Practical Door Dictionary for Sectional Commercial Garage Doors and Residential Garage Roll Up Doors (Be a student of door industry lingo)
In the years prior to 2017, individual sectional commercial door and residential garage door manufacturers invented their own terminology related to garage doors and installation. To improve the effectiveness of industry standards, reduce confusion and to educate interested parties unrelated to the door industry, in 2017, DASMA members created a Sectional Door Terminology list.
Whether you’re a newbie or veteran of the door industry, we hope you’ll find this information relevant to your everyday work in the field.
Start scrolling now and see if you learn something new!
A
Access Door: A swinging pedestrian door built into a sectional door. Not recognized as an exit door by model codes.
Automatic Opening Device: Quick opening mechanism recommended for installations requiring rapid automatic door opening without use of an electric operator.
B
Bi-Fold Garage Door: A door assembled from two rigid panels where the upper panel is hinged along the horizontal header of the opening and the lower panel is hinged to the bottom horizontal edge of the upper panel. The door opens from the bottom to the top of the opening and the two panels fold back-to- back in the fully open position.
Bottom Weatherseal: Astragal or other weatherstrip attached to the bottom of a door to seal against the floor.
C
Center Bearing Bracket (also known as Center Bearing Support or Center Support Bearing): A bracket that houses a shaft bearing and aligns and supports the torsion shaft and spring(s) assembly. Also serves to anchor stationary cone(s) to header.
Center Bearing Support (also known as Center Bearing Bracket or Center Support Bearing: A bracket that houses a shaft bearing and aligns and supports the torsion shaft and spring(s) assembly. Also serves to anchor stationary cone(s) to header.
Center Hinge: A hinge generally located on the intermediate stiles to allow sections to pivot as door opens. Also used as graduated edge hinge between bottom and intermediate section.
Center Support Bearing (also known as Center Bearing Bracket or Center Bearing Support): A bracket that houses a shaft bearing and aligns and supports the torsion shaft and spring(s) assembly. Also serves to anchor stationary cone(s) to header.
Chain Hoist: A mechanical device used to raise and lower the door by use of a hand chain.
Chain Hoist Operator: Jackshaft type operator to which chain hoist is attached.
Commercial Doors (also known as Commercial Garage Doors): A door which is intended for vehicular use at entrances of commercial buildings such as loading docks, service stations, parking garages and manufacturing plants.
Commercial Garage Doors (also known as Commercial Doors): A door which is intended for vehicular use at entrances of commercial buildings such as loading docks, service stations, parking garages and manufacturing plants.
Counterbalance System: A system which counteracts the weight of a garage door to allow a reduced force to open and close the door.
Counterweight (also known as Counterweight Balancing System): Weights provided instead of springs to counterbalance door weight.
Counterweight Balancing System (also known as Counterweight): Weights provided instead of springs to counterbalance door weight.
Commercial doors are ideal for areas that will have a light to moderate amount of cycle requirements.
D
Design Wind Load: Horizontal design load applied to a garage door based on such factors as wind speed, building height and door horizontal location.
Direct Drive Chain Hoist: A mechanical device used to raise and lower the door by use of a hand chain.
Dock Door: A vertically acting door, typically sectional, used primarily to close a door opening adjacent to a loading dock.
Door Guide: Channel shaped metal bars or rails in which upward acting doors operate via track rollers.
Door Opener (also known as Door Operator): An electrically-powered device to control the opening and closing of a door.
Door Operator (also known as Door Opener): An electrically-powered device to control the opening and closing of a door.
Door Schedule: A list of door sizes, locations and special requirements shown on a construction document.
Door Section: A single segment of a sectional door.
Double Door: Commonly used to refer to larger width doors used on two car openings.
Double Strength Glass (also known as Double Thick Glass): A grade of window glass lighter than plate glass and usually 1/8” thick.
Double Thick Glass (also known as Double Strength Glass): A grade of window glass lighter than plate glass and usually 1/8” thick.
