Commercial Garage Doors & Garage Door Openers Ideal for Car Dealerships: A Case Study

These full-view garage doors are in the G-4400 design, 14' 0" X 12' 0 with an anodized aluminum frame.

When you choose all-glass G-4400 commercial garage doors, you can easily move cars in and out of your service area and showroom.

Do you want to stand out from your competitors or create an aesthetically appealing car dealership?

If the answer is yes, this case study has the details you need. It can be a good idea to make sure your sales team is effective while you implement different marketing strategies, but it may not be enough. You need to focus on the impression customers get the first time they come in contact with your business.

RelayCars’ blog gives some useful information. When someone is buying a car, they might spend as much as 14 hours researching the options online. This is different from the past when customers would visit several dealerships. Only one or two might be visited today.

As an auto dealership, this means first impressions are endlessly important. There’s only one chance there so make it as positive as possible. Changing an initial impression can be extremely challenging and time-consuming.

You want to be sure that people have a professional opinion of your auto dealership. Customers should see you as unique, reliable, and honest.

Salesperson displaying various cars to potential clients in a stunning and bright showroom.

What is an inviting showroom? One that is welcoming, bright, and clean. Image from Freepik.

This case study will give you insight into the design elements that make your vehicle dealership truly stand out. This includes how to use commercial garage doors and garage door openers (these are also known as operators) to create the right impression.

These full-view commercial garage doors are in the G-4400 construction, 14' X 12' with an customized color frame

The inclusion of two high-speed overhead doors, such as the G-4400, creates a transparent view of the outside and inside of the building. It also enhances the look of the building and can make service more efficient.

This case study will go into the method to choose the best commercial garage doors and garage door openers. It involves creating a welcoming, functional, and sustainable space for vehicles and customers alike. Read on to learn more about how to build a space like this and ensure your dealership succeeds.

Move and Showcase Vehicles with Ease Using All-Glass Full-View Garage Doors

This full-view commercial garage door is in the G-4400 construction, 14'X 8' with an customized color frame.

This all-glass G-4400 overhead door is built to match the building’s façade. With our many options for customization, we can help you find designs and colors that match any part of your dealership.

Our G-4400 garage doors make the aesthetic of your dealership even better. Plus, you’ll get improved functionality that makes operation a breeze.

Learn more about the most important facts regarding commercial all-glass garage doors below.

1. Select from a vast array of semi-custom and standard colors for garage doors:

An image of the garage door colors offered with our full-view G-4400 commercial garage door

Want to be sure colors match across elements? It’s an easy task. View the ROYAL and GENTEK color codes here.

Need something in a hue that you don’t see above? Don’t worry. Check out all the options when you talk to our team.

Today is a great time to choose a customized garage door color. Have it match the existing look or new elements you want to bring into your showroom through commercial garage doors.

Be Aware: Gloss, semi-gloss, satin, and flat paint finishes might look different. The garage door materials and how the color is applied can also create differences.

2. Twenty options are available for garage door glass. Select the light transmission and visibility that you need.

Image of the 8 different type of glass offered with our G-4400 commercial doors. Clear, Satin, Graylight, Mirrorpane, Satin Grey, SuperGrey Tinted, Satin Black, and Fluted Polycarbonate Bronze.

Our G-4400 all-glass garage doors come in non-tempered and tempered glass. Each window glass is made to meet the required safety standards.

What is tempered glass and why does it matter for a car dealership?

With five times the strength of traditional glass, tempered glass is less likely to break. If it does, it breaks down into tiny pieces which are far less dangerous than shards from a shattered pane of glass.

3. Limited warranties are provided on each of our all-glass commercial doors

  • Our standard garage door windows are covered for a decade against seal defects.
  • A decade of protection is also provided for rust-related perforation of aluminum.
  • Other parts of the garage are covered for one full year.

Strength and Durability for Commercial Purposes: Commercial Sectional Overhead Steel Doors with Injected Polyurethane Insulation

Heat and cooling loss can cost you money, so avoiding it is best. Choose our energy-saving garage doors with excellent garage door weatherstripping to reduce energy bills, lower energy use, and show off your business’s ecofriendliness.

Find out three critical facts on overhead garage doors below.

These sectional commercial garage doors are in the G-5000 construction

The high-pressure injected polyurethane foam used in these G-5000 commercial garage doors delivers outstanding insulation and prevents things like water leaks and air intrusion.

1. All of our G-5000, G-5138, and G-5200 overhead garage door models are available in a selection of premium and standard colors to meet your dealership needs:

An image of the standard and premium garage door colors offered with G-5000 commercial garage doors.

Be Aware: All our commercial sectional doors can also be ordered in custom shades.

2. Make a choice from three different insulation levels for use with commercial garage doors:

  • G-5138 = R-12
  • G-5000 = R-16
  • G-5200 = R-18

What to Know About R-value

The R-value of a garage door gives insight into how well it can insulate a space. As the R-value increases, so does the level of protection. However, this can vary based on the use of the space, your location, and more.

Selecting garage doors injected with high-pressure polyurethane foam means you get a longer-lasting and more robust door.

