Tips for Finding the Ideal Commercial Garage Door System

Are you going to be renovating your business’s commercial building or building a new structure? You’ll find that adding garage doors can be a great idea. However, you need to be sure you are choosing the right doors to get their full benefits.

There are certain things that you will need to consider before you buy the commercial garage door operators.

We want to help you make the right choices. Below, you will learn more about commercial garage door operators, which can help you when you are choosing a model for your building.

LiftMaster MT garage door opener

What do you think of trolley garage door operators? This is the LiftMaster MT model.

Are Commercial and Residential Garage Doors Different?

Even though they both open and close, you will find that in residential and commercial garage doors there are some major differences. When it comes to residential garage doors, you will find that the materials and design of the garage doors are often about aesthetics as much as functionality. Commercial garage doors are all about function. Let’s get a closer look at some differences.

Door Size and Weight

Typically, commercial garage doors will be larger and weigh more than doors on a home garage. The larger size is because they need to provide more space for loading and unloading materials at the business. Since they are heavier, it means that the system needs to be heavy-duty and capable of handling the added weight.

Daily Cycles

Size is not the only difference. You will find that the operation cycle each day will be higher for commercial doors. After all, you might open your home garage door just two times a day. This is 10,000 cycles over 13 years. A commercial garage door will often open and close multiple times each day, including overnight.

Busy distribution centers will see even more use. It might open and close 25 to 50 times per day. That’s a lot of cycles over a year. Therefore, power and energy efficiency are important to consider when choosing a commercial garage door operator.

Horsepower

The amount of horsepower that’s needed for the door will vary based on how the door is being used and its size. Naturally, commercial doors that see a lot of use will need to have more horsepower than a residential door because of the size and the number of times it’s being used.

Here are some loading dock doors. These garage doors are the G-1000, 8' x 8', Heron Blue by Garaga.

These are loading dock garage doors. They are the G-1000, 8’ x 8’, in Heron Blue by Garaga.

Commercial Door Operators

You’ll find two electric garage door opener categories: trolley and jackshaft. Which one is right for you? It will depend on where the operator needs to be placed—the ceiling or wall. Let’s look at each.

Trolley

If the operator is suspended from the ceiling, this system will work best. The operator will often be at the rail’s far end and placed central to the door. This rail features a trolley that connects to the door. It rides on the trolley to lift the door. These are often used for standard lift doors by pulling the door horizontally.

Jackshaft

Another term for the jackshaft is a wall-mounted garage operator. These will be installed to the side of the door. They work using rotational force that turns the torsion bar. This causes the door to lift and lower. It can be used with all types of door movements, unlike the trolley system.

Here is the LiftMaster GH garage door opener and the LiftMaster LJ8900W (jackshaft) garage door opener

What are these two garage door operators? On the left is the GH and the jackshaft LJ8900W is on the right.

It’s time that you check out models of garage door operators from LiftMaster now that you have a better understanding of how they work.

What Does Your Business Need?

How are you going to be using the door? How important is the door’s construction? How much can you spend? Do you need to have multiple doors? You need to consider all of these things when you are choosing door operators.

What are the requirements you need? You’ll find that the industry you are in, the construction of the building, and traffic at the site will all be important to consider when you are choosing a garage door and operator.

Although cost is important, you will find that the quality of the door is more important. You need to be sure it’s the right solution for your needs.

Condos and Apartment Buildings

You need to consider the number of units you have at your property. This will give you an idea of the number of cycles per day. If you have a large building with 100 occupants with cars, you can expect that there will be 200 cycles per day.

Keep in mind that the number of operation cycles can influence how much horsepower you need. Naturally, this can affect the cost of the commercial garage door operator, as well.

It’s also important to have a timer-to-close feature and a pneumatic reversing sensing edge. The pneumatic sensing edge is a hose that goes along the door’s bottom weatherstripping. This will let the door’s sensor system force the door upward if it touches something on the way down. It’s an important safety feature.

Car Dealers and Municipal Garages

You will find jackshaft operators are a good solution for these types of buildings. They don’t obstruct the ceiling, which can provide more storage space. There are a couple of accessories that could be beneficial to use, as well.

● The loop detector will detect when vehicles pass the sensor, which will cause the garage door to open. Most of the time, these will be installed before the paving is applied.

● A mid-stop will ensure the garage door doesn’t open all the way if it’s not needed. This can be beneficial for those who want to open the door to ventilate or heat the building.

Car Washes

Some car washes will have garage doors, which can help with security or even for insulation. Garage door operators that are used in those locations need to be water-resistant because of the level of humidity that they will face. Too much humidity could cause problems with the electronics.

Consider your location, building materials, and environment to make sure you are choosing the right option. This will ensure that you get the right equipment and accessories for the garage.

Firehouse Garages

Most firehouses will have garage doors with glass fronts. Have you ever wondered why? It’s because the firefighters need to get out quickly, and this provides them with added visibility.

This full view garage door is a G-4400, 14' x 16', Anodized extrusion.

Here is a firehouse garage door G-4400, 14’ x 16’, Anodized extrusion.

Of course, other requirements need to be met for these types of garage doors and operators. The doors need to be high-quality, as do the operators. After all, firefighters need to be able to move as quickly as possible.

Here is a blog from FireRescue1. This is a firefighter community network. It details the benefits of the smart garage door operators from LiftMaster and what a difference they can make.

The biggest benefits, according to the post, include:

● Theft and vandalism protection

● Safety of equipment and personnel at the station

Another way firefighters increase their speed is through the wall control panel. This will allow all of the garage doors to open at the same time from using just the wall panel. This ensures they can all get out of the station as fast as possible.

Warehouses and Other Commercial Structures

Industry type can make a difference when you are choosing a garage door opener. You have to think about the size of the load that will be stored, for example. Again, consider how many times you will have to open and close the garage door throughout an average day.

What’s right for you? The best option is to talk with a professional that can help you select a model that’s perfect for your building.

Ready to Learn More?

Figuring out what you need can be difficult. The tips and information above should help you to have at least a basic understanding of what you need and what you have to think about. If you need to update the garage door operators at your current building, or if you have a new project, we can help. You’ll find that we have operators and a range of commercial doors that can work for any type of business.

Check out the image gallery to see some projects. You can also talk with one of our professionals to get answers to all of your questions. We can help you make the right decision.

Contact us by calling 1-888-754-0357. You could also visit us in person if you would like. We can talk about your project and then provide you with a quotation via email!

Here is the garage door opener LiftMaster GT model

Here is the LiftMaster GT model, trolley garage door operator that can work well for many industries in need of a heavy-duty solution.

Installation

If you feel you know the right electric garage door operators, you still need to consider installation. A certified garage door expert that has the experience and equipment needed is your best solution. It will ensure your door is working properly.

Safety is important. The technicians at Seacoast Overhead Door Inc. can install what you need and get you up in running.

LiftMaster garage door operator models for commercial garage doors can be a great solution. They have security features that help to ensure your safety. Check out the options and figure out what’s right for you.

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