesthetic features such as windows installed into the sections, something that isn’t possible with a roller door.

 

Which type of door is right for my garage?
In all but a few circumstances, sectional roller doors are almost certainly what you should go with for your garage door installation. As well as being more aesthetically preferable to most people, they’re also more durable than a roller door; if one or a few sections of the door are damaged, they can usually be replaced individually, rather than re-installing the entire door. As roller doors are made of a single piece of thin steel, if any of it is accidentally damaged the whole door will need to be replaced. 

This also makes sectional garage doors more secure than roller doors – anybody trying to break into your garage will have to get through several sections of sturdier material, rather than one thin sheet of steel.

Roller doors do have a few advantages over sectional doors. For one, they’re much cheaper than a sectional door, and an option worth considering if cost is a significant concern for you. They also take up far less room in your garage than a sectional door, due to a more efficient rolling design that stores them in a much smaller footprint. Sectional designs, by comparison, require that your garage roof be at least as long as the height of the door so that it has enough room to fully open. 

If you’re concerned about cost or space then roller doors may be the right fit for your garage door. But if you don’t mind paying a little bit extra, or care more about the aesthetics and security of your garage, then sectionals have become the standard option for most garage door installations today and are likely the best option for you and your family. 

 

The garage door experts
If you still have questions about your specific garage installation, or want to discuss options with the professionals, Garage Door Solutions are here to provide you with the expertise you need. Give our friendly team a call at 1800 673 637, or fill out our online contact form.