Snow, sleet and ice are hallmarks of the winter months in many regions. In fact, where I grew up in Illinois, we joked about not being able to shovel out of it until April. While this weather can be brutal, it doesn’t have to take a heavy toll on the door operations at your warehouse, loading dock, freight terminal or distribution center if you have the right preparation and the right doors to stand up to the worst of it.
Just like winterizing your car with snow tires or chains, anti-freeze for your windshield wipers and preventative maintenance to avoid break downs, there are steps you can take to winterize your large commercial and industrial doors. Read on for my top 4 tips.
- Replace risky doors. Hurricanes and tornadoes aren’t the only weather-related events that can cause door damage. With a severe winter storm, branches and other projectiles can fall and hit your door. If you have a sectional door with glass, that could spell big trouble with significant damage. But with rolling steel doors like we provide at ASTA, the slat construction provides a high probability that your door will tolerate the impact.
In fact, our industry-leading doors are known for minimal maintenance and easy installation. Partnering with one of ASTA’s trusted local dealers is a great way to ensure your project is expertly installed and on time. And if a slat on your rolling steel door does suffer damage because of winter weather, a truck hitting it or any other reason, it can be serviced in the field to minimize door downtime, using a 30-inch service cut out to replace the slat rather than completely rendering the door inoperable.
We also offer installation, operation and maintenance training classes at our manufacturing facilities in Cartersville, Georgia, and Houston, Texas, so installers, dealers and service technicians can learn from certified experts on the best, most efficient ways to install and service our rolling steel doors. - Clean your doors more often. Salt is our friend to melt hazardous ice on walkways, ramps and parking lots, but it’s corrosive to the paint on your rolling-steel doors. If you’re using salt to prevent people slipping on ice, it’s a good idea to wipe down your doors regularly just like you’d wipe the salt off your shoes before you walk on your hardwood floors at home. By mixing mild soap and warm water, and by using soft cloths, you can remove any salt residue. Then simply wipe it down or let it air dry to prevent water spots.
To further ensure the finish on your ASTA America Rolling Steel Door, we use a stronger process at our plant, where we powder coat all our structural angels, head plates, guides and bottom bars. That extra layer on top of our painted steel provides added protection against corrosive elements, like salt.
You’ll also want to make sure you’re setting up annual preventative maintenance to make sure your door is operating correctly and efficiently. Again, we can provide these services for scheduled check-ups through a local ASTA Dealer who can repair or replace any necessary components like damaged slats or torn astragal.
- Insulate your doors. Just like our homes, the colder it is outside, the colder it is in the interior of your commercial and industrial buildings. If your rolling steel doors are not properly insulated, you may experience unwanted increases in your heating cost through a cold winter. If you’re in a climate that has even an occasional snow or sub-zero temperatures, you’ll want to consider insulating your doors to provide an optimal temperature on the interior of your building.
At ASTA, our 600 Series line of insulated service doors has a wide variety of sizes and colors to meet your every need. That feature set, combined with professional installation from a qualified dealer and the ability to service our doors in the field, provides you with an unbeatable option for your facility!
- Add weather seals. When it’s cold outside or even freezing overnight, weather-stripping around your commercial roll-up door reduces air infiltration and creates a secure seal that protects your building from the winter elements like snow and ice. Studies show that proper weather seals can also save you up to 10% in energy bills.
If you already have weather stripping on your door, it’s important to inspect the current condition of the seals to make sure they’re doing the job. If they’re worn or damaged, it could be time to repair or replace them. A little bit of prevention can go a long way in keeping your door ready for what Mother Nature may have in store.
At ASTA, we offer a clip-on weather seal that snaps onto the guide and is molded to lay flat against the outside of the door so that nothing comes inside your building.
A qualified dealer will assess the condition of your seals for you to ensure you’re gaining the maximum benefit.
Tailored Solutions for Any Weather
Whether it’s winter, wind or water issues with your large commercial doors, working with trusted, professional door experts for installation and maintenance can save you time, money and a lot of headaches. With ASTA, we have you covered to protect your commercial building from outside weather conditions. We offer a complete line of commercial door offerings in every product series, model size and option in the book, including high-performance doors, commercial slat doors, fire doors, counter shutters, heavy-duty service doors and insulated service doors.
About Our Author
Peter Elsenbach is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in the Garage Door industry. He currently serves as the Vice President of Marketing and Product Development at ASTA America, a leading manufacturer of rolling steel doors. In this role, Peter, who holds an MBA, oversees the company's marketing strategies, brand development and product development, driving growth and market expansion.
