When choosing the type of industrial door best installed at your warehouse, it is wise to consider a few things before making your final choice. Factors to consider can include the size of the gap and recess space, the operational needs of your business, what and how you store your goods and the access needs of vehicles and people.
The type of door suitable for your warehouse or business premises may be dictated by the building you occupy and any space limitations you have, both internally and externally.
Here we look at some of the major factors which influence industrial door installation decisions:
1 Location
If you have limited space, consider space-saving doors from manufacturers such as Hörmann UK, who can offer industrial doors to suit any surrounding and access requirements. If your building is close to residential areas or has particularly noisy operations. In that case, you may consider insulated doors, which have the added benefit of retaining heat within the building, to provide a more comfortable working environment.
2 Traffic
How much foot or vehicle traffic does your business have on a regular day? Your doors must operate efficiently, whether used once or a hundred times daily. Opening mechanisms that allow the traffic to flow at the volumes you need safely and timely is vital to keeping your operation moving. Opening and closing doors take valuable time and effort, which often leads to an entry that should be closed for health and safety purposes never being closed, thus leaving your premises vulnerable and unprotected. You should consider whether you want doors that can be left raised for the day or whether you have self-closing or industrial sectional doors to offer greater flexibility.
3 Speed
If you need fast access both in and out of your facility, the need for speed is essential to many warehouse operations. A high-speed door can be installed internally or externally to improve traffic flow. Where opening and closing times are less critical, then rolling shutters and grilles provide an economical solution for openings with low traffic frequency.
4 Fire safety
If your premises are at high risk of fire damage, fire and smoke protection shutters will help block and slow a fire’s progress. Wicket/escape doors can be an integral part of a fire sliding door so that sack trucks, small trolleys, and foot traffic can still move freely throughout.
Temperature control
You may also require doors that help control the temperature within the building, such as the need to maintain chilled storage and protect produce from the heat of summer. If you cannot close or change existing industrial doors, consider adding PVC strip curtains to maintain ambient temperatures more effectively to internal and external openings.
5 Features
If your employees have their hands full, push bar or lever doors will make life easier, consider whether you need windows or see-through curtaining to aid visibility and traffic flow.
6 Space
There are industrial door solutions that help you maximise your use of space, such as rolling shutters and rolling grilles, where there is no side space requirements or interruption to floor space around the door entrance. Also, consider whether you need doors with trip-free thresholds or sectional doors that open vertically, with options to store vertically above the opening or along the roof.
7 Cost
Some door types are more expensive to install and operate, so it’s wise to consider all your options and identify the most suitable door style and set-up for your business.
If you are struggling to work out the best option for you, you could seek expert help for your space. That way, you can be sure to make the right choice the first time and ensure you meet the relevant Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 for doors and gates.
