As an architect or builder, choosing the perfect commercial garage door is essential for aesthetics as well as proper functionality. Since commercial doors covering large building entrances are used frequently, having a non-functioning or poorly operational garage door is very frustrating, inconvenient, and a possible safety hazard. In the FAQs below, you will find answers to many common commercial garage door problems. For terminology assistance, check out our Glossary of Garage Door Terms.
If you do not find the answers to your questions, contact us at ask.amarr@amarr.com. We are here to help!
Commercial needs for a new garage door are determined mostly by project specifications and budget. An auto dealership might specify a more expensive Aluminum Full View Door to show off the cars in the building while an industrial manufacturing facility might want an extra-heavy duty 20 gauge pan door to handle heavy usage and potential for damage.
Specifications requiring energy efficiency, air infiltration, wind load, daylighting or views can greatly affect and limit product options in the budget available for the project. Amarr has a wide variety of products to meet these specifications at your budget needs.
Yes. Commercial doors are available in widths up to 32’2' and in heights up to 30’1”.*
*Not all door models are available in this range of widths and heights.
Standard headroom applications require 12" to 18" of space between the bottom of the opening header and the unobstructed ceiling. However, Amarr specializes in custom-built applications. A variety of special track options are available and makes it possible for many unusual garages to be fitted with doors. By using low-headroom track, it is possible to install a door with a garage door opener in an area that has as little as 9-1/2" of headroom.
Other special track applications include:
Windows can be placed in any section of the door layout. For commercial doors, windows typically start in the 3rd section from bottom when in just one section, or all intermediate sections when used for natural lighting.
No, Amarr only sells to the wholesale channel of garage door dealers and to on-line and in-store retailers. A business owner can buy an Amarr garage door through any of those outlets.
Yes!
The following Amarr garage doors are compliant with the Federal Trade Commission "Made in USA" standards and with section 1605 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:
Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to measure for a garage door.
A garage door opening is typically the largest opening on a company building. Insulated doors will help to reduce the transfer of heat or cold air into your garage. This is important for a number of reasons:
R-value is a measure of thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry. Specifically, R-value is thermal resistance to heat flow.
The higher the R-value number, the better the insulating properties of the material. However, an R-16 value is not twice as good as an R-8 Value. R-16 does not offer twice as much thermal resistance or twice the energy savings of an R-8 value. A value of R-16 offers a 5% reduction in heat flow and a 5% improvement energy efficiency than a value of R-8, not 50%.
No matter the R-Value, an insulated garage door will reduce the amount of heat flow and improve energy efficiency of a home or business.
Steel garage doors offer strength, security, energy efficiency and the best value. Due to advanced manufacturing, steel garage doors are less costly than other types of garage doors and are offered in a variety of designs and colors to enhance your home or business. Amarr steel garage doors are pre-painted in a variety of colors, providing home and business owners peace of mind protection with multi-year to lifetime paint finish warranties.
No. The lower the gauge number, the thicker (and stronger) the steel.
Each Amarr commercial collection of steel garage doors has its unique color palette. Commercial color offering is: Commercial White, Sandtone, Commercial Brown, Commercial Black, Commercial Gray.
Amarr Color Zone is a custom paint program that allows you to choose from more than 700 Sherwin-Williams SnapDry™ colors for our steel doors. Your chosen color is factory-applied as a top coat to give the door one more layer of protection from the elements. Color Zone doors carry the same warranty as any standard color Amarr door.
Doors can also be painted after installation. All Amarr steel doors are pre-painted with a factory-applied baked-on coating that is suitable for repainting. Amarr doors will accept a wide variety of commercially available latex exterior paints, when applied in accordance with the paint manufacturer's recommendations. Do not use oil-based paints. Painting of an Amarr steel door voids the Paint Finish Warranty.
The interior of all single, double and triple-layer doors is white, regardless of the exterior color.
Yes, the Amarr 3552 (commercial) aluminum full view doors and Amarr 3582 MultiView doors are available with anodize, powder coat or high-performance PVDF finish options.
PVDF Finish
Amarr high-performance polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) coating (commonly referred to as Kynar®) is well known in the architectural community and highly regarded for its resistance to color fade and corrosion. We can match and produce almost any custom or RAL PVDF color in-house in shorter lead times vs powder coat.
PVDF coatings offer the flexibility to select nearly any color, while shielding against aging, weathering, and pollution. It also has good coating hardness while providing impact and abrasion resistance, making it a good choice for homes, storefront, docks, or other high-traffic areas.
Powder Coat Finish
Powder coating is a dry film process using finely ground particles of pigment and resin which are electrostatically charged and sprayed onto the surface to be coated. The charged powder particles adhere to the surface and are held there until melted and fused into a uniformly flowing coating in a cure oven. All powder coat paints are formulated and created by the manufacturer at their facility which does not allow for custom in-house blending of powder coatings limiting color options and increasing price and lead time compared to liquid PVDF paint matches.
