A cable safety device stops the garage door from falling if the cable breaks.
A cable stop is another safety device, attached to the end of the cable, that stops it from slipping through the drum.
The cable, or lifting cable, connects the bottom bracket to the counterbalance mechanism.
The center hinge is a flat hinge mounted on the door section that allows it to negotiate the curve between the vertical and horizontal tracks.
The center support bearing is mounted in the middle of, and above, the door, supporting the spring shaft.
You'll need to know your clearances before you start your garage door installation. That refers to how much backroom, headroom and sideroom, or the distance around the walls of the garage, is needed to efficiently install your door.
The curtain refers to the face of the door that goes up and down, or side-to-side.
One cycle of a garage door goes from when it's fully closed, to fully open, and then back again to fully closed. Torsion spring doors are rated by how many cycles they're supposed to safely complete in their lifetime, for example 25,000, 50,000 or 100,000 cycles.
A dead load refers to a load that doesn't move, like a garage door as it rests in the closed position.
The door frame holds the garage door with two vertical pieces and a horizontal header, or top piece.
Door movement refers to how much room a door has to lift in relation to the inside measurements of the garage. Door movement may be standard lift, full vertical lift, high lift, or low headroom.
When specifying a door size, you give the width first, then the height.
Double-thick glass is around 1/8" thick.
Extension springs are one of the two types of spring systems used to carry the weight of a garage door as it lifts. They stretch on either side of the door, running from a pulley attached to the door, to the rear track hanger.
A flag bracket connects the vertical and horizontal tracks.
A garage door with a flush design is flat, with no indentations or grooves.
Galvanizing is the process of coating steel to prevent rusting. All steel garage doors are galvanized.
Garage door openers consist of all the hardware that combines to open and close a garage door. A garage door opener can be operated automatically by remote control.
Garage building plans consist of all the garage blueprints and designs that, when followed carefully, will produce the garage of your dreams.
Garage door screens are similar to any regular screen door, but they're big enough to fit in the opening of a garage door, keeping out bugs and dust.
Gauge refers to the thickness of steel. The higher the number, the thinner the steel.
Hinges are used to connect the sections of a garage door, allowing the door to bend as it runs up the vertical track and onto the horizontal track.
The horizontal track runs parallel to the garage ceiling, and supports and guides the door as it reaches its fully-open position.
The insulation in a garage door can be made of polystyrene foam or polyurethane filler. Polyurethane insulates better than polystyrene, but polystyrene lasts longer.
The jamb seal is the weather-stripping that runs around the door jamb, stopping drafts and rain from entering the garage.
The jambs are the vertical pieces on either side of a door frame.
A life handle is sometimes installed on a garage door for use if manual operation is required.
Lites are the industry's word for glass or clear plastic windows in a frame. Some lites are double-glazed for insulation.
If your garage ceiling is lower than normal, you may need special low-headroom track hardware accessories.
A muntin is a piece of material that separates glass panes in a door.
The opening size refers to the distance between the walls and the doorjambs in a garage door opening.
An overhead garage door is one that's built in hinged sections, allowing it to travel up and down tracks as it opens and closes.
A pane refers to one section of a door.
A perimeter seal kit includes enough weather-stripping to completely surround a garage door.
Photo-electric sensors are required by law for safety reasons. They're mounted 6" above the ground in the doorway, and will reverse the direction of the door if it hits an obstruction. If the sensor isn't working, the door won't work, either.
A pneumatic sensing edge kit serves the same purpose as a photo-electric sensor. It consists of an air hose that runs along the bottom of the garage door that'll reverse the direction of the door if it comes into contact with an obstruction.
Portable garages are made of UV-resistant and fire-retardant tarps or plastic sheets supported by metal tubing, that'll house oversize items, like boats or RVs.
The radius is the curved part of a track between the vertical and horizontal pieces.
A rain stop, or water stop, is a piece that runs across the garage floor, and holds the door flush against the outside finish when it's closed.
Rear track hangers attach the horizontal track to the ceiling, thus stabilizing it.
The roller assembly consists of an axle with a wheel attached, that runs up and down the track.
The rollers are the wheel part of the roller assembly that roll freely using ball-bearings.
Safety spring containment is a system found in extension springs, whereby cables run through the inside of the coil, holding it in place in case it breaks, thus avoiding injury.
Sectional doors are just that - doors made up of sections hinged together, thus allowing it to bend around the track as it opens and closes.
Shaft bearings support the weight of the counterbalance system against the weight of the door.
Sideroom is a measurement you need when you're figuring out what size door system you need. It represents the distance from the door, back to the closest obstruction.
The spring assembly is the hardware that transfers the weight of the door to the counterbalance system.
The stop molding is the wooden or plastic piece that's attached to the outside of the door jamb, to seal out weather and light.
The top header seal is the piece of weather-stripping that runs along the top of the garage door.
The torsion spring counterbalance assembly is all the hardware that combines to evenly distribute the weight of the garage door as it opens and closes.
Torsion springs are the other type of spring system (as opposed to extension springs) that aid in raising and lowering a garage door. They're mounted above the door, and are loosened and tightened by the cables as they wind around the drum when the door is opened and closed.
The track is the part that holds and guides the roller assembly. It runs vertically to the top of the garage door, then horizontally parallel to the ceiling.
The winding sleeves are the hardware that convert the tension as it enters the tension spring, thus distributing it into a manageable weight for the spring system.
Windload refers to the force of the wind as it hits a garage door in the closed position. In hurricane or high-wind areas, doors are required to carry up to 110mph windload resistance.
That's the basics, folks. We've included all the important garage door springs and parts so you'll know what you need for your garage door installation, whether you're doing it yourself, or hiring a professional. If you want complete garage door packages, then go online - there's a wide variety of styles available.
These days, garage door manufacturers are up-to-date with your demands, continually creating better looking and better functioning garage doors. So, no matter whether you're remodeling or building a new house, and no matter how far out you might think your ideas are for a garage and garage door design, there's probably one waiting for you. So go ahead -start that project. Garage doors today are as efficient and aesthetically-pleasing as ever. And when your garage is finished, your car will be safe and dry - and so will you!
