The Best Commercial Garage Doors for Austin Businesses
Commercial garage doors are vital to businesses for security, efficiency, and curb appeal. Knowing the different types of commercial garage doors will help us choose the right one for our needs.
Your garage door is the largest moving piece of equipment at your business. But did you know there are several different commercial garage door styles? Here at Two Brothers Garage Doors, we want to educate you on the differences between sectional doors, rolling steel, high-speed doors, and more. Every style has its advantages and can work for many types of business properties.
Sectional Garage Doors
Sectional garage doors operate on a track with horizontal panels that are hinged together. When closed, these doors provide you with the most square footage inside your garage, and when open, outside of your property. Sections are made from steel, aluminum, or fiberglass and can be insulated for greater energy efficiency. Around here, we don’t recommend insulation — we mandate it. Many sectional door styles allow you to customize your panels with different colors and window styles.
Pros
- Insulation – Not all insulation is created equal. Standard insulated garage doors won’t cut it in Central Texas. When shopping for your new garage door, look for polyurethane foam insulation with a minimum R-Value of 18. The temperature inside your garage during an August heatwave can reach 130°F. If you have an uninsulated garage, every time you open that door you’re essentially turning your warehouse into an oven. Polyurethane insulation can save you on energy costs and keep your products — and employees — safe.
- Security – Heavy-duty construction makes sectional doors more difficult to break into.
- Customization options – Available in multiple sizes, colors, and finishes to match business branding.
Cons
- Higher initial cost – Depending on your door, they can get expensive. Adding insulation and custom features will increase your price.
- Regular maintenance is required – These doors can come with some maintenance. Tracks and hardware will need to be regularly lubricated and checked for rust or wear. The Austin sun can bake your rubber seals and weatherstripping down faster than other parts of the state. Ensure you keep up with your spring and summer maintenance by scheduling your Pre-Summer Tune-Up with us before Austin hits that first 100°F day.
Ideal Usage
rSectional garage doors are ideal for any business as they allow for high traffic-flow when opened. They’re perfect for warehouses, retail stores, and auto shops in growing commercial hubs like Pflugerville and Cedar Park, where maintaining a classic, professional look is key for new retail developments.
Rolling Steel Garage Doors
Made from vertical slats of steel, rolling steel garage doors are space-saving doors that come in many different customizable finishes. They offer energy-efficiency, security, and durability for your commercial building.
Rolling steel garage doors can work well for Austin businesses too. If you’re tired of hefty storm damage bills from our nasty spring storms and “blue northers”, rolling steel is the way to go. Fun fact: blue northers are fast-moving cold fronts that come through Austin with wind gusts around 60–80 mph.
Pros
- Strength: These commercial garage doors won’t dent.
- Space Saving: They completely roll up into a compact area.
- Low Maintenance: Doors with lots of moving parts have more opportunities for things to go wrong. With fewer moving parts, your rolling door will last longer and require less maintenance.
- Security: Heavy-duty doors mean heavy-duty security.
- Energy Efficiency: Did we mention insulation? Rolling doors can be insulated to improve your energy efficiency.
Cons
- Higher initial cost: They have a higher cost vs other garage door styles.
- Installation Complexity: These doors should be installed by professionals. Labor costs go into the already expensive price of rolling steel doors.
- Less Style Options: Rolling doors don’t come with as many customization options as sectional doors.
- Potential Noise: Rolling mechanisms make noise when moving. This may or may not be ideal for your business.
Ideal Usage Cases
Rolling steel garage doors are ideal for:
- Warehouses: Heavy traffic with proper wind load rating is necessary for Austin-area warehouses.
- Distribution Centers: Like warehouses, they provide large access points for people and products.
- Retail Stores: Provide security when your store is closed and not bringing in revenue.
- Manufacturing Facilities: Tough enough to handle the everyday traffic of employees and forklifts.
- Auto Services: Their compact design allows more room in your service bay.
Rolling steel doors are the gold standard for the high-density distribution centers popping up along the I-35 corridor. We highly recommend wind-rated models for logistics facilities in Georgetown and Hutto, where open terrain leaves buildings vulnerable to high-velocity ‘blue norther’ gusts.
High-Speed Doors
High-speed doors are just that… doors that open and close quickly. Opening and closing in seconds, these durable doors are made with stronger, lighter materials. High-speed garage doors assist with temperature control and help keep contaminants out.
Pros
- Productivity – Seconds add up! High-speed doors allow fast entry into your facility, increasing productivity..
- Temperature Control – If you have a refrigerated area, you know how important it is to keep that temperature consistent. Every second your standard garage door is open, you’re putting stress on your refrigeration system. High-speed doors drastically reduce the amount of time your door is open and can save you money on energy bills.
- Safety – High-speed doors come with sensors to prevent accidental closures, keeping employees safe.
- They Take Up Less Space – Compared to other garage doors, high-speed models take up minimal space when you add them to your facility.
Cons
- Installation Cost – High-speed doors are more expensive than your typical commercial garage door.
- Maintenance – Due to the mechanical nature of these doors, issues may occur that require professional attention.
- Weather – Some door models cannot function in extreme hot or cold temperatures.
