Guide to Commercial Garage Door Openers

As a business owner, you want to operate at peak efficiency. No matter what facility you own, installing a high-quality opener for your commercial garage door is one way to meet this goal.

Consider how an ineffective door can hinder your staff’s daily duties and detract from the customer experience. When selecting a commercial garage door opener, consider your business’ needs. Factors like your door’s purpose and size are essential considerations when deciding on the best opener for your business. 

The appropriate commercial garage door opener can support and enhance your business functions for many years. Your business can require varying commercial garage door opener features like speed, automation and horsepower to facilitate your daily operations.

Factors to Consider When Deciding on a Commercial Garage Door Opener

Here are some business considerations to help you choose a commercial door opener.

Garage Door Use

Consider what you use your garage doors for, then select an opener with compatible features. For example, if you and your team spend lots of time loading and unloading supplies, you want an opener that’s durable enough to hold up to everyday wear and tear. 

Garage Door Size and Weight

Commercial garage doors can be much larger and heavier than residential doors. Consider your door length and weight before deciding on a garage door operator. A sizeable sectional garage door can require a powerful opener with higher voltage and horsepower. A high-voltage opener can open or lift your garage doors daily with less effort, keeping your motor functional for longer.

Daily Operational Cycle

Commercial garage doors can have higher daily operation cycles than residential garage doors. Think about how often you open and close your door. You want a powerful, energy-efficient opener to support this movement. 

Building Construction 

Your building construction can play an essential role when deciding on an opener. You can mount commercial garage door openers to your wall or install them on your ceiling. Consider an opener that can fit your building’s design and door locations. You want to install your opener in a functional area that will work with your business operations. An opener that hangs too low from the ceiling or sits too close to an entrance can impede daily operations or be a safety hazard. 

Opener Durability

Consider the type of opener you require for your business functions and budget. When buying and installing a new garage door opener, you want to maximize your return on investment. While high-quality commercial garage door openers can have a higher upfront cost, they can save you in the long run. Quality garage openers may last longer before needing replacement and can be more cost-effective over the years. Plus, trying to cut corners on a cheaper door opener can backfire if it malfunctions and slows your productivity.

Commercial Business Door Opener Needs

Consider your commercial property requirements before deciding on a garage door opener. When choosing a commercial garage door opener, your business’ industry, on-site traffic and building construction are essential factors. Depending on your business type, your garage door can require various opener features like security mechanisms and automation speeds. It’s vital to pick a garage door opener that makes your daily operations run smoothly. Here are some garage door opener requirements. 

Security Features

You might need an opener for business security purposes. Many businesses, like fire stations or apartment buildings, require commercial garage door openers with timer-to-close features that automatically close at a set time, safeguarding your facility and staff from theft and harm. 

Horsepower

Commercial garage door opener horsepower can vary. Businesses like apartment buildings typically require an opener with more horsepower to facilitate high traffic volumes. Staff and customers can enter and exit multiple times daily, increasing your garage doors’ operation cycles. A powerful opener supports higher traffic volumes and remains functional for longer. 

Speed

Efficiency equals money for any business. Commercial garage door openers can allow faster door opening to streamline operations. Opener speed features can also enhance staff and customer safety in emergencies. You can open your garage doors with a remote control instead of lifting them manually, helping people exit your building quickly. Openers can also have various speed features for opening multiple doors simultaneously, enhancing operations like loading and unloading or emergency drills. 

Safety Mechanisms

Safety mechanisms can be an essential opener feature for many commercial businesses. For safety’s sake, you don’t want a customer, employee, car or object to get stuck under your garage door while it’s closing. Opener sensing features can prompt a closing door to reverse when a staff member or customer approaches. Various opener-detecting features can prevent your doors from shutting on cars or other objects. Sensors can force the door up or open when it detects movement or touches an object, avoiding harm. 

Water-Resistance

Your business may do water-intense work like car washing. Fortunately, various commercial garage door opener systems can come with water-resistant features. You can continue your daily operations with peace of mind that your opener is safe from water damage. 

Building Ventilation

Keeping your door closed might be a priority for safety or blocking out noise and can make ventilating your building challenging. Many business owners choose commercial garage door openers with mid-stop features, which can keep your doors open to your desired degree. Maximize your ventilation without completely opening your doors. 

Commercial Garage Door Opener Challenges

When choosing a suitable opener for your business, consider the challenges of commercial garage door openers. Here are some garage door opener challenges.

Building Space 

Ample wall or ceiling space makes it easier to install various opener types. Consider your building size before deciding on an opener. You want to ensure your opener does not pose a safety hazard or interfere with daily tasks. You may have to rethink your door location or renovate your building to successfully install your chosen commercial garage door opener. 

Electrical Issues

Commercial garage door openers require an appropriate power supply to function consistently without impeding your daily operations. Electrical outages can prevent your opener from working, requiring you to do the job manually. Remember, commercial garage doors can be heavier than residential doors and require more energy to lift. Constant electrical outages can also affect your motor performance over time. 

Battery Replacement

Various commercial garage door openers have a battery shelf life. Proactively changing the batteries ensures your opener can continue working. Replacing batteries can be costly, especially if you have to do so frequently. It’s essential to budget and plan for battery replacement. 

