How to choose the right industrial door

– Your guide to better economy, performance, and reliability

Mustard yellow Q-Door FX folding door from Torverk

Why is it Important to Choose the Right Type of Industrial Door?

Overhead doors, roller shutters, sliding doors, folding doors – there’s no shortage of industrial door types. 

But choose the wrong one, and you could be losing thousands of euros a year in downtime, heat loss, and service costs. Poor insulation. Unnecessary stops. Repairs that never end.

Pick the right door, and everything changes.

Your logistics run smoothly. The heat (or cold) stays inside. You save time, cut energy use, and lower your costs, all while reducing your environmental footprint.

So how do you know which type of door is right for you? 

It all comes down to how the door fits into your daily operations, the climate it faces, and what demands your facility places on it.

Here’s our guide to choosing the right industrial door for your needs.

A worn-out old door that’s no efficient transport solution

This Is Not an Efficient Transport Solution

What Is the Most Important Function of an Industrial Door?

An industrial door’s main job? To keep goods moving. 

A door that slows down transport by just a few seconds per passage can cost you thousands of euros per door, per year.

Its second job? To seal the opening as tightly as possible—so heat stays in, and energy bills stay down. 

As Mattias Reinhard from Nybetong puts it:

“The most important thing about an industrial door is that it works.”

Read how Nybetong chose a low-maintenance door that keeps operations running smoothly.

Folding Door Q-Door FX made by Torverk industriportar

Choose a door that’s durable and reliable to avoid costly downtime in your operation.

The Cheapest Door is the One That Never Stops Working.

A door that won’t open can grind your entire operation to a halt. 

Ask yourself two key questions:

How often will this door cause downtime?

How quickly can you get it back up and running when it does?

Industrial doors are complex machines with many moving parts like hinges, motors, sensors, safety edges, seals, and control systems. One failing component can stop everything.

That’s why you need a rugged, well-designed door built to last from the ground up. If something breaks, it should be easy to disengage so your operations can keep moving while repairs happen.

In harsh environments, wet, cold, or salty, the risk of failure rises sharply. That''''''''''''''''s when you see if a door is designed for everyday use or real-world conditions.

Protect your investment with the right surface treatment. 

The right coating can dramatically extend your door’s lifespan and shield it from harsh elements.

Graph showing the reduction in district heating consumption when a truck workshop replaced seven of its doors with Torverk’s Q-Door FX folding doors.

In 2019, a trucking terminal replaced seven of its doors with Torverk folding doors. The graph shows how much district heating consumption dropped after the new doors were installed.

Good Insulation and Tight Frames Saves You Lots of Money

Poorly insulated doors with leaky frames cost you a lot.

The U-value measures how well a door panel insulates. Thicker panels have lower U-values and save energy.

The T-value shows how airtight the door is, how much air leaks through seals.

Lower values are better. Worn rubber seals increase leakage and your energy bill.

Both U and T values greatly impact your total costs, especially in cold climates.

If your door opens rarely, low U and T values matter even more.

Security-Rated Folding Door, SK2, Q-Door FX, Torverk

Security Ratings Make Break-Ins Harder

If your property holds high-value assets, insurers may require a security-rated door tested and certified to Security Class 2 or Security Class 3.

Learn more about security-rated doors.

Keep These Things in Mind When Choosing a Door

Handcrafted, Custom Folding Door from Torverk

A Custom Industrial Door Costs More Upfront, But Saves Time and Energy in the Long Run

A standard-size door is usually cheaper to buy and delivered faster than a custom-built one. The downside is that it''''''''s often larger than optimal. This increases heat loss and operating costs over time, so in practice, a standard door often ends up costing more than a custom door.

A custom door is designed and structurally engineered specifically for your opening. The construction is perfectly suited to your wind load and the exact size of your door opening.

Shows the recommended clearance around vehicles passing through a door

Choose the Right-Sized Door for Minimal Energy Loss

Choose the smallest possible door size that allows vehicles and cargo to pass through without issues.

Base your measurements on the largest vehicles that will pass, adding 60 centimeters of "wiggle room" on the sides and 15–25 cm above.

If the driveway slopes downward toward the building, increase the clearance at the top.

If your vehicle fleet is expected to grow in the future, add extra space accordingly.

Illustrates Oppel’s illusion, demonstrating why we find it easier to judge horizontal distances than vertical ones.

Side-Opening Doors Are Less Likely to Be Hit Than Overhead Doors

This matters more than you think.

Your eyes sit side by side, making it easier to judge horizontal distances than vertical ones. That''''s why drivers are more likely to hit overhead doors than side-opening ones.

A door that gets hit can cause downtime and costs money to repair.

Emergency services often choose folding doors for their fast opening times.

Heavy Traffic? Choose a Door That Opens and Closes Quickly

When traffic is heavy, you need a door that opens as quickly as possible. Two- to four-panel side-opening doors are the most efficient choice. Side-opening doors slide open both ways at once, cutting the time needed to open and close the door in half.

For openings wider than a few meters and taller than 3 – 4 meters, we also recommend folding doors for the same reason.

