Flush Design

A flush design garage door has a completely flat exterior face on every section. There are no raised panel borders, no recessed centers, and no decorative ribs. Raynor defines it as "a door comprised of sections unbroken by visible rails and stiles where the facing of the entire door presents an even surface." Clopay adds that the sections show "no roll-formed ribs."

The look fits contemporary and modern architecture. Clean horizontal lines are the goal. A flush door in a neutral color reads as part of the wall rather than as a dominant feature.

Flush doors are the standard choice in commercial buildings. A pan door is the most basic version: one skin of formed steel, no insulation, hollow inside. Residential flush doors are usually sandwich construction. Foam fills the space between the outer and inner steel skins, giving them R-values close to raised-panel insulated doors.

The flat face does not mean the door lacks internal framing. Door stiles still run vertically inside each section. Top and bottom rails span the horizontal edges. The steel facing attaches to those members and is pulled tight.

A vehicle strike on a flush door leaves a large smooth dent. The same hit on a raised-panel door causes smaller, contained dents because each panel acts as its own unit.

Flush doors often carry a light embossment pressed into the steel at the factory. The texture hides minor dents and tool marks.