Sectioned garage door vs solid garage door; pros and cons

Have you ever wondered about the differences between sectioned garage doors and solid ones? Believe it or not, both have pros and cons. Here at McDonough Garage Door Repair we are often asked which one is better, and our answer may seem evasive at first as our reply is always “that depends on you.” Each person’s garage door needs and budget are different so there’s really no one size fits all solution to this question. Read on. Here in McDonough, GA we have all four seasons of weather and, as part of the greater Atlanta metro area, we have residential neighborhoods reflecting all different styles and budgets. It all comes down to your choice in the end.

Solid garage doors

There was once a time when all garage doors were solid. Back in the 1950s and 60s, every home that had a garage closed it with a solid garage door made of wood. This is opposed to the sectioned ones that are made of panels which are all connected to a metal frame. Your solid doors had to be manually opened and closed by either lifting up or down. Today, we can attach a solid garage door to an opener unit so manual opening is no longer required. For those desiring a retro look, solid garage doors offer a distinctive look and appeal. Just be double sure to get out of the way when opening your solid garage door; since they are solid and don’t roll up you must stand clear as they swing outward quite a bit in front.

Sectioned garage doors

A huge benefit of these multi-paneled garage doors is that they roll up. There’s less chance of injury as the whole door does not need to swing upward and outward like the solid doors. As stated earlier, sectioned garage doors are made up of panels that are all attached to a frame. When the door is opened, these sections roll up and into the garage instead of swinging outward in one solid piece. Not only is this safer, but you don’t have to clear a path in front of your garage door just to open it. It’s a known fact that most home buyers today want the sectioned, roll up doors. These are so popular that home builders don’t even ask your preference; sectioned garage doors are automatically included with every new home purchase by default.