Powder Coat finishes have excellent hardness and provide impact and abrasion resistance, making it a good choice for homes, storefront, docks, or other high-traffic areas.
Anodizing is the process of electrochemically accelerating and controlling the oxidation of an aluminum substrate; creating an extremely hard, durable, and aesthetically pleasing coating on the aluminum surface. Anodized material has an extremely hard surface that is colorfast and mar resistant.
We use architectural Class I anodize coating which is a high performance anodize finish used primarily for exterior building products and other products that must withstand continuous outdoor exposure.
PVDF Paint Strengths
PVDF Paint Limitations
Powder Coat Strengths
Powder Coat Limitations
Anodize Strengths
Anodize Limitations
Yes, many PVDF and powder coat finishes are available on Amarr Aluminum Full View garage doors. Custom color matches are available in PVDF. There are also 26 PVDF and 20 powder coat stock colors are available at our finisher. RAL classic colors are available in both PVDF and Powder with powder having a slightly longer lead time. Contact your local garage door dealer for details.
Yes, Amarr commercial 3552 Aluminum Full View garage doors are approved for certain wind load pressures. The ClearView strut system is the wind load reinforcement system used for these doors and do not limit any visibility through the full view windows. Please contact your local garage door dealer to confirm that wind load approval applies to your local area.
Yes, an Amarr commercial 3552 aluminum full view door is a great way to add visibility and privacy between rooms inside your home. Contact your local dealer for garage door hardware that would best suit your application.
Wind affects all homes and businesses. If you are located in an area that is prone to strong winds, especially hurricanes and windstorms, you will need a garage door that is engineered to meet building code requirements. Your local professional garage door dealer/installer can determine the appropriate Wind Load door for your area.
Amarr distributes Wind Load approved garage doors for practically every door that we offer. A Wind Load door is simply an upgraded version of a door that has been structurally reinforced to meet the specific building codes in your area.
Yes, Amarr offers impact windows in the commercial Amarr 2432.
Amarr provides a Dealer Locator on amarr.com to find garage door dealers/installers in your area. Proximity, 24 hour service, or dealer showroom available may be a factor in determining the right dealer for you. Other factors to consider may be insurance, lead safety certification, warranties, professionalism, references, as well as dealer service and support.
There are several tests you can perform to tell if your door is balanced. Before testing your door, disengage you electronic opener.
The best way to determine if a garage door can be repaired through service or needs replacement is to call a professionally trained garage door dealer near you. Depending on the issues, a door may just need servicing (like a 3,000 mile car oil service), a few new parts, a new section or a door replacement. Many times, the issue is not the garage door, but the garage door opener needs replacement or servicing.
Yes, you can replace just one section for most garage doors, depending if the model of garage door that you are replacing is still in production and is not a custom-design. Also, paint matching may be an issue as color variations can occur over time.
A garage door raises and lowers with the assistance of springs. Broken and or worn springs will cause the door to be heavy and thus cause an extra load on the garage door opener. The extra load can be dangerous for reversing mechanisms and cause premature failure of the garage door opener. Having a technician check the garage door springs, rollers and garage door opener is good preventative maintenance for your garage door.
Amarr recommends replacing your track when you replace your door because each brand of garage door has been specifically designed to work with a specific type of track. In addition, replacing your track is an inexpensive way to insure that your entire garage door system is as safe as possible. By replacing your track you also ensure that your door warranty will apply, in the event that you have a problem.
Most garage door dealers will take down and haul away your old door, after the new door is installed for a small fee. Be sure your estimate from your dealer includes taking down and removal of the old door and reconnection of your garage door opener.
Professional garage door dealer/installers can typically install a door in a few hours and are careful to make sure safety requirements are met. Installations by most homeowners or business owners typically span several days and cause much frustration. In addition, incorrect installation can void certain warranties, so we recommend a trained garage door installer to handle the job for you. One of the other services a professional garage door dealer can provide is the disposal of your old garage door if you are replacing a door.
When installing a drawbar type electric garage door opener, the top section of the garage door must be reinforced with a strut and/or angle iron spanning the length of the top section.
Many garage door openers can be repaired and may be a less expensive option. However, there are times when opener replacement is recommended.
When installing a drawbar type electric garage door opener, the top section of the garage must be reinforced with a strut and/or angle iron spanning the length of the top section.
Garage door openers have different systems that open a garage door. A chain drive uses a chain as the mechanism to help open/close a door; a belt drive a belt mechanism; a screw drive a corkscrew rod; and a direct drive attached directly to the torsion bar to help open/close a garage door. Belt drive openers tend to be quieter than chain drive openers. Screw drive openers are known to require less adjustment over time. Direct drives take up less space in your garage.
DC stands for direct current. This allows the opener to only run when it is in use opening and closing a garage door, resulting in additional energy efficiency for the home ro business. Additionally, DC openers have soft start and stop features to help smooth the travel of the door and cut down on noise.