Garage Doors: Cost, Types, Advantages, and Disadvantages

Not everyone knows that garage doors are divided into nine categories based on their opening system, and that this should be installed based on specific needs according to their usage.

In this article, I’ll try to give you a comprehensive overview of the garage doors on the market, helping you make the right purchase decision and avoid wasting your money unnecessarily.

What are the types of garage doors on the market?

Let’s first see what these 9 types of garage doors are:

Single-leaf tilt garage door
Hinged tilt garage doors
Sectional garage doors
Swing garage doors
Side folding book doors
Two plus two book doors
Single sliding garage doors
Curved sliding garage doors
Non-protruding tilt garage doors for villas and public premises

Let’s analyze in detail the various types of garage doors, along with their advantages and disadvantages based on their usage.

Single-leaf Tilt Garage Doors

It’s the icon associated by most people with the garage.

When one thinks of the car box, this image comes to mind.

How does a tilt door work?

The tilt door consists of a part fixed to the wall that includes the side guides and an upper part called a crosspiece.

In the side guides, there is the sliding of the pins, ropes, and counterweights, while the crosspiece is responsible for keeping the side uprights tied.

How is a tilt door lifted?

Currently, there are two types of lifting mechanisms on the market: counterweights and springs.

The counterweight is the most common and often, unfortunately, it’s made of concrete.

When the door is lifted, they slide down and lift the tilt mantle without any effort from the user.

The spring lifting is provided by a spring, usually linear traction, and every time the door closes, it lengthens and then shortens when it opens, helping the operator to open the tilt door.

Advantages of a tilt door

If chosen correctly, the tilt door becomes the fundamental element for your home, improving its aesthetics but above all protecting it from burglary attempts.

If you make the right choice, the tilt door prevents you from wasting time on unnecessary maintenance.

Disadvantages of a tilt door

There are too many doors on the market that cost little and fail to provide the advantages I have just described due to the lack of quality materials that compose them.

If they have spring lifting, they require much more maintenance compared to those with counterweight lifting because the spring tends to lose its elasticity after many uses.

How much does a tilt door cost?

Have you ever heard, “this garage door is the middle way”?

Well, know that the tilt door doesn’t have a middle way!

There are low-level tilt doors that use low-quality materials, and then there are high-level tilt doors, and you can recognize them even if you’re not an expert in the field.

If you come across something like this: “the best tilt door for €1,000,” then stop because something is wrong!

The price is one of the elements that distinguishes the true quality tilt door, the one built with materials that last over time, the one that protects your home from theft attempts.

A low-quality tilt door can cost up to €1,500, while a high-quality tilt door starts at €2,500.

Hinged Tilt Garage Doors

This is the door we sell the most in Spain.

Here in Italy, it’s not very well-known but it’s very useful! It’s a door that most of the time solves the problems related to the bulkiness of all the other garage doors.

How does a hinged tilt door work?

The opening mechanism is identical to that of the traditional tilt door: the mantle lifts upwards with the help of the counterweights.

In this case, the protagonists are the weights and not the springs; in fact, this door is built in most cases with counterweights. Unlike the single-leaf tilt door, the hinged tilt door has an openable mantle that folds in two as it lifts.

Advantages of a hinged tilt door

Considering the fact that the hinged tilt door, when opened, only occupies a quarter of its height inside the garage, this door can solve problems that others are unable to solve.

This reduced bulk allows its application anywhere, especially in cases where there are obstacles inside the garage that do not allow the full opening of a tilt or sectional door.

Let me give you some examples:

There are garages where car lifts are installed to park two cars one above the other: in this case, a single-leaf tilt door or a sectional door would touch the cars parked on the lift; the hinged tilt door, having a very small internal bulk, allows opening without colliding with the internal cars

Another situation where a hinged tilt door is installed is when the internal walls are not parallel to each other: you can have a straight wall and an internally crooked one that does not allow the opening of a single-leaf tilt or sectional door; consider that a hinged tilt door with measurements of 3 meters in height and 2.5 meters in width has a closed bulk of 60 centimeters, which is almost a third of the bulk of the other two types of doors.

Another example could be in garages where there are internal protruding elements that do not allow the opening of the traditional garage door.

