Your parking garage is often the point of entry for your staff and customers. However, parking garages have quite the reputation as dark, gloomy, and potentially dangerous places. Fortunately, you can create a more positive first impression and work against the preconceived notion by increasing the safety of your parking garage.
Our team at ASI Doors, the top overhead door company in Milwaukee, created this guide to security roll-up grilles, rolling doors, and custom commercial doors. Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about securing your parking garage doors and creating a safer environment for your colleagues and clients.
Why You Should Prioritize Security for Parking Garages
Office buildings, professional facilities, and other commercial properties often take advantage of parking garages. Large parking structures provide a safe place for employees to park off the road while offering a convenient location for customers to leave their vehicles when visiting your offices.
However, potential thieves may look at a parking structure as an opportunity. Think about it: parking garages often conceal dozens of cars, in which staff members and customers store their personal belongings. Further, parking structures can become quiet and secluded outside of normal working hours.
These factors contribute to the negative perception surrounding parking garages. By taking small steps toward a more secure environment, you can mitigate numerous risks and protect the people who matter most.
How to Increase Garage Security and Protect Interior and Exterior Openings
More than likely, you’ve already considered the costs involved in improving the security of your business. The best safety solution isn’t always the most expensive, though.
Small changes, like upgrading your lighting or installing cameras around your parking structure, can significantly improve the safety of your property. Further, security grilles or a rolling counter door may add an extra layer of protection between your employees and the outside world.
Other ways to protect your customers and staff include:
1. Installing Video Surveillance
Security cameras make it easy to monitor your parking garage anywhere, at any time. When installing your cameras, ensure that you can get a clear view of anyone who comes through the rolling doors at your parking facility.
In addition, install cameras in dark corners, by fire doors, and in all stairwells for increased protection. You can even choose motion-sensor cameras that turn on each time someone enters the security gates by your parking garage doors.
2. Improving Your Lighting
Dark areas – especially those around security doors – offer the perfect place for criminals to hide from an unsuspecting customer or employee. Instead of avoiding the shadowy corners of your parking garage, you can shine a light on the problem areas to discourage criminals and create a secure environment.
Installing extra lighting will make it easier for your customers to take in their surroundings. You’ll also enable drivers to navigate the area safely, resulting in fewer accidents and less hassle for you.
3. Upgrading to Mobile Payment Systems
If drivers have to stop and pay for parking at a security grill before leaving your parking facility, you may have inadvertently provided an opportunity for criminals to strike. Instead of risking the driver and a security guard, consider setting up a mobile reservation and payment system.
The mobile systems allow drivers to enter and exit without stopping at the security grille. Don’t worry about setup, either. Most mobile payment systems come with an IT-light, easily integrated package you can set up quickly.
4. Creating and Maintaining Blacklists
You may have created blacklists of shoplifters or other criminals that have entered your building. Did you know you can create a blacklist for your parking garage, too?
Blacklists track license plate information and send notifications if a blacklisted individual attempts to enter the parking garage door. If you purchase a high-performance parking garage door, you can seal your garage off quickly and prevent the vehicle from entering your facility.
5. Investing in High-Quality Security Doors
Speaking of high-performance doors, it’s critical to note that all parking garage doors weren’t created equally. Each door varies in strength and durability based on its materials, structure, and the overhead door company that designed it.
For example, at ASI Doors, we specialize in security doors and custom door solutions for businesses that want to invest in a safer work environment and find the perfect parking gate to suit their needs, protect their clients, and put their employees at ease.
Types of Secure Parking Garage Doors
As mentioned above, high-performance parking garage doors represent one of the best ways to increase the security of your parking structure. Security doors enable you to control who has access to your building. As a result, you can ensure that only authorized individuals and guests enter the garage.
Parking garage doors aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution, either. Choose from several options when it comes to the best high-performance security gates for your facility, such as:
High-Speed Overhead Doors
High-speed doors typically resemble accordion folding doors, thanks to their numerous panels and roll-up design. You can opt for a basic version, which uses an overhead door operator to roll up and down at certain times of the day, or choose an automatic product like secure, high-speed doors.
