Terminology

• DASMA: Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association
• Section: one horizontal panel; ribbed, flush, or full-view (glazed aluminum)
• Standard lift: door turns into horizontal track immediately above the header
• High lift: vertical track extends above the opening before turning back
• Vertical lift: track runs straight up the wall; door stores vertically
• Low headroom: double-track or rear-mount hardware for tight overhead clearance
• Headroom / sideroom / backroom: clearance above the opening, beside each jamb, and behind the opening needed for track and hardware
• Torsion spring / extension spring: counterbalance types; torsion standard for commercial doors
• Cycle life: rated spring cycles; 10,000 standard, 25,000 to 100,000 high-cycle
• Operator: trolley, jackshaft, or hoist motor that drives the door
• Monitored entrapment protection: photo eyes, edge sensors, or light curtains required by UL 325 for automatic closing
• Windload bar / strut: horizontal reinforcement on sections for design wind pressure

Standards

Sizes

• Commercial openings: 8'-0" to 16'-0" wide by 8'-0" to 16'-0" high common; larger with heavy-duty sections
• Residential openings: 8'-0" or 9'-0" single and 16'-0" double, by 7'-0" or 8'-0" high
• Section thickness: 1-3/8 in. to 2 in. for insulated commercial doors; 3 in. for high-R products

Track clearances

• Sideroom: about 4-1/2 in. to 7-1/2 in. each jamb, more with jackshaft operators
• Backroom: door height plus 18 in. for standard lift, plus operator length

Ratings

• Wind load: ANSI/DASMA 108 static pressure test; design pressure from ASCE 7
• Impact: ANSI/DASMA 115 missile impact and cyclic pressure in windborne debris regions
• Thermal: ANSI/DASMA 105 for installed-door U-factor and air infiltration; R-values of section core alone overstate performance
• Operators: UL 325 for entrapment protection; ANSI/UL 325 7th edition current

Test standards

• ANSI/DASMA 102: sectional overhead-type door specifications
• ANSI/DASMA 105: thermal transmittance and air infiltration
• ANSI/DASMA 108: static pressure structural test
• ANSI/DASMA 115: missile impact and cyclic wind pressure
• UL 325: door and gate operators

Materials

• Steel, uninsulated: pan or ribbed steel sections; lowest cost
• Steel, insulated: polystyrene or foamed-in-place polyurethane between steel skins; higher R and rigidity
• Aluminum full-view: extruded aluminum frames with glass or polycarbonate; restaurants, showrooms, fire stations
• Wood and wood composite: residential and custom architectural doors
• Fiberglass or composite skins: coastal and corrosive environments
• Hardware: galvanized track, steel or nylon rollers, stainless options for washdown and coastal sites

Uses

Specific uses

• Warehouse loading docks with dock levelers and seals
• Vehicle maintenance, fire station, and municipal service bays
• Residential and multifamily parking garages
• Restaurants and breweries opening to patios (full-view aluminum)
• Agricultural, industrial, and storage buildings

Pros and cons

Pros

• Tight seal and good insulation in insulated steel models
• Stores overhead, leaving floor and wall area clear
• Wide range of sizes, finishes, and glazing
• Wind-load and impact-rated models available

Cons

• Needs headroom, sideroom, and backroom free of ducts, lights, sprinklers, and structure
• Track and header loads require coordinated blocking or steel jambs
• Springs and cables need trained maintenance; high-cycle springs needed for heavy use
• Not a code egress door in most occupancies; separate personnel door required
• Panels dent under impact; bollards or guards needed at docks

Manufacturing and cost

Construction

• Sections roll formed or pressed from coated steel, then foam injected or insulated with board
• Hinges, roller brackets, and struts bolted to sections; track anchored to jambs and ceiling
• Counterbalance springs on a shaft above the header, sized to door weight and cycle life
• Operators anchored to structure, wired to dedicated circuits, with monitored photo eyes no higher than 6 in. above the floor

Main manufacturers and suppliers

• Overhead Door
• Clopay
• Wayne Dalton
• Raynor
• Amarr
• C.H.I. Overhead Doors

Trade association: Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association.

Typical costs

• Residential steel door, installed, 16'-0" by 7'-0": $1,500 to $4,500
• Commercial insulated steel door, 12'-0" by 12'-0", installed: $5,000 to $12,000
• Commercial door with operator and controls, installed: $6,000 to $15,000
• Full-view aluminum and glass door, installed: $6,000 to $15,000
• Operator alone, commercial, installed: $1,000 to $3,000

Sources

• DASMA: ANSI/DASMA 102 sectional overhead-type door specifications, https://www.dasma.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ANSIDASMA102.pdf
• DASMA: standards list, https://www.dasma.com/dasma-standards/
• DASMA: technical data sheet 382, UL 325 entrapment protection, https://www.dasma.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/TDS382.pdf
• Amarr: lift options for commercial doors, https://www.amarr.com/commercial/service_and_support/rapid_install_vertical_lift
• Clopay: garage door track options, headroom, and specs, https://www.clopaydoor.com/buyingguide/garage-door-track-options
• WBDG: VA 08 36 13 sectional doors specification, https://www.wbdg.org/FFC/VA/VANCAS/VANCA083613.pdf
• Wikimedia Commons: Sectional-type overhead garage door.JPG, by unknown author (Public domain), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sectional-type_overhead_garage_door.JPG