Commercial Garage Door Installation

22

commercial door installs in our records since 2018

57

commercial operator jobs since 2018

12

of those operators went in with a new door

Counted from G Brothers’ own Housecall Pro job records, 2018 to 2026.

Insulated commercial garage doors

An insulated commercial garage door is a steel sectional door with a foam core, or a rolling steel door with foam-filled slats, built for a bay that is heated or cooled: a shop, a service bay, a warehouse with staff on the floor or an office behind the door. A big opening in a heated building loses heat every time it runs and every hour it sits closed through a Denver winter, so an insulated door is the usual choice for a heated bay, and plain steel suits a bay that is never heated. When you compare insulated doors, look at the U-factor, not only the R-value:

• U-factor rates the whole door. A lab measures it on a complete, installed door under the ANSI/DASMA 105 test, with the section joints, stiles, track and weather seals in place. The lower the number, the less heat the door lets through.

• R-value rates one section. It is worked out from the foam's type and thickness and leaves out the joints and stiles, which can carry heat around the foam. DASMA's data sheet on the two ratings says they are not comparable and, for garage doors, are not reciprocals of each other.

• Energy codes ask for U-factor. Codes such as the International Energy Conservation Code set a maximum U-factor for doors on commercial buildings, and the test they name is ANSI/DASMA 105. Your architect or the city's plan review will tell you the figure your building has to meet.

• Seals matter as much as foam. Air leakage is tested apart from the U-factor. Bottom, top and jamb seals that close the gaps, and a door that sits square in its track and meets a level floor, keep the warm air in. A gap at the floor undoes much of what the insulation does.

Sectional doors take the thickest insulation and suit most heated bays. A rolling steel door with insulated slats fits where the ceiling has no room for track. On the site visit we look at how the bay is heated, how often the door runs and what the opening allows, then recommend the door, its seals and the operator together. The sectional vs rolling steel guide in the common questions below covers the trade-offs between the two. Sources: DASMA, TDS 163: U-factor and R-value for Residential and Commercial Garage Doors; DASMA, The new DASMA thermal performance program: answers to your questions (Door + Access Systems, Fall 2018).

Recent commercial installs

• Aurora. A 10x10 steel overhead door, installed.

• Denver metro. A 12x11'6 insulated door with small glass and 9 inches of headroom, installed on 12-foot low headroom track with the torsion bar changed.

• West metro. An old 10-foot-wide, 14-foot-tall door at a small commercial space, booked to be replaced with an insulated door.

• Denver metro. An insulated commercial sectional door quoted with the opening cut out of a block wall, framed and back-jambed.

Site preparation

Before install day the opening has to be ready: a sound wall and header around it, a level floor where the door seals, power where the operator will go, and clear room above and beside the opening for the track or a rolling door's coil. We check all of it on the site visit and tell you what needs doing, including any block cutting or framing, which we handle as part of the job.

Security features

• Steel construction. Steel sections or a rolling steel curtain close the opening against forced entry, and insulated steel keeps a heated bay warm.

• Locks on manual doors. Slide locks or a keyed lock for doors run by hand or by chain hoist.

• Controls inside the building. Wall stations mounted inside, so the door runs only from where it should.

• Rolling steel for storefronts. A rolling curtain closes over a shop front at night and coils out of sight by day.

Common questions about commercial installs

• How long does a commercial garage door installation take? It depends on the opening. A door going into a ready opening is a far shorter job than one where the wall has to be cut and framed first, so we set the schedule with your quote after the site visit.

• Are there building codes for commercial garage doors? Yes. A new commercial door can need a permit, and fire separation, wind load and life-safety rules can decide which door the opening needs. Check with your city's building department, and we size the door to what the permit and the inspector require.

• How much does a commercial garage door cost to install? It depends on the size, the door type, insulation, the operator and the opening work. The estimate is free, and you get one flat price after we measure.

• Can I install a commercial garage door opener myself? We advise against it. The springs and operator on a commercial door carry heavy loads, and the safety devices have to be set and tested, so it is a job for a trained technician.

How it works

Why facility managers call G Brothers