If you’ve been scouring the internet and reviewing different folding door manufacturers, then you’ve no doubt noticed that many of the companies that manufacture residential folding doors also manufacture commercial and industrial folding door systems as well.

Like many first-time shoppers, you’re probably wondering what the real difference between the industrial and residential folding doors is. Perhaps you’re a business owner trying to figure out which is best for their business or just a homeowner trying to make sure they’re getting a good deal.

Either way, we’re about to break down the key differences between the two types of folding doors, from the doorframe materials, locking mechanisms, impact rating, and everything in between. Let’s take a look!

The Difference Between Residential and Industrial Folding Door Systems

If you’ve been shopping around, then the most obvious difference you’ve probably noticed is that commercial folding doors are a good bit more expensive than standard residential folding doors. This is due to several reasons including the fact that industrial doors are made using higher-quality materials, are usually larger/heavier, and must meet a different set of building codes.

Doorframe Materials

When it comes to residential folding door systems, homeowners will typically have three different options to choose between for their doorframe material:

• Hardwood.
• Vinyl/PVC.
• Aluminum.

However, for industrial folding doors, there are really only two options:

• Aluminum.
• Stainless steel.

Stainless steel is a lot heavier-duty than aluminum and is a lot heavier, meaning that it’s not a great choice for residential applications. Conversely, vinyl and wood aren’t exactly strong enough to support large industrial doorframes and thus aren’t used for commercial folding doors.

Energy-Efficiency

Both residential and commercial folding doors are designed to meet a high standard for energy efficiency. However, industrial folding doors are typically a bit more efficient than the average residential folding door system.

This is because commercial buildings typically use a lot more power than homes. Therefore, to keep the building’s energy usage lower, cities usually implement certain codes to minimize the amount of power usage by large commercial buildings.

The higher degree of efficiency offered by commercial folding doors typically means that heavier, thicker sheets of glass are used, solar-deflecting window film is applied, and more attention is given to the thermal breaking of the doorframe.

Door Hardware

Commercial folding doors see a lot more traffic than the average residential door. A patio folding door system might be opened 5 or 6 times a day, while a commercial door installed in a retail location can easily be opened and closed 200 times a day.

This means that industrial folding doors must come equipped with heavy-duty door hardware. The hinges, door latches, door handles, locks, tracks, and rollers must be able to sustain a lot more wear and tear than residential door hardware.

Door Panel Size

Your average residential folding door system is used to replace a patio or porch opening. This means that they’ll fit into a smaller door system. At their highest, residential folding door panels will be around 7 or 8-feet tall. Realistically, most residential doorframes are between 6 and 7-feet tall.

Commercial folding doors, on the other hand, are way larger. This is mostly due to the fact that commercial buildings are a lot bigger than homes to allow for greater occupancy, better visibility from the road, and to follow local fire codes.

One of the main reasons why industrial folding doors are so much more expensive than residential folding doors is the simple fact that industrial door panels are up to 30% bigger and heavier than residential door panels.

Locks And Security

Industrial folding doors will typically have larger, stronger locking mechanisms than residential folding doors. This is for two reasons:

• Industrial door panels are larger and need larger locks.
• There are more burglary/break-in attempts made in high-end retail shopping centers.

Most residential folding door systems will feature a multi-point locking mechanism with 3 to 5 locking points, while an industrial folding door might have 7 to 8 locking points.

The greater the number of locking points in the mechanism, the more expensive the door is to produce.

Impact Rating

Industrial folding doors typically have a greater impact rating than residential folding doors. This is because commercial doors have a greater chance of becoming damaged due to the greater amount of traffic that they see. As large commercial doors, they also represent a greater target for vandalism and need to be able to withstand heavier impacts without shattering.

Can You Install Residential Folding Doors In A Commercial Space?

Yes, residential folding doors are installed in commercial spaces all the time. For example a hotel or resort may install folding doors on the balconies of their rooms. Or, a small office might make use of residential folding doors as a room divider.

Are Commercial Folding Doors A Tax Deduction?

Any addition that you make to your business or office space is 100% tax-deductible. This means that not only will commercial folding doors make a great impression on your customers and clients but you’ll also pay fewer taxes at the end of the year.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this post was able to help you see the difference between industrial and residential folding doors. As you can tell, commercial doors are a lot bigger, utilize heavier materials, and have higher energy efficiency and impact ratings in accordance with commercial building codes.

All of this makes them a lot more expensive. However, as a business investment, they are tax-deductible, so the extra cost of these doors definitely makes sense if you’re installing them in a commercial space.