Do you have big plans for a construction or renovation project for your company? If so, now might be the time to add garage doors to your company’s building—doing so can elevate the efficiency and productivity of your business in a myriad of ways.
Whatever your reasons for changing up your company’s building, when it comes to adding doors, there are several things you should know to make sure you’re getting the right commercial garage door.
Continue reading this article to find out more information to ensure that you’re making the right choice when it comes to choosing commercial garage doors. We will make sure you’re aware of the most important information you need to have. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll be able to make your choices with confidence and without worrying.
Like these kinds of trolley door operators? This is the LiftMaster MT model.
What are the differences between a business garage door and a residential garage door?
You’re likely aware of how a residential garage door looks and works, but what you may not know is that residential doors are different from commercial garage doors, even though they are both garage doors. At its core, residential garage doors tend to prioritize aesthetics over function, and as such, they tend to be made out of many materials and designs.
Size and dimensions
Commercial garage doors, on the other hand, tend to be made from more durable and heavier materials than residential garage doors. The reason for this is that commercial/industrial garage doors open and close more often during the day to accommodate the constant loading and unloading of supplies. As such, commercial garage doors need to be made of materials that can handle the strain and increased load so they can keep functioning properly.
Operational load capacity
In line with the larger amount of uses in a given day, a commercial door’s operation cycle tends to be higher. For example, a garage door for a home might only open twice a day whereas an industrial door may have to operate 10 to 20 times that in the same amount of time because industrial doors typically see more action than a residential location.
Because of the increased load that industrial garage doors tend to see, it’s very important to keep in mind how much power a commercial door might require for proper usage while also keeping in mind how much energy said door will require to operate.
Consider the horsepower
Commercial garage doors have a wide range of horsepower requirements because of their varied sizes and usage amounts. Commercial garage operators tend to be used more often because they need to lift heavy, large doors multiple times in a single day.
Here are some loading dock doors. These garage doors are the G-1000, 8’ x 8’, Heron Blue by Garaga.
Choose your operator
When it comes to electric door openers, there are two main categories that the operators fall into trolley garage door operators and jackshaft garage door operators. One of the things that will determine which operator is best for your business is to decide where you first want to place the operator.
● Trolley
The trolley operator hangs from the ceiling at the end of a rail, which has a trolley (connected to the door) that the door rides along when being opened or closed. It pulls the door horizontally and is typically used on typical lift doors.
● Jackshaft
Unlike the trolley operator, the jackshaft operator is wall-mounted beside the door. Instead of horizontal, the jackshaft moves up and down through the use of rotational force and, because of this, it can be used with all types of door movements.
You want to know more about these garage door operators? This is the LiftMaster GH (on the left) and the jackshaft LJ8900W model (on the right).
By this point, you’ve learned about different door types, their features, and how they work. Now, it’s time to look into more models of garage door operators from LiftMaster to decide which one will be best for your company.
What does your business need?
To make the best decision for your business, you must ask yourself the following critical questions: how much the door will be used, what your budget is, where the door will be placed, and the like.
Carefully examine what you need and expect from this garage door operator in regard to your commercial or industrial property requirements. Different factors that might sway your decision are: what your business requires, what your business does, and how much activity you will be seeing at your commercial area.
While keeping this in your mind, however, don’t forget to keep in mind your budget; you want efficiency for the best price.
Apartments and condos
How many times your operator will be used will be determined by how many units you have. Picture fifty residents who will be opening and closing the garage door at least twice a day; that’s one hundred operations a day, or 36,500 times in a year at least.
Keep in mind that how much you expect your door to be used will determine how much horsepower will be required and can help determine the cost of the operator.
Also, consider installing a timer-to-close feature (self-explanatory) and a pneumatic reversing sensing edge (forces the door to open when it senses an object).
Car dealerships and garages
With the type of work that occurs at car dealerships and garages, these sorts of industries should use jackshaft operators. These types of garage door operators allow for an open ceiling area and increased storage, but to truly make this operator more efficient, you should also look into the following accessories:
● A loop detector senses vehicles when they pass and forces the door to open (don’t worry about how this looks cosmetically, as it’s typically installed before the floor is paved).
● A mid-stop will stop the door from opening all the way, which can help with ventilation and temperature regulation.
Car washes
Although every car wash is different, most of them have some similarities, such as water-resistant doors (to protect against the humidity that might damage electronics) that also double as additional security and also as temperature insulators.
Despite these similarities, the building construction might also determine what you need—ask yourself: do you want powerful operators to reduce noise or control traffic flow?
Research the materials that make up your building and examine the location of your business. Doing so will help decide your garage door needs and thus, help you decide on a suitable operator and accessories for your company.
Fire stations
If you’ve ever passed a fire station, you’ve likely noticed that their doors are typically made from glass. The reason for this is to increase firefighters’visibility so that they can stay safe when leaving the station in a hurry.
This full view door is a G-4400, 14’ x 16’, Anodized extrusion.
Additionally, not only do the firefighters have to worry about their own safety, but they also have to worry about the victims’safety, too; seconds can make a difference between life and death, so fire station doors need to be both safe and efficient.
This blog from FireRescue1, a network that aids the firefighter community, gives testimony regarding how LiftMaster’s smart garage door operators give massive benefits in their daily work.
This article explains that the two main advantages of having a powerful operator are:
● Ensuring the safety of personnel and equipment
● Another line of protection against vandalism and theft
Many fire stations also install a control panel on the wall to simultaneously open all the doors and get the firefighters to the emergency more quickly.
Commercial buildings, such as warehouses
Having a clear idea about your company’s industry will be one of the largest determining factors when buying a garage door operator. How much you expect it to be used and the worth of whatever you’re storing in the warehouse can help you decide how many garage doors you might need and which operator will work best.
In cases like these, it’s best to speak with a specialist as they can help you choose what will be best for the unique needs of your business.
Curious to know more?
There have been many technical terms used in this article, and you’ll likely come across many more as you do additional research. However, we hope that our tips and definitions help you along your journey of deciding on the best door and garage door operator models for you.
No matter your needs—renovation, updating, or repairing—let us help you with it! We have many types of commercial garage doors that service many kinds of industries.
Please consult our image gallery to check out real projects that have been previously completed. And, of course, if you have any questions during the process, ask for a specialist’s assistance in your decision-making!
Contact us at 605-332-5188 or visit us in person so we can help you come up with the best ideas for your needs. Based on your unique desires, we will determine what’s best for you and send you a quotation by email!
This is the LiftMaster GT model, a heavy industrial-duty trolley door operator.
Time to install the garage door operator
Once you’ve selected the best electric garage door operators for your needs, the next step is installation. If you want to make sure that your garage door will operate for a long time, consult with certified garage door experts, and make sure to use the necessary equipment.
At the end of the day, your safety is our priority, so make sure to speak with a ACS Door Services of Sioux Falls technician before it’s time to install the garage door operators. One of our electricians will place the outlets and secure the wiring.
Keep in mind that a standard security system comes as part of all LiftMaster commercial garage doors to ensure your safety during the time of installation and beyond. Explore the other systems that may come with your operator to increase its utility.
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