Sectional garage doors: how to choose

The convenience of its operation largely depends on the type of garage door. One of the most popular options is sectional garage doors. They cannot be called cheap, but they retain heat better than all other designs and are, perhaps, the most convenient to use.

Sectional door arrangement

In sectional doors, the main difference is that the leaf does not consist of a single leaf, but of a set of movably interconnected sections. The sections are fastened together with special hinges, which provide the proper degree of freedom. There are usually three loops for each connection - at the edges and in the middle (with a large gate width, there may be more). There are rollers at the edges of each section. On the sides of the door opening there are guides, which, bending smoothly, pass into the ceiling guide. The guides have recesses into which the rollers are tucked.

Sectional door arrangement

When opening a sectional garage door, the leaf rollers move along the grooves in the guides. They rise up, due to the movable joint they pass along a smooth bend and, one after the other, rise to the ceiling. When closed, everything happens in the opposite direction. That's the whole device and principle of operation, but there are many options and variations, so you will have to understand specifically for each component.

Gate leaf: device, dimensions, materials

Sections for doors of this type are "cold" and "warm". The cold option is used very rarely, since even for unheated garages it is better if there is at least some difference with the outside temperature. This difference is provided by insulation.

Sectional garage doors: view from the room

What are the design features made of

Warm sectional doors are assembled from structures called "sandwich". The two outer metal walls are separated by a layer of insulation. Manufactured from steel strip. Steel can be black galvanized or stainless.

This is what a good garage door panel looks like.

The second option is usually used for expensive industrial options. More widely used is galvanized steel (galvanized galvanizing method). The front surface, for increased resistance to corrosion, is covered with two layers of modified polyurethane (after priming for better adhesion). Cold single-walled sections are also made of coated steel. The minimum metal thickness is 0.6 mm (but thicker is better.

The German company Hörmann also makes sectional doors from solid wood. They are supplied only and exclusively on order.

There are both cold sections and insulated sections, and of different thicknesses, from different materials (specifically these are campaigns

For some manufacturers (ALUTECH - Alutech) the outer contour of the sandwich is closed with a lock of complex shape. This increases the reliability of the structure and eliminates ruptures due to temperature changes. Other manufacturers do not close the circuit, thereby leaving a temperature gap, which improves thermal insulation characteristics and reduces the likelihood of freezing. It's hard to say for sure who is right among them. Probably, both approaches make sense, and what you prefer is up to you.

Advertising brochures for different campaigns

Insulation is most often polyurethane foam, but mineral wool can also be used.Since it is located in a hermetically sealed circuit, the type of insulation is not important, its characteristics are important. And in terms of thermal insulation characteristics, polyurethane is better than mineral wool.

When applying polyurethane, the inner surface of the sandwich is covered with a layer of protective varnish, which protects the metal from corrosion and improves the adhesion of the zinc layer to the insulation.

Dimensions

It is difficult to say exactly about the size of sectional doors: different manufacturers have different technologies, different dimensions. Let's describe the standard options that are usually available:

• section height - 40-60 cm;
• section thickness - 35-40 mm, there is 45 mm (Hörmann / Hermann);

Of these, gates are assembled with a height of 1.25 m to 4 m, a length of 1.90 m to 6.40 m. The maximum length / height depends on the type of sections you have chosen.

The maximum length of a garage door is up to 6 meters, if the opening is wider, you need to look in industrial

There are usually a number of ready-made overhead sectional doors available. But these are not standard sizes, but the most "popular" ones, those that are in frequent demand. For example, the most "asked" height starts from 2400 mm, and width - from 2150 mm. Further, the height and width change in increments of 25 cm. The plus is that there is almost no need to wait - they are available either at the point of sale or in the manufacturer's warehouse. The maximum waiting period is a couple of days. If you order "your" size, you will have to wait longer.

