Canopy up and over garage door

The canopy garage door is the most basic type of up and over door and it is cheaper and more simplistic in its operation than the alternative retractable door. However the downside is that it is more susceptible to problems and it is less suitable to powered remote operation.

Canopy garage doors operate by having a pair of tracks and rollers, one either side of the top half of door panel. They then use a large torsion spring (which takes the weight of the heavy door) and which spans across the top of the door. This balances the weight of the door making it a comparatively effortless job to open and close the door.

Both sides of the up and over garage door are supported by a separate lifting arm. The door then lifts upwards and tilts towards the horizontal whilst travelling on along these arms.

In the case of a canopy door, when the garage door is fully open the door will partially project outwards and in front of the opening. It will also project in front of the opening during transition and this means that the area directly in front of the door needs to be kept clear.

It is the fact that the lower third of the garage door projects outwards once opened that gives it its self descriptive canopy name.

User characteristics

The up and over door is probably the most popular manually operated garage door type that there is. As long as it is installed correctly it should be light and easy to use and its lifespan can be considerable if it is periodically maintained (i.e. checked and cleaned).

The downside to this type of door is that its mechanism is not as smooth as its competitors and this can lead to wear and ultimately a jerky operation. Additionally, it is not an easy door to adjust without specialist help and it can be disproportionately expensive to convert it to a remote controlled motorised operation.

More information about how canopy doors work along with their advantages and disadvantages can be found at how an up and over door works and the main up and over door page.