E
Electric Operator (also known as Electric Opener): An electrically-powered device to control the opening and closing of a door.
Electric Opener (also known as Electric Operator): An electrically-powered device to control the opening and closing of a door.
Electrical Interlock: Interlock to prevent door operation by an electric operator under certain conditions.
Embossed Door Section (also known as Embossed Section or Embossed Steel Door Section): Door section featuring embossed panels.
Embossed Panel: Panel containing surfaces raised in relief from a flat surface.
Embossed Section (also known as Embossed Door Section or Embossed Steel Door Section): Door section featuring embossed panels.
Embossed Steel Door Section (also known as Embossed Door Section / Embossed Section: Door section featuring embossed panels.
End Hinge (also known as End Roller Hinge): Hinge placed on edge of door sections allowing sections to pivot as door opens and closes. Hinges hold track roller and are graduated and numbered for correct placement to ensure flush fit of door against jambs when closed.
End Roller Hinge (also known as End Hinge): Hinge placed on edge of door sections allowing sections to pivot as door opens and closes. Hinges hold track roller and are graduated and numbered for correct placement to ensure flush fit of door against jambs when closed.
Extension Spring: Provides power or tension by stretching or pulling and is usually mounted along the horizontal section of track extending from front of door opening to the back hang.
Embossed door sections are extremely attractive and make it possible to achieve the look of natural wood using low maintenance materials.
F
Finger Joint: Joint used in joining lumber together at ends of lumber pieces.
Fire Station Release: Quick opening mechanism recommended for installations requiring rapid automatic door opening without use of an electric operator.
Four-Fold Door: A door assembled from two pairs of vertical rigid panels where each panel of the pair is hinged to the other panel along their common vertical edge and each pair of panels is hinged to each vertical jamb of the opening. The door opens from the center to the outside and each pair of panels fold back-to-back in the fully open position.
Full Vertical Lift: Refers to a hardware design that causes doors to open vertically where no horizontal tracks are required.
Modern Classic 7500 - Full vertical lift tracks run directly above the door opening so they’re out of the way – perfect for indoor / outdoor living space installations.
G
Garage Door: A vertically acting door, typically sectional or tilt-up, used primarily for vehicular access into a building.
Garage Door Openers (also known as Garage Door Operator): An electric or air-powered mechanism that opens and closes a door.
Garage Door Operator (also known as Garage Door Openers): An electric or air-powered mechanism that opens and closes a door.
Pro Tech 2500 - Modern home designs have street-facing garage doors that are a front and center contributor to curb appeal.
H
High Cycle Spring: Counterbalance springs with increased cycle life capability for high usage doors.
High Lift (also known as Hi-Lift or Lift Clearance): Distance from header to underside of horizontal track when high lift track is required.
Hi-Lift (also known as High Lift or Lift Clearance): Distance from header to underside of horizontal track when high lift track is required.
High Lift Track (also known as Hi-Lift Track or Lift Clearance Track): Track and hardware that causes the door to rise vertically some distance above the top of the door opening before it levels out into a horizontal position.
Hi-Lift Track (also known as High Lift Track or Lift Clearance Track): Track and hardware that causes the door to rise vertically some distance above the top of the door opening before it levels out into a horizontal position.
Hoist Electric Operator: Similar to a jackshaft-type operator but with an auxiliary emergency chain hoist in case of a power failure.
Horizontal Track: Track used in the horizontal segment of a track assembly.
Hydraulic Door: A door assembled from a single rigid panel that is hinged along the horizontal header of the opening and is commonly actuated with hydraulic cylinders mounted to each vertical jamb of the opening. The door opens from the bottom to the top of the opening and the single rigid panel extends horizontally out from the top of the opening in the fully open position.
I
Insulated Door: Door sections containing insulating material.
Insulating Glass: Multi-pane glass assembly containing air space between panes for insulation.
J
Jackshaft-Type Operator: Operator which is mounted on wall or ceiling, with drive provided to turn a torsion shaft.
