Pan Door

A pan door is a commercial sectional garage door whose sections consist of a single formed sheet metal skin folded into a channel, or "pan," shape. There is no foam core, no inner liner, and no insulation material between layers. The term describes the section's cross-section: a flat front face with returns (flanges) on the top and bottom edges that lock into adjacent sections. The pan shape gives the section stiffness beyond what a flat sheet would have.

Pan sections are typically formed from 20 or 22 gauge galvanized or galvannealed steel. They are significantly lighter per section than sandwich-construction insulated doors of the same width. That lower weight reduces the spring tension required and makes the door easier to raise manually.

Where pan doors are used:

Pan doors are common in applications where thermal performance is irrelevant and cost is the primary concern. Parking structures, maintenance yards, utility buildings, aircraft hangars, and agricultural facilities often specify pan doors. The door simply needs to keep weather out when closed and cycle reliably without the complexity of an insulated assembly.

A pan door should not be confused with a door panel style choice. Panel style refers to the decorative embossment on a residential steel door face. A pan door has no decorative panel - it is a purely functional commercial product.

Because a pan section is a single metal skin, it conducts heat and cold directly. In a heated building, the outer face of a pan door can be well below freezing while the interior face is at room temperature. This temperature differential can cause condensation on the interior face in humid conditions. For tempered or refrigerated spaces, a sandwich-construction insulated door is the correct specification.

Pan door sections can be replaced individually since each section is independent. Replacement sections must match the original in section height, gauge, and track compatibility.