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What You Need To Know About Commercial Overhead Doors

what you need to know about commercial overhead doors

We probably all remember hearing our parents yell, ‘Close the door behind you!’

There were a myriad of reasons to keep that door closed: bugs, weather, insulation, and safety. Bottom line, though – the door needed to be closed.

Keeping our business enclosed as well as protected is an integral part of our daily business operations. We open in the morning, close in the evening and at the end of the day want to know that when we leave – our property and assets are safe and secure. 

Commercial overhead doors have come a long way in energy-efficiency, safety, and security. However, they are large, heavy, and can become a liability if not installed correctly by a professional to ensure they are OSHA compliant.  

Check out these things that every shop, business, and/or warehouse owner should know about their overhead doors.

Types of Commercial Overhead Doors

First, let’s chat overhead doors. 

These are the most popular types of doors used in both residential and commercial properties. They are convenient, they are efficient, and they are easy to operate.

But why choose the commercial overhead door? 

These types of doors are pretty impenetrable, making them the Fort Knox of doors. Doors that close and latch into the ground don’t really leave a lot of room for entry without a key, remote, or access code. They create a peace of mind that owners can trust to keep their property secure during working and non-working hours.

Here are the types of commercial overhead doors most commonly used and information you should know about each:

Rolling Doors

These doors do exactly what their name implies – they roll up and down. 

Used primarily for warehouses, storage units, and outdoor shops, restaurants, and businesses, rolling doors are specifically manufactured for strength and durability.

Once you roll one of these commercial overhead doors to the ground, it’s final – the day is done. Made out of galvanized steel, Superman would be the only impending threat that could penetrate these doors when closed and secured.

Available in manual push-up, chain pull, or motor operation – rolling doors are great choices for warehouses, car washes, machine shops, auto body shops or any other place that needs a strong, durable door that can ensure your property is incredibly secure at the end of the day.

High-Speed Doors

Known for being the safest, fastest, and best-sealing doors – the high-speed door gets you in and out with speed and efficiency in mind.

These doors can be custom-fit for any space, are reinforced with heavy-duty PVS vinyl, and can be used inside or outside. Even more useful, these types of commercial overhead doors can cater to many specific design requirements:

  • High winds and/or harsh weather environments
  • Hygiene, cleaning, sealing, and/or corrosive conditions need attention
  • Freezing temperatures
  • Cleanroom environments

With the ability to stop if someone or something is detected underneath the door, this option is one of the safest in the industry and a great option for larger volumes of foot traffic.

Sectional Doors

Probably the doors that you may recognize most often, the sectional door is exactly what it implies – multiple doors in multiple sections. These types of doors are used for fire stations, loading docks, and other locations where multiple vehicles require access.

Built to take regular usage, sectional doors are the garage door choices for many businesses based on cost, efficiency, and design. Easy to maintain and available in a variety of colors, these doors can offer secure access as well as an aesthetic appeal. 

Aluminum Grilles

Need some quality security and ventilation?

Aluminum grilles are the commercial overhead door that could best fit your needs. Constructed out of galvanized steel in a handful of different grate patterns, these doors allow maximum airflow as well as maximum protection.

The standard grille is the usual go-to for storefront locations inside shopping malls or other enclosed spaces. 

The heavy grille is the perfect choice for parking garages. This type of door is built stronger to withstand something like a speeding vehicle.

Counter Doors

It’s late, you’re hungry, and you want to find some food ASAP! These types of doors may have been your greeting if you showed up past normal operating hours.

The counter doors are compact, visually attractive, and durable. Used mostly for food counters at walk-up or cafeteria style locations as well as drive-throughs, these types of commercial overhead doors are smaller and more compact in design.

Able to fit most custom measurements, counter doors are perfect for smaller openings that don’t extend to the ground.

Fire Doors

Fires happen. That’s why there is a specific type of commercial overhead door to cater to this potential fiery situation. 

Depending on the type of business that you need to outfit, these types of doors may be a requirement. These are rolling doors that have an added layer of fire resistance and extreme heat durability.

These types of doors are not meant for continuous use. In fact, most are equipped with the following options that only activate during an emergency situation:

  • Smoke detectors
  • Release devices
  • Perimeter gasketing
  • Vision Lites
  • Powerdercoat
  • VIBRATECH (a quiet close option)

Depending on your type of business, you may be required to install doors with a certain level of fire resistance. Hospitals are prime examples of where these types of doors are a necessity and a requirement. 

Lock It Up

You’ve invested your time, money, and energy into a commercial business. You definitely don’t want bugs, weather, insulation concerns, or safety issues to impact your daily operations in any way.

To rest easy and know that your company or business is safe in your absence – a commercial overhead door will pacify your worry. With all of the different options available, these types of doors have become the literal gatekeepers to our businesses and warehouses.

Installing the right type of door(s) may seem overwhelming, but finding a door that is durable, reliable, and safe is a must.

Find a company with extensive knowledge between the differences of the various commercial overhead doors and outsource to a professional that can help diagnose your business needs.

After you ‘close the door behind you’, do so knowing that your business is protected with a door you trust.

All About Dock Seals

all-about-dock-sealsFor many businesses, the loading dock is where it all happens. It’s a bustling hub of activity where packages are shipped, received and disseminated. A loading dock’s efficiency is directly related to the quality of its parts, and this includes accessories such as dock seals.

What are loading dock seals?

Loading dock seals are used to seal the envelope between the truck and the loading dock itself. The seal must be high-quality and durable to do its job right, and when the seal isn’t tight, the outcome will directly affect worker efficiency, product quality and can even jeopardize safety.

