If you are in the process of planning a new garage door installation in Arvada, or anywhere else for that matter, you may already have noticed the huge choice in terms of the different styles and types currently available. In particular, the variety of different panel styles and finishes on sale today can make it hard for homeowners to know where to start when shopping for new overhead doors. But don’t worry because help is at hand. Our installation team has put together this brief guide to the different types of garage door panels you are likely to see, along with some tips that should make the task of choosing just one a little easier for you to complete.

Types of Garage Door Panels You May Come Across

As a leading overhead door company in Arvada, we are very familiar with all of the different garage door panel styles you are likely to come across today:

• Recessed – The center of each recessed panel is lower than the surrounding material or border, hence its name. Recessed panels are one of the most commonly seen panel types on garage doors in the USA.
• Raised – If there is one other type of panel that can challenge the recessed panel in terms of popularity, it is the raised panel. The center of each raised panel is higher than the surrounding material, which makes it the opposite of the recessed panel, aesthetics speaking. Many designers feel that raised garage door panels lend a sense of solidity and style to the doors on which they can be found.
• Flush – As the center of each panel is at the same level as the surrounding material, it appears as one smooth surface. Each panel, is, in effect, flush with the rest of the surface of the garage door, hence the name.
• Ribbed – Ribbed panels are very similar to flush panels. The main difference is that ribbed panel doors feature horizontal ribs (or raised sections) in between the panels, which run the entire width of the door. If you feel that flush panels are a little too featureless for domestic overhead doors, while raised or recessed panels are perhaps a little too ‘busy’, you may find that ribbed panel doors offer the perfect compromise. Neither too busy nor too bland, they work very well with a wide variety of different property types and architectural styles.
• Bead board – The primary distinguishing feature of bead board panels is the strong vertical lines, or grooves, that bisect them. Often combined with a recessed center section (similar to the recessed panels discussed above), this decorative touch helps to make bead board panels a little more interesting than their plainer counterparts.
• Carriage House – Carriage house panels (large vertical panels with windows above) are typically only found on carriage house doors, which are designed to swing open on either side rather than roll into the roof as is the case with overhead doors. With this in mind, we can exclude them from any further consideration if you are looking for a new overhead door. On the other hand, if you are interested in making a change and this type of door is a good match for your property from an aesthetic viewpoint, they are worthy of consideration.

As you can see, the main factor you need to consider when choosing between the various panel styles is your personal preference: which style do you find most attractive? You should also focus on styles that will compliment your property’s exterior.

If you are wondering why all overhead garage doors seem to feature panels, there is a very good reason for this. The hinged panels are designed to roll up under your garage roof, allowing you to enter and exit freely. If an overhead door was made of a single panel, it would not be able to roll up in this manner.

A Few Final Words

We hope this guide has proved to be useful and if you need any more information about garage door panels, or you’re interested in finding out more about our garage door repair and installation services in Arvada, don’t hesitate to contact us.