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Glossary of Garage Door Terminology
Know the Lingo. Informed decisions start with understanding the language.
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ASTRAGAL
Neoprene or vinyl weather-stripping added to bottom section to seal the opening along the floor.

BACK HANGS
The vertical supports for the horizontal track, cross braced to prevent lateral movement and tract spread. See "Pre Punch Angle".

BACKROOM
The backroom is the distance from the garage door to the back wall of the garage.

BOTTOM FIXTURE
A structural support located on the bottom section, which holds the track rollers and provides an attachment for the lifting cables on the sectional door.

CABLES
These multi-strand wire cables are used to attach the door (bottom brackets) to the counterbalance mechanism. On torsion spring operated doors the cable is wound on drums.

CABLE DRUMS
Grooved drums on torsion spring shaft which lifting cables wind upon when door is opened. Designed to allow cable to be accumulated or dispensed in an orderly manner and to prevent lapping or cable chafing.

CENTER HINGES
Flat hinge located on all intermediate stiles to allow for section break as door opens.

CENTER STILE
Vertical members of a door section, which provide structural rigidity and location for center hinge attachment.

CENTER SUPPORT BEARING
Bearing and mounting plate that acts as a support for the spring shaft. Can be mounted in various locations, not necessarily in the center, depending on spring size.

CLEARANCES
The amount of side room, head and back room required to properly install a sectional door.

CYCLE
The door opening and closing is one cycle.

DOOR FRAME
The vertical supports for the horizontal track, cross braced to prevent lateral movement and tract spread. See “Pre Punch Angle”.

DOOR SIZE
Neoprene or vinyl weather-stripping added to bottom section to seal the opening along the floor.

DOUBLE DOOR
Commonly used to refer to larger width doors usually on multi-car garages.

END STILE
Steel supports located at each end of door section, which provide an attachment for hinges. These supports carry the total section load and should be of superior strength to provide structural integrity.

HEADROOM
The distance between the top of the door and the lowest point of the ceiling or any obstruction such as a garage door opener rail, pipes, or ductwork.

HINGES
To make the independent sections act as a complete door, the sections must be hinged together. All hinges perform two basic functions. With bolts or screws they join the sections together and allow the sections to “break” independent of each other as the door travels. Hinges on the end stiles perform two additional tasks. They are designed to hold a roller upon which the door travels and they are offset to provide a flush fit to the door itself when in the closed position.

HORIZONTAL TRACK
Material having the ability to reduce heat or cold transmission.

INSULATION
Material having the ability to reduce heat or cold transmission.

JAMB
The upright framing on each side of the door opening.

LOCKS
SIDE LOCK: Snap action latch bolts fit into cutouts in track.
T HANDLE LOCK: T handle is placed in the center of the door using a cable latch mechanism.
NOTE: Locks should be disabled on electrically operated doors to prevent damage to operators or the door.

LOW HEADROOM
Hardware accessories to provide for door installation with minimum headroom conditions, usually less than 12” headroom.

LOW HEADROOM TRACK
Special horizontal track with a pair of tracks used to reduce the high point of travel of the top section of a door to permit installation in a low headroom application.

NORMAL HEADROOM
The minimum amount of space required between the top of the door opening and ceiling to facilitate opening the door.

OPENING HEIGHT
The distance from the floor to the top of a door opening.

OPENING WIDTH
The distance between the jambs of the door section.

PRE-FINISHED
Galvanized steel is painted with a tough polyester coat to prevent rust. The finish may be painted by the customer if desired.

PRE-PUNCHED ANGLE
A perforated L shaped metal used as a support for the horizontal tracks. It is attached to the ceiling or a joist. See "Back Hangs"

PRIME-PAINTED(Wood Doors)
This coat is sprayed on all sides of the sections. It should be finish painted in the field before installation.

RADIUS
This is the curved portion of the track which allows the door to go from vertical to horizontal in its movement. See "Headroom"

RAISED PANEL
A raised panel provides a third dimension to the outside finish.

RESIDENTIAL DOOR
A sectional overhead type door that is intended for use in a residential garage.

ROLLERS
Steel, ball bearing or nylon wheels, which allow sections to roll freely along, door tracks.

R-VALUE
The measurement of thermal efficiency of a door, or how well it insulates. The higher the R-value, the better it insulates.

SECTION
An individual panel of a garage door.

SIDEROOM
A horizontal measurement from each side of the door opening, outward to the nearest wall or obstruction within the garage. There should be about 4” of room on each side for installation of the track.

SPRING PAD
Wood used for center bearing support.

STOP MOLDING
Sometimes called doorstop, it is usually wood or plastic and it serves to seal the perimeter of the door against weather and light infiltration. Stop molding is nailed to the jambs outside the door and is one of the final steps in the installation process.

STRUTS
Also called trusses, attached to the inside of the door to add strength and rigidity. Struts are necessary on wide heavy doors to help prevent sagging and bowing in the horizontal position, and to provide additional reinforcement.

TOP FIXTURE
Adjustable brackets that carry track rollers which are mounted on the top corners of the top section.

TORSION SPRING
This spring system performs the counter-balancing function. Mounted above the door opening, the spring is manually wound, or charged, then set to a shaft which runs through the spring. The spring actually turns the shaft which raises or lowers the door via the cables winding on drums. Because of the complex, and extremely dangerous nature of torsion springs, only experienced, professional door installers should install these. Torsion springs are generally smoother in operation, longer lasting and safer when installed properly

TRACK
Garage door track usually consists of 4 pieces (2 vertical and 2 horizontal). The purpose of track is to provide a roadway for the roller wheels.

TRUSSES
See "STRUTS."

WEATHER STRIPPING


WOOD JAMBS
The upright wood forming the side of an opening, typically a 2x6 or 2x8.
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