Source: Unsplash
Your garage door is a significant investment in your home. You have many garage doors, but two popular options are roll-up doors and swing-up doors. These garage doors save space and are easy to use, but they’re not ideal for every home.
Learn the differences between roll-up and swing-up garage doors, their advantages and disadvantages, and how to choose the right one for your home or business.
“Roll-up and swing-up garage doors can be ideal for different homes, budgets, and styles.”
What Is a Roll-Up Garage Door?
Roll-up garage doors are often found in commercial garages, but they’re sometimes used for residential garages. They’re used for garages with limited ceiling space and open by rolling around a drum above the door opening. These doors are designed to withstand heavy usage, so they’re often preferred in commercial garages.
Typically, roll-up garage doors are made of galvanized steel, though wood and PVC options exist. This gives the door a more industrial look that’s preferred in commercial buildings but also helps resist wind and impact damage.
How to Choose a Roll-Up Garage Door
Choosing the right material for your roll-up garage door is one of the most important factors. The options are:
- Aluminum: Aluminum garage doors are lightweight and corrosion-resistant but prone to dents and less sturdy than other options.
- Steel: Steel garage doors are secure and robust, resistant to harsh weather conditions, and require little maintenance, but they can rust.
- Wood: Wood garage doors are a classic style that can be customized to your home, but they need a lot of maintenance to prevent warping and rotting.
- PVC: PVC garage doors are durable, lightweight, and weather-resistant. They provide excellent insulation but are prone to sun exposure discoloration.
You also have to choose the right size for your garage door. You not only have to fit the garage door to the opening but ensure that you have enough space to accommodate the door and the hardware that allows it to roll up and open.
What Is a Swing-Up Garage Door?
The swing-up garage door doesn’t have sections. Instead, they’re made of one solid piece with a pivoting hinge mechanism that allows them to swing open and up into the garage. The canopy-style door is parallel to the garage ceiling.
When the door is open, some of the doors hang outside the frame to create a canopy, so this is important to consider if you have limited driveway space. With retractable swing-up doors, they retract entirely inside the garage when it’s open. This option is more expensive because of the track that needs to be installed. Both swing-up garage doors are challenging to open manually and should be paired with an automatic garage door opener.
How to Choose a Swing-Up Garage Door
A swing-up garage door is an excellent choice if you have limited ceiling space or a small garage opening. This is ideal if you don’t have room for sectional garage doors or a roll-up door. These doors are also budget-friendly, depending on size and materials.
There are a few options for swing-up garage door materials:
- Wood: Wood swing-up garage doors come in various styles and colors. They can be heavy, however, and require much maintenance to stay in good condition.
- Steel: Steel swing-up garage doors are solid, strong, and secure, though they can be prone to rust. However, They are pretty heavy, so you should only choose steel if you plan to install a mechanized garage door opener.
- Wood composite: Wood composite doors create the look and feel of wood doors with wood fiber and plastic. They are made from recycled and sustainable materials, eco-friendly and moisture-resistant. This material is heavy, however, so it should only be used if you’re using an automatic garage door opener.
- Aluminum: Swing-up garage doors can be difficult to operate manually, but aluminum is lightweight and more easily maneuverable. They are sturdy but less durable than other materials and may become dented easily.
Which Is Best: Roll-Up or Swing-Up Doors?
Roll-up and swing-up garage doors can be ideal for different types of homes, budgets, and styles. If you have limited headroom and like an industrial look, a roll-up garage door offers longevity and weather resistance.
Swing-up garage doors also come in a variety of materials. They can be ideal if you have the driveway space to accommodate the door, but you can also choose a retractable swing-up door. However, these doors are one solid piece and heavy, so it’s best to use an automatic garage door opener instead of manually opening them.
Choose Your New Garage Door Replacement
If you’re considering a roll-up or swing-up garage door for your home or commercial space, Austin’s Greater Garage Doors is here to help. As the top choice for garage door installation in Austin, we can guide you through choosing the right type of garage door for your home to enhance its look and function. Contact us today to schedule a consultation!