American homes commonly have a garage featured prominently attached to the front or side of the residence. They are places to park vehicles and to store stuff. Making sure the garage is safe, secure and even orderly is the garage door. While some may open like gates, the majority of garages in places such as Madison WI feature an overhead door.
Types of Overhead Garage Doors
Overhead doors, the most common types found in the marketplace today, can slide up the ceiling in a number of ways. In fact, the motion of the door and the devices that produce actually dictate the division of overhead garage doors into types. As a result, people classify overhead garage doors accordingly:
- Sectional Garage Doors: This is by far the most common type of overhead door. It consists of several horizontal panels usually numbering between 5 and 8. Hinges connect them together. The action is a rolling one transporting the panels and, therefore, the door over the top of your vehicle and above to lie flat on rails overhead inside of the garage. Of all the overhead garage doors, this one is often chosen for its more aesthetic appeal.
- Single Panel Garage Doors: This type of overhead garage doors is more popular in Europe than in places such as Madison WI. It consists of a single flat and rigid panel. It slides up at an angle from the floor to the ceiling of the garage. This type is often less expensive than other models but can cause problems because of its swinging action. This requires a vehicle stop at a sufficient distance from the retracting doors before proceeding. Failure to do so can result in damage to the vehicle, garage door or both.
- Roller Garage Doors: Comparable in action to a sectional garage door, this type is distinct through the number of panels and the action of the mechanism that controls it. The door does recede up overhead but does so by folding or rolling into itself.
These different types of overhead garage doors allow consumers choice. They also provide variety in terms of cost, style, colors and models.
Choosing the Right Overhead Door
If you live in Madison WI, your choice of garage door may or may not result in selecting one that slides overhead. You may prefer the carriage style option that generally opens to the side. However, the most common type of garage door today in America is the overhead. The variety of models as well as the ready availability and price range continues to make the overhead door the most popular garage door in the States.
