Garage door glossary

Most people don’t think too much about their garage door- until it has a problem that needs attention. When you call a professional to come in and assess what the issue is, you may hear a few terms you’re unfamiliar with. Check out our glossary below so that you can be in-the-know about what the problem with your garage door might be and how it can be fixed.

BACK HANGS

Supports that hold the track in place. Back hangs run vertically, while the track runs horizontally. Back hangs are usually cross-braced to prevent the track from spreading.

BACKROOM

How much space you need to install the garage door, measured from the door to the rear of the horizontal track.

BOTTOM BRACKET

The structural support corner brackets on each side of the garage door. These brackets typically provide the attachment for the lifting cables on sectional doors.

BRACKET-MOUNTED TRACK

These tracks are attached to the doorjamb with angle brackets.

CABLE

Thick, multi-strand wires that attach the garage door to the counterbalance system.

CABLE DRUMS

Cable drums are an important component of the spring system that keep the cable from becoming tangled when the garage door opens and closes. They are grooved drums that the cables wind around as the system operates.

CABLE SAFETY DEVICE/CABLE STOP

Safety mechanisms that stop the garage door from falling if the cable breaks and stop the cable from slipping through the drum

CENTER HINGE

This is the flat hinge located at the connection between the door panels that allows the sections to turn along the curve between the horizontal and vertical tracks as the door opens.

CENTER SUPPORT BEARING

The support plate for the spring shaft, usually located in the center but can be located in other places depending on the size of the springs.

CLEARANCES

How much backroom, sideroom and headroom is needed to install the garage door.

CURTAIN

The face of the door that actually rolls up and down or sideways.

CYCLE

One repetition of the garage door going from fully closed to fully opened and back to fully closed again.

DOOR FRAME

The frame that holds the garage door in place, comprised of a horizontal door header and two vertical doorjambs.

DOOR MOVEMENT

How much room a door has to lift in relation to the inside of the garage. This can be low headroom, standard lift, high lift, or full vertical lift.

DOOR SIZE

Always indicate the width first, and then the height.

DOUBLE-THICK GLASS

Also sometimes called “double-strength glass,” this glass is about ⅛” thick and is lighter than plate glass.

EXTENSION SPRINGS

Also called “stretch springs”, these springs provide lifting force for the garage door by stretching. They are attached to a pulley on one end and the rear track hanger on the other.

FLAG BRACKET

L-shaped bracket that connects the vertical and horizontal tracks.

GALVANIZING

This is the process used to prevent steel garage doors from rusting, coating the door with a zinc material.

GARAGE DOOR OPENER

Every component that is used to open and close the garage door. Can often be operated by a remote control.

GAUGE

The measurement of how thick steel is. Contrary to what you might think, higher numbers mean thinner steel.

HINGES

Metal components that connect the sections of the door and allow the sections to maneuver the track as the door goes up and down.

HORIZONTAL TRACK

The piece of the track that runs along the ceiling, supporting the door when it is fully open.

INSULATION

Material within the garage door that has the ability to reduce heat/cold transmission. Insulation usually consists of synthetic foams or fillers.

JAMB

The vertical pieces of the door frame.

JAMB SEAL

Weather stripping material along the door jambs that prevent wind, rain and snow from entering the garage.

LIFT HANDLE

The handle on the garage door that may be used if the door must be opened manually.

LITES

Glass or clear plastic windows in a frame on the garage door.

LOW HEADROOM

Specific hardware used when there is a lower ceiling and not a lot of height in the garage.

MUNTIN

A bar of material that separates and supports panes of glass in a window or door.

OPENING SIZE

Also called “daylight opening” or “finished opening” this is the measurement taken between the walls or between the door jambs.

PANE

One section of a garage door.

PHOTO-ELECTRIC SENSOR

Key for safety, these sensors prevent the door from closing if they sense an obstruction in the doorway. They are typically mounted about 6” or so from the floor, and prevent the garage door from closing if they’re misaligned.

PNEUMATIC SENSING EDGE KIT

Similar to the photo-electric sensor, this sensor also prevents the door from closing if it senses an obstruction. It utilizes an air hose that runs along the bottom of the door to sense obstructions.

RADIUS

The curved part of the track that lets the door move between the horizontal and vertical track pieces.

RAIN STOP/WATER STOP

Small step at the edge of the garage floor that is slightly higher than the outside finish.

REAR TRACK HANGERS

The pieces that hold the end of the horizontal track to the garage ceiling.

ROLLER ASSEMBLY

The axel and wheel that guide the garage door along the track.

ROLLERS

The ball-bearing wheels or nylon rollers that allow the garage door sections to move along the tracks.

SAFETY SPRING CONTAINMENT

An extra cable that is used to prevent damage or injury if a cable breaks within the extension springs. These cables run through the center of the spring and is attached on both ends of the horizontal track.

SHAFT BEARINGS

These components support the weight of the counterbalance system in relation to the weight of the garage door.

SIDEROOM

The horizontal distance from the garage door opening back to the closest obstruction inside the building.

SPRING ASSEMBLY

The mechanism that comprises that counterbalance system and transfers the weight between the counterbalance system and the door.

TORSION SPRING COUNTERBALANCE ASSEMBLY

An extra cable that is used to prevent damage or injury if a cable breaks within the extension springs. These cables run through the center of the spring and is attached on both ends of the horizontal track.

TORSION SPRINGS

Springs mounted above the door that aid in opening and lowering the door. The springs turn a shaft, which raises and lowers the door via the winding cables on drums.

TRACKS

The pieces of the garage door system that hold and guide the roller assembly.

WINDING SLEEVES

Hardware that safely allows torque from a torsion spring to be applied to the rest of the spring system.

WINDLOAD

The force of wind as it hits a garage door that is closed. Areas that experience high wind should have higher wind-load resistance doors.