Garage Doors glossary
Plain-English definitions of 0 garage doors terms you will see on quotes and inspection reports.
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Counterbalance system is the collective name for the springs, cables, and drums that offset the door's weight. Torsion springs mount on a shaft above the opening; extension springs run along the horizontal tracks and should include safety containment cables. Cycle rating is how many open-and-close cycles a spring is designed to survive - one cycle is one open plus one close.
Headroom is the vertical space between the top of the opening and the ceiling; side room is the space beside the opening. Both determine which track configuration and opener will fit. A jackshaft or wall-mount opener sits beside the torsion shaft rather than on a ceiling rail, which is how low-headroom garages get automated.
Entrapment protection refers to the UL 325 requirements that residential openers reverse on contact with an obstruction and, in nearly all cases, include photo-electric eyes mounted low on each side of the opening - requirements that took effect for openers manufactured on or after January 1, 1993.
R-value measures insulation. Insulated doors typically fall between R-6 and R-18; a non-insulated door is effectively R-0. DASMA is the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association, which publishes the technical data sheets and standards this industry references, including ANSI/DASMA 103 for counterbalance systems on residential sectional doors.
Three rules for every term
- Ask for cycle rating, not 'heavy duty' Cycle rating is a number you can compare. Marketing adjectives are not.
- R-value beats 'insulated' Insulated covers everything from R-6 to R-18. Get the number on the quote.
- Headroom decides your opener options Measure it before you shop. It is what determines whether a jackshaft opener is needed.
A-Z garage doors dictionary
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Glossary terms for this industry are being written.
Where related figures come from
Sources last checked
- DASMA - Technical Data Sheets · retrieved 2026-07-25
- DASMA - Standards · retrieved 2026-07-25
- CPSC - Garage Door Operators / Gate Operators voluntary standards · retrieved 2026-07-25
- This Old House - How Much Does a Garage Door Cost? (2026 Guide) · retrieved 2026-07-25
- This Old House - Garage Door Spring Replacement Cost (2026) · retrieved 2026-07-25
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