Long Panel vs Short Panel Garage Door

Welcome to our long panel vs short panel garage door design guide including the differences and types of garage panels such as flush, recessed, ribbed and beadboard. If you choose wisely, a garage door can do more than protect your car and whatever is inside your home. A well-thought-out garage door can improve your property’s overall curb appeal, resale value, insulation, and safety.

Unfortunately, the garage door market can be unforgiving for first-time buyers and novice homeowners. One of the things any homeowner should think about is choosing between a long panel vs a short panel garage door.

Learn more about long and short garage panel doors, and be ready to wow your family, protect your investment, and improve your chances of a higher resale value for your property.

What Is a Long Panel vs Short Panel Garage Door?

Garage doors come in different styles, sizes, and patterns. One of the most common design features of garage doors is the addition of rectangular panels.

One can think of a garage door as a large rectangular panel. Without smaller panes, the garage door would look bland and unappealing.

The small rectangular panels on the garage door add depth and dimension, giving the garage door a three-dimensional effect. It creates pleasant details, casting shadows on the surface, and giving the garage door a textured look.

The length of each small plate on the door defines whether it is a long panel or a short panel garage door.

Long Panel Garage Doors

As the name suggests, long panel garage doors are long. They can span the entire width of a garage door section.

For example, if you have a single-car garage door with a width of eight feet, you can consider one section to be four feet wide. Hence, a long panel garage door can be about the same size, although shorter by a few inches to meet design requirements.

Houses with a two-car garage can have four long panel garage doors, two for each carport.

Long panel garage doors offer homeowners a cleaner and sharper look to their properties. Since the panels are longer and fewer in number, they do not detract from the garage door’s simplicity. It is the perfect choice for families who want a more contemporary-looking garage.

The garage door’s insulating and safety properties also remain largely intact. It gives families the peace of mind they need whenever they close their garage doors shut for the evening or when going on an extended vacation.

Short Panel Garage Doors

These garage doors are similar to long panel garage doors, except for the width of each rectangular pane.

A four-foot garage door section can have two short panels, whereas a long panel garage door can only have one. Each plate can be as wide as two feet, depending on the garage door’s overall dimensions.

Short panel garage doors are suitable for families who want more dimension in their properties. Their garage door can have as many as 24 panels creating an architectural tapestry.

Like long panel garage doors, short panel garage doors do not affect the partition’s safety and insulating properties. You can feel safe and secure inside your home, provided you have the correct garage door materials.

Types of Short and Long Garage Door Panels

Since short and long garage door panels feature rectangular design elements, homeowners must also familiarize themselves with the different panel designs.

Raised Panel Garage Doors

One can think of raised garage panel doors as the architectural equivalent of a Hershey’s milk chocolate bar. You have small rectangular plates divided by deep channels or grooves, like having several plateaus arranged in a screen-like formation.

The deep channels and high plateaus of the garage door give it a more 3D look. If you choose a short panel garage door, you will be adding stylish aesthetics to your carport.

Some manufacturers add beveled edges around each panel’s perimeter, while other companies use other details. These design elements give raised garage door panels a bulkier look, perfect for families who want to convey the message of a sturdy home.

Recessed Panel Garage Doors

The exact opposite of raised garage door panels, recessed panes are like your ice cube tray but with shallower sections. Depending on the garage door manufacturer, recessed plates can have raised borders to add a different design element.

Recessed garage door panels are more straightforward to build than raised versions. One can have a solid plane and mount a 4×2 rectangular framework on the surface to get the recessed look.

For example, homeowners can add vertical and horizontal bars on the surface of a steel garage door.  It is a simple design, suitable for homes with a minimalist look.

Flush Panel Garage Doors

This garage door panel type has a straightforward design, almost like wooden planks mounted across the garage door’s width. It does not have any pattern or intricate ornaments.

However, most flush panels feature solid colors with minimal texturing details. These panels are excellent for complementing surrounding walls. See more garage door color ideas on this page.

Beadboard Panel Garage Doors

This garage panel door type is almost like either a raised or recessed pane design. However, each central plate features vertical lines to give the door section a more textured look.

You can see beadboard garage panels on carriage-style doors. They are perfect for adding character to the home.

Ribbed Panel Garage Doors

This garage door panel type is almost like a flush design except that the panes are narrower. They also run the entire length of the garage door.

If a standard plate is six to eight inches high, the strips on a ribbed garage door panel are only three to four inches tall.

How Tall are Garage Door Panels?

The height of garage door panels depends on the plate type and size of the garage door. A typical carport can have a door as high as seven to eight feet, although it is not unusual for some homes to have garage doors as tall as 12 feet.

If the garage door features a 2×6-panel section, each rectangular panel can have a height of between 12 and 14 inches. A 4×8 garage door can have individual plates as tall as 11 inches. Read more about standard garage door dimensions here.

The Bottom Line

Deciding on the long panel vs short panel garage door debate boils down to your personal preferences. Both designs retain the insulating and safety characteristics of garage doors without adding extra costs. 

These garage door panels also add to your property’s aesthetic qualities, although long panels are more contemporary-looking than short versions.

If you would like to see how a garage door looks on your home before installation there are garage design software programs that can help. these will allow one to try out different door features such as styles and colors to make sure they fit the look of your home.