Which of the A is Right for You?

Whether you need new commercial garage doors or are buying doors for the first time, here is everything you should know before you go shopping.

If you ask the average homeowner, they'd probably tell you that garage doors are sectional overhead units with hinged panels that raise parallel to the roof. Little do they know, that's only one type of door.

When it comes to industrial, agricultural, and commercial businesses, though, a standard residential garage door likely won't meet your needs. Of course, you can with rubber and other reinforced fabric coverings.

#1 Overhead sectional doors – the #1 Choice

When you first see these doors, you'll likely recognize that they look just like residential garage doors. The only noticeable difference is that they're not quite the same size. As their name suggests, these doors are made of sections, often referred to as panels, that stack on each other.

Going beyond looks, though, the main difference between these doors and residential doors is how they move. Because of this difference, they have different hardware as well.

Compared to a residential home, commercial buildings usually have much higher ceilings. To maintain the highest amount of headroom, commercial garage doors move up along the wall at then move inward once they reach the ceiling.

The type of movement used to achieve this depends entirely on how tall the garage door and the building's interior are.

Three of the most common types are:

• Standard movement, like what you would find on a residential home
• High lift, as described above, where the door travels up the wall then turns at the ceiling
• Full vertical lift is usually used on buildings with a loading bay

Commercial doors are nearly always more durable than a standard residential door. They are made with galvanized steel, and many options also have a polyurethane foam injected into them to gain optimal insulation and robustness.

If you do not need an insulated door, there are other options available. These are commonly found in buildings used to store agricultural machinery.

Rolling steel doors

You have probably already figured it out from the name, but this door style rolls up above the head jamb. Unlike a sectional door, it does not use horizontal tracks.

Also, unlike a sectional door, the sections on a rolling door are quite a lot smaller. Rather than panels, these sections are called slats. Smaller slats allow the door to roll up tightly above the door. Their size may vary, but most slats are only 3 inches high.

Whereas sectional doors are normally used outside of a building, rolling doors are normally used to compartmentalize a building's interior. For example, a factory may install rolling doors to keep dust from spreading from one area to another.

Rolling doors also qualify as "firewalls" for insurance purposes. Based on this requirement, rolling doors are built to help prevent a fire from moving from one area to another. Manufacturers design these doors to withstand anywhere from 30 to 240 minutes of fire exposure.

One other use for these doors is as a counter shutter. You may have seen this in foodservice stalls or as a metal grille gate in a shopping center.

The one thing they share in common – they roll up.

High-speed roll-up doors

Compared to the two previous options, high-speed roll-up doors are not as common. That being said, you can sometimes find them in food distribution centers and heavy industries such as rail transport and mines.

Take, for instance, a food packing plant. Food is stored in a refrigerated area, and if the door is left open for too long, the food will spoil. This type of door helps keep cool air inside the refrigerated area.

And when we say they are fast, we mean it! High-speed roll-up doors can open a full 96 inches in a second flat! If that sounds a little scary, don't worry—they close a bit slower to prevent accidents.

One additional feature unique to these doors is that they can be reinforced with rubber or thick vinyl to help absorb impacts. This is helpful in the mining and rail industries as well as in the manufacturing sector.

Ready to learn more about these door models?

For anyone living in the Sault Ste. Marie, Elliot Lake, Blind River or Marathon areas, contact us now at 1-877-794-4223.

We have everything you could possibly need to get set up with commercial and industrial garage doors. We'll offer you all the experience and knowledge we have with a commitment to helping our customers.

If you're ready to start buying, we can even send a no-obligation quotation by email.

What to see what our doors look like first?

Head to our Commercial Door Pictures Gallery for visuals, ideas, and inspiration.