If you need a new service door, you should know steel offers strength and security. But, should you choose sectional or roll-up? Learn how steel roll-up and sectional doors work and when it makes sense to choose one over the other.
What is a Sectional Steel Garage Door?
Sectional steel doors are made up of larger heavy-duty horizontal panels that are connected to curve as it retracts and closes. Sectional steel doors, many of which come with insulation on the inside, are a top pick for businesses that need a reliable yet economic security door. These doors have sections or panels. The door retracts, either along a curve so it is parallel with ground level when raised or straight overhead when interior ceilings are tall enough to accommodate this.
One disadvantage of doors that curve along tracks is that you can’t use all of the overhead space, because it is inaccessible every time the security door is open. When retracted, these doors also block commercial lighting or fire sprinklers.
What is a Roll-Up Garage Door?
A steel roll -up door has much smaller sections, typically individual slats of steel or another metal. The slats coil over each other around a drum for compact storage. Picture a tube of wrapping paper, where the paper is wrapped around the supporting cardboard drum, and you should have a good visual of what it looks like when a steel roll up door is raised. When raised, the steel roll-up door is still overhead; however, roll up doors are more space efficient than sectionals.
By varying slats, curtains, or colors, you can create an ideal rolling door for your commercial space.
Where are Roll-Up & Sectional Garage Doors Usually Used?
Both roll-up and sectional garage doors are most commonly used in commercial and industrial applications. Their increased durability and ease-of-use makes them ideal for situations where they are used frequently such as car shop doors, security grilles, service doors, fire rated doors, and more.
Steel Roll-Up Doors vs. Sectional Garage Doors
Since both roll-up and sectional doors are available in steel, both provide superior protection against natural and man-made threats. The question then becomes is a sectional or roll-up better for your commercial business?
Advantages of Sectional Garage Doors
Sectional garage doors have a few key advantages over roll up garage doors, especially when it comes to style and energy efficiency. Some of these advantage include:
- Energy efficiency: Due to the larger sections and pieces that make up sectional garage doors, they are typically made with heavy-duty insulated materials that provide better protection against hot and cold environments. Businesses that require strict temperature controls will find that sectional garage doors are the perfect fit for them.
- Window openings: Those who value aesthetics and style are better suited for sectional garage doors as they can be fitted with window openings that add more style and let in more natural light.
Advantages of Roll-Up Garage Doors
Made with ease-of-use at the forefront, roll up doors have a few advantages over sectional doors. Some of these include:
- Better security: Roll-up doors have a slight security advantage: the interlocking metal slats create a stronger door. Furthermore, roll-up doors don’t have springs, which need to be maintained for proper operation.
- Less maintenance: Sectional doors could have as many as forty parts requiring lubrication and maintenance to work properly. The springs and cables on sectional doors may degrade over time or with frequent usage. Wear and tear can cause a spring or cable to fail, so that the door slams shut. This could put workers at risk. While maintenance can keep all the parts of your sectional door in good working order, some businesses prefer to install roll-up doors because they are lower maintenance.
- Saves more space: When retracted, roll-up garage doors do just that – they roll up instead of going up a track. This saves a lot of space in your garage, which can be especially useful for smaller areas or areas with smoke detectors or sprinklers so they are not covered up by a retracted garage door. Business owners looking to get maximum utility from their storage space may prefer a roll-up door over a sectional door.
PowderGuard® Premium powder coat finish options are available in approximately 200 colors as well as custom matching to specification. PowderGuard® Textured finish, a thicker, more scratch resistant coat, is available in 11 colors providing enhanced scratch resistance as well as aiding in hiding the dirt and blemishes that often occur in commercial environments.
Can You Paint a Roll-Up Garage Door?
Just like any other garage door type, roll-up garage doors can be painted and customized to suit your style and needs. Overhead Door Company of Oklahoma City has a wide variety of colors and styles for rolling garage doors, but they can also be repainted after the installation. When painting a metal garage door, make sure you use a durable and high quality polyurethane paint and sand the door down beforehand so the paint can better adhere to the door.
Can Roll-Up Garage Doors Be Insulated?
While most roll-up garage doors sacrifice insulation for ease-of-use and economy, Overhead Door Company of Oklahoma City offers a line of insulated heavy-duty rolling doors. If your rolling door is not insulated during the manufacturing process, there are a few quick and easy DIY options you can do after the installation. Using polyethylene foam or another insulate material, you can adhere it to the rolling garage door for increased insulation and energy efficiency. For more information on insulating a rolling garage door, check out this useful guide from HVAC Seer.
Ready for Your Next Roll-Up or Sectional Garage Door?
Get professional advice when shopping for your next security door: call or visit Overhead Door of Oklahoma City toda
