In today’s fast-moving world, the moment there’s a perceived need, technology moves quickly to supply an answer. The commercial door industry is no different. Need a particular type of high-performance door? There’s a manufacturer out there who will fill the gap, and several others who will follow suit.
So what is a high-performance door? The definition can vary, but in general, it’s a door with features beyond those of the standard sectional, coiling or sliding door, designed to perform quicker and better than standard doors. The term generally applies to industrial or commercial overhead doors, because, let’s be honest, optimizing these specific types of doors is often overlooked by public and private entities alike.
High-Speed Doors
Often, a high-performance door just means a high-speed door. Doors are available that travel as fast as 72 inches per second – but other important factors may come into play in the design besides speed. For instance, you might need a high-speed door but have no room for a coiling door. Springless doors with low overhead clearance are one solution. Bi-parting doors that clear the opening fast are another solution; they increase efficiency of loading and unloading product at your loading docks, and also tend to have high insulation abilities – an important factor in a high-end setting or heated parking garage.
Product vs Facility Insulation Values
High performance features might also include improved insulation values, expressed as the R-values and U-values:
R-value: Considered a measure of a product’s thermal efficiency. It is used for insulated doors, walls and windows. Today’s insulated overhead and storefront doors offer a wide range of R-values, with the highest numbers representing the greatest insulating properties.
U-value: R-values correlate indirectly the U-value. U-value measures the flow of heat throughout the building itself, which will obviously rely on the fittings of your openings as well as your building materials or insulation. The lower the U-value the better.
Check out this article about R vs U-values, because it’s a little more complicated than one being the opposite of the other.
Impact Resistance
Some businesses require doors that can absorb significant impacts. Breakaway bottom sections for sectional doors, or high-speed fabric doors that zip back into tracks without the need for tools are a couple of options the commercial/industrial industry has developed to answer this need.
Rubber Doors
Rubber doors offer features that are just right for a variety of industries, including mining and industrial, parking and automotive (where tight headroom is a factor), and logistics and transportation, where withstanding accidental vehicle impacts and easy reset are key.
There are high-performance doors for almost any need, from clean rooms to creating an explosion-proof area, to resisting hurricane-force winds. A big reason, besides withstanding abuse, are a great option for the industries mentioned above, are because these industries tend to deal with debris and residue that is hard to remove from metal, fiberglass and fabric, like oils and carbon black.
Next time you’re considering a commercial door installation for your facility, consider these factors, because with the variety of options available, you need to be educated on the ins and outs of choosing an overhead door, storefront door or security door for your business before you make that hefty investment.