The lifting gear for "up-and-over" garage doors
comes in two varieties - canopy and retractable - and the
doors are available in steel, GRP or timber.
Canopy lifting gear - also known as "overhead"
- fits onto the frame only, with no need to fix any
railings to the garage's internal structure. This style
is generally the cheaper option.
A canopy garage door does not go all the way into
the garage when opened, but leaves about a third of
its length jutting out - hence the name 'canopy'.
Retractable lifting gear - also known as "slideaway"
- does use internal rails to bring garage door almost
entirely into the garage. Most timber and double doors
are fitted with retractable gear due to their added
weight.
This variety of lifting gear is ideal for use with
automatic operators (also known as electric openers),
as it guides the path of the garage door being lifted.
If you have a canopy door and would like an automatic
operator fitted, a conversion is a cheaper option than
buying a new garage door.
