Large Doors Have Function and Style Covered

(Elkhorn, WI) -For the doors that need to cover large doors, big can be beautiful - and functional. More attention to design details on both the working side and on the door's look by large door manufacturers means that architects for commercial facilities can fully carry out their concepts.

There are a number of projects where a large opening is unavoidably the focal point of the façade – restaurants with a garage front for al fresco dining, buildings which need to be accessed by vehicles or large pieces of equipment and the large opening faces the street, fly-in communities where the residence sits on top of the hangar section. The architect can hide none of these from view.

Large door manufacturers recognize these projects for the challenges that they are. These doors can measure from 5' to over 140' wide, making them the dominant design element The materials and design of the door can be crucial to the overall look of the project. On the other hand, the doors have to allow traffic in and out of the building and demands are put on the structure, drive and other moving parts to perform when necessary.

Forward thinking door manufacturers embrace these design dares, while smart project leaders and building owners know that lower priced doors will more than likely cost more down the road, resulting in a compromised building design and sure performance problems once the door is put to use.

Large door manufacturers have responded by incorporating an array of panel materials matching those used on the rest of the project, into the door design. Some projects call for a crisp, clean hi-tech look such as brushed aluminum or glass. Others for flat materials, where the door manufacturer can marry the doorframe with wood, plastic or acrylic. Corrugated metal can tie together the frame and provide a contrast to the other building components. The architect does not have to settle for less.

Options also comprise a variety of designs to match the traffic going through the doorway - easy to operate steel sliding for very wide openings and bi-folding for buildings with limited wall space on either side of the door and headroom above, available in economical steel or lightweight aluminum.

Enlarge door size and operation becomes an important issue. Big doors have to do big jobs and if one of them becomes disabled due to structural or drive failure the results will be the crippling of vital building operations. Doors have been engineered and developed that offer less weight for their size; have support structures that can bear the panel weight and the operating torque; and can be powered by drives that deliver the power necessary to open and close them in a controlled fashion.

Go inside the building and the better-engineered doors have other benefits, particularly minimal operating hardware that saves space. Standard sectional doors have tracks, sectional panels and hardware that can take away from the aesthetics and may introduce safety issues in places where people congregate.

There are many projects where the door has to be front and center. In effect all large doors are custom made so it is a matter for an architect to find a manufacturer who is willing to be flexible, creative and clever in providing a door compatible with the design. With the many ideas being developed to help big doors make statements, the project can stand on its own in presenting the aesthetic image intended for the rest of the building.