What are roller doors?
Roller doors roll up to open. They consist of three main parts; the curtain, guide rail, and barrel. Though they have many other parts, these three are the most important to understand what roller doors are. The curtain is the door itself and is made up of many slats. These slats allow the curtain to fold and roll up. The curtain sits between two guide rails which guide it to roll around the barrel. Some roller doors open and close using a motor, while others are manual. This usually depends on their size, however, that's not always the case. Roller doors are often confused with roller shutters. Although they're similar in appearance and function, the slats that make up a roller shutter are separate pieces rather than a single crimped sheet.
What are roller doors used for?
Roller doors are used in many places. They excel in places with large doorways where regular doors aren't viable. You'll often find them used as garage doors or warehouse doors. These places need enough clearance for large objects or vehicles to pass through. Hinged doors need clearance to swing outwards, making them unsuitable for most large doorways. Because they don't need this clearance, roller doors don't have the same limitations on size. In addition, you can also find smaller roller doors used in sheds. These doors, however, are lightweight, making them susceptible to break-ins.
How much space do you need for roller doors?
The main limiting factor for roller doors is that they need enough space above the doorway for the curtain to roll around the barrel. Other than this, roller doors don't actually need that much space. The only exception is motorised roller doors which also need space for the motor. Motorised roller doors will usually have the motor on either the ceiling or the side of the drum. The exact amount of space you need can vary depending on factors like the size or material of the curtain. You must make accurate measurements of the available space to ensure your chosen roller doors fit the space.
What are roller doors made out of?
Generally, roller doors are made out of either steel or aluminium. For roller doors to function, they need to be crimped into slats. As explained previously, this is what lets roller doors roll up. To allow for this, the material needs three things. Firstly, it needs to be workable into a crimped sheet. Secondly, it needs to be flexible enough to roll and unroll. Thirdly, it needs to be strong enough to have adequate durability and not deform from rolling. These requirements eliminate rigid materials such as wood and weak materials such as plastic. This leaves just steel and aluminium. If you're looking for a similar door made from another material, consider panel doors or roller shutters.
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