Enhance your door’s look, add functionality, and boost performance.

Who says functionality can't be fabulous? When it comes to designing the ideal space for your business, every detail matters – including your garage doors. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all. Today, savvy architects and contractors are discovering that commercial garage doors are more customizable than ever, allowing you to balance form and function for a truly unique aesthetic. Now, you can easily customize your rolling door to fit your space, vision, and flow.

Check out these popular ways to make your commercial overhead door truly your own.

A Quick Rundown of Customization Options

Getting a new garage door gives you an opportunity to make style and performance upgrades. Here’s a quick overview of some common options that are available today.

Sizing: Our overhead doors come in different heights: 18, 21, or 24, with flexible 1- to 3-inch height increments depending on the material.

Materials: Galvanized steel and stainless steel are both common choices for durability and corrosion resistance. For businesses where the door’s weight and operating speed are a concern, aluminum is preferred for its lightweight construction and rust-resistance. Glass panels are also available to give your space an airy, open feel that won’t compromise security.

Door Speed: Specialized high-performance doors are equipped with direct-drive system motors with an advanced control system for faster operation, improving traffic flow in busy environments like firehouses, warehouses, parking garages, and distribution centers. The Extreme^® Series Sectional Door stands out with its LiftMaster^® operator. Extreme Series rolling doors and grilles are powered by the Apex™ Pro SmartController. Both high-performance options deliver speeds of 24 inches per second.

Hardware: You’ll find a nice variety of hardware options that will boost the functionality, security, and the lifespan of your rolling door. These include a selection of motor operators, hand cranks, safety devices like photo eyes and safety edges, weather stripping, and locks. Fire-Rated Counter Shutters are available with an integral frame and sill, which has compact stainless steel guides, slats, bracket, and hood for a sleeker profile and streamlined installation.

Security features: Garage doors come with standard and available features that enhance awareness, avoid door damage, and protect pedestrians. For high-traffic environments, like warehouses, the LED light kit will visually indicate the door’s status so drivers can avoid collisions. To ensure a door won't accidentally close on an object, an entrapment protection device will stop it from shutting and return it to the fully open position. Alternatively, you could install a guide-mounted interlock with an electrical cutout switch to prevent the motor from operating unless the locking device is disengaged.

The Basics: Slats for Function and Style

A slat is one of the individual horizontal sections that interlock to form the curtain of the door. These small sections make up the majority of your door’s curtain. And, it is a perfect opportunity to strengthen your door’s performance and aesthetic appeal.

You can choose from these popular slat designs:

Standards slats: Standard slats are the most basic type of slat, and typically made with steel or aluminum, offering a dependable, solid barrier for security and durability.

Perforated slats: Holes or slots allow for security with visibility and ventilation, and are ideal for applications that need to be ventilated–perfect for retail spaces or parking garages.

Fenestrated slats: Similar to perforated slats, this style has larger, rectangular openings known as “window-size punched slots.”

Vision windows: Adding one or two-way vision windows within the slats lets natural light in while maintaining security. This option is popular in storefronts or service areas where visibility is important for both customers and employees.

The Fun Part: Color and Finish Choices

Now that you have functionality and basic looks down, the color of overhead doors can influence both energy efficiency and aesthetic appeal. Lighter colors tend to reflect sunlight, which helps keep the interior of a building cooler. In contrast, darker colors tend to absorb more heat. 

Unique or vibrant colors can make a business stand out and attract customers. You can also decide to choose colors that align with branding or complement a building’s overall architecture. 

Select from  these finishes:

Powder coating: As a popular finish option that provides a durable, long-lasting color with a smooth finish, powder coating is available in a wide range of colors and textures.

Anodized finishes: This finish is commonly applied to aluminum doors for corrosion resistance and a sleek appearance.

Galvanized steel finish: Protects steel from rust and corrosion, typically resulting in a silver-gray appearance. While this finish is functional, additional paint or powder coating can be applied for aesthetic purposes.

Textured finish: Textured options, such as matte, gloss, or metallic, can add depth and visual interest to the door.

Below are some innovative features and enhancements that are available for overhead rolling doors:

Reinforced bottom bar: A reinforced bottom bar adds strength and stability to an overhead door's lower edge, making it more resistant to impact and damage. This feature enhances security by preventing unauthorized entry and improves durability against wear and tear from frequent use, especially in high-traffic areas.

Insulation: Insulated overhead doors incorporate materials that provide thermal resistance, typically using polyurethane or polystyrene foam between layers of steel or aluminum. High-quality insulation helps maintain consistent indoor temperatures, reduces energy costs, and minimizes sound attenuation. 

Fire-rated materials: Fire-rated rolling doors, fire curtains, service counter fire doors, and elevator smoke curtains, are designed to withstand high temperatures for a specified period, and are made with fire-resistant materials and insulation. These fire and smoke-rated products help mitigate the spread of fire and smoke between different areas of a building and are used in settings like manufacturing plants or warehouses storing flammable materials, multi-level facilities like hotels, restaurants, and any business that requires fire protection. 

Wind load ratings: These doors provide added security and protection in areas prone to severe weather and high winds from hurricanes or tornadoes. They help prevent structural damage during storms and reduce the risk of door failure.

Compact coiling/stacking: Industry-leading engineering has led to clever rolling door performance enhancements. Rolling grilles and doors are designed for low headroom and tight clearances, with some designs requiring a minimum of only 14 inches of headroom. Clopay Corporation’s newest design, the VertiStack^® Clear Sectional Door, stacks discreetly above the opening, freeing up the “fifth wall” (ceiling) for statement lighting, HVAC, and storage.  

Customizable finishes and curtain designs: Standard colors aren’t the only customization option available. Now, you can choose from different powder coating options and finishes that change the look, texture, and boost your door’s longevity, protecting it against wear, tear, and corrosion. 

There are a lot more commercial door customization options than you thought. From the materials to security features, it’s easier than ever to craft a door that gives you the style and operation that your business needs. Ready to figure out the best door for your place?

Connect with your local door dealer to help you sort through the choices and customize a commercial overhead door that's as practical as it is good-looking.