Disadvantages of a hinged tilt door

Disadvantages of an articulated tilt door
It must be said that this opening system has more merits than defects.

If I really have to find one, it’s that if the door is not very high and you want to install the pedestrian door, the latter will be a bit low because it is created below the hinge. (look at the photo above)

How much does an articulated tilt door cost?

As you may have understood, the construction of an articulated tilt door is more complex than that of a single-leaf tilt door.

Here, during production, it is necessary to create a double frame and a system of upper crosspieces with special hinges.

The cost of an articulated tilt door starts from €2,700, but if you consider the real value that this tilt door adds to your home, the difference is truly minimal.

A unique solution where others can’t even come close!

Sectional Garage Doors

This type imported from Western countries is very fashionable today. This garage door has been very successful since the 2000s, especially in Italy.

How does a sectional door work?

It’s composed of horizontal sections, usually four, hinged together, allowing the door to bend and follow the curve of the vertical track when opened.

It consists of several horizontal panels hinged together, which slide vertically up the wall and then horizontally under the ceiling when opened.

Advantages of a sectional garage door

To be honest, there aren’t many advantages to such a door; if we put them on a scale, the side of disadvantages weighs much heavier.

One of the main advantages is that the sectional door doesn’t protrude outwards, so if you can’t install a non-protruding tilt door, the sectional one allows you to stay flush with the external wall.

The dimensions of the side and upper posts are similar to those of a tilt door.

Disadvantages of a sectional door

Here, it’s essential to pay close attention because disregarding what I’m about to tell you could compromise your peace of mind.

Let’s list the points to be very careful about.

The springs

As mentioned above, the sectional door opens with the help of a torsion spring installed on the upper shaft.

Today, there are companies that have introduced openings with tension springs to the market.

Since the sectional door doesn’t have counterweights, this becomes a problem over time.

While a counterweight remains constant over time, the spring loses its strength, and as the door works, it becomes heavier and heavier.

That’s why the sectional door requires much more maintenance than a tilt door with counterweights.

The cable

Another point, but this is common with economical tilt doors, is the diameter of the cable, which is usually 4 mm.

Such a small cable is prone to frequent breaks if not properly maintained.

The guides

Another flaw of this door is the internal garage guides: they are unaesthetic and noisy. This problem becomes significant if the space is also used as a living area (basement, recreation area, etc.) because all those guide tracks remain visible.

The structure of the sectional door necessarily includes internal guides, but if the roof slopes downward, this door cannot be installed.

The same goes if the internal walls are not parallel but tend to converge towards each other.

The aesthetic finish

Most sectional doors come with a wood-like finish

Often this finish is achieved by “wrapping” the panels that make up these doors, but when the sheet metal has different expansions than the film, bubbles form on the surface, and the film peels off the support, leaving the door with irreparable aesthetic defects.

Thickness of materials

After the crisis that developed in construction, some building companies had to lower prices at the expense of material quality: they reduced the thickness of the panel sheet metal.

This problem has two very important consequences: safety and material deflection when opening.

Safety is compromised because with a simple manual tool, the sheet metal can be opened in just a few minutes, and the door can be forced open.

Deflection is the phenomenon that occurs when the door is open: the panel tends to warp along its length when it is horizontal, causing the door not to slide perfectly into the guide slots, becoming noisy and difficult to move.

How much does a sectional door cost?

The sectional door is one of those economical doors where price becomes more important than quality.

On the market, sectional doors can be found starting from €1,000 depending on the dimensions and finishes.

Swing garage door

The oldest solution is precisely this one.

Depending on its dimensions, it can be built with a single leaf, two symmetric or asymmetric leaves with different measurements.

How does a swing garage door work?

In the construction of a swing door, a fixed frame is provided, which is usually built into or anchored to the wall depending on the support, and the two movable leaves.

The leaves are connected to the fixed frame through hinges or pivot hinges.

The opening can be outward (called swing-out) or inward (called swing-in).

In this case, neither springs nor counterweights are needed for the opening, as the leaves move horizontally.

This system, if chosen correctly, manages to solve problems related to lateral dimensions, safety, and maintenance.

Advantages of a swing garage door

If chosen correctly, this solution is capable of great burglary resistance.

