Sectioned Garage Door vs Solid Garage Door; Pros and Cons

There are differences between solid garage doors and the sectioned ones. Each has their pros and cons and each type is appealing in its own way. Our Complete Garage Door Service crew is sometimes asked; which is best? Our answer is this; what do you want from your garage door? Read this page and then decide for yourself. It’s really just a choice and it’s yours to make.

Solid garage doors

Solid garage doors are making a comeback of sorts. They were more common in the 50s and 60s when that’s all that was available. These doors are made of one piece construction as opposed to a frame and several panels and sections like the sectioned doors. Solid garage doors were mainstream back “in the day” and were mostly lifted and lowered by hand. Some homeowners are now installing these one piece, solid garage doors to achieve that retro look from decades ago. In modern times you can now operate them with an opener system but since the whole door tilts upward, the area in front of the garage door should be clear of people, pets, cars and other items.

Sectioned garage doors

These came into use after the solid, one piece doors. As stated above, your sectioned garage door has panels and sections attached within a frame. Instead of tilting upward or downward, your sectioned garage door rolls up and into the garage, usually with the help of an automatic garage door opener system and remote. One big advantage of these rolling garage doors is that you don’t have to keep the area in front of it clear. This is because the door rolls up and into the garage through the track system and does not tilt outward where it can hit whatever or whoever is in front of it. It’s no secret that most buyers looking to secure a home in today’s real estate market prefer these sectioned garage doors. Builders and new home community developers comply by not giving their buyers a choice; the sectioned doors are automatically included in the purchase.

You don’t have to follow the crowd

Does all this mean that you are stuck with your rolling garage door? No; not at all. Tilt-up doors are still available everywhere garage doors are sold and installed. Many younger people have never even seen this type of door before as the roll ups are so common in urban settings. If you are interested in either type of door, we encourage you to call a local garage door repair shop and speak to their staff. Call one that eagerly answers questions and gives free price quotes, too. An established shop can field any questions that you may have and even come out to your place to see how feasible a change might be. Remember, you can still have automatic garage door opener service with a solid garage door; you no longer have to manually open or close it.

Springs for both types

Your solid garage door will use extension springs. These have pros and cons associated with them as they do cost less than the more pricey torsion springs, but they usually don’t last as long, either. Your torsion springs are usually good for 15 to 20 thousand cycles while the less expensive extension models last about half of that. A cycle is counted as one garage door opening and one closing. If you make 4 trips in and out of your garage each day, that would count for 4 cycles. Another disadvantage of using extension springs is that they can be dangerous when they break down. NEVER attempt to change them, repair them or install them on your own. They pack quite a lot of power and have been known to fly right through windshields when they snap. Always call in an experienced spring repair expert if yours need any kind of service.

Problems with solid garage doors

Sometimes solid garage doors have a weight problem. Since they are made of one piece and there is little weight distribution divided up over many sections, the doors must be made of lighter material and only wood is light enough and sturdy enough for this. Steel garage doors would be too heavy and aluminum doors would be too thin and fragile. Even wood doors can be heavy and unless you have an opener system, they can be quite ponderous to continually lift and lower by hand. Another problem with wood is that it must always be painted or re-painted to keep up appearance and keep dry rot and termites away. Be double sure not to back up into your closed garage door; you can’t replace a panel or section of your door! If damage to your door occurs, the entire one piece garage door must be replaced!

Weight distribution

Garage doors are heavy. On average they weigh several hundred pounds depending on size and material. At least with sectioned garage doors, the weight can be evenly distributed because of the framework. This is sadly not the case with solid garage doors! On these, the weight is concentrated right on the middle or center of the door. You know what that means; over time, the door will collapse under its own weight and full replacement will be needed.

It’s your choice!

As you can see, there are pros and cons to having either kind of garage door. Overall, it appears that having a sectioned garage door is the best way to go. You do have to pay more for the torsion springs but they last longer and are safer. You can also replace a panel or section if it becomes damaged. This is much better than having to replace the whole door if it is broken or becomes too worn. You also have a greater choice in door materials as sectioned garage doors are available in wood, wood composites, aluminum, steel, vinyl and fiberglass. We recommend weighing all the options and don’t be afraid to call your local Hallandale, FL garage door repair shop with any questions that you may have.

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