Are you looking for a commercial garage door for your newly constructed building? Or, do you need one to remodel your existing property? Whether it is for a new building or renovation, it is greatly important to choose the right garage door that meets the needs of your building or your establishment.  

 

The first thing you have to do when buying a new garage door is choosing between a sectional door and roll-up door. No one is better than the other. Each of them has its benefits that can showcase when installing in proper applications.

 

In this article, we will help you decide what type of a garage door to choose by giving you information on how each differs from one another using different categories;

 

 

1. Performance

 

A garage door serves as the biggest opening of your building. Thus, it needs to be able to surpass its daily wear and tear. So, one of the most important things you have to consider when deciding a garage door is how heavy the traffic will come through.  

 

Roll-up doors are not designed to use for heavy traffic. But, this type of garage door can function for high cycle applications. Some roll-up doors can even function up until 1 million cycles. On the other hand, sectional garage doors do not come with high cycle function, but some manufacturers give an option of using special springs that allow sectional garage doors to perform up to 100,000 cycles.

 

It might sound nice to hear that your garage door can perform high cycles, but if it is not necessary, remember, having more is not always a better idea.

 

 

2. Materials

 

The materials used in a garage door vary depending on the manufacturer. 

In general, sectional garage doors are mostly available in steel, though there are also doors that available in aluminum. Roll-up doors can be available in different materials; aluminum, stainless steel, and steel.

 

 

3. Designs and Finishes

 

Sectional garage doors can come in many designs and can have pre-finished painted, powder-coated or anodized aluminum. On the other hand, roll-up doors are only available with one visual design, horizontal lines. But, they can take many kinds of finishes like aluminum clear, powder-coated steel and many more.

 

 

4. Door Mounting

 

Mounting a garage door varies depending on the location of the space. While a sectional garage door can be installed in many ways (standard lift, full vertical lift, high lift or low headroom)that can fit your specific needs, a rolling garage door can only be mounted facing the wall.

 

Mounting a sectional garage door depends mainly on the door’s style. If a vertical lift is used to mount a sectional door, it will require a lot of headroom. But, if the door is installed low headroom, it may require most backroom. On the other hand, mounting a roll-up garage face-wall needs headroom right over the doorway because it scrolls up to the shaft. Furthermore, a roll-up garage requires professional lifting equipment to complete its installation.  

 

 

5. Sizes

 

Both garage doors can be fitted in any customized door opening. However, if you prefer a garage door with larger openings, roll-up doors can easily be customized. While roll-up doors can be customized with the accurate dimension required, sectional doors only follow fixed increments. The size of the increments for the sectional door is 2’’ for its width and 3’’ for its height.

 

Furthermore, the slats differ for each garage door. A roll-up door can have up to 2 5/8” high slats and a sectional door can have various sections (18”, 21” or 24” high).

 

 

6. Maintenance

 

While installation can be done once, maintenance is an event that needs to be done regularly, both for a sectional door and a roll-up door. Since roll-up doors have lesser movable parts, they require minimal maintenance. The same goes for modern sectional doors.

 

 

7. R-Value

 

R-value for a garage door means the door’s level of resistance against the flow of heat or insulation. In this category, sectional doors are more attractive than a roll-up door. Sectional doors can have up to 22.2 R-value while a roll-up door can only have up to 8 R-value.

 

 

8. Security

 

In terms of security, basic designs and parts do not guarantee a maximum level of security. A sectional door is known to be sturdy because of its design, providing it with a high level of protection. But if not installed properly and uses a basic locking system, it can a become weak spot and a good target for intruders.

 

Let Us Help You!

As you can see, both sectional doors and roll-up doors have their benefits. Knowing and understand the needs of your opening and establishment are necessary for choosing a garage door. But, in case you want to know more information about these two types of garage door, you can contact Inland Overheard Door Company. Fortunately, we offer both sectional and roll-up doors and we are here to help you decide the best garage door for your building.