Types of Garage Doors and How they Work

Garage doors have been used since antiquity to protect vehicles and transportation equipment away from the weather elements and the outside world. Nowadays, garage doors are powered and operated by a remotely controlled garage opening device. A motor pulls the door open and closed with the simple press of a button.

When garage doors first started in the US around the early 1900’s, the single panel garage door was the standard for all garage doors. With this version, the driver has to park a few feet away from the garage doors before opening the doors because the door swings outwards by a few feet. Eventually, other types of garage doors emerged, but this was the standard for many years. These doors are still available today, however, a simple system of tracks is commonly used nowadays with single panel garage doors. A jamb system was used at first, which causes the door to swing out farther than the typical track system which is the prevailing method of single panel garage doors today. The single panel doors on a track system swing much less farther outwards from the opening of the door, so they eventually became a preferred method.

The standard for garage doors today consists of a multi panel door on a system of tracks. This system does not cause the doors to swing outwards away from the opening whatsoever. These doors are designed to withstand significant pressure, and consist of several panels that are attached to each other with hinges. The door panel hinges bend as they go through the arch of the tracks overhead pulling the entire door above the vehicle. The entire multi panel system is remote controlled with a handheld remote device. These multi panel doors are counterbalanced with a spring system as some of these doors can weigh upwards of 400 pounds, and safety is a huge consideration in their design and functionality.

There are also roller doors. Roller doors are often made of corrugated steel. The corrugation provides strength to the door, and prevents it from being flimsy. These types of garage doors are often spring loaded. This eases and facilitate the opening and closing of the door as these types of doors are usually opened and closed by hand. However, there are remotely operated rolling doors available on the market. When opening a rolling garage door, the corrugated steel sheet is coiled up in a box above the opening of the door. These types of garage doors may call for padlocks. Padlocks are commonly used with a locking system that consists of a small metal bar attached to the door that slides into the inside of the door’s frame when it is locked. These doors may have locks on the inside, outside, or both depending on the nature and requirements of the door’s usage.

In recent years, there have been some homeowners who have sought to have a door that opens up horizontally. Most of these horizontal doors are on either a jamb or track system, and most are single paneled garage doors. This type accounts for a small percentage of garage doors today, but it can be a visually appealing approach to garage doors.

These are the primary types of garage doors available today. The garage door has evolved a great deal since antiquity. The newer versions that are on the market today work exceedingly well at protecting your vehicle from the elements, while keeping it locked up safely in a climate controlled and secure environment.

We at All Four Seasons Garage Door Service have worked with just about every garage door imaginable. Atlanta GA and its suburbs have seen many different kinds of development, plus there are many aging homes that require a replacement for its ancient garage door. Call us today at (770) 517-7078 or click on us: All Four Seasons Garage Door Service Sandy Springs GA

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