Even in this sector, doors made with very low-quality elements compromising safety can be found, but if thick materials are used that do not allow torsion or cutting with manual tools, it becomes an excellent ally against theft.

With this system, especially if manual, maintenance is practically nonexistent. However, I remind you that if the door is motorized, the mandatory maintenance prescribed by the manufacturer of the motorized door must be carried out.

The lateral dimensions are another strength of the swing garage door. Its construction, in fact, can be done with a low-profile frame that does not occupy width space and does not lose consistency.

The same goes for the upper dimensions

The same goes for the upper dimensions. In my production, I have a swing door that lowers by just 2 cm and reduces the footprint by 5 cm. Of course, the construction methods of this door, unlike others, must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis depending on the situation in which it will be installed.

The aesthetics of this garage door are 100% customizable like those of tilt doors.

Depending on the position and its use, the professional is able to assess the type of aesthetics to give to the door without having to adhere to mandatory standards.

Like the garage doors listed above, this door can also be automated at a later stage.

Here, however, we need to open a parenthesis: during construction, it must be taken into account whether the door will be automated, and based on the opening direction (inward or outward), the appropriate mechanics for future automation must be prepared.

A standard automation involves a maximum opening of 90°.

In our company, we have developed an innovative automation system that allows us to open the leaves, especially if they open outward, by 180°. With this system, there will no longer be annoying obstructions of the leaves when the door is open.

Disadvantages of a swing garage door

One of the main disadvantages of a swing door is that the leaves require a wide range of motion when moving.

If the door has a single leaf, the range will be as wide as the width of the door, while if there are two leaves, the range of motion is halved.

For this reason, a two-leaf door cannot be installed in short garages if inward opening is chosen, or in places flush with the street or passage if it opens outward.

If the automation installer uses the classic kit used in driveway gates, the door will reduce the passage width by approximately 10 cm per side.

For this reason, we, in our company, have developed a new automation system capable of significantly reducing obstructions and opening the leaves up to 180°

I recommend contacting us to find all the answers to your doubts.

How much does a swing garage door cost?

In this case, there is no standard or ballpark figure.

However, it is essential to pay close attention to the origin of the door you are going to purchase

Unlike all other opening systems that require professionalism, experience, and the use of expensive machinery, making a swing door only requires a minimum of skill with tools and some knowledge of mechanics.

For this reason, many times, this type of door is built in private garages adapted as makeshift mechanical workshops by individuals who have nothing to do with professionalism.

You will certainly be able to get a door at a very low price, but:

Without any certification;
Without any guarantee;
Without professional after-sales service.

Assuming you purchase this garage door from a professional manufacturer, the price can vary from €2,000 to €4,000 depending on the aesthetics you want to achieve.

Side-folding garage doors

This opening system is the icon of industrial entrances.

Until a few years ago, before sectional doors arrived, any industrial warehouse was accessible through this type of door.

Today there is a significant comeback because the defects listed for sectional doors are starting to emerge more, and people are leaning towards solutions with less maintenance like this one

In some cases, however, this door is also installed in residential contexts.

How does a side-folding garage door work?

The side-folding door consists of a number of leaves, usually even, hinged together.

The leaves, in turn, are hung on an upper guide that makes them slide and fold to one side.

On the floor, a guide is embedded to keep the leaves still during movement and secure when the door is closed.

Advantages of a side-folding garage door

There are many variants of this type, and I could write a whole book on it.

Today, however, let’s consider our production, our side-folding door. Today I want to tell you some construction secrets so that you can compare it with all the others on the market.

The LEAVES have a galvanized iron structure. This makes the door impenetrable and indestructible.
The HINGES are welded and not just screwed in so that continuous maintenance is not necessary.
The UPPER CARRIAGES are separate from the hinges. In all doors on the market, the upper hinge is usually longer and also has the carriage at the top. This means that if a carriage or hinge were to break, it would require a very invasive and costly intervention. In our case, being two distinct parts, one does not affect the other.
CHAIN AUTOMATION is practically indestructible. From personal experience, the first maintenance interventions on doors from 1995 have found such perfect movement that it can be considered a top-list automation, with no maintenance costs and no risk of sudden door stops.

