Selecting a garage door — or multiple garage doors — for your company or residence can be challenging. Let’s face it — there are a lot of options on the market today, and it can be difficult to narrow down the selection to the right door for your home or business.
If you’re looking for both beauty and functionality in a garage door, then a roll-up garage door just might be the door you’re looking for. Attractive and practical, roll-up garage doors are an ideal solution for both commercial and residential applications in the Houston area.
Most people are familiar with the traditional overhead garage door, which is the door commonly found on houses around any modern neighborhood. But fewer people know what a roll-up door is — and how it can benefit them at home or work. Check out the topics that are covered in this article.
Also referred to as “service doors,” roll-up doors are steel or aluminum doors that roll up and down, rather than swinging upward or outward on a track to open. You’ve likely seen commercial roll-up doors at loading docks, storage facilities and auto shops. You might have also seen them blocking off particular areas of an airport or coming down over storefronts during off-hours. There are many different types of roll-up doors on the market today, including wood and glass roll-up doors, with each one designed for different needs.
Roll-up garage doors are designed with a series of metal slats locked together so they move as one piece. Sometimes the slats have foam in between to add insulation to block extreme temperatures and prevent them from messing with a building’s energy efficiency.
Overhead roll-up doors wrap around a drum until they are compacted into one roll. The roll is then stored above the opening they protect. They can be rolled up manually or with an electronic opener.
One of the benefits of a roll-up garage door is that it doesn’t move on a ceiling track like its traditional upward counterparts. This means that the track — and the door when it’s up — aren’t taking up space in the ceiling. The extra overhead space means more storage space, which can be significant if your workplace or home garage doesn’t have much square footage to start with.
While they are most known for their industrial uses, roll-up garage doors can also be a practical choice for certain residential garages. Besides being easy to roll up and down, they hold up well to constant use and withstand extreme weather, including storms and high temperatures. Also, modern roll-up doors come in a variety of colors, which means residential roll-up garage doors can be matched to your home’s exterior.
The weight of a roll-up door will vary, depending on the thickness of the door, as well as whether or not it’s insulated. The door’s weight will also depend on its size, since larger doors will naturally contain more material, therefore increasing the weight.
Roll-up doors are available in light-, medium- and heavy-duty gauges — or thicknesses — and it’s up to you to decide which will suit your needs. For example, Clopay makes three different gauges of roll-up doors — 150C, 157C and 160C. In general, a light-duty door will be used for smaller structures, such as portable buildings or recreational facilities. A medium- or heavy-duty door will be needed for places such as warehouses and commercial freight operations. When you work with an experienced sales representative at Halo Overhead Door, they can guide you through these choices and help you decide which best suits your needs.
Roll-up door dimensions also vary, which means they can fit a variety of openings.
Let’s face it — your budget is going to play an essential role in determining the kind of garage door you purchase. So, how much are roll-up garage doors?
The cost of a roll-up garage door varies depending on the strength of the door, but that’s not the only factor when it comes to determining the price. The material you choose and the size of door you need will also impact your costs.
Clopay roll-up doors are made from 26 gauge hot-dipped galvanized steel and bonded together to form a continuous sheet. The steel sheets are covered with a top coat of silicone polyester which can be painted in a variety of colors, including white, gray, blue, tan, brown and red.
Our doors can be configured to meet wind load requirements, and we also offer fire doors which can protect your valuable assets at home or work.
In some cases, you may find that the up-front costs of a roll-up door are slightly higher than those of a traditional overhead door. However, when you’re calculating the price, it’s important to factor in the long-term costs associated with both kinds of doors. If you intend to install a garage door somewhere that it will be used a lot, then you need to consider costs for maintenance and repair over time. Steel roll-up doors are typically more durable long-term because their springs aren’t exposed, and steel holds up well against weather. Even the light-duty doors are designed to withstand 20 openings and closings every day.
Because roll-up doors are designed for extensive use, their parts are made to last. This means they won’t require as much maintenance over time, which may save you money if you opt for a roll-up door over a traditional overhead door.
Your costs will also depend on whether you buy an electronic opener or jackshaft operator as well. If you plan to purchase these accessories along with the door itself, make sure to tell your sales representative up front so they can give you accurate details about pricing.
Roll-up doors are often used in commercial applications because of how durable and low maintenance they are. If you’ve done any kind of research related to garage doors, then you probably realize that steel and aluminum doors are some of the strongest, longest-lasting doors on the market today. They hold up to the elements, withstand daily use and keep unwanted people out of your space.
Steel doors are also more economical than garage doors made of other materials.
Other advantages to these doors include:
When you install a roll-up garage door, you get a durable door, as well as peace of mind that your business is protected when you aren’t there. Roll-up doors are incredibly secure, which makes them an excellent choice to protect retail companies, factories and warehouses. The door can withstand a lot of punishment from burglars looking to break inside as it is more difficult to break the steel or aluminum in a flexible sheet than it is to damage panels in a wood or composite door.
