10 Things you need to know about Garage Door Styles

If you’re looking to buy a new garage door, then perhaps you already know your requirements, and which garage door styles you’re considering.

If you’re not sure, then here’s what we recommend you think about:

Swing up garage doors

1. Swing up garage doors (also known as up and over) are the most popular garage door type. Ideal for many homes with smaller garages as well as larger garages, they are easy to operate and compatible with most automatic garage door openers.

2. These types of garage door are the most weatherproof, as there is just a single panel within the door frame. Other garage door styles use two or more doors instead of a single door, meaning there are potentially more gaps for wind, rain and snow to get in.

3. Swing up garage doors are also available as sectional too, meaning they don’t extend out when opening or closing. If you store your boat or truck in your garage, then you’ll want to make sure there is enough clearance for this type of garage door.

4. You’ll need to think about what you use your garage for to see whether a swing up garage door will be right for you.

If you live somewhere that experiences extremely wet, windy or cold weather, then a swing up garage door might be right for you.

Swing out garage doors

5. Swing out garage doors, as their name suggests, swing outwards onto your drive. This can mean that this type of garage door is unsuitable if you don’t have a large drive, or you keep your (other) car on your drive.

6. Swing out doors are ideal for milder climates, as snow drifts can block them so you can’t open them from the inside. You won’t want to have to clear even a small amount of snow before you can open the garage to get the car in or out.

Looking very stylish, swing out garage doors could add a luxurious feel to your home.

Sliding garage doors

7. Sliding garage doors, again as their name suggests, slide from side to side. These are often large doors, so you’ll need a large garage with a relatively small door space for them to be suitable for your garage.

8. However, sliding garage doors are potentially the least weatherproof type of door because the doors meet in the middle and slide across, providing plenty of opportunity for wind, rain and snow to get in if the doors are not closed properly.

Sliding garage doors can be space saving if you want to make the most of your garage.

Bifold garage doors

9. Bifold garage doors are similar to swing out doors, but not as heavy. Working in the same way as a folding closet door, these can be ideal if your family uses your garage for more than vehicles.

10. Like swing out garage doors, snow can still block bifold garage doors; so again, they might be better in more milder climates rather than those that see lots of snow each year.

From the children getting their bikes out, to spending some alone time making or repairing something, bifold garage doors mean that you don’t have to open and close the whole door each and every time you go in and out of your garage.

Conclusion

Now you know more about different garage door styles, and how they might suit your garage, home and family, you’ll be able to choose the right one. We stock the whole Clopay range so why not see which garage door styles could work in your home?

Need more help and advice? Contact Us at 651-702-1420 now and tell us how we can help you find the right garage door.