With polyurethane foam insulation, you get a variety of benefits:

  • Resistance to water
  • Resistance to the cold
  • A barrier against vapor and air
  • An increased resistance to flexion due to the garage door insulation adhering to the door’s section walls.
  • Is twice as effective as polystyrene of the same level of thickness

An illustration that explains the difference between  Styrofoam and polyurethane-insulated garage doors

Take a look above to get a visual representation of a garage door with insulation made with polyurethane versus Styrofoam.

3. Each of our G-5000 commercial steel doors includes an impressive warranty:

  • A decade against rust-related perforation of steel
  • One decade against end block cracking or rot
  • A decade against steel skin delamination from the polyurethane insulation
  • One decade of window seal protection
  • A year of protection for other parts

This commercial overhead garage door is in the G-5000 construction, 7' X 8', and insulated with injected with high-pressure polyurethane foam.

This G-5000 garage door is one of the smaller models and measures 7' x 8'. We offer a variety of custom garage doors to meet your needs and let you finish projects.

Raise Your Commercial Garage Door with Vertical Lift and High Lift

For added clearance, this sectional G-4400 all-glass commercial garage door has high-lift tracks.

This is a high left system for a garage door. It has extra room over the top and the tracks are near the ceiling. It moves up vertically up the wall and then curves along the ceiling.

Industrial and commercial garage doors need to be paired with the appropriate lifting system. This is very different from the garage door openers in residential garages.

So, which garage clearance and lift is the best option for industrial and commercial doors?

Get acquainted with the 6 types of garage door lifts:

Standard Lift This is the most commonly seen lift type. It only works with 10 or more inches of headroom. Illustration of Garage Door Standard lift
High-lift Track Made to work with high ceilings, this lift offers greater clearance by maximizing space overhead. Illustration of Garage Door High lift
Full Vertical Lift This lift is the best option when the door needs to open vertically along the wall up to the ceiling. Illustration of Garage Door Full vertical lift
Inclined Garage Door Tracks Inclined garage door tracks Created for use with buildings with cathedral or otherwise vaulted ceilings. Illustration of Garage Door Inclined track
Front and Rear Low-Headroom If you’re concerned about low headroom, this lift needs less than 10 inches to be placed. Illustration of Garage Door Low front headroom

Vertical lift and high lift garage door openers are ideal for agricultural, industrial, and commercial spaces since more clearance is provided.

This commercial sectional garage door is in the G-5000 construction and has high lift. With tracks close to the ceiling like this one, there is a lot of overhead clearance

Look at all the exceptional overhead clearance available with the high lift hardware on their commercial garage door. It’s a great option when you want quiet, energy efficiency, and low maintenance.

Heavy-Duty Hardware Offers Functionality and Strength for Industrial and Commercial Garage Doors

In terms of the length and thickness of garage door springs, you need the help of professional garage door experts.

Compared to residential doors, commercial doors tend to be heavier. Closing or opening them requires additional power. The initial lift is provided by the garage door opener, but the springs are still essential. They balance things and do much of the work.

What to Know About Garage Door Springs

  • Garage door springs that are longer will last longer than others.

HOWEVER

  • Garage door springs that are shorter will have more strength and work better with larger doors.

Speak with a garage door expert to get a good balance between capability and strength to get the right solution for your specific needs.

The Three Varieties of Commercial Hardware for Garage Doors

Low headroom is a common characteristic of commercial buildings. This means most commercial garage doors make use of high-lift hardware.

Hardware Light Duty
  • 14-gauge steel tracks and mounting brackets*
  • Pull rope
  • Single hinges
Heavy Duty
  • 13-gauge steel tracks and mounting brackets*
  • Pull chain
  • Single or double hinges
Super Heavy Duty
  • 12-gauge steel tracks and mounting brackets*
  • Pull chain or chain hoists
  • Single or double hinges
  • Reinforcement bars
Hardware

Light Duty

  • 14-gauge steel tracks and mounting brackets*
  • Pull rope
  • Single hinges

Heavy Duty

  • 13-gauge steel tracks and mounting brackets*
  • Pull chain
  • Single or double hinges

Super Heavy Duty

  • 12-gauge steel tracks and mounting brackets*
  • Pull chain or chain hoists
  • Single or double hinges
  • Reinforcement bars

*The lower the gauge number, the thicker the steel

Specific considerations about the actual commercial garage door:

  • Heavy, large hardware is needed for commercial applications due to the height associated with the garage door.
  • In most cases, commercial doors range from 1-⅜ to 2 inches and come with polyurethane or polystyrene insulation.
  • The energy efficiency and robust nature of commercial doors are two of the most important concerns.
  • Using polyurethane insulation creates less flexing since it fits against the door’s walls.

The hardware mechanism also varies between most residential and commercial garage doors

The commercial sectional door mechanism should be highly efficient due to the extra use it will be. Any hardware component needs to be robust to work with a large door that is frequently opened and closed.

You only need to look at the tracks to see how different things are.

  • Residential garage doors make use of thin tracks since they are used less often.
  • Commercial garage doors have rollers and tracks about three inches long and are made of thicker steel.