Jamb Guard: Added protection for back of vertical track recommended in cases where powered material handling fork trucks and similar equipment may be operating in the area.
Joint, Tongue-and-Groove: A joint with an interior raised portion, fitting with a joint with an interior lowered portion, to create a weather-tight seal between door sections.
L
Lift Clearance (also known as High Lift or Hi-Lift): Distance from header to underside of horizontal track when high lift track is required.
Lift Clearance Track (also known as High Lift Track or Hi-Lift Track): Track and hardware that causes the door to rise vertically some distance above the top of the door opening before it levels out into a horizontal position.
M
Mullion, Window: Framing member forming a divide between units of a window.
O
Operator / Opener: An electric or air-powered mechanism that opens and closes a door.
Overhead Door (also known as Overhead-Type Door): Door made of two or more horizontal sections hinged together so as to provide a door capable of closing the entire opening and which is by means of tracks and track rollers.
Overhead Garage Door: A vertically acting door, typically sectional or tilt-up, used primarily for vehicular access into a building.
Overhead-Type Door (also known as Overhead Door): Door made of two or more horizontal sections hinged together so as to provide a door capable of closing the entire opening and which is by means of tracks and track rollers.
P
Pan Door: A garage door composed of sheet metal door sections.
Pinch Resistant: Term for a door that has been designed to prevent entrapping, crushing, breaking, severing, or dislocating a person’s finger.
Pinch resistant - Interior view
Pinch resistant - Exterior view
Polyurethane: A type of foam insulation commonly foamed in place by manufacturers of garage door sections.
Pre-Finished (also known as Pre-Painted): Finish characterized by galvanized steel painted with a primer, then given an oven-baked top coat.
Pre-Painted (also known as Pre-Finished): Finish characterized by galvanized steel painted with a primer, then given an oven-baked top coat.
Pull Down Rope / Pull Rope: A rope connected to the bottom bracket; used to manually pull the door down.
R
Raised Panel: (1) A flat or raised and decorative design between stiles on door sections; (2) A span between center hinges.
Residential Garage Door: A sectional door which is intended for vehicular use in a residential garage.
Roller (also known as Track Roller or Roller Assembly or Roller Stem): Roller assembly for guiding the door sections along track.
Roller Assembly (also known as Track Roller or Roller or Roller Stem): Roller assembly for guiding the door sections along track.
Roller Stem (also known as Track Roller or Roller or Roller Assembly): Roller assembly for guiding the door sections along track.
R-Value: Thermal resistance value; inverse of U-Value.
The Infinity Classic 7800 by Hörmann is an aluminum door that is available in 98 panel / window designs so a natural wood look door is possible without the maintenance.
S
Safety Bottom Bracket (also known as Safety Bottom Corner Bracket or Safety Bottom Fixture): A bottom fixture intended to prevent a door from falling in the event of cable breakage.
Safety Bottom Corner Bracket (also known as Safety Bottom Bracket or Safety Bottom Fixture): A bottom fixture intended to prevent a door from falling in the event of cable breakage.
Safety Bottom Fixture (also known as Safety Bottom Bracket or Safety Bottom Corner Bracket): A bottom fixture intended to prevent a door from falling in the event of cable breakage.
Safety Cable (also known as Safety Spring Containment or Safety Sprint Containment Kit): A cable threaded through an extension spring to retain the spring if it breaks.
Safety Spring Containment (also known as Safety Cable or Safety Sprint Containment Kit): A cable threaded through an extension spring to retain the spring if it breaks.
Safety Sprint Containment Kit (also known as Safety Cable or Safety Spring Containment): A cable threaded through an extension spring to retain the spring if it breaks.
Sectional Door (also known as Sectional Garage Door or Sectional Overhead-Type Door or Sectional-Type Door: Door made of two or more horizontal sections hinged together to provide a door capable of closing the entire opening and which is by means of tracks and track rollers.
Sectional Garage Door (also known as Sectional Door or Sectional Overhead-Type Door or Sectional-Type Door: Door made of two or more horizontal sections hinged together to provide a door capable of closing the entire opening and which is by means of tracks and track rollers.
