Sectional door
vs
Up-and-over door
Sectional or up-and-over: the most common duel in residential installations in Luxembourg. One wins on insulation, design and security. The other keeps a knockout argument: price. This comparison breaks down 8 technical criteria with real Hörmann figures and our field experience.
Sectional door
Insulation, design & security
Up-and-over door
Robustness & budget control
Both doors in numbers
Before diving into the 8 technical criteria, here is each door's ID card, based on the Hörmann LPU 42/67 (sectional) and Berry N80 (up-and-over) models. Prices depend on each project: free quote on request.
Sectional door
Insulation, design & security
Up-and-over door
Robustness & budget control
8 criteria broken down
Every criterion is evaluated on Hörmann's technical figures and our Luxembourg field experience. The badge marks the winner - a tie means both doors meet the need equally.
| Criterion | Sectional (LPU 42/67) | Up-and-over (Berry N80) | Advantage |
Thermal insulation | Double-walled steel + CFC-free PU foam. LPU 42 (42 mm): U = 1.3 W/m²K installed door (1.2 with optional ThermoFrame). LPU 67 Thermo (67 mm): U = 1.0 W/m²K installed door (0.91 with optional ThermoFrame). | Single-wall steel leaf: U = 6.5 W/m²K installed door. With optional 20 mm insulating panels: 2.1 W/m²K; with 25 mm Hörmatherm insulation: 1.9 W/m²K (depending on pattern). Never at sectional level. | Sectional |
Installed price Luxembourg | Free quote on request, from the RenoMatic 42 mm to the bespoke LPU 67 Thermo wood decor. Installation, SupraMatic motor and removal of the old door included in the quote. | Free quote on request, from the single-wall manual Berry N80 to the insulated Berry N80 + ProMatic 4. Unbeatable entry price - significantly cheaper than a sectional. | Tie |
External clearance | Vertical opening, retraction under the ceiling. Zero external overhang: nothing encroaches on the driveway or pavement. | External overhang of the leaf when opening. Poorly suited to short driveways, garages on property boundaries or opening onto a pavement (the overhang may encroach on it; check your commune's regulations). | Sectional |
Anti-burglary security | Anti-lift locking in the guide rail with a Hörmann operator, spring-break protection, obstacle detection. CR2 (RC2) security equipment standard on LPU 67 Thermo, optional on LPU 42. | Rotating-latch locking. Optional CR2 (RC2) security kit, only for patterns 902, 941, 957 and 990. | Sectional |
Compatible motorisation | ProMatic 4 or SupraMatic 4 BiSecur on a toothed-belt rail. Apple Home, Google Home and Alexa via the optional Hörmann WLAN gateway. Included in all packages except entry level. | The same rail-mounted ProMatic 4 / SupraMatic 4 also suit up-and-over doors. Battery-powered ProMatic 4 Akku for garages without mains. Often an extra, on quote. | Tie |
Lifespan | Long lifespan with annual maintenance. Panels individually replaceable - a damaged panel is changed without replacing the whole door. | Also a long lifespan. But one-piece leaf: any dent or deep scratch forces a full door replacement. | Tie |
Annual maintenance | Silicone lubrication of rollers, cleaning photo sensors, visual check of EPDM seals. A few minutes per year. | Greasing of the pivot points, visual check of springs and arms (no touching), leaf cleaning. A few minutes per year. | Tie |
Design & personalisation | Approx. 200 RAL colours, 7 Hörmann surfaces on the LPU 42 (Woodgrain, Slategrain, Silkgrain, Sandgrain, Planar, Decograin, Duragrain with 30 decors). | 23 Berry patterns (ribbed, cassette, pattern 905, timber) in RAL 9016 white, 7 preferred colours, any RAL colour or 2 Decograin decors. | Sectional |
Double-walled steel + CFC-free PU foam. LPU 42 (42 mm): U = 1.3 W/m²K installed door (1.2 with optional ThermoFrame). LPU 67 Thermo (67 mm): U = 1.0 W/m²K installed door (0.91 with optional ThermoFrame).
Single-wall steel leaf: U = 6.5 W/m²K installed door. With optional 20 mm insulating panels: 2.1 W/m²K; with 25 mm Hörmatherm insulation: 1.9 W/m²K (depending on pattern). Never at sectional level.
Free quote on request, from the RenoMatic 42 mm to the bespoke LPU 67 Thermo wood decor. Installation, SupraMatic motor and removal of the old door included in the quote.
Free quote on request, from the single-wall manual Berry N80 to the insulated Berry N80 + ProMatic 4. Unbeatable entry price - significantly cheaper than a sectional.
Vertical opening, retraction under the ceiling. Zero external overhang: nothing encroaches on the driveway or pavement.
