Differences Between Commercial Garage Doors and Residential Ones

Garage doors are found in two broad categories, residential doors and commercial doors. Commercial garage doors are used in a wide range of industries from the hospitality business, warehouses, retail stores and factories to office buildings and institutions. In order to find the door that most suits your needs, it is important to understand the core differences between these two types of garage doors.

Strength And Durability

Commercial garage doors are heavy duty and built to withstand rigorous and frequent use. They are also exposed to more risks of dents and thus come with harder structures. These doors are built to last long while requiring minimal maintenance. On the other hand, residential garage doors are less durable when compared to the commercial options. While there are some residential doors that are made to withstand plenty of use and natural elements, they still cannot match the durability of commercial garage doors. Every single component of a commercial door from its springs to ball bearings are built to suit the heavy and constant demands of their function. They are also expected to offer maximum protection from intruders and weather elements.

Size And Weight

This is another distinctive feature between the two. Standard residential garage doors come with heights of 7 ft. or even less. They are also built to handle one to two cars. On the other hand commercial garage doors are far taller and wider to offer more clearance space for big trucks and high stacked products. They also tend to be heavier limiting their operation without garage openers. This is in contrast to residential garages which can easily be handled manually by one person.

Design And Style

The design on commercial doors is more utilitarian. Much emphasis is placed on efficiency and the work at hand than on aesthetics. You will find most of them in plain design with the occasional raised panels and some addition of glass. However, there will not be any ornate designs as is the effort and variety available for residential garage doors. Residential garage doors try to match functionality and beauty and give the home owner options to find a suitable match to the house. Commercial garage doors also tend to mostly be overhead doors. There are few side sliding and swinging options with preference shown to space saving doors.

Materials Used

Residential doors are available in a wide range of materials from wood, wood composite, fiberglass, steel, aluminum and others. These makes them lighter and very easy to decorate. Commercial doors are typically made only from galvanized steel or aluminum and mostly insulated. This is what gives them the toughness and heavy duty nature.

Cost And Savings

Installing a commercial door is expensive given the materials used, the fortification and added features. The large size of the panels also contributes to the overall costs. They are thus costlier to set up compared to residential doors. They are however, costs saving in the long run with less repairs and a longer lifespan compared to residential garage doors.
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