Sectional garage doors are the most popular in the UK. They consist of 4 or 5 horizontal panels and when opened, lay flat against the ceiling along a curved track. They have quickly replaced the old garage doors in most of new garages and are the most common style for homeowners that don’t have a specific door in mind.
You can find this under Garage Doors (the up-and-over doors are also included there, along with roller, side-hinged, and side-sliding doors).
How a sectional door works
The panels are hinged along horizontal joints. When the door is opened, the vertical panels, aided by the counterbalancing torsion springs, are able to move up along the vertical side of the door frame. Once the door is fully opened, the panels then rest along the horizontal part of the frame (the head) and lay flat along the ceiling. Each of the panels are able to move independently of the other and can be powered by a motor.
Two aspects of the design impact the build. First, the door doesn’t swing outside, saving space with shallow driveways. Second, the above doorframe section must be left clear. The space is sacrificed as storage, so a 2.1m door reduces height in storage by 2.1m.
Materials and Panel Construction
Steel doors make up the bulk of the market. Pressed steel skins with polyurethane foam cores make a standard steel door. It is powder-coated and available in any RAL color. Steel doors last 20 years provided nothing drives into them.
Timber sectionals, heavy and expensive, are mostly obsolete and need maintenance. Aluminium is used in larger openings more for aesthetics. Composite-faced doors, which are steel-skins with a wood-effect, are common. They are convincing from ten feet away.
People don’t realize the importance of panel profile. The four above standard options are as follows.
- Flush is larger, smooth, and modern, best for contemporary builds.
- Sandgrain has minimal panel textures to hide joints.
- Cassette has horizontal grooves to mimic wood.
- Georgian or Panelled have pressed, jazzy shapes to mimic older doors.
Get the profile right and most people won’t notice. Get it wrong and the door is an eyesore.
What U-value really means
Here is where sectional garage doors are superior to other types.
When properly insulated, a sectional panel is around 40mm thick, and the foam core U-values come in at 1.0 to 1.5 W/m²K, depending on the company. When the entire door is accounted for, along with thermal bridging at the frames and seals, the doors typically range from 1.5 to 2.0 W/m²K. Single-skin, steel up-and-over doors are rated at about 7 W/m²K. Clearly, there is a difference, and it also shows up in the heating bill.
In practice, if the garage is either attached to the house, or under a habitable room, a sectional door with insulated panels provides a great heat retention solution. If the garage is separate and unheated, the insulation in the panel is less critical, but the perimeter sealing is important.
The top, side, and bottom seals (the bottom is either bristle or rubber) should be EPDM rubber, and they help keep the garage functional. The seals, combined with the panel U-value, help make the garage more usable.
Manual or electric
In the UK, nearly all sectional doors are motorised. The motor is a head unit that sits at the rear of the rail, and it drives the door using either a chain or a belt. The unit is controlled via remote.
Here are a few things you should know:
Belt drives are much quieter than chain drives. This is important if the garage is next to a bedroom. A 600N motor is capable of moving a standard single garage door with a panel area of 7m². An 800N or 1000N motor would be required for double doors or heavier insulated doors. A manual override (pull cord to disengage motor) must be installed for safety reason, in case of a power outage. Smartphone control is an add-on. MyQ, Sommer, and Hörmann’s BiSecur are the most common and proprietary systems; thus, check for compatibility instead of assuming.
At what sizes do your garage doors fit the standard openings?
Standard single door: 2134mm x 2134mm (7ft x 7ft) Standard double door: 4267mm x 2134mm (14ft x 7ft). If your door opening is 2400mm to 3500mm, you have an ‘awkward’ opening, since they are too big for single doors and too small for double doors. Some companies will do custom doors in this range, and some will not; therefore, if this applies to you, limit your options to companies who are willing to do custom doors before you start obsessing over any certain door.
Headroom will also be important for your install. A ‘normal’ install will require at least 200mm-300mm of headroom to provide space for the springs and rails. Low headroom kits are available, but will be more expensive and more complicated.
What it costs
UK fitted prices, 2026:
- Basic insulated single sectional, steel, manual: starting at £1,000
- Insulated single, electric, mid-range manufacturer: between £1,400 and £2,000
- Higher-end insulated single, electric, with smart controls: £2,200 to £3,500
- Double sectional, insulated and electric: £2,500 to £4,500
- Bespoke flush, single, aluminum: £3,500 to £6,000 or more
Typical installation costs range from £350 to £600 depending on specific circumstances. In situations where an up-and-over garage door is replaced with a sectional door, structural work is highly unlikely. However, a survey is always required before other work is done.
Common pitfalls
The are a few things that catch people out:
Not checking for ceiling space when requesting sectional doors. Horizontal tracks run the length of the door above the opening and require clear space for installation above head height. Should there be joists, pipes, or storage in the way, they need to be modified or moved before the installation can proceed.
Selecting the cheapest option and finding that the garage is freezing in the winter and a sauna in the summer.
Choosing door panels with a flush style for Victorian terraces where they are out of place. Select style that matches the house.
Omitting the fact the motor requires a fused spur, which means the existing garage power is sometimes not appropriate and requires an electrician to come in before the door fitter does.
Purchasing online before a measured survey due to 5mm tolerances. A returned door is a drawn out process.
A well-fitted insulated sectional will last over 20 years with minimal upkeep. Maintenance includes lubricating the hinges and tracks annually, checking the spring tension every few years, and replacing the seals when they become hard. For the majority of UK houses, purchasing a sectional is a one-time investment.