Sectional Garage Doors Explained: What Makes Them Different?

Sectional garage doors are among the most popular choices we install at Skandoor, but they’re also the ones that generate the most questions.

How do the panels work? What kind of springs does it use? How much headroom do I need? And is it worth the step up from a roller?

All fair questions. Here’s a clear run-through of how sectional doors are built, how they operate, and why they’re a premium choice for homeowners who want security, insulation, and design flexibility in one package.

How Sectional Doors Are Constructed

A sectional garage door is made up of individual horizontal panels – typically four or five, depending on the height of the opening.

The panels are hinged together, and when the door opens, they rise vertically up the inside face of the opening before tucking back horizontally along the garage ceiling.

Panel Construction

Our G90 sectional doors use double-skinned steel panels with a foam insulation core. The outer skin is the finished face you see from the street; the inner skin provides structural rigidity and a clean interior surface.

The foam core between the two skins gives the door its thermal performance – sealed and draught-proofed along every edge.

The key features of the panel construction:

• Double-skinned steel with foam insulation core for thermal performance
• Sealed and draught-proofed along every edge
• Available in multiple panel styles and colour options
• Glazed panel inserts available for natural light without compromising insulation

This is a meaningful step up from single-skin roller doors or older up-and-over doors, particularly if the garage is attached to the house, used as a workshop or gym, or simply somewhere you’d rather not be freezing from October to March.

Headroom and Space Requirements

One of the practical advantages of a sectional door is that it rises vertically before tracking back along the ceiling.

Unlike an up-and-over door, it doesn’t swing outwards during opening, which means you can park right up to the door without having to reverse off the drive every time you want to get in.

A sectional door needs clear space above the opening for the tracks and the torsion bar – typically around 200–300mm, though this varies with the door height and the motor type

You’ll also need ceiling depth inside the garage – enough for the panels to sit horizontally when the door is fully open. For a standard-height door, that’s roughly the height of the door itself. We check all of this during the free survey.

Security

Our G90 sectional garage doors hold PAS 24 approval from BSI and meet the requirements for Police Preferred Specification. There are no keys, locks, or external handles – the door operates only by remote control, with a manual override accessible from inside the garage in case of a power failure.

The multi-point locking mechanism engages automatically every time the door closes, and the panel construction makes the door extremely difficult to force from the outside.

For attached garages with internal access to the house, that level of security is particularly important – Part Q of the Building Regulations requires doors between a garage and a dwelling to resist forced entry.

Sectional vs Roller: Which Suits Your Garage?

Both are excellent doors, manufactured and installed by our own team. The choice usually comes down to what matters most for your garage and how you use it.

When a Sectional Door Is the Better Fit

You want the widest range of panel styles, window options, and finishes

• Insulation is a priority – the double-skinned construction outperforms single-skin rollers
• Security certification matters, particularly if the garage has internal access to the house
• The opening is wider than average – sectional doors are available up to 8 metres wide

When a Roller Door Makes More Sense

•  Headroom is limited – roller doors coil into a compact box and don’t need ceiling track space
• You want the cleanest, most minimal appearance from the street
• The installation needs to be as quick and simple as possible

If you’re not sure which suits your garage, that’s exactly what the survey is for. Our surveyor will measure the opening, check the headroom and ceiling space, and recommend the right option for the building.

See Our Sectional Doors in Person

We manufacture our G90 sectional garage doors at our workshop in Bishop’s Waltham, Hampshire, and install them across Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Surrey, Berkshire, West Sussex, and the surrounding counties – including Oxford and Oxfordshire.

Request a free survey and our surveyor will visit, take measurements, talk you through the panel styles and colour options, and give you an instant quote on the day.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a sectional garage door take to install?

A single day. Our team arrives in the morning, removes the old door if there is one, installs the new G90, and completes any brickwork and finishing before they leave. You’ll have a fully working door by the afternoon.

Can I get window panels in a sectional door?

Yes. Our sectional doors are available with glazed panel inserts in a variety of styles, from full-width windows to smaller individual panes. The glazing is double-skinned to maintain the door’s insulation performance.

What colours are available?

We stock a wide range from the RAL European and British Standards collections, and our in-house powder coating service handles custom colours and colour-matching. If you want the garage door to match your front door, windows, or cladding, we quote colour-matching per project.

Do sectional doors need much maintenance?

Very little. An occasional wipe-down of the panels and a visual check of the seals and tracks is usually all that’s needed. The torsion springs and locking mechanism are designed to run for years without intervention.

What happens if the power goes out?

Every G90 comes with a manual override accessible from inside the garage. If the power fails, you can still open and close the door manually. The door remains locked to the outside at all times.