Why use sectional doors?
When it comes to our business properties, many of us want to ensure that they are secure, protected and insulated, including all entrance ways and exits. If you run a business centred within the industrial or commercial transport and manufacturing sectors, chances are you’ll need a fleet of vehicles to come and go quickly and efficiently. And, if this is the case, you probably have an industrial door installed.
There are many commercial doors available. From roller shutters to steel hinged doors, many businesses need an industrial door to secure stock and provide access to and from the property with goods, particularly high volume and fast-paced warehouses. Although a lot of industrial doors are applied to many different businesses, those who need these specific types of doors will often opt for a sectional door to do the job.
In this blog, we explore everything to do with sectional doors for a business premises, including what they are, the benefits and how they work.
What is a sectional overhead door and how does it work?
A sectional door, also known as a sectional overhead door, is a form of an industrial door but can also be a sectional garage door for many domestic properties. Essentially, they both work in the same way but an industrial door will have more features to suit a commercial environment, such as different materials to ensure strength or window panels to let in light.
A sectional overhead door opens vertically rather than outward horizontally and can operate within a limited space. The main door panel will slide up on a track and rails and collect in one of two ways. Either the door can potentially fold, slide up vertically and collect on the ceiling above or, if the commercial property is large and tall, the door can simply slide straight up vertically on a track and rail.
In terms of design, sectional doors are extremely flexible, which is why many businesses choose to have them installed. Whether you’re in need of windows on your industrial doors, a human access door on the side or you’re simply after a thicker material for ultimate protection, a sectional door can be manufactured to specific designs to suit your premises and budget. Today, there are a multitude of possibilities when it comes to choosing your industrial sectional door.
When might you need an industrial sectional garage door?
Similar to the number of design possibilities, there are also many workplaces and environments that a sectional door can be applied to. Here are a few examples of industries that might need a sectional garage door:
● Agricultural - from storing heavy farm vehicles and machinery to trading farmed goods such as meat, dairy or harvested produce, a sectional door can keep vehicles safe and perishable produce contained.
● Commercial - many commercial and wholesale warehouses have an area around the back to enable deliveries to come and go. A sectional door lends itself to this environment.
● Industrial - from food manufacturing to automotive production lines, many industrial premises feature a transport section to give or receive trade. A sectional door lifts quickly and vertically, getting out of the way of lorries and products.
● Retail - high street shops or retail parks often have an area around the back of the shop fronts to receive stock deliveries and sectional doors allow employees to look out to see when the delivery has arrived as well as operate the door and receive stock quickly.
Essentially, if your business deals with a high volume of produce, has a quick turnaround of stock and has a fleet of commercial vehicles, chances are you’ll need an industrial door. If this is the case, definitely consider a sectional door today.
Key features of a sectional door
As previously mentioned, a sectional door is very versatile and there are so many features that can be applied to the door. This includes various options for manual and automatic operations, remote controls or push-button controls, and adding in a door for pedestrian access which can easily be applied during the manufacture and supply stages. As well as this, they can also be fitted with anti-fall-back devices, additional insulation and noise protection materials and safety edges too.
The benefits of a sectional door for your commercial property
There are many reasons as to why business owners choose sectional doors for their commercial property. Here are the main benefits of choosing a sectional door:
Energy-efficient and consistent temperatures
If your business is looking to become energy efficient and better for the environment, sectional industrial doors are the way to go. These doors will effectively control internal temperatures and are insulated, meaning excess energy won’t escape, therefore helping the planet and saving money on your energy bills too.
If your business property requires access from vehicles or people, whether in the summer or winter, it’s important that temperatures are regulated and maintained in order to provide comfortable working temperatures for your staff. Where old fashioned doors might release excess energy and allow heat to escape, sectional doors, as a standard, are well-insulated and there are designs with thicker panels for all your insulation needs.
Due to the fact that they are well-insulated, noise levels are kept to a minimum. This might not be a problem for many companies based in a noisy industrial area, but otherwise, noise pollution should be kept to a minimum - in retail and residential areas in particular. Because of these thicker materials and insulation, sectional doors are good at regulating noise levels.
If your warehouse space is limited and your door is taking up too much room or interfering with pedestrians or vehicles, maybe a sectional door is the one for you. An industrial sectional door takes up very little room when it’s opened as the door moves upwards into the ceiling. This is definitely helpful to avoid vehicle damage and storage worries.
If your workplace is dark and gloomy or is too brightly lit with fluorescent lights that give your employees a headache, it may be time to think about other options for your business. Lighting problems can lead to low motivation levels and a dip in productivity levels also, so aim to bring in natural light from the outside as much as possible. This may be difficult in a warehouse or area with industrial doors but there are solutions. Sectional overhead doors have the option to have single or multi-panel windows installed into the door, which allows for natural light to enter the premises and help those working in those environments to experience the outdoors.