Counterbalancing through the spring system is also essential.

Instead of selecting based on the garage door side, it should be done using the expected use of the door.

For instance, a commercial garage door that is opened and closed around 50 times a day needs a robust spring system that can handle 100,000 cycles.

The way the door moves presents another difference.

Residential doors often move with reduced or standard clearance. That’s different from commercial doors. They need to work with vertical clearance or elevation depending on the door and where it is being installed.

Many commercial garage doors use additional components to ensure proper operations and prevent outages. When there is no service, many car dealerships need to deal with a lack of profits. This is why you should always consider the right hardware carefully to avoid issues.

What to Know When Choosing an Opening System for Commercial Garage Door Openers

This is LiftMaster's RBH operator, a jackshaft-type that is robust and powerful with a chain to open it manually.

A jackshaft-type operator is perfect for side-mounted high-lift garage doors. It has plenty of power and combines with a chain to open the door manually whenever that might be needed.

Cost is something that everyone thinks about when it comes to commercial garage door openers. However, think about the three things below when you get quotes from various companies:

  • Voltage

    115, 220, or 550 volts? If the door will be used frequently, it’s best to choose the higher voltage. Whenever possible, select 220 volts over 115 volts.

  • Engine power

    Door openers come in ½, ¾, or 1 hp. For small doors, you can choose less power. Large doors may need up to 1 hp of power to function at a high level.

  • Central or side opener

    Fully vertical or raised movements require the use of a jackshaft-style garage door opener. Make sure that you also include a chain hoist for this opener to accommodate manual opening and closing when needed.

In most cases, 115-volt door openers are standard for residential use. For commercial garage door openers, consider 220 or 575 volts.

The LiftMaster model RBH operator is one of the most common options in terms of a jackshaft-type garage door opener for industrial and commercial applicants in the United States. It also offers additional benefits, such as the following:

  • Features extreme power to lift large garage doors
  • Provides a large number of cycles of opening and closing the door
  • Can be used with larger sectional doors with high lift, vertical lift, or rolling doors and grilles

What’s the 411 About RBH?

RBH refers to several things. The RB section is about roller bearings, while the H is referring to chain hoists. When you see this abbreviation, it means the commercial garage door opener is ready for serious use.

Take a look at the image below to see how openers work and what features they include.

LiftMaster RBH Features

Drawing of all the key components and parts of a commercial garage door opener. This is LiftMaster's RBH operator

Clutch

As the garage door is opened or closed, the clutch causes it to slide. This helps cut down on any sudden movements. This makes it less stressful on the door and prevents damage to the opener.

Motor

  • Overload protection is provided so a motor unit that is too hot isn’t able to overheat, which leads to serious damage.
  • The high starting torque of the shaft coupling means the motor starts quickly and easily.
  • Electronic error codes pop up if there is a problem so a professional garage door repair expert can easily make things right.

Timer

  • Set timers whenever you need and use whatever length works best for you from a single second to 99 minutes.
  • One of the functions of the timer is used to prevent the motor from idling if there is some form of a breakdown.
  • It features a mid-course stop function that helps cut down on wear and tear, energy, and time.
  • Use dealership mode to open the door to the exact right height needed at your commercial business before it moves back to closed to save time and energy.

Wall control panel

A visual alert pops up on the wall-mounted control panel if maintenance is needed. The flashing LED light is sure to alert you to this. Proper maintenance improves lifespan, performance, and efficiency. Keep in mind that the maintenance alert system (MAS) is able to be programmed in a series of 1,000 cycles.

Our G-4400 commercial garage door offer heavy-duty industrial dual-sided photo eyes (CPS-UN4)

Photo eyes are used for essential protection and safety. With this unit, you get a housing made of heavy-duty polycarbonate which is sealed to prevent water and dust intrusion. This design makes it ideal for outdoor or indoor use, depending on the needs of your auto dealership. Solid sensor lights help with perfect alignment.

Be Aware: Commercial door operators are made for use with 575-volt systems and can help reduce the consumption of power.

Work with Professionals in Commercial Garage Door and Operators for Commercial Solutions That Fit Your Needs

Are you ready to talk to someone about the best car dealership commercial garage doors? All you need to do is contact our experienced professionals at Mortland Door Systems. We will help you work from the start to finish of your project in the following ways:

  • Provide a free consultation at your dealership to see what you need and share recommendations.
  • Offer a complimentary quotation including the specifications and details about the price of a garage door installation, which depends on several factors.
  • On-site accurate measurements to ensure the right sizing of all garage door openers and commercial garage doors.
  • A Planned Preventive Maintenance program to be sure your commercial door and opener remain in amazing shape for as long as possible. This is essential since garage doors are the largest moving part in a dealership and they need proper maintenance to stay functional.

One of the most important things you need to do is choose a door that meets all of your dealership requirements and needs. Purchasing a quality opener and door may cost more initially, but they also tend to last much longer. You can save on repairs throughout the life of both the commercial garage door and opener.

Reach out to us today at 781-826-2212!

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