There are several solutions. The first one is to adjust the opening to these dimensions, the second is to order the required dimensions. Delivery time depends on the manufacturer and your location. The waiting period for Russian (Sedona, Sauber, Dorhan) is one to three weeks. Belarusian (Alutech) travel a little longer - up to one and a half months, German or Swiss (Tecsedo) - from two months.

Here's an example for you - this is what is in stock, intermediate sizes - on order

There is another option - to get the required dimensions, that is, to cut the "standard" ones to the required length. This possibility must be coordinated so that there are no problems with the warranty.

Connecting sections

As already mentioned, sandwich panels are connected to each other using hinges. In order to avoid the formation of cracks and no blowing at the junction, the edges are made curly, in the form of a spike / groove lock, which reduces the possibility of blowing.

To keep warm in the garage, it is important that the sections are connected tightly

To completely nullify it, an elastic seal is installed in the joint. Based on operating experience, it can be argued that good sectional garage doors do not allow dust, snow, moisture or wind to pass through. They are even able to withstand the cold. They look "warmer" on a thermal imager than windows.

The shape of the lock, methods of strengthening the structure for the hinges, the place of installation of the seal are different for each manufacturer. For example, Hermann, developed a system that prevents pinching of fingers, Alutech installs fasteners in a rolling seam - where a steel strip joins and turns into a closed loop.

Lift type

For sectional garage doors, the type of lift is determined by the height of the lintel (the distance from the top of the opening to the ceiling). He can be:

• Standard. Lintel height from 350 mm to 600 mm. It is with this rise that the standard equipment comes. The maximum door width with this type of lift is 7 meters, the height is up to 9.7 m. Advantages - the lowest cost in comparison with other types, low spring load, which increases the stability of operation.
• Reduced. Headroom - from 150 mm to 350 mm. In this case, when open, the lower section hangs down by 80-150 mm, overlapping the upper part of the opening. There are two options - drum at the back and at the front. The drum in front is placed on lintels with a height of 220 mm to 350 mm, a special radial guide is used, because of this, the price is higher than for a standard lift. When placing the drum at the rear, end brackets are installed on a conventional rail, on which the shaft is attached.At low lift, the operator can only be installed to automate the door on the ceiling.
  

  Lifting types of sectional doors

• Tall. The headroom is not lower than 600 mm (the maximum headroom height is 4.6 m), for automation only an axial drive can be installed. Advantage - you can compactly place the guides, higher reliability compared to inclined lifting. But more expensive springs, a drum are used, they are large, therefore, a more complex installation, a higher price (both for the system and for installation).
• Oblique (standard or high). This is for the case when the ceiling rises from the gate to the back wall. Lintel height - from 500 to 1500 mm. The most expensive and unstable option. This does not mean that you cannot use it, but if possible, it is better to choose another.
• Vertical lift. There are two types - with a spring at the top (lintel height = door opening height +700 mm) and below (lintel height = door opening height +370 mm). In both cases, an axial drive is installed during automation. This type of lifting is set with a web weight of no more than 1000 kg. Advantage - the possibility of compact placement of guides, stable operation - drawback - high price (more guides, more expensive materials).

Actually, the type of lift is determined by the measurer when ordering or a consultant. You just need to measure everything carefully. If you go to order, draw the existing opening and fill in all the dimensions. It will be much easier that way.

False panel - a way to "fit" the opening to the requirements of a standard rise

With an insufficient lintel height, but a high opening height, the lintel can be artificially increased. To do this, a false panel of the required size is mounted in the upper part of the opening. In the future, the lintel is calculated taking into account it. This is a simple and effective way to keep costs down as custom options cost significantly more.

Lifting mechanism

Sectional garage doors are lifted by spring tension. There are two types of mechanisms:

• With torsion springs mounted on the shaft. The shaft is located in the upper part of the structure - above the opening. When the sectional garage door is closed, the torsion springs are at rest. When the canvas begins to rise, they curl up, accumulating elastic force. It is released when the web goes down.
  