High-speed doors offer extra reliability and flexibility than standard doors. As a result, you can use high-speed parking garage doors at various facilities, including:
- Auto dealerships
- Commercial buildings
- Retail centers
- Loading dock doors
- GSA buildings
- Condos or apartment buildings
- Fleet garages
- Hospitals
- And more
High-speed rolling parking garage doors do more than create secure storefronts, enclose a shipping and receiving area, or protect your parking facilities, too. The high-performance doors often come heavily insulated, offering unparalleled sound control for your offices. Insulated garage doors also help reduce your energy expenses by moderating the temperature in your facility, even in extreme environments.
Full-Vision Garage Doors
Are you looking for aesthetically pleasing, custom security solutions? Consider adding a full-vision security door to your parking facility. High-performance, full-vision doors feature translucent slates that allow you to see through the door, unlike most max-protection doors.
The polycarbonate slats provide clear visual access to individuals on the other side of the barrier. At the same time, they allow more light into your facility than most insulated doors.
Full-vision parking garage doors come with several additional security features as well. They open quickly and allow overhead door operators to reverse their movement immediately. Further, you can add elements like alarms and other security devices for extra protection.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Parking Garage Doors
Selecting a parking gate or security grill may seem like a make-or-break task, especially if you’re trying to improve security quickly. To make it easy to find the safest, most effective solution for your needs, our team gathered their top tips and the key factors to consider when choosing parking garage doors.
Ultimately, you want to find an option that seals any exterior finished wall openings while preventing forced entry and protecting people as they walk to and from their cars. Other factors to consider include:
1. Your Goals
Do you want to invest in a lightweight, roll-up security grill, a high-performance garage door, or an insulated door to seal your parking garage? How much space do you need to secure? Do you want to invest in matching rolling counter shutters to enclose a security office as well?
Considering these factors before investing in parking garage doors can help you find convenient solutions without breaking the bank.
2. Your Budget
Parking garage doors vary in price based on factors such as size, materials, and finishes options. Understanding your budget before you begin searching for a high-performance rolling door, side-folding doors, or counter doors will enable you to make the best choice for your business.
3. Your Building Codes
Before you install a new rolling door or security grilles, we highly recommend checking your building codes. Some areas forbid side-folding grilles or only allow a rolling door with clear visual access. You may also need to consider limited headroom clearance before making your purchase.
4. Desired Features
High-performance security doors come with a wide range of practical and aesthetic features. With that in mind, you can choose from heavy-duty insulated doors, side-folding grille options, a high-performance rolling door, or a counter shutter installation to protect your security team or all your essential documents.
5. Aesthetic Options
Finally, think about the aesthetics and functionality of your rolling door or security grille. Full-vision doors provide better visual access. However, if you want to prevent outsiders from seeing inside, a security grille or full-vision door won’t cut it.
The Ultimate Guide to Parking Garage Door Installation
Ready to install a garage door at your parking facility? Read on for the ultimate guide to installing doors to protect your team, your customers, and your property.
1. Watch Installation Videos Rolling Door
Installation videos can give you a better idea of the stocked and custom parts you’ll need to install a door at your property.
2. Take Measurements
Before beginning installation, take measurements of your space and focus on project requirements, visibility, and overhead clearance. If you plan to hire an installation company, you can skip this step, though the contractor may find the measurements helpful.
3. Choose Your Materials Wisely
A security grille may let in more light, but the lightweight solutions don’t always hold up to high-traffic areas or extreme temperatures. Instead, consider a weather-tight aluminum option for added protection.
Parking Garage Door Solutions from ASI Doors
At ASI Doors, we know you care about your business. That’s why we’re so passionate about high-performance garage doors that solve your security solutions and create a safer, more welcome environment for your employees and guests.
For more information or to find the perfect door for your needs, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our ASI Doors team today at (800) 558-7068.