Your options on garage door mechanisms might not be as many as the choices for materials. However, choosing one that will befit your style and the available garage space you have may not be as easy as you think.

Retractable garage doors are named as such because the door panel retracts fully into the garage when it is open. These do not require cables in the lifting process. Rather, lifting arms with tensions springs are mounted on the sides, which open the door into the garage on horizontal steel runners using rollers at each corner of the panel as support. Parking too close is not possible because a large portion of the door swings toward the outside as it opens and slides away into the ceiling. Nevertheless, retractable types are popular because their mechanism is ideal for automatic control or operation. These doors are also generally available in all types of materials.

Canopy garage doors are the most common type when it comes to mechanisms. This type is built from a single rigid panel, which usually requires springs for counterbalance as it lifts open upwards and backwards. As the name suggests, it swings towards the outside as it opens and then slides upwards to the ceiling. However, about a third of the door juts out of the garage to allow for more room inside. The canopy mechanism provides good width to drive through and garage doors Los Alamitos CA is the easiest to install. It is available in a wide range of materials. Canopy doors are generally the most affordable option. However, this mechanism can only be automated using a canopy bow arm converter.

Sectional garage doors are made up of several panels that are hinged horizontally. The sections slide up on vertical tracks and then slide into horizontal tracks adjacent to the garage ceiling. The main advantage this mechanism has above the "up and over" (retractable and canopy) types is that it does not swing outwards when opening or closing. This type has the ability to maximize the height and width of the drive through area, which is ideal if you have a large vehicle. Sectional type mainly comes in steel but specialized wooden versions are also available. The major drawback in this option is that it is usually more expensive than the others are.

Roller garage doors optimize the height and width of your garage because they do not take up a lot of space. This type is made of narrow horizontal slats that lets the door rise vertically and then roll up into the garage ceiling. This mechanism is ideal if you have a short driveway because you can park your car close to the garage door. The slats come in either aluminum or steel and the thickness of each will determine how big the resulting curtain roll will be when the door is open. This can be operated whether manually or automatically.

Side hinge doors are ideal for those who do not have inside clearance for the up and over types. This is divided into two parts and strong hinges at the sides attach each to the garage. This mechanism allows easy and fast access into the garage interior. Side hinge type comes in a choice of different materials like wood (timber), PVCu, GRP (Fiberglass), and steel. This can be easily automated by making use of an overhead door opener mechanism or a converter that attaches each wing to the electric operator.