Installation 

Installing a commercial garage door opener is an intricate task requiring professional and technical skills. You want your installation to be quick and effective, so you can get on with your business. Consider hiring a professional commercial garage door company that can ensure a fast and safe installation process. 

Maintenance 

Maintaining your commercial garage door opener is essential for optimal functioning. Without maintenance, your opener can malfunction or wear quickly. Regular tune-ups can help keep your opener and door operating smoothly, reducing the need for repairs.

Repairs 

Like anything with moving parts, your opener will eventually need repairs. Commercial garage door openers are workhorses, but they sometimes get out of tune. Fortunately, various commercial garage door repair companies can fix your opener in a day and have it back up and running.

Cost

While various commercial garage door openers can cost more upfront, selecting a high-quality opener can save you money in the long run. Superior openers offer excellent lifting power and are more durable, lasting many years before requiring replacement.

Commercial-Grade Garage Door Opener Types

What are the different types of commercial garage door openers? You can choose between a jackshaft, trolley and hoist for your business needs.

Jackshaft

You can mount jackshaft openers to your building wall beside your door. They use a rotational force and can lift and lower your commercial garage door by turning torsion springs. Jackshaft operators can be excellent for industrial and commercial building applications and support various door movements. 

Jackshafts may be a perfect option for commercial buildings with limited ceiling space. They cause less noise or disturbance, making them ideal for offices above commercial building garage doors. Jackshafts can also work perfectly with steel commercial garage doors and are excellent for vertical, high-lift sectional doors. 

If you choose a jackshaft opener, it’s essential to pair it with a lighter door you can lift manually in an emergency. 

Trolley

If you have adequate ceiling space, you can install an electric trolley opener, which suspends in the middle of the garage door at the end of the rail. Trolley openers are an excellent choice for various industrial and commercial applications and can be perfect for sectional commercial garage doors. The trolley attached to the garage door slides along the rail to lift and lower your garage door. 

Trolley openers can support horizontal movement and suit standard sectional lift garage doors. High-voltage trolley openers can offer operation cycles, which is excellent for commercial businesses. They also have single- and three-phase configurations. A high-horsepower trolley opener can be ideal for a company with heavy traffic volumes. 

Hoist

Hoist openers can be an excellent mechanism for commercial buildings. You can install a hoist on your building wall for sectional commercial garage doors with a vertical or high lift. They connect to the jackshaft to power your door and can include a chain hoist. The floor-level chain hoist helps lift or lower your garage door manually and can be vital in power outages or emergencies. Hoist operators can offer high cycles suitable for various industrial applications.

How to Choose the Opener You Need

Jackshaft vs. trolley vs. hoist — what is the strongest commercial garage door opener?  You want your commercial garage door opener to work with your company and enhance your daily operations. Consider various factors like your door weight and size when deciding on a jackshaft, trolley or hoist opener for your commercial business. 

Door Size 

Oversized doors can require higher-voltage commercial door openers. Jackshaft or commercial trolley openers can be an excellent choice for standard sectional doors, while hoist openers can be more suitable for larger commercial door types. 

Building Space

Depending on your business’ available ceiling space, you might lack sufficient room for a trolley opener installation. You also want to ensure you have adequate space for mounting a jackshaft or hoist opener to your wall close to your commercial garage doors. Placing your openers closer to your door can make your door operation more efficient. 

Security 

Various commercial garage door openers can come with security features like timer-to-close features. You can predetermine your garage door closing times to help protect your facility, staff and customers. You also want to set automatic garage door closing times after working hours to enhance your building security. 

Automation

Consider a commercial garage door opener with automation features like control panels, time-to-close and mid-stop. Automating your commercial opener’s speed and time-to-close can enhance your business’ daily operation and security. You can also decide to keep the door open halfway if necessary. 

Safety

If you have vehicles and staff exiting and entering your building multiple times daily, the odds are higher that a car or object might get caught under your garage door. Safety features like loop detectors can open your garage door if it touches a vehicle or object.

Frequency of Use

Assess your building’s traffic volume. If you frequently load and unload stock, you can require a commercial garage door opener with higher horsepower to facilitate daily operation cycles. Consider a high-voltage commercial opener like a trolley or hoist operator. You want to ensure your opener can support your traffic volumes without compromising quality or functionality.

Install Your Commercial Garage Door Openers With Viking Overhead 

Selecting a suitable commercial garage door opener for your business is vital. Your opener can impact your daily business operations in various ways. You want to align your business needs with your commercial garage door opener’s capabilities and features. 

Viking Overhead has years of experience installing, repairing and replacing commercial garage door openers. We know the importance of installing a suitable opener to support your building’s functions. Our team of certified technicians can install, repair and replace your commercial garage door opener safely and professionally. Whether you require new installation or repair, we stock our trucks with high-quality openers and parts from trusted brands like Liftmaster

We can install or repair your commercial garage door openers in a day and ensure you get your business operations running smoothly and quickly. We do not charge for service calls and will provide a free on-site estimate. We can install or repair your openers simultaneously, ensuring you retain valuable production time. We service over 45 areas, including Burleson, Mansfield, Benbrook, Crowley, Colleyville and other nearby communities.

Contact us for a free on-site estimate.

Previous ArticleSigns That You Need to Replace Your Garage Door Opener Next ArticleWhy Your Garage Door Opens and Closes Itself