When the average person thinks of a door, a wooden front door is probably what immediately comes to mind. If asked to think of a commercial door something bulky and made out of steel probably pops up in one’s mind. The last thing that comes to mind as a commercial door material is something like fabric. This is probably because fabric and rubber at first seem like terrible materials to make doors out of. However, they are actually incredibly useful in many industries and far more durable than one would initially think.
High Speed Fabric Commercial Doors
Commercial doors made out of fabric aren’t made out of the knit and quilting material found at your local craft store, that much is obvious. But it certainly raises the question as to what sort of fabric is used to make doors that are durable and strong enough to protect valuable materials.
Turns out, it takes multiple layers of polyester materials to make these fabric doors. Three layers of a polyester that has been coated in PVC and then another two layers of a polyester weave. Together these make up a curtain like material that is very durable and easy to fix if it has been damaged. These are considered to be high speed doors because they are able to be closed not only very quickly but also incredibly efficiently.
There are many benefits associated with the high-speed aspect of these fabric commercial doors.
One being something called a variable frequency drive which eliminates the jolting often present when the opening and closing of a door is either started or stopped. Besides no longer having to deal with that annoying startle of the door jolting, this also decreases the amount of wear and tear on the door. Also, an added bonus when it comes to operating the fabric commercial doors is the impact detection. This is a system in place that allows the door itself to alert when it has been impacted and may require attention and garage door repair.
These doors can be utilized commercially both for indoor and outdoor purposes. They can be implemented within a building separating different sections. But they can also serve as the defense from the outside world and can do so very effectively and with very little maintenance.
Since they are not made of materials that rust or corrode, it eliminates that concern. They also lack springs so there is no need to be worried about whether or not there is too much strain on them or whether they’ve become worn. Not only that but the ability of the door to determine when it has sustained an impact and needs to be addressed takes that responsibility away from the owner.
Even better, not only does the door let you know when it has been damaged but depending on the extent there is even the push-button self-repair option. This option allows the compromised part of the garage door to be easily removed and replaced which minimizes the stress of organizing someone to come in and repair it. But, fabric commercial doors aren’t the only options when it comes to alternative door materials.
Commercial Doors Made of Rubber
Fabric might have at first seemed like an outlandish material to build a door out of, but rubber seems somewhat more reasonable. After all, the average piece of rubber used in tires and such is tougher than the conventional types of fabric that are used.
There is some validity to that reasoning although when analyzing what the rubber doors are made of it is interesting to note that there is still fabric in them. In contrast to the five layers of materials used in high speed fabric doors, rubber doors utilize an entire nine layers of material. Four of those layers are made up of polyester weave and the remaining five layers are comprised of something called nitrile rubber. Nitrile rubber or NBR is a synthetic rubber known for its high resistance to different oils and high temperatures. This construction of the commercial door allows for more strength and durability without being that heavy. There are also some similarities between the rubber and fabric doors besides the use of polyester weave to make them.
The ease of garage door repairs in both systems is similar because the rubber garage doors are also equipped with the same impact detection and push button self-repair capabilities. The high-speed rubber doors also come with obstruction detection and warning lights that are some useful garage door parts. Obstruction detection sensors are used to determine if there is anything in the way of the door before closing it so that nothing is damaged in the process. One difference between the high-speed rubber doors and the high-speed fabric doors is that the rubber doors are designed to withstand harsher conditions.
An example of the harsh conditions that the high-speed rubber doors are equipped to handle is wind pressure. These rubber doors are capable of an operation pressure of seventy-five miles per hour. That means they are still functional with the amount of seventy-five miles per hour of wind. And their overall wind resistance, not just operational, is a whopping one hundred and eighty miles per hour. Besides the increased aptitude to harsh conditions the rubber doors also come with a vision option that includes windows across the top of the door. In addition to the vision option they also come in a variety of colors.
This may seem like a lot of reinforcements for a commercial door but depending on the industry it may prove to be a good investment. These are especially useful for manufacturing facilities and locations that need easy to maintain and very efficient protection. So, not only can commercial doors be constructed from fabric and rubber but they can actually prove to be a better option than traditional steel doors. With all of the added security figures and options these high speed doors should be a serious consideration if you ever find yourself in the market for a commercial garage door.
