Month: March 2022

Choosing the right garage door style may not seem important, but your garage door should work with the architectural style and look of your home. One of the most popular types of garage doors today is short panel garage doors, which offer eye-popping details that make the most of your space to give your home a more unique and traditional look. 

Do you want to learn more? Henry B. Whitaker Inc. in Putnam County is committed to providing our customers with everything they need to know about short panel garage doors before they make a decision. 

What Are Garage Door Panels?

Garage door panels are horizontal or vertical sections of the garage door. If your garage door has windows, the panels are the section of the door underneath them. The number of panels on a garage door varies depending on what style you choose. If you desire a custom garage door, it can have as many panels or as few as you want. 

There are two kinds of garage door panels. One is short panels, and the other is long panels.

What Are Short Panels?

Short panel garage doors offer an architecturally intricate design for families who want more detail so as to catch the eye. Two panels make up a four-foot section of the garage door. Depending on how big your garage door is, you can get up to 24 panels. This allows homeowners to achieve a truly unique design that they will enjoy looking at and using for years to come.

What Are Long Panels?

Long panels run the entire width of a garage door section and appeal to homeowners who seek a contemporary look that is simpler. If you have a two-car garage, your door would feature two long panels on each door. Long panels also feature wider rectangular panes than short panels. So, a four-foot garage door section can only have one long panel, whereas the same dimension can have two short panels.

Short Panels vs Long Panels

The difference between long panel and short panel garage doors is minor. Both kinds of panels do not detract from the overall performance of your garage door. The insulation and safety properties of the doors do not change as long as you use the correct materials. The main difference comes down to aesthetics. Short panel garage doors offer a traditional style that provides a tapestry-like appearance while long panels give homeowners a more modern appearance and feel. And both come in vinyl, wood, and metal materials. 

Garage Door Panel Style Options

There are also several style options homeowners can choose from that work with both short and long panels. 

Raised Panels

Think about what a Hershey’s chocolate bar looks like. That’s basically what raised panels on your garage door are similar to because the rectangles look like they are popping out and are divided by grooves around each one. Raised panels give your home a sturdier and more stylish look, which works particularly well with short panels.

Recessed Panels

The opposite of raised panels is recessed panels, with each rectangle being inset with a raised border around each one. Recessed panels offer homeowners a more simplistic design without taking away from the performance of the garage door. 

Flush Panels

An even more minimalistic option is flush panels, which look like planks laid out across the entire width of the garage door without patterns or eye-popping details. They usually come in solid colors and are often utilized to complement an exterior wall. 

Ribbed Panels

Narrower panes run across the width of the garage door similar to flush panels. It’s a very simple design that gets the job done without making a stylish statement.

Carriage Panels

Perhaps one of the fancier garage door panel choices is carriage panels, which come with trim boarding in more intricate patterns along with more decorative accessories like handles, hinges, and latches to give your home an even more attractive appearance. 

Directional Choices

You’ll have three directional choices to choose from when selecting a garage door design. Vertical panels run from top to bottom while horizontal panels run from left to right across the door. The third option is interestingly known as the herringbone option, which is when the panels run up and down at a 45-degree angle. It’s definitely an interesting choice.

Cost Of Short Panel Garage Doors

The cost of short panel garage doors can run anywhere from $600 up to $1,000 or more depending on several factors. The size of your garage door, the materials it is made of, and whether it is a custom order will all affect the final price. Steel doors are usually the most affordable while wood and vinyl doors will cost extra. A custom job can be double the price. But regardless of what you want, Henry B. Whitaker Inc. can deliver. We even offer free estimates so you will have a good idea of what your garage door will cost before you make a final decision.

How Many Garage Door Panels Do I Need?

The number of garage door panels you need will depend on the door’s opening style. True-swing doors, which open and close like traditional doors, come in multiples of two. Tri-fold doors require multiples of three. And Bi-fold doors come in multiples of four. These numbers will not increase if you add windows and trim to the doors, but be sure to consider how they will align with your garage windows if it has them. It really comes down to personal choice and what kind of garage door you want.

Contact Whitaker Garage Doors Today!

Henry B. Whitaker Inc. offers short panel garage door installation at affordable prices. We are happy to help you pick out the best style for your home and we have years of experience installing garage doors. We also offer repair and maintenance services. Located at 5 Fallsview Lane in Brewster Heights, we proudly serve Putnam County and surrounding communities in New York. 

Come visit us or call our office at 914-690-7952 to get the right garage door for your home today!