Terminology

• Curtain: the assembly of interlocking slats
• Slat: formed steel strip, flat or profiled, that makes up the curtain
• Guides: vertical channels on each side that hold the curtain edges
• Barrel and hood: the drum the curtain winds on and the cover over it
• Operator: motor, chain hoist, or crank that moves the door
• Fire door: rolling door listed to close and hold back fire at a rated opening
• Insulated slats: double-wall slats with an insulating core

Standards

Gauges and parts

• Manufacturer data show flat slats in 20 and 18 gauge, with insulated slats in 24, 22, 20, and 18 gauge
• A fire-door line lists curtains up to 20 or 18 gauge, with a 22-gauge hood as a wind-load option
• Guide angles for wind-rated doors are structural steel at least 5/16 in. thick in one approval

Test and installation standards

• NFPA 80: installation, repair, and maintenance of fire doors; fire-rated rolling doors are repaired with the door manufacturer's parts, and labeled retrofit operators are allowed on other makers' doors
• ANSI/DASMA 108: static air pressure (wind load) test
• ANSI/DASMA 115: large missile impact and cyclic wind pressure
• DASMA 203: guide assemblies must hold the curtain edges throughout operation and under the required wind load
• UL 10B and UL 10C: fire door tests

Detailing

• Treat fire doors as interior products; they are generally not designed for wind, so ask the manufacturer where an exterior fire door needs wind rating
• Exterior fire doors need weather protection under NFPA 80
• Coordinate the headroom, hood, and side room for the coil and guides
• Choose a labeled operator for fire doors and wire to the fire alarm release
• Specify the curtain gauge, finish, and accessories such as bottom bar, locks, and weatherstripping

Uses

Specific uses

• Loading docks and service openings
• Fire-rated openings in warehouses and parking structures
• Counter shutters in retail, concession, and food service
• Security closures for storefronts and parking garages
• Large industrial and vehicle openings

Pros and cons

Pros

• Coils overhead and uses little floor and wall space
• Spans wide openings
• Available as fire-rated, insulated, wind-rated, and security types

Cons

• Fire-rated and wind-rated versions are separate products
• Exterior fire doors need weather protection

Manufacturing and cost

Construction

• Slats are roll-formed and interlocked into a curtain, mounted on a barrel in a hood, and guided in side channels; a motor or chain hoist drives the door

Main manufacturers and suppliers

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

Trade association: Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association.

Sources

• DASMA: DASMA 203, 2018, https://www.dasma.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/DASMA-203-2018.pdf
• DASMA: TDS 287, https://www.dasma.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/TDS-287.pdf
• Texas Department of Insurance: rolling door evaluation, https://tdi.texas.gov/WIND/prod/gdr/gdr116.pdf
• Florida Building Commission: rolling door product approval, https://www.floridabuilding.org/upload/PR_Instl_Docs/FL15211_R11_II_P-2184-E_s.pdf
• Sweets: Wayne-Dalton FireStar Model 700 rolling steel fire doors, https://sweets.construction.com/Manufacturer/Wayne-Dalton-NST2567/products/Model-700-Rolling-Steel-Fire-Doors---FireStar-NST685693-P