Best Suited For
Like their name suggests, high-speed doors work best for facilities that need quick access in and out. Common places you’ll see high-speed doors include:
- Manufacturing Facilities – especially where every second on the production line matters
- Distribution Centers – nobody has time to wait on doors when lifting/loading goods
- Food Processing – high-speed doors also excel at keeping temperatures stable.
Fire-Rated Garage Doors
Fire garage doors have been manufactured with steel and special seals and operating mechanisms to help prevent the spread of fire. Fire doors are rated for how long they will withstand a fire: 20, 45, 60, 90, and 240 minutes.
During a fire, special links are heated and melt to automatically close your garage door. Giving you and your employees more time to safely evacuate the premises.
Pros
- Safety – Fire garage doors are a great way to help prevent the spreading of fire throughout your business.
- Code Compliance – Many cities code require fire garage doors. Here in Austin, that could soon be you. The City of Austin adopted the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) with local amendments this code cycle. The new Austin Building Code will be effective July 10, 2025. Fire garage doors will be required to meet code for most mixed-use and commercial applications.
- Insurance – Not only can fire garage doors help lower your insurance risk but your monthly premiums.
- Durability – Garage doors aren’t made to last forever, but fire garage doors are our strongest selection. They’re built with heavier materials and solid engineering.
Cons
- Cost – Similar to insulation, fire protection isn’t free. Fire garage doors cost more than standard commercial doors.
- Maintenance – Garage doors should be maintained to perform as expected during an emergency. Fire-rated doors require yearly inspections to ensure they will function properly.
- Appearance – Compared to your standard garage door, fire-rated models have limited designs.
Commercial Uses
Fire garage doors are great for almost any business, especially:
- Warehouses: Fire separation is typically required from garage to warehouse.
- Manufacturing Facilities: Similar to warehouses. It’s crucial these doors are installed where there are flammable materials.
- Parking Garages: Hate it when your shirt catches on fire? Your customers will too. Fire doors help contain fires to a smaller area and allow for safe evacuation.
- Loading Docks: Accidents happen. Protect your business from vehicle fires.
- Areas of Austin within Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Zone: If parking garages doors can roast you and your customers, garage doors certainly can too. Earlier this year, the City of Austin adopted an expansion to its WUI zone restrictions with the 2024 code cycle. Businesses in West Austin, the Westlake Hills neighborhood, and near the Hill Country edge will be required to install fire-resistant garage doors. Fire garage doors are just one modification businesses must complete to fall under Austin’s WUI standards. Not sure if you’re located in a WUI? Give us a call. We can let you know.
Other Common Commercial Garage Doors
Aluminum & Glass Garage Doors
From farm-to-fork restaurants to auto shops, Austin’s commercial buildings are leaning more into “Modern Industrial” and “Hill Country Contemporary” vibes. Aluminum and glass garage doors are at the forefront of this trend. Whether you hang out on East 6th Street or drive by Anthoney Road often, you’ve likely seen trendy aluminum and glass garage doors.
If installing glass doors, we recommend opting for Low-E or tinted glass rather than clear. Not only will tinted or Low-E keep you cooler in Austin’s sunny weather, but it also keeps your garage door from looking like a greenhouse.
Roll Up Doors
Much like rolling steel garage doors, roll up doors are space-friendly doors that can be rolled to the side. They take up less space than your typical commercial garage door. They’re great for warehouses and loading docks that need a wide opening for transportation.
Accordion Doors
Accordion doors are very similar to roll up doors. The biggest difference is how they expand and contract. Many business owners love accordion doors to save space.
Pass-Through Doors
Many garage doors can have pass-through doors built into them. These doors allow pedestrian traffic to come in and out without opening the garage door. They can be very useful if you want to improve workflow during busy hours.
Choosing The Right Commercial Garage Door Style
When choosing a commercial garage door, we must consider several key factors.
Budget
Different doors have different price tags depending on the materials and features. We must balance quality with our budget.
Frequency of Use
High traffic areas may benefit from high-speed doors. Think about the wear and tear that will be placed on your door.
Security Needs
Like any entry into our facility, security should be considered. What kind of protection does our door need? Will we need to deter theft? vandalism?
Insulation Requirements
If you live in Central Texas, the answer is likely yes. Doors with polyurethane insulation (R-18+) can make a significant impact on your monthly energy bills and help keep employees and inventory safe from the extreme summer heat.
Aesthetics
Aside from functionality, we also want a door that we like the look of. Custom commercial doors should fit with our business brand and aesthetics. With Austin constantly rolling out new commercial building developments, “Modern Industrial” and “Hill Country Contemporary” are popular styles trending right now. We’re seeing aluminum-and-glass garage doors pop up for more aesthetically-driven businesses.
Code Compliance
The City of Austin’s 2024 Technical Building Code will go to effect July 10, 2025. Ensure that the style of door you choose meets IBC code standards and WUI requirements (if applicable) for your building.
Secure, Efficient, and Custom Garage Doors For Your Business
No matter what type of commercial building you have or what requirements you need to meet. You want a door that provides insulation, withstands heavy traffic, fits your space, provides security, and looks great. Sectional doors provide insulation and durability. Rolling steel is great for doors with limited space or high traffic. High-speed doors are perfect for doors that see tons of traffic.
Let Two Brothers Garage Doors help you decide on the perfect garage door for your business. Schedule a free consultation with us today and we’ll walk you through your options and help you choose a door that suits your business needs and meets all code requirements.
