Garage doors are everywhere. If you focus and really start looking, you'll notice that you'll see garage doors constantly. They truly are everywhere! You'll find them on residential buildings and on commercial buildings. But did you know that commercial garage doors are often much different than residential garage doors? It's true! The garage doors that business owners place on their buildings are almost always a much different breed of cat than a residential garage door, and must be, for a number of reasons.

When you're dealing with a residential garage door, you are dealing with a garage door that will only have to be opened a few times a day, if that. This is because we often don't have to go in and out of our house multiple times. When you're dealing with a business, however, clients and employees may need to use the garage door constantly during the day. A residential garage door would likely not hold up to the amount of openings and closings that are required of a commercial garage door.

Commercial garage doors are also often a great deal larger than residential garage doors. Residential garage doors only have to open large enough to house the average car or truck. Commercial garage doors, however, often have to be able to house larger vehicles, such as 18 wheel trucks or large pieces of farm equipment. No residential garage doors are designed to fit vehicles that large.

A commercial garage door also usually looks nowhere near as nice as a residential garage door. A homeowner who is purchasing a residential garage door will focus on the aesthetics of the garage door, trying to make sure that the garage door makes their home look good. A commercial building, however, does not need to look as good as a residential home, especially when it comes to the area that the garage door would be needed for. That is why most commercial garage doors are very plain and do not come in a variety of colors.

Commercial garage doors also are usually made of steel. This offers a great deal of durability, even though they can dent easily. They are much more expensive, but they are built to sustain a lot more abuse and heavy duty usage. Most often these commercial garage doors aren't insulated, but if the area where the garage door is going to be located will be frequented by clients or employees, the business owner can choose to have insulated steel garage doors placed. This would help keep the temperature in the area regulated, but it does cost a bit more money than one that is not insulated. The commercial garage door will also typically roll up into a "can" or "barrel" which really distinguishes a commercial garage door from a residential garage door more than anything else.

When would a homeowner purchase a commercial garage door? They likely wouldn't have to. The only time most homeowners find themselves needing a commercial garage door is when they have to house large farm equipment or large trucks. When it comes to homeowners, in most cases, a residential style garage door is ideal.