What a sectional door is
A sectional door is a set of horizontal panels that climb tracks at each side and then lie flat under the garage ceiling, as B&D explains it. You may hear it called an overhead or up and over door, and panel lift means the same thing: B&D's main ranges are Panelift and Panelift Icon.
It is a heavy piece of equipment. Steel-Line says a sectional door is usually the largest moving thing in a home, with a weight that can approach or exceed 200kg, which is why its springs and cables are never a weekend job.
The room a sectional door needs (Steel-Line's figures)
| Standard | Low headroom, front mount | Low headroom, rear mount | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum headroom | 290mm | 200mm | 150mm |
| Add for an opener | 50mm | 50mm | 50mm |
| Minimum side room | 125mm | 150mm | 150mm |
Depth, size and openers
Inside the garage, B&D recommends 3374mm of backroom for doors up to 2400mm high and 4164mm for doors from 2401mm to 3000mm high, based on its ceiling-mounted openers. Measure to the nearest shelf or fridge, not the back wall.
Short on ceiling space? Merlin's Commander Ultimate is wall-mounted, which frees up overhead room, and Steel-Line's Multi Drive 1500 Pro is side mounted as standard.
Insulation and noise
Insulated panels are an option across B&D's sectional range. In testing by Acoustic Logic, B&D says, an insulated door reduced outside noise by 18dB, roughly twice what a plain Panelift manages.
On its standard sectionals Steel-Line puts the insulation in the back of the panels and suggests adding brush seals, and it rates its Mammoth Modern Insulation at R1.09. For a garage under a bedroom, or one used as a gym or workshop through a Melbourne winter, it is worth comparing an insulated door with a standard one.
Bushfire seals on the city fringe
B&D's BAL-Maze, sold on Panelift and Panelift Icon, reached BAL-40 when the CSIRO tested it. B&D does not offer it on roller doors, and says seals added later to an existing door have not been through CSIRO testing.
Whether you need any of that depends on the block. The BAL assessment and the building surveyor set the rules for each home in a bushfire prone area, so get the rating before you pick a door.
Sectional doors around Melbourne
Near the bay
Within 800 metres of the sea, Steel-Line's door warranty does not apply, so ask how the maker treats a bayside street before you order.
Under the flight paths
Melbourne Airport says development has crept closer to its Tullamarine site over the years, which makes the insulated option worth a look in the suburbs around it.
Clad to match
Steel-Line's Flush Mount door is clad in the owner's choice of cladding, and Steel-Line says certain custom doors are made in Melbourne.
Looking after a sectional door
- Keep oil and grease out of the tracks: Steel-Line says grease there attracts dirt and dust.
- Lightly oil the hinge points, roller stems and locks, as Steel-Line's manual suggests.
- Never paint the tracks, rollers, hinges, lift cables, springs or locks.
Springs that hold the door's weight
Steel-Line says the spring forces on a sectional door are roughly equal to its weight and are released violently if a spring breaks while wound. Its instruction is plain: 'If a spring breaks, DO NOT ATTEMPT REPAIR.' Stop using the door and tell us the job.
What we would do
Before you choose a profile and colour, ask the door specialist to measure the headroom and the depth of the garage with the opener included. If the figures are tight, a low headroom kit or a wall-mounted opener may still make a sectional door work.