Learning About Manufacturing In Different Places

The overhead doors on your building serve different purposes, and if you are installing a new door or replacing several old ones, getting the right door for your needs is important. The type of door you select can be related to what you are using the door for, as well as the style and look of the door. 

Garage-Style Doors

Often an overhead door for a loading dock is a standard door but larger. The door spends as much time open as it does closed, so security is less of a concern than the ability to open and close the door easily. The door may be cumbersome, and most dock doors do not roll back along the ceiling like a garage door, so the tracks need to work correctly, and the springs and cables that hold the door up must be in good working order.

Metal Roll-Up Doors

These metal overhead doors roll into a box above the door and are made from heavy steel panels. To open and close the door, there is a chain that turns a gear set inside the box to give you the leverage you need to move it. The steel door is extremely strong, so they provide a good option for security, but because they are so heavy, they are not a great option in an area where the door is going to have to open and close multiple times a day. 

Steel doors are also rated for fire protection and are sometimes used to block a section of the building off in an emergency, but you need to make sure to ask the door company about the protection level of the door when you are considering one. If you need a specific protection level in your facility, the door manufacturer may be able to make a custom door for you, or they may have a different model in stock that meets your needs. 

Doors With Windows

Some shops install large overhead doors with glass windows in them to allow light in so they can see out through the door when it is closed. These doors are nice, but you have to have a structure that can carry the extra weight of the door and the glass. If you are looking for doors with windows in them, the door company you are working with is the best resource. They can find the right door to fit your shop or dock and install it for you. 

Reach out to companies like American Material Handling, Inc. for more information about overhead doors.