Besides exterior applications, roll-up doors can be used indoors to seal off spaces during off hours. Halo Overhead Door also offers roll-up fire doors which are often used as interior doors to divide a building and protect its contents from areas that might present an increased risk of fire.
If you’re purchasing commercial garage doors for a company in the Houston-area, you need a door that can withstand varying weather conditions and climate changes. After all, these doors are an investment in your business, and you want to know that you are making a good investment when you buy them. Roll-up garage doors won’t bend, warp or rust, which means they’ll stand strong and serve you well for many years. Clopay doors are designed to withstand 20 cycles each day, which means you can have the peace of mind that your door will stand up to all the use you give it.
Roll-up garage doors require very little maintenance to keep them looking beautiful and functioning properly. Simply wash off the door occasionally so it continues to look as good as new. When you keep the doors clean, then you aren’t likely to have many maintenance issues with them. This is because roll-up doors don’t have as many moving parts, and the parts they do have are mostly contained. Keeping them free from dirt is the best way to preserve their function.
Because of the way roll-up doors are constructed, they have fewer parts to maintain or replace as the door ages. Roll-up garage doors also take up less space because they do not have the track system along the ceiling. For business owners, this can be a big bonus because it increases the amount of usable space available in your garage or storage facility. If you own an auto shop or a warehouse with limited storage space, you can use the extra headroom to store things or to give forklifts and auto lifts more space to operate.
When you talk about commercial garage door safety, there are typically two primary concerns — heavy doors falling when a spring breaks and damage to a door while it’s resting on the ceiling in an open position. Most modern garage door openers are designed with a safety mechanism to prevent the doors from falling. However, creating a safe work environment for your employees should still be a major consideration when you’re buying a garage door.
The reason traditional overhead doors are at risk of falling is because of the spring mechanism that they are attached to. The springs holding a traditional overhead door can become worn out and, in some cases, break unexpectedly. When springs break, the door falls. This can be extremely dangerous if it happens when an employee is nearby.
A roll-up garage door’s parts, including springs, are all enclosed, which means that they are less vulnerable to damage and, therefore, less likely to break. And, just like traditional fold-out garage doors, roll-up doors can be equipped with sensors so they cannot accidentally close on people or objects in their path. When you install roll-up garage doors rather than a traditional overhead door, you’re taking steps to keep your employees safe. And when your employees are safe, they feel more confident and can work with fewer distractions.
If you’re looking for garage doors that will be used in an industrial setting, another concern about overhead doors is that they’re vulnerable to damage from forklifts when they’re open. Depending on the height of your ceilings, the forklift may not be able to clear the door when it’s in the open position. When this happens, the door can be damaged. Then, you’re stuck paying for repair — or even a replacement.
When roll-up doors are open, the door is enclosed in the casing, protecting the steel from potential damage and keeping a clear space for forklifts and other tall equipment to operate. Besides being safer, this can equal massive savings because your door is protected from accidental damage and expensive repairs that might result from that damage.
Roll-up doors can be insulated, which can be a huge benefit if you want to install the door in a warehouse or space that needs to remain at a certain temperature. Installing an insulated roll-up door is also a primary way to save on your company’s energy costs because it will keep unwanted hot air outside while helping to maintain cool, air-conditioned temperatures inside. This keeps your employees comfortable and, in many cases, can be a valuable asset if your building is home to equipment and supplies that should be kept at cooler temperatures.
Roll-up doors are designed to fit snugly in your building’s opening, and they come with accessories designed to reduce the possibility of air leaks around the door itself. When you purchase a Clopay insulated roll-up garage door, it comes with top and side draft stops that also help prevent leaks. After all, an insulated door won’t do much to keep temperatures cool if air can leak around the top and sides.
Insulated doors are also stronger, which can be an additional benefit if you’re in the market for a door that will provide optimum security and protect your home or business from unwanted visitors.
The benefits of a roll-up door for your home or business are many — they’re durable, secure and give you a lot of bang for your buck. In short, they’re an excellent investment. And with the variety of colors and options on the market today, they look good too.
If you’re in the market for residential or commercial roll-up doors in the Houston area, let Halo Overhead Door guide you through the process. Family-owned and operated since 1991, we offer a wide selection of doors and pride ourselves on our ability to match our customer’s needs with the door that’s right for them. Whether you know the door you want or you don’t know where to start, our goal is to walk with you through the entire process, from selection to installation.
As a full-service company, we also pride ourselves on our outstanding maintenance and repair services. We know that a garage door is an investment, and we’re committed to helping you protect that investment for many years to come.
Ready to purchase a new garage door? Thinking a roll-up door is just what you need to improve the function and curb appeal of your business? Give us a call at (713) 224-3667 or contact us online to get started.
Great work and service! Alex showed up on the day I called for service and was done within an hour. He not only addressed my immediate problem but went above on beyond and had my 20 year old garage door working smoothly and quietly again. Thanks again.