A good loading dock seal:

Are dock seals the same thing as dock shelters?

Sometimes, clients use the terms dock seal and dock shelter interchangeably when, in fact, they are two separate things. Loading dock shelters do not fit quite as tight and are designed to provide more flexibility in terms of truck and/or trailer size. As a result, the shelters don’t offer the same level of protection as dock seals.

Dock seals, on the other hand, create a much tighter fit between the dock, warehouse, and trailer. Other loading dock accessories, like loading dock levelers, can be used to achieve a better fit between different size truck trailers and the dock seal as well. When loading dock accessories are installed and used correctly, dock seals provide the best protection for your products and employees.

How do I know my loading dock seals need repair or replacement?

Like all equipment that endures heavy-duty impact, loading dock seals require routine inspection and maintenance. You can make these routine inspections a part of your warehouse manager’s duties or you can contract it out to a local industrial door company. These inspections and routine maintenance appointments are worth the extra investment because they extend the life of your loading dock and its accessories, and they ensure equipment/parts are repaired, adjusted, and lubricated before they malfunction.

Even so, seals will begin to show signs of wear and tear over time. If you notice gaps in between the dock seal and appropriately positioned trucks and/or the warehouse, it probably needs repair or replacement. Similarly, if you notice your dock seal is leaking, allowing cold/hot air to escape or infiltrate or that unloaded/warehoused boxes seem to be more damp than usual, there’s a chance a leaky or malfunctioning seal is the cause. Any obvious signs of breakage should be reported immediately.

Loading dock seals improve worker safety and reduce injuries

High-quality and routinely maintained loading dock seals improve worker safety because they minimize the impact of water, weather, and debris that can lead to slip-and-fall or forklift injuries. These accidents often cause serious or even fatal injuries, not to mention reduced productivity, missed time off work and increased workers comp costs. The large majority of loading dock injuries occur within close proximity to the trailer back, the loading dock and the warehouse entrance – and most of them are preventable.

Another important thing to remember is that loading dock seal warranties are often void if warehouse owners can’t provide documentation proving they were maintained as per manufacturer’s instructions. In worst case scenarios, failure to prove you’ve maintained loading dock equipment that is cited as cause for a workplace injury can result in a lawsuit and serious financial penalties.

Don’t let a simple lapse in maintenance or repairs have a negative impact on your company. Contact R&S and schedule a free, on-site consultation. We’ll be happy to provide a free quote for repair and replacement parts, and we can also discuss enrolling you in our maintenance program so your maintenance needs are taken care of automatically.

Benefits of a Strip Door

benefits-of-a-strip-door

Is your company looking for ways to cut costs, provide a comfortable and safe environment for warehouse employees, regulate temperatures or protect valuable products from the elements and other forms of contamination? Sounds like it would benefit from a strip door.

Strip doors assist warehouse function and business owners in a variety of ways. Typically made from durable, PVC plastic, the tough strips provide a barrier between two spaces that are normally separated by a solid door. The difference is that unlike a door that is opened and closed to gain entrance or egress, the strip doors can be passed through via foot, vehicle or forklift.

Give Your Rolling Metal Doors a Break and Install a Strip Door

Even the highest quality rolling metal doors need a break once in a while since overuse causes wear and tear that leads to more frequent maintenance, repair and/or replacement. Also, any time wasted waiting for a door to go up or descend is time employees could use being more productive. Strip doors provide all of the same benefits of a closed steel door (sans off-hours security, of course), which makes them an ideal solution during working hours.

Here are some of the benefits of installing strip doors in the right locations.

Strip doors save on energy costs

Have a busy loading or shipping bay? Odds are employees prefer to have the door open at all times so they can keep working. This makes it impossible to maintain consistent – not to mention comfortable – interior temperatures, especially during the hottest and coldest times of year.

Your PVC strip door will provide impressive insulation value, as well as protection from the elements. The strips part easily when people or vehicles pass through and then fall back into place, creating an insulating barrier between exterior and interior spaces. The result is less wear and tear on your HVAC system and higher annual energy savings.

Protect the integrity of your products

Just as people are susceptible to the elements, so are products, machinery and equipment. Strip doors make excellent barriers to improve quality control for your products. In cases where they’re installed between indoor and outdoor locations, strip doors provide improved regularity in regards to temperature, weather and humidity fluctuations. In interior locations, they can provide a more clean and sanitary environment for products that are particularly sensitive to dirt, dust or exposure to environmental particulate matter.

Keep fridge and freezer temps more consistent

Dealing with the cumbersome cooler and freezer room doors is difficult for employees in busy kitchens or food production and storage facilities. Yet, keeping a door propped open can raise temperatures to a level that compromises the inventory or violates food safety regulations. Strip doors are the answer. Simply choose a strip door model that provides the level of insulation you need and employees will notice a drastic difference.

Contain odors and noise

The good news about wide-span metal buildings is that production equipment and materials sizing is a non-issue. The bad part is that any building where design and manufacturing take place in the same area, or where office personnel need to do their jobs amidst noising construction, makes employees susceptible to noise volumes or odor levels that are intolerable.

You can use PVC strip doors to better contain sound and certain odors to a smaller area, providing peace of mind to employees elsewhere in the space. There are plenty of other uses for strip doors, including:

Strip doors are easy to clean and maintain, and will also save maintenance costs for the steel doors that take their place during the off hours. Contact R&S to learn more about strip doors and to choose the right version for your business’s needs.

R&S Erection of Concord, Inc.

2424 Bates Ave. Concord , CA 94520
(925) 671-7606 Fax: (925) 671-7621
License # 667038

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925-671-7606

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