How a panel lift door moves
A sectional door is a row of horizontal panels hinged together. B&D says the panels run up tracks and then back across the garage ceiling, which is why the same door also gets called an overhead or up and over door. Because nothing swings out, you can park close to it.
Panelift is B&D's name for its range. Steel-Line, Gliderol and others make sectional doors too, and people often call any of them a panel lift.
Inside one maker's range
| B&D Panelift | B&D Panelift Icon | |
|---|---|---|
| Seals | Standard | 360° perimeter seals to keep out leaves and dust |
| Wheels and cables | Single wheel | Double-wheel tracks, stainless steel cables |
| Spring rating | 10,000 cycles | 20,000 cycles, with a 30,000 cycle option |
| Standard warranty | 3 years | 5 years |
The garage depth it needs
B&D's sectional door guide gives a recommended backroom, the depth inside the garage, of 3374mm for doors up to 2400mm high with one of its ceiling-mounted openers. It lists side room from 120mm for a standard Panelift, rising to 195mm with its Auto-Lock.
If the ceiling is cluttered, a wall-mounted opener can help. Merlin says its Commander Ultimate MJ3800MYQ mounts on the wall, frees up the space overhead and has a battery backup built in.
Finishes and windows
Steel-Line sells sectional doors in Colorbond, DecoWood, UniCote LUX, Savannah and Matt Finish ranges, and offers more than 70 Dulux colours on sectional doors. It says windows only go into its Ranch or Heritage profiles in standard Colorbond colours, with ventilated windows for a damp garage.
Panel lifts around Adelaide
The Hills
B&D offers its BAL-Maze seal-and-door system on Panelift and Panelift Icon, and says CSIRO testing showed protection up to BAL-40. Your BAL assessment and building surveyor decide what a door on your block has to meet.
Hot afternoons
Adelaide reached 46 °C on 16 January 2014. Insulation fits into the back of the panels on Steel-Line's standard sectional doors, and Steel-Line recommends adding brush seals.
Weight
Steel-Line's SD1500 Pro opener is belt drive for doors up to 210 kg and chain drive from 210 to 250 kg. A heavy timber-look or insulated door can change the motor you need.
What we would do
Stand in the garage with the light on and look up. Anything within the door's path along the ceiling, from a downlight to a roof storage frame, has to move or be planned around, so point it out when the door specialist measures.