How to Select the Best Roll Up Door for Your New Project

Choosing a Steel Roll-up Door

Selecting a residential, industrial, or commercial roll-up door in such a saturated market can be tough work! That's why we've made choosing the best roll up door for your new project efficient with 4 simple steps. By following these steps along with our Door Comparison Chart , you can make an overwhelming selection process easy.

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4 Steps for Selecting the Best Steel Roll-up Door

Step 1: Determine the Size of the Finished Opening

Because different doors have specific size restrictions and requirements, determining the size of the finished opening will be the first step in narrowing down your selection. With an extensive variety of options and sizes, our largest commercial door is 20' wide and 18' tall.

Here's how to determine the size of the finished opening:

• Measure your rough opening size. This is the width and height of the finished opening area.
• Measure for side room. This is the area required on each side of the door for installation of the guides.
• Measure for head room. This will be a measurement from the top of the door to the ceiling, or nearest obstruction.
• Check backroom from face of door jamb. Measure the clearance from the inside edge of the jamb to the wall or nearest obstruction

Step 2: Identify the Application

The application of your project will help determine which type of door fits your needs best. For example, you typically won't need the strongest door on the market for a backyard shed. Where a shed can be equipped with a light duty door, industrial settings require a medium-heavy duty door that will be better equipped to resist the wear and tear associated with it's application.

The biggest difference between light duty, medium duty, and heavy duty doors is the gauge and depth of their guides. A stronger guide allows the door to handle more frequent and demanding operations. For more information on the duty of doors, check out our blog, 'The Key Difference Between Light, Medium, and Heavy Duty Steel Doors'.

Step 3: Consider the Environment

Specific locations have different building and safety codes and requirements. To learn more about codes in your area, check out the International Building Code produced by the International Code Council. Commercial roll-up doors can be constructed to resist severe wind pressures and the impact from flying debris.

Wind Load Certified doors are often required in coastal regions. Different codes include the Florida Building Code, Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), and Miami Dade. We have a variety of wind load rated doors to meet various building codes and regulations.

• Impact Rated Doors are designed to stand strong during forceful pressures and impacts from flying debris. Our Impacted Rated models consist of the 850, 3100 IM, and the 3400.

Step 4: Estimate the Frequency of Use

If the door is going to be used frequently, motor options could be a beneficial addition to your project. Not only will they add a convenience to operating your door with ease and efficiency, but they can actually increase the life time value of your door by operating at optimal levels each use. A variety of motor operations are available to fit your specific door and application.

We hope these resources are beneficial to narrowing your search for that dream door. However, if you need more help selecting the right door for your project, don't hesitate to contact an industry expert!