  Torsion springs are located on a shaft located at the top of the structure

• With tension springs. The springs are installed in the side posts (guides). When lifting the canvas, they stretch, when lowering, they return to their original position.

Which lifting mechanism for sectional garage doors to choose? It all depends on whether the garage is heated or not. In torsion mechanisms there are more adjustments that allow you to adjust the tightness of the web. So a torsion bar is more suitable for heated garages.

The tension springs are attached to the struts. In general, installation of such a structure is easier.

But the torsion bar lift requires a higher headroom and is significantly more expensive than the tension spring option. But it is more reliable - it is designed for more intensive use and can be installed in garages with heavy traffic.

Automation capabilities

Opening and closing the garage door manually in the rain or snow is still a pleasure. Every car owner knows this. The desire to automate the process is quite natural. Automatic lifting of sectional doors can be realized in two ways:

• With a ceiling-mounted drive. It is connected to the lifting mechanism with cables or chains (depending on the manufacturer). Set for standard, low and inclined lift. This is a cheaper option, since the drive itself is the most common, it does not need much power.
  

  Two types of drives for automation

• Axial drive.Installed on the side of the upper axis, it rotates. More powerful and more expensive option. Placed if headroom is high enough - for increased vertical, standard rise.

As you can see, there is a choice only on the condition of the basic configuration with a standard (medium) lift type. In all other cases, the type of mechanism is determined by the parameters of the opening.

Automatic opening / closing of sectional garage doors can be "started" from various devices:

• Remote control located on the wall. This is done simply - using standard buttons through which power is supplied. The point in such automation is the absence of physical effort, although it is still necessary to get out of the car in the rain.
  

  It is possible to control a sectional garage door using a remote control

• Remote control / remote control. In this case, a radio transmitter is built into the control panel, and a receiver in the drive. They work at a specific frequency. When choosing, pay attention to the frequency range - it should not overlap with devices of this type already in use.
• Computer, smartphone. In this case, a microprocessor is built into the drive, which receives and processes the signals.

Of all these types, the most common is key chains. It is relatively inexpensive and provides the required degree of freedom.

Appearance

Sections of this type of overhead door can have a different appearance. There are several basic types of outer surface - S, L and M profile, as well as shallow wave and panel. This assortment includes sandwiches from any manufacturer. Some also have non-standard ones - with various decorative elements or transparent inserts (this is usually sheet polycarbonate). But their price is significantly different from the "basic" models.

The design of sectional garage doors can be different

Adds design variations for several types of surfaces - smooth, rough, with imitation of a wood surface. In addition, sectional garage doors are usually painted with protective paints, which make the door leaf more attractive. But the main function of painting is to protect against corrosion and climatic factors.

Locking methods

Sectional garage doors have three different locking methods:

1. By means of a latch (spring bolt). This method is suitable if they are locked from the inside and there is another passage to the garage - in the door leaf or somewhere in the wall. Usually comes as standard, other constipation is on request.
2. With a built-in lock. Most often it is a crossbar lock with two handles and a key hole. The handles are installed in the center of the curtain, so that by pulling them, you can open / close the gate. On the inside, a cable is attached to the handle, which pulls the deadbolt when turning.
   

   Two ways to lock sectional garage doors

3. Automatic sectional garage doors are locked with an automatic drive lock, which is activated when the door leaf is lowered. There are two ways for emergency unlocking:
   • from the inside, you can remove the lock by pulling a special cable;
   • to unlock the outside, a hole is made in the canvas for a key, turning the key, pull out the lock cylinder (everything is very easy), to which the unlocking cable is attached.

As you understand, the first two methods are suitable if the canvas is lifted manually, the third is for the automated version. You can always ask to install a bolt for a latch lock or an auto-lock - in case of a long absence.

Additional options

These are not all the possibilities to diversify the design or its appearance. They swing in appearance, improve the usability of the gate.