Usually, in doors on the market, operators installed on the leaves with telescopic arms are used, resulting in excessive maintenance frequency.

If chosen correctly, this solution becomes a good ally for the security of your home.

Disadvantages of a side-folding garage door

The biggest problem with this folding door is the lateral dimensions

Consider that all the leaves fold to one side, and the dimensions they occupy laterally range from 50 to 80 cm depending on the number of constructive leaves.

At the top, they usually take up about 15/20 cm.

Being a door that slides inside a track and has a bottom guide, this door tends to be noisier than other garage doors.

For this reason, its installation is not recommended if there are living rooms nearby.

Like all other solutions, purchasing such a door of low quality requires a lot of maintenance.

The advice is always to buy from the same and only manufacturer because they can guarantee spare parts in case of breakages.

How much does a side-folding garage door cost?

If chosen responsibly, with the characteristics just listed, a side-folding door starts from €4,000 to €6,000 depending on the aesthetics you want to achieve and the accessories installed.

The market may offer cheaper solutions at the expense of product quality and frequent post-installation maintenance.

Doors with two right and two left swing leaves

This type of garage door is the most economical and least invasive variant of the side-folding door, and its installation does not require masonry work.

How does a garage door with two right and two left swing leaves work?

This garage door usually consists of 4 leaves (two right and two left) hinged in pairs to each other and to the side post.

This solution also requires the upper guide on which the leaves are hung.

The sliding and folding always occur laterally, but in this case, two leaves gather on the right side and two on the left side, dividing the lateral dimensions on both sides.

Of course, it is possible to automate this opening system even after installation.

Advantages of a garage door with two right and two left swing leaves

This garage door has the advantage of not requiring invasive masonry work; in fact, its operation does not involve the installation of a floor guide.

Compared to a side-folding door, this garage door is much quieter and lighter, making it easier to operate, especially if manual.

It can be motorized even at a later stage.

It can also be available with premium finishes and high-end design.

Unlike the side-folding door, this door reduces the passage width by only 15 cm per side.

Disadvantages of a garage door with two right and two left swing leaves

Certainly, unlike a tilting door, opening this garage door is more cumbersome and less fast.

There are two locks to open (one right and one left), so the operation takes more time.

If a pedestrian door is required, its width is constrained by the width of the leaf in which it will be installed, so if you request a pedestrian door with a width constraint, it is hardly achievable.

How much does a garage door with two right and two left swing leaves cost?

Also in this case, if this solution is right for your problem, then you need to be very careful about where you buy and what you buy.

Considering that you have found the manufacturer who pays attention to the quality of the product, a door like this can cost from €2,500 to €6,000. Of course, the dimensions can significantly affect the price.

Sliding garage doors

How does a sliding garage door work?

This garage door can be produced with two sliding systems.

The common aspect of all types is that a single leaf slides laterally parallel to a garage wall.

Sliding can occur either with an upper guide system (in this case, the leaf will be hung on the guide and will slide through trolleys fitted on the top of the leaf) or with a floor guide system (in this case, the leaf will have wheels that slide on a guide fixed to the floor).

Advantages of a sliding garage door

The great advantage of this type of door is the space-saving aspect.

Laterally, they do not occupy any space as the leaf slides completely against the wall, disappearing entirely.

The upper dimensions range from 4 cm for the system with floor guidance to 12 cm for the system with ceiling guidance.

This garage door can be motorized even later, but care must be taken to prepare the system properly before installation.

It is possible to have all the accessories of a tilting door, such as the pedestrian door or a glazed area, and it is possible to give it a personalized and high-end design.

Disadvantages of a sliding garage door

A significant drawback of this type of door is that the leaf, sliding laterally, completely engages a garage wall, making it unusable.

Sliding requires a minimum lift from the ground, which is why the installation of any type of rubber that would increase friction is not recommended.

How much does a sliding garage door cost?

Like all other types of doors, in this case, attention must be paid to the quality of the materials: specifically to the upper trolleys that are able to support the weight of the leaf or the lower wheels that are of adequate size for the weight of the door.

Assuming you purchase from a detail-oriented manufacturer, a sliding door can cost from €2,500 to €5,000 depending on the accessories to be installed.

