Types of Overhead Doors That Matter for Your Facility

Does your facility have the right overhead doors for your needs? This is an important question for the overall efficiency and effectiveness of your warehouse or distribution center. There are several varieties of overhead doors with their own specialized roles and uses, and there’s value in matching your needs. If you’ve recently moved into a new building, there’s a particular need to consider your door needs.

Mismatches between requirements and hardware are especially common when companies convert a facility’s purpose, such as turning a retail store into a warehouse.

By figuring out the exact type of overhead door you need and ensuring it’s installed, maintained and repaired by experts, you can create a positive warehouse environment.

Read more: See how the right doors contribute to facilities’ energy efficiency.

FAQ

Learning more about proper commercial door use is essential, whether you’re renovating an existing structure for your purposes or constructing a new warehouse or distribution center to order.

Some of the most important questions to answer include:

What are the main types of overhead doors?
Overhead doors, also known as sectional doors, are typically suitable for use as exterior warehouse doors or dock doors. You can choose between steel doors and insulated doors, with the latter preventing heat from escaping as part of a temperature control system.
Leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) offer advanced door types like “sandwich” styles combining sectional steel doors and insulation, as well as models optimized to stand up to ever-greater wind loads or offer durability against strikes.
You can choose between different gauges of steel depending on your need for durability in your overhead doors. Standard weights include 16, 20 and 24-gauge steel. By adding insulated panels, you can create wind-load-rated or thermal-efficiency door systems.
Commercial overhead door systems come in various sizes to fit different facilities’ dock door requirements. Standard sizes extend up to 32 feet wide by 24 feet high. It’s also possible to customize the glass, plastic or painted steel exterior panels of your doors to match your facility’s branding.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) maintains codes for fire safety — doors that meet the requirements are integral parts of fire prevention systems. These requirements specify that companies should engage in annual inspection and testing of their fire doors.
Strong, well-maintained sectional steel doors can protect your facility against intruders, pests and the elements. To ensure doors achieve their security potential, it’s important to use reliable door opener systems and engage in frequent maintenance.
A commercial overhead door is similar to a consumer rolling garage door. The primary difference is the industrial scale and material, with commercial sectional doors designed to fit larger spaces and stand up to tough everyday use in ways traditional garage doors couldn’t.

Read more: Learn all about warehouse door and cold-storage door offerings.

Installation and Repair Services for All Types of Overhead Doors

The return on investment (ROI) and total cost of ownership (TCO) of all commercial doors depend on the services around those doors — installation, maintenance, emergency repairs and more. Working with the right service partner allows you to assess the viability of your current door systems and then decide how to proceed.

The use of data is key to the successful upkeep of doors. As early as the assessment phase, it pays to collect information on the suitability, condition and age of every piece of equipment in your facility. This data, updated over time, will help you implement proactive maintenance programs that will keep each of your overhead doors in top condition, providing maximum value.

Read more: Learn the value of having an effective overhead door service partner and see how proactive maintenance saves facilities money.

Find the Right Service Partner for Your Facility's Doors

MINER is the ideal partner for high-quality overhead door services of all kinds. As a national service provider rather than a simple overhead door company, MINER has the scale to serve your organization effectively, no matter how many facilities you operate, along with strong relationships with multiple OEMs providing overhead doors, insulated doors, fire doors and more.

By connecting your organization with a team of factory-trained expert technicians, MINER can provide optimized installation, maintenance and repair services to keep your doors operating efficiently at all times. MINER’s data-based methods eliminate guesswork and introduce greater visibility into ROI and TCO calculations for every door in your facility.

Learn about MINER’s dock door, specialty door or sectional door offerings, or contact us directly to get started.