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 doors work and when it makes sense to choose one over sectional.
Sectional Steel Doors: How They Work
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’s 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’s inaccessible every time the security door is open. When retracted, these doors also block commercial lighting or fire sprinklers. Business owners looking to get maximum utility from their storage space may prefer a roll up door instead.
Steel Roll Up Doors: How They Work
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.
Steel Roll Up Doors vs. Sectional Garage Door
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?
Sectional doors have the advantage when it comes to heating and insulation properties, so for businesses that require strict temperature controls (either hot or cold), we recommend these instead of steel roll up doors. If you would like to let natural light in, look for a sectional door that has window openings.
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.
In contrast, 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.
Get professional advice when shopping for your next security door: call or visit Overhead Door of Oklahoma City today.