Curved sliding garage doors

How does a curved sliding garage door work?

The operating principle is similar to that of lateral sliding, but the difference lies in the fact that it is composed of a series of panels that, as they slide, rotate following a rail fixed to the floor or ceiling.

Advantages of a curved sliding garage door

By sliding flush with the interior of the garage, the advantage of this garage door is that it can be installed flush with the street without causing inconvenience outside when opened.

Lateral dimensions can be reduced only if there is a recess on the side of the curve; otherwise, a fixed panel of 30 cm covering the curve radius must be installed.

Disadvantages of a curved sliding garage door

In this case, there may be more disadvantages than advantages with this type of garage door.

First of all, it is not possible to create a pedestrian door because the panels that make up the structure are at most 50 cm wide.

It is also worth noting that a door of this type becomes very noisy during use, so if you have bedrooms nearby, it is better to adopt quieter solutions.

The security of this garage door leaves something to be desired: the panels, their sliding system, and the whole assembly do not guarantee the security of your home like some of the other closing systems.

How much does a curved sliding garage door cost?

This type of door can be built with the hardware of sectional doors or crafted with leaves with a significantly more robust and secure structure.

There are not many companies on the market that offer it because it is too restrictive and not very versatile.

Its cost starts from €2,000 for economical solutions up to €6,000 for something decidedly more secure and robust.

Non-protruding tilt doors for villas and public premises

This non-protruding tilt door is the result of a cross between a hinged tilt door and a non-protruding one.

Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it can be installed outside the wall and, when opened, does not narrow the passage, thus solving the problems related to the dimensions of all other garage doors.

How does a non-protruding tilt door for villas and public premises work?

The opening mechanism is identical to that of the traditional tilt door: the panel is lifted upwards with the help of counterweights.

In this case, the weights, not the springs, are the protagonists, as this door is built only with lifting via counterweights.

Its application is intended for villa garages but not only.

This tilt door can be installed in the verandas of private villas with the advantage that, once opened, it transforms a closed room into an outdoor living space on sunny and warm days.

Moreover, this tilt door can be installed in public premises instead of the usual entrance showcase.

Once opened, your public premise (bar, shop, venue) will be much more attractive to customers.

Advantages of a non-protruding tilt door for villas and public premises

If space allows, it does not reduce passage clearance.

In a villa, you can also install it to close a porch and use it in winter as a room and in summer to open up the porch and enjoy the sense of freedom that your home will acquire.

Your villa will have a unique architectural design that you can only find in Beverly Hills.

If, on the other hand, you have a public premises like a bar, a shop open to the public, or a restaurant, you will make it look larger, and people will be more encouraged to enter and spend their money.

Disadvantages of a non-protruding tilt door for villas and public premises

Perhaps this opening system has more advantages than disadvantages.

If I have to find one, it is that, folding in half, it cannot accommodate a pedestrian door.

If the ceiling is not very high, this door reduces passage clearance by about 3/40 cm in height, so its installation is not recommended where the ceiling is low.

How much does a non-protruding tilt door for villas and public premises cost?

As you may have understood, the construction of a non-protruding internal tilt door for villas and public premises is more complex than that of any other tilt door.

The cost of such a tilt door starts from €3,700, but considering the true value that this tilt door adds to your home, the difference is truly minimal.

A unique solution where others cannot even come close.

In our company, for example, you can find DUO, the only security tilt door that opens entirely outward, with the added benefit that if you have clearance issues, DUO can be installed entirely outside so as not to impede passage both in height and width.

Garage Doors: Which Type to Choose?

I’ve tried to provide you with all the basic information so that you can orient yourself in the best way possible towards choosing your garage door.

Personally, I could provide you with all the information, but I believe it’s better to thoroughly analyze which door suits your specific needs

In our company, we have manufacturer technicians who are available to clear up any doubts regarding your specific situation.

You could start by making a small investment and getting a consultation directly from our technicians.

They are experts specialized only in this sector, they do this from morning to night, and they have been trained to solve most of the recurring problems with garage doors

In the meantime, though, you could start by clicking here to receive periodic guidelines for free that will direct you towards the best choice for your garage door.