External overhang of the leaf when opening. Poorly suited to short driveways, garages on property boundaries or opening onto a pavement (the overhang may encroach on it; check your commune's regulations).
Anti-lift locking in the guide rail with a Hörmann operator, spring-break protection, obstacle detection. CR2 (RC2) security equipment standard on LPU 67 Thermo, optional on LPU 42.
Rotating-latch locking. Optional CR2 (RC2) security kit, only for patterns 902, 941, 957 and 990.
ProMatic 4 or SupraMatic 4 BiSecur on a toothed-belt rail. Apple Home, Google Home and Alexa via the optional Hörmann WLAN gateway. Included in all packages except entry level.
The same rail-mounted ProMatic 4 / SupraMatic 4 also suit up-and-over doors. Battery-powered ProMatic 4 Akku for garages without mains. Often an extra, on quote.
Long lifespan with annual maintenance. Panels individually replaceable - a damaged panel is changed without replacing the whole door.
Also a long lifespan. But one-piece leaf: any dent or deep scratch forces a full door replacement.
Silicone lubrication of rollers, cleaning photo sensors, visual check of EPDM seals. A few minutes per year.
Greasing of the pivot points, visual check of springs and arms (no touching), leaf cleaning. A few minutes per year.
Approx. 200 RAL colours, 7 Hörmann surfaces on the LPU 42 (Woodgrain, Slategrain, Silkgrain, Sandgrain, Planar, Decograin, Duragrain with 30 decors).
23 Berry patterns (ribbed, cassette, pattern 905, timber) in RAL 9016 white, 7 preferred colours, any RAL colour or 2 Decograin decors.
Pros & cons
Quick synthesis of each type's strengths and weaknesses. We stay factual: no fake comparisons, no inflated points to favour one side.
Sectional door
- Thermal insulation down to U = 1.0 W/m²K installed door (LPU 67 Thermo), 0.91 with optional ThermoFrame
- Zero external overhang - nothing encroaches on the driveway or pavement
- Approx. 200 RAL colours and 7 Hörmann surfaces (including Duragrain, 30 decors)
- Anti-lift locking (with operator) and spring-break protection
- Individual panel replacement possible after impact
- SupraMatic BiSecur motor included in most packages
- Significantly higher entry price - less accessible for small budgets
- Minimum headroom (motorised door): 210 mm with N track, 115 mm with Z and L tracks
- Horizontal rails under the ceiling reduce the garage's usable height
Up-and-over door
- Significantly cheaper than a sectional (price on free quote)
- Proven one-piece mechanism (swing arms and multiple springs) on the Hörmann Berry range
- Installation generally completed in one day - ideal for quick replacement
- No horizontal rails: space above the vehicle totally free
- Few wear parts beyond the springs
- External overhang when opening - needs flat clearance in front of the garage
- Weak insulation: U = 6.5 W/m²K as standard, 1.9 W/m²K at best with optional Hörmatherm insulation
- More limited personalisation: 23 patterns, but fewer surfaces and decors than a sectional
For whom?
Your real situation determines the best choice, not theory. Here are the 6 profiles we most often meet on Luxembourg sites - find yours.
Recent build, garage communicating with heated living spaces. Insulation becomes a non-negotiable criterion for the energy bill.
Garage separated from the house, unheated, utility use. Insulation is not priority, budget is. The insulated up-and-over stays the rational solution.
Short driveway, pavement nearby. An up-and-over's overhang when opening may encroach on the pavement: check your commune's regulations. A sectional's vertical opening avoids the issue.
Upscale neighbourhood, high anti-burglary requirement. The motorised sectional's anti-lift locking and CR2 equipment (standard on LPU 67 Thermo) are non-negotiable.
Unheated garage, workshop or garden shed. Frequent openings, no thermal requirement. Single-wall up-and-over is largely enough.
HomeKit / Google Home integrated house, strong design requirement, premium wood decor wanted. Only the Hörmann sectional meets it all.
Our recommendation:
the sectional door
Across 8 criteria, the Hörmann sectional wins 4, the up-and-over none, with 4 ties (including price, on quote for both). It has the edge on insulation, external clearance, security and design - important points in a modern Luxembourg build.
The Berry N80 up-and-over stays relevant on one knockout point: price. For a detached garage, a garden shed or an economical replacement, it costs significantly less without sacrificing robustness. The real choice is based on your actual use, not theory.
Other comparisons
Other duels to refine your choice based on your exact configuration.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to our customers' most common questions.
Need help to decide?
Our technicians measure your garage, check the lintel, external clearance and road constraints - then recommend the model that really fits your situation. Free visit across Luxembourg, free and fast quote.