If you’re in the market for a new commercial garage door, you’re in luck. This quick guide provides helpful pointers for what features you’ll need to consider while evaluating your options.
7 Considerations for Selecting a Business Garage Door
Uncertainties can become overwhelming when making such a significant decision. We’ve narrowed down the seven most critical factors to weigh in your decision.
1. Typical Usage
One essential consideration in choosing industrial garage doors is how well they can withstand the demands of a typical business day. Generally, the more demanding your environment, the more rugged your door should be.
Consider how often you need to open and close your garage door daily. How long do you usually keep it open? Does it often suffer impact from company vehicles or other machinery?
2. Your Business
The specific sector you’re in influences what garage door you should choose. Here are some examples of how your industry can determine what you need.
- Speed: How quickly should your new door open and close? Emergency services and similar facilities should look for fast-opening doors to get their vehicles on-site faster.
- Purpose: Are you installing a door to make a space more functional? To keep items secure? To protect against the elements? Identifying the primary reasons you need a garage door will help you narrow your options.
- Location: What are your facility’s environmental conditions? Are you on an urban street surrounded by other buildings, or is your business in a more remote location, such as a warehouse or manufacturing plant?
3. Safety and Security Features
Protecting your property and employees is essential for keeping your business running smoothly. For example, the latest available data from the Connecticut Crime Data Repository reveals that 3,796 incidents of theft from a building occurred in 2023. Keeping intruders from entering your business will prevent costly losses.
Occupational and customer safety is another consideration. There is a genuine risk of people getting crushed by a malfunctioning garage door during a power outage or other accident, so you should take every measure to keep people safe.
Garage doors with advanced safety and security features such as the following can help you reduce your business’ risk.
- Auto-reverse: Sensors attached to your door can identify when people or objects pass underneath door and automatically reverse course, preventing injuries.
- Smart door operators: Modern garage door openers with myQ® technology provide a safety advantage by allowing you to operate your door with your smartphone, tablet or other device. In addition to remote door operation, myQ® technology helps you improve your job site’s security with activity tracking, remote monitoring and real-time alerts.
- Advanced locks: Using items like key cards or biometrics can more effectively prevent unauthorized people from getting into your business by denying them the ability to steal passcodes.
Though these features may increase commercial garage door prices, they’re worth the investment to avoid future loss, liability and expenses.
4. Door Appearance
A commercial garage door’s aesthetic appeal is as vital for a business as it is for a home, especially if you’re in a people-facing industry like food service or education.
For example, if you’re installing a garage door on a high school gymnasium to provide access to outdoor space, you could incorporate your school colors or mascot into your design to promote unity and school spirit.
Or, if you’re trying to create a modern indoor-outdoor dining space for a chic restaurant, choose a door with oversized windows to let in more light when your door is closed.
5. Maintenance Requirements
Repairs and upkeep are essential for keeping your door in good operating condition. Generally, the more you use your door, the more often it will need maintenance. Look for the lowest-maintenance door that meets your other usage and aesthetic requirements.
This consideration should also play into which dealer you buy your door from. Because garage doors are so complex, a dealer that offers installation, maintenance and repair services is your best option. They know their products inside and out, so they can provide outstanding service at affordable rates.
6. Door Material
Your garage door’s material directly impacts its longevity, maintenance needs and overall costs. The two most common door materials are steel and aluminum. Here’s a quick breakdown of how they measure up.
- Steel: Highly durable with minimal maintenance needs, steel is a versatile material for heavy-duty commercial doors.
- Aluminum: Lightweight, corrosion-resistant aluminum is a solid choice for businesses looking for speed and affordability.
Other materials, like polyurethane insulation, can also influence your decision. Work with an expert to help you determine the best fit for your budget and facility.
7. Door Insulation
Your business is home to valuable equipment and products, which can suffer damage when exposed to extreme conditions, like the New England winter. Here are some potential benefits of an insulated garage door for your business.
- Energy efficiency: Insulation prevents heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer, reducing your heating and cooling needs.
- Customer comfort: Insulated garage doors can help retail and hospitality businesses maintain consistently comfortable year-round temperatures for guests, boosting business and customer satisfaction.
- Extra protection: Insulation adds another layer of protection against the elements, so you can keep your facility and inventory safe from extreme temperatures, rain, wind and more.
If you are unsure whether to choose insulation, speak with an expert to narrow down your commercial garage door options.
Shop Commercial Garage Doors From American Overhead Doors
The expert team at American Overhead Doors is here to help if your Connecticut business needs a new garage or overhead door.
We are a Clopay® Master Authorized Dealer® and Liftmaster Provantage Dealer, so you can count on us to provide the best commercial garage doors for your facility’s unique needs and specifications. Plus, we offer a full suite of installation, maintenance and repair services to maximize your investment.
Browse our online selection to see all our commercial overhead doors, and contact us to request a free estimate.