Sectional Overhead-Type Door (also known as Sectional Door or Sectional Garage Door or Sectional-Type Door: Door made of two or more horizontal sections hinged together to provide a door capable of closing the entire opening and which is by means of tracks and track rollers.
Sectional-Type Door (also known as Sectional Door or Sectional Garage Door or Sectional Overhead-Type Door): Door made of two or more horizontal sections hinged together to provide a door capable of closing the entire opening and which is by means of tracks and track rollers.
Spring Assembly: A spring that works by turning one end about a longitudinal axis while the other end is held or turned in the opposite direction developing torque.
Stile-and-Rail Garage Door: A sectional garage door featuring sections each made up of horizontal rail and vertical stile structural framing members that support panels connected to such members.
T
Tilt-Up Door: Door made of a single panel that pivots from the fully closed position to the fully open position which is horizontal and above the garage floor.
Tongue and Groove Section Joint: Section joint interface commonly composed of a middle protrusion on a garage door section edge mating with a middle groove on an abutting section edge.
Tongue and groove section joints reduce air infiltration
Top Header Seal (also known as Top Seal): Weatherstripping which fastens to the top of the door to seal the door along the top of the opening.
Top Header Seal (also known as Top Seal): Weatherstripping which fastens to the top of the door to seal the door along the top of the opening.
Torsion Spring: A spring that works by turning one end about a longitudinal axis while the other end is held or turned in the opposite direction developing torque.
Track Roller (also known as Roller or Roller Assembly or Roller Stem): Roller assembly for guiding the door sections along track.
Translucent Door: Door that allows the passage of light without being transparent.
Trolley Opener (also known as Trolley Type Operator): Electric operator which mounts above the door in the horizontal position and lifts door by pulling and pushing the top section. For normal headroom and low headroom doors.
Trolley Type Operator (also known as Trolley Opener): Electric operator which mounts above the door in the horizontal position and lifts door by pulling and pushing the top section. For normal headroom and low headroom doors.
U
Urethane: A type of foam insulation commonly foamed in place by manufacturers of garage door sections.
U-Value: Thermal transmission coefficient, which is a measurement of heat, in BTU's, transmitted through one square foot of material (the door) in one hour at a temperature difference of 1 degree from one side to the other.
R-value only evaluates thermal resistance as measured through the center of a door section. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation. U-factor is a more comprehensive measure of thermal performance. U-factor measures the rate of heat transfer from the warmer side to the colder side, through the complete door assembly including the solid panels, windows, and perimeter.
V
Vertically Acting Door: A door that is typically a garage door or a rolling door.
W
Weatherstrip (also known as Weather Joint or Weatherseal): Material used at the perimeter of a garage door, or between joints of a garage door, intended to improve a door’s performance against air infiltration and thermal transmission.
Weather Joint (also known as Weatherstrip or Weatherseal): Material used at the perimeter of a garage door, or between joints of a garage door, intended to improve a door’s performance against air infiltration and thermal transmission.
Weatherseal (also known as Weatherstrip or Weather Joint): Material used at the perimeter of a garage door, or between joints of a garage door, intended to improve a door’s performance against air infiltration and thermal transmission.
Wicket Door: A swinging pedestrian door built into a sectional door. Not recognized as an exit door by model codes.
Window Lite: Glazing that is mounted in a door.
Wood Grain: Direction or orientation of the wood, as seen in a piece of lumber.
Window lites come in tinted and etched designs
Natural light is able to enter the garage space.
Wood grain look, powder coat finish looks so realistic it's mistaken for real wood.
We hope our Door Dictionary for Sectional Doors has inspired you to refresh your knowledge of door industry lingo. For our door dealers, this is fantastic educational tool to include in your new hire packets.
Did you learn anything or were you surprised by the official definition of a term you thought you knew? If we’ve missed any, be sure to let us know at pr@hormann.us so we can update the list.