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Your business is coming together, and soon it’ll be ready to open and operate. But first, you need to choose the right commercial door for the job.
The SBA estimates that more than 600,000 new businesses open each year. If you’re opening one of them, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got the equipment you need to succeed. Taking a new business from opening to profitability is much easier when everything is running smoothly.
As you buy equipment and hire workers, it’s easy to let your commercial doors become an afterthought. But in many businesses, your commercial doors will get used every day, and are an important part of operations. With the wrong kind of door, things can get held up, reducing your ability to meet client demands.
Make sure you choose the right commercial door for your company by reading this guide first!
How Commercial Doors Differ from Residential Doors
It’s tempting to think that just any old door will work. But in a business, your needs are different than in a home.
The size is an obvious different: many commercial doors need to be bigger than those used in residential locations. However, the use is also very different for a commercial door.
For example, if you’re buying a door for a loading dock, you need one that can withstand being opened and closed far more often in a given day than a residential door. It might also need to stand up to accidental collisions from heavy equipment like forklifts.
Most commercial doors are thicker than residential ones, and have insulation to maintain energy efficiency. If you have a temperature-controlled building, you’ll want to be sure that heat or cool air isn’t getting lost through the door.
You’ll also need a door that resists dents and bending in case there’s a collision. The hardware also needs to be more durable, as does the lift function on a commercial garage door. Basically, they need to be able to stand up to heavy, frequent use over many years.
Choosing the Best Commercial Door Style
Which type of commercial door will best meet your needs? It depends on the nature of your business. Here are a few of the most common commercial door types.
High-Speed
If you have a lot of traffic going in and out of a door, a high-speed option can make things more efficient. They also help prevent temperature loss by reducing the amount of time for outside air to get in, and vice versa. They can even reduce the transfer of dirt from outside to inside your business.
Garage
An overhead garage door is necessary for warehouses and any business with a loading dock. In fact, if your company needs a large door opening for any reason, the garage door is a good fit.
However, there’s also more than one kind of garage door. For example, you can choose between a steel roll-up door and a sectional door. Some companies make garage doors in all different sizes to meet the exact needs of your business.
Since these doors are large, you’ll probably want an insulated option if you need to control the temperature inside in any way. If you’re going to be running a showroom space or a space where visibility matters, consider a see-through, full-visibility garage door to let light in and showcase your products.
Storefront
If you’ll be opening a retail space, you’ll need a storefront door. These can come in many different styles, although they don’t generally need to be as big as a garage door.
Your storefront door needs to be attractive, since it’s one of the first things customers will see when they arrive. They also need to be durable, since they’ll be opening and closing hundreds of times a day, potentially. Finally, they should be easy to repair in case of damage or wear and tear.
Fire
Fire doors are a requirement if you’re running a company. They offer a way for customers and employees to get out in the event of a fire, and they also help block the fire from spreading. You should also consider installing doors that will close whenever a fire alarm goes off, to help contain the fire.
Other Commercial Doors
There are other commercial door styles, but most of these have specialty uses. For example, you can get cold-storage doors if you’re operating a climate-controlled space that needs to maintain a certain low temperature. Or, you can use a grill instead of a door for complete visibility and security. The right choice will depend on your business, and you’ll probably need to install different kinds of doors in different areas.
Choosing the Best Commercial Door Material
There are a few materials that are commonly chosen for commercial doors, for good reason. Chances are, you’ll want one of these for your business’s doors.
Glass doors are more durable than you might think: they even resist dents. Of course, they do shatter under enough force. But they give a sleek, attractive look to a space like a showroom.
Aluminum doors have a similarly modern, appealing look. You can also choose many different colors or textures for the finish. However, they’ll quickly dent under pressure.
Fiberglass doors are limited in insulation value, but they also resist corrosion from salt in the air. You can paint them or choose a number of different finishes, even faux wood.
Finally, steel doors are ideal for strength and durability. They don’t require much maintenance, and they’re easy to insulate.
Choosing the Best Commercial Door Company
Now that you have an idea of what kind of commercial door to choose, you need to pick the best company to install it.
Experience and reputation are two of the most important factors to consider. If the brand has a track record of doing good work, they’re probably a good choice for you.
If you need a great source of commercial doors and installation services, we’ve got you covered. Check out our work gallery to see more about what we can do.
