When did Las Vegas switch to sectional garage doors over the one-piece old fashion wood doors?

In the early to mid-20th century, the "one-piece" tilt-up garage door was a common sight in Las Vegas. These garage doors operated on a heavy pivot system that required the entire door to swing outward before sliding into the ceiling. However, as the city expanded during the post-World War II suburban boom of the 1950s and 1960s, the shift toward the sectional garage door, the one on rails we see today, became the new standard.

​Here is the history of how the rail system took over and why the old one-piece garage doors in Las Vegas eventually faded away.
​When the "Rail System" Arrived in Las Vegas
​While the sectional overhead garage door was actually invented in 1921 by C.G. Johnson, it didn't become the dominant choice in Las Vegas until the mid-century housing explosion.  
​In the 1950s, as Las Vegas began to transform from a small desert stop into a sprawling suburban hub, developers looked for more reliable and space-efficient designs. By the 1970s, the one-piece tilt-up door was largely phased out of new construction in favor of steel sectional doors. Today, finding a one-piece garage door in Las Vegas is rare, usually reserved for historic "Old Vegas" neighborhoods built before 1965.
​Why Sectional Garage Doors in Las Vegas Won the Battle.
​The transition from one piece of wood or metal to a multi-panel system on rails happened for several practical reasons:
​1. The "Driveway Clearance" Problem 
​A one-piece door requires a "kick-out" zone. Because the bottom of the garage door swings outward as it opens, you cannot park your car close to the garage. In modern Las Vegas neighborhoods where driveways are often shorter, the sectional door is superior because it rises vertically on its rails, allowing you to park inches away from the door without obstruction. garage door repair Las Vegas 
​2. Resistance to Desert Winds
​Las Vegas is prone to high velocity wind gusts that can act like a sail against a large, flat surface. A one-piece garage door is difficult to reinforce against wind load. In contrast, sectional doors are built with individual panels that are reinforced by the horizontal tracks and vertical stiles, making them much more "wind stable" and less likely to be blown off their mountings during a spring storm. Allowing that Las Vegas garage door to be much safer!
​3. Safety and Spring Systems
​One-piece doors typically used "extension springs" mounted on the sides, which were notorious for snapping and causing damage or injury. The sectional rail system introduced the torsion spring, which is mounted on a bar above the door. This system is not only more powerful and smoother but also significantly safer for the high frequency use common in Las Vegas homes.  
​4. Better Insulation for Extreme Heat
​It is nearly impossible to properly insulate and seal a one-piece door because of the large gaps required for it to pivot. Sectional garage doors on rails are designed with "tongue-and-groove" joints between the panels and heavy-duty rubber seals along the tracks. This creates a much tighter thermal barrier, which is essential for keeping a Las Vegas garage from reaching 130°F in July.
​5. Repairability for that Las Vegas garage door.
​If a basketball or a car dents a one-piece door, the entire unit usually has to be replaced. With the modern rail system, if one section is damaged, a technician can simply slide out the damaged panel and replace it with a new one, saving the homeowner thousands of dollars.  
​
Swift Garage Door Repair of Las Vegas a local Las Vegas garage door repair company that has spent years replacing these aging one-piece relics with modern, high efficiency sectional systems. Would be proud to offer you a free estimate on a new modern garage door in Las Vegas.   
Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA

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