Orange folding door placed in a recessed niche, sheltered from the wind

Position Your Door to Minimize Wind Load

Keep in mind that wind is often stronger near corners.

This creates unnecessarily high wind loads on the door and can also cause cold air to blow into the building when the door is open. If you must place the door close to a corner, installing a windbreak or protective barrier is a good solution.

vänsterhöger

Choose Your Door Type Based on Your Needs

Based on your requirements, you can choose the door type best suited for your needs. Start by ruling out options that don''''t fit. Then, it''''s time to perform more detailed calculations on the remaining door types.

Folding Door Q-Door FX

Folding Door

Fast to open and close because it opens both ways at once.

Durable construction with low maintenance needs thanks to few moving parts.

Folding doors are the type we most often recommend—they''re the most versatile, with the best sealing and insulation.

Lowest operating costs over time.

Available with or without motorized operation.

Widths from 1.3 to 25 meters.

Maximum height: 6 meters.

Sandwichbuilt Sliding Door

Sliding Door

The best choice for large, wide openings such as warehouses and hangars.

Usually two-panel doors that slide straight to the sides.

Requires a narrow space along the wall.

Available with or without motor, in almost unlimited widths.

Maximum height: 6 meters.

More about sliding doors…

Sandwichbyggd slagport

Swing Door

Best suited for small to medium openings intended for pedestrian or vehicle traffic.

Features one or two hinged panels that swing inward or outward like a regular door.

Available in widths from 1 to 2.8 meters.

Maximum height: 3 meters.

More about swing doors…

Overhead Sectional Door

Overhead Sectional Door

Opens vertically like a roller shutter.

Many moving parts and sections require more maintenance than other door types.

Multiple door sections make it less airtight, allowing more energy to escape.

More prone to being hit by vehicles than side-opening doors, leading to more frequent repairs.

Available with or without motor in widths up to approximately 6 meters.

Maximum height: 6 meters.

SSAB GreenCoat Steel corrosion protection class C5

Torverk doors are clad with SSAB GreenCoat steel, rated corrosion protection class C5.

Choose Enhanced Corrosion Protection for Harsh Environments

A door in a normal environment needs corrosion protection rated at least C5 to withstand years of use.

Some environments are more corrosive—near the sea or in vehicle wash bays, for example. In those cases, we recommend enhanced corrosion protection for greater durability.

Torverk offers surface treatment packages for wash bays, stables, chemical plants, and coastal environments.

Yellow industrial door with lots of windows

The more windows a door has, the more light it lets in—but at the same time, its insulation decreases.

Let in Light and Simplify Pedestrian Traffic with Windows and a Personnel Door

Choose the number and size of windows, but keep in mind that the more windows you add, the less insulated the door will be.

If you need easy pedestrian access, add a personnel door to save both energy and time.

Torverks sandwich-built door panel is filled with polyurethane form that bonds all parts together

A sandwich construction becomes strong and insulating because the door panel is filled with polyurethane foam that hardens and “bonds” all parts together.

Minimize Energy Loss and Maximize Durability with Sandwich Construction

A frame-built door is welded together from a framework of square tubing, filled with mineral wool or other insulation.

A sandwich-built door, on the other hand, is constructed by pressing metal profiles and cladding sheets together with a core of adhesive polyurethane foam into a homogeneous unit.

Torverk''s door panels differ from traditional sandwich constructions because we cast each section under very high pressure, causing the foam to chemically bond to the door cladding. This makes the panel exceptionally strong and insulating.

We use heavily dimensioned components and reinforcements for increased durability and operational reliability.

Torverk’s Motor Drives for Folding and Sliding Doors

Save Time and Energy with Motorized Operation and Automatic Opening

If your door opens more than once an hour, we recommend motorized operation and automatic opening.

It saves time and energy.

Learn more about motors and automation...

Folding doors at Grums Emergency Services

Multiple Doors? Choose the Same Type for Easier Operation & Maintenance

If you need multiple doors, you''ll often benefit from having as few different door types as possible, as this simplifies maintenance and repairs.

It can also confuse users if doors open in different directions or operate differently.

When traffic is light, a single specialized door opening is usually the most practical solution.

Consider the Following:

Choose Your Supplier

Once you know which door type and features best suit your needs, it''''s time to choose a supplier.

This is about more than just products and services—it''''s also about personal chemistry and trust.

Do you want a supplier who simply sells the door, or someone who takes responsibility for its performance long after delivery?

Plan Carefully

To ensure a successful outcome, you need precise and clear frame drawings along with accurate documentation for proper planning.

Do you know which documents you need to prepare, or would you like assistance?

Install with Precision

For a door to be airtight, it must be installed without gaps, misalignments, or errors.

Poor installation can cause heat leaks, premature wear, or even complete failure.

Regular Maintenance

A door doesn''t last forever. It requires preventive maintenance and regular servicing to keep running smoothly.

Keep in mind that many door suppliers offer warranties—at Torverk, you can extend your warranty by signing a service agreement.

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