Garage Door Glossary of Terms
Shopping for or maintaining a garage door can be confusing if you’re not familiar with the terms. Our Garage Door Glossary makes it easy to understand the common words and parts you’ll come across. Whether you’re arranging a repair, or just want to know how everything works, this guide will help you make informed decisions with confidence.
Automatic Opener:
A motorised device that opens and closes your garage door with the push of a button or a remote control.
Back hangs:
Horizontal back hang brackets are used to mount the garage door track securely to the ceiling.
Bottom Seal (Weather Seal):
A rubber strip along the bottom of the door that keeps out dirt, rain, and drafts.
Bottom Bracket:
A structural support at the bottom of the door to which lifting cables are attached.
Cable Drums:
Grooved drums on the torsion spring shaft that help lift the door by winding the cables.
Cable:
Strong steel wires that help lift and lower the door safely.
Controller (or Remote):
The handheld device or wall button used to operate an automatic garage door opener.
Curtain:
In roller garage doors, the curtain refers to the interconnected slats that form the main surface of the door—though in some designs, it may be a single solid metal sheet.
Cycle:
One full opening and closing of the garage door. Garage door parts, especially springs, are rated by how many cycles they can perform before wearing out.
Disengage Rope/Lever:
A cord used to disconnect the electric opener so the door can be operated manually.
Door Jambs:
The vertical framing on each side of the garage door opening.
Electric Operator or Opener:
The motor and hardware that automatically opens and closes the garage door.
Emergency Release Handle:
A handle that allows the door to be opened manually from the inside during a power outage.
Extension Springs:
Springs located above the horizontal tracks that stretch to help lift the door.
Flag Bracket:
An L-shaped bracket that connects the vertical and horizontal tracks.
Guide Rail:
The guide rail is a track positioned along each side of the roller garage door, ensuring smooth and controlled motion of the curtain.
Headroom:
The vertical space available above the garage door opening.
Internal Frame Size:
Refers to the dimensions of the opening that the door panel will fit into.
Keypad:
A small control panel mounted outside your garage that lets you open the door with a PIN code.
Kick up:
The Height above the internal frame height the door panel rises during the opening cycle.
Manual Release:
A cord or handle that lets you disconnect the door from the opener so you can open it by hand in case of a power outage.
Opener Arm:
The metal piece that connects the opener to the door, helping to move it up and down.
Rollers:
Wheels that help the door move smoothly along the tracks.
Safety Edge or Photo-Eye Sensors (Safety Sensors):
A safety feature on automatic roller doors that detects obstacles and stops or reverses the door’s movement.
Sections:
Another term for the individual panels that make up a sectional garage door.
Springs:
The components that do most of the lifting when the door opens. They can be torsion springs (mounted above the door) or extension springs (mounted along the tracks).
Strut:
A horizontal bar on the inside of the door for additional support.
Tracks:
Metal rails on the sides of the garage door that guide it as it opens and closes.
Torsion Springs:
Strong, coiled springs mounted above the door opening that twist to lift the door.
Weather stripping:
Seals around the edges of the door to keep out rain, wind, and debris.
Window Inserts:
Decorative panels added to garage door windows for style and privacy.
If you need further assistance or have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our team — we’re here to help.