Garage door panels are flat panels fitting between the stiles and rails on each individual section of the garage door. Usually, these panels are wood or metal, but could also be made of a high-quality plastic, such as vinyl. Garage door panels are usually very easy to replace and, in the case of wood panels, some can even be made by the homeowner.
For those who want to paint their garage door panels different colors, they may find that it is much easier to remove them and paint, rather than try to paint them in place. Some may want a specific texture change for their garage door panels. This represents another reason why someone may want to remove the panels.
The sections in which the garage door panels are located generally are positioned horizontally across the entire width of the opening. While they are connected to other sections, there is also room to allow spaces to develop between the sections. This is so the sections can break apart slightly as they curve up the railing. This is needed because garage door panels are generally not flexible and therefore need to stay rigid. This is called a sectional garage door.
Wood panels used to the most common material used in garage doors. This is because of the abundance of the material and its ease of use. In order to make panels, all one simply had to do was cut to the length of the slat. Replacing any number of panels would only take a few hours.
It should be noted that if wood garage door panels start to bow, there could be serious other problems with the door as well. These structural problems may first come to the attention of the homeowner through the panels, though it may not be the panel that is the problem. In such cases, it may be best to have a home improvement expert, such as a contractor, come and take a look at the situation and provide some recommended solutions.
One material that has quietly replaced wood in garage doors is steel. These garage door panels have a much better ability to resist the weather than does wood. Further, these garage door panels are more durable than other types of panels, thus providing a longer life. The doors are also lighter than wood, in most cases, which may also be a consideration depending on the power of the garage door opener and the size of the door.