Sectional Vs Roller Garage Doors

light green electric roller garage door

Your garage door plays many functions, from presenting kerb appeal to securing your belongings or providing insulation or light. The type of door affects these characteristics, so it is vital that you know the differences when deciding which garage door to buy. Here we look at two of the most popular options; sectional garage doors and roller garage doors. We explain the differences, covering design, colour choices, security, price, materials, and insulation.

1. Design

As roller garage doors are made from slats that roll up into housing, we can fit roller garage doors to almost any shape or size of the garage. The door’s housing can sit inside, in front, or between the opening. Therefore, you can keep the roof space free from tracking, giving a neat look or options for using the roof space for another purpose, such as storage.

Sectional garage doors require clear roof space for tracking. Horizontal tracking is needed because the panels are larger, so they cannot be rolled up into a housing. However, many people prefer this design and consider it the most modern style. Furthermore, sectional garage doors can include patterns to make them look very traditional or include glazing, allowing natural light to fill the internal space. In addition, if you do not want your vehicle and belongings on show, choose semi-transparent frosted glazing. You could also opt for glazing along the top panel to prevent people from taking a sneaky peak, instead of vertical glass from top to bottom.

2. Colours

Sectional garage doors and roller garage doors are available in a wide range of RAL colours. These can have a matt or glossy metallic finish. Similarly, you could opt for a wood grain colour effect that represents the natural beauty of oak, mahogany, or rosewood. The panels or slats can also have a smooth, patterned, or micro-textured finish.

3. Security

Roller garage doors are considered reasonably secure, with the double-skinned variant offering greater protection. You can choose a roller garage door that bears the Secured by Design moniker. These meet high standards and protection against forced entry, as laid out by the police as part of this initiative. Installation is critical to ensure adequate protection, so choosing a reputable garage door supplier and installer is vital.

The mechanism and design of sectional doors make them extremely secure with rollers and a sturdy framework resisting attempted forcing attacks. The lock can be a weak point on cheap doors, but electric-operated doors overcome this weakness by leveraging extra security features that will challenge any intruder.

4. Price

As with many things, you get what you pay for, although there is a good range of prices of high-quality garage doors from brands such as Hörmann, SWS, and Select. The price is often a reflection of the quality of the components, the level of security, and insulation.

5. Materials

Roller garage doors are usually made from aluminium or steel. Aluminium garage doors are made from individual slats linked together. These are double-skinned with a foam-filled centre. Steel garage doors are made from one continuous single-skin with ribbed profiles that enable them to roll up into the housing.

Sectional garage doors can be single or double-skinned and made from aluminium, galvanised steel, timber, or GRP fibreglass. For the most affordable choice, steel is your best option, followed by wood & finally GRP. 6. Insulation

While often not accredited with an official U-value, roller garage doors with a double-skin and foam-filled centre offer a reasonable level of insulation, with typically a 19mm thickness. However, the many individual slats have tiny gaps where they are joined to each other, limiting their insulation potential.

With a thickness of 42, 45, or even 67mm, a sectional garage door can offer high insulation levels. This is ideal if you want to use your garage as a workshop or if it’s adjoined to your home. For the best insulating results, we use a rubber seal between the individual panels and along the top, bottom, and sides.

To further discuss which door type is best for you or for a price on sectional garage doors or roller garage doors, don’t hesitate to get in touch with WMGD.

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