Even when choosing, you need to pay attention to the type of profile

Glazing and ventilation grilles

Sectional garage doors can be with windows. They are usually located in the upper third of the valve, although it is possible in the middle and somewhere else.If you spend a lot of time in the garage during the day, it makes sense to order glazing of a large area so that there is enough light. This will save on electricity bills - during the daytime, you can not use electric light.

Glazing can take up a small area, or maybe everything is tight

A special profile is inserted into the section to secure sheets of transparent polyurethane or acrylic. Acrylic is cheaper, but it quickly changes color and loses transparency. So this is not an option. The polycarbonate sheet will live longer - it does not grow cloudy for a long time, but it costs more.

When deciding whether you need glazing or not, take into account the effect of sunlight on the paint - most likely, the paint on the car will fade.

The ventilation problem is easily solved

It's easy to solve with ventilation grilles. The garage must be ventilated. If during construction, vents were made for the intake / removal of air in the walls, there is no need for additional ventilation grilles. If you have forgotten about ventilation, it is easier to install grates in the door leaf (but hardly cheaper) than to make holes in the walls.

Built-in wicket (door)

It is very inconvenient to lift the sectional door every time you need to enter / exit the garage. It's good if there are doors somewhere on the side. If not, you can make a wicket in the plane of the canvas. But it's worth knowing that this will greatly affect the cost: the system is complex and expensive.

Doors in the plane of sectional doors - convenient but expensive

The wicket can be with or without a threshold. The second option is more convenient: you can roll out your bike or garden equipment without opening the gate. But it is not always offered and not by all manufacturers.

Security and automation equipment

When installing an automatic drive, the kit usually comes with one (sometimes two) control panels / key fob). If you need more, you can order them.

Automatic sectional garage doors have a lot of advantages, but they also have a lot of disadvantages and the main one - their performance depends on the availability of power supply. To get rid of this problem, you can install a battery or install a manual unlock system (described above).

To increase safety, motion sensors are installed

Another point: automatic gates are a potential threat. Most often, animals and children suffer, sometimes older people get it. You can increase safety by installing photocells. If a moving object appears in their line of sight, they will turn off the power and stop the movement of the canvas.

Another possibility is to install a warning light. It turns on and gives light signals all the time while the electric drive is running.

Manual gate lifting unit

If a large sectional garage door is not fitted with an electric drive, it will take a lot of effort to open and close. To reduce the effort, a manual gate lifting unit is installed (usually a chain reducer).

Manual gate lifting unit will facilitate work in the absence of electricity

Recommended for installation on a canvas with a height of more than 2 meters, the maximum area is 15 sq. m.

Manufacturers

There are mainly three large firms on the market that produce sectional garage doors:

• German company Hörmann (Hermann);
• Belarusian Alutex (Alutech);
• Russian DoorHan (Dorhan).

There is also Garaga (Canada), Tecsedo (Switzerland). There are also three Russian firms:

• Sedona, Sauber - this is the same Dorhan, only assembly in a different region;
• Zaiger (Novosibirsk) - uses Swiss sandwich panels and Russian-Chinese automation, and the assembly takes place in Novosibirsk.
  

  Major market players

So far, these are all manufacturers that are worthy of attention. It is better not to consider products from China - though cheap, but very problematic in terms of operation. Which manufacturer is better? If we take from the top three, then according to reviews:

• Hörmann (Hermann) - no problem. There are practically no negative reviews at all, as well as disadvantages. But these are the most expensive sectional garage doors.
• Alutex (Alutech) is quite a worthy option if there is not enough money for a "German".
• DoorHan (Dorhan) and his clones. The most budgetary of the three leaders, but has the most complaints.

The Novosibirsk Zaiger has quite good reviews, but their dealer network is not yet very developed and there are few representative offices in other regions. For those who are nearby, this is a good choice.