The Ins and Outs of a Carwash Door
By Josh Hart
When people ask me what I do for a living, I respond that I make carwash doors.
This response is often followed by some confused looks and inevitably the follow-up question of “what is a carwash door, and how is it different from a standard garage door?”
Well, the answer is in the details. It is true that carwash doors follow the basic style of your typical garage doors. They follow the same laws of physics and they look similar on the outside. However, when you take a closer look there are some very distinct features that separate the common overhead door or roll up door from a true carwash door.
Carwash doors are doors that are designed specifically to operate in a carwash. There are many styles of carwashes, including tunnels, in-bay automatics, and self-serve facilities. However, they all have one thing in common: they use harsh chemicals to clean a car properly. The chemical is sprayed onto a vehicle, and then water is used to wash the chemical off, leaving a nice clean car. This method is all fine and good for the vehicle, but the doors in the carwash are getting all the overspray from the wash process constantly coating them with dirt, chemical, and other debris without getting the rinse cycle to wash off the doors. This results in an extremely corrosive environment to the door and all the door hardware.
There are two main types of carwash doors: polycarbonate overhead doors and vinyl roll-up doors. Although they operate differently, they are all designed to withstand the harsh carwash environment.
The polycarbonate overhead door is constructed of aluminum rails and clear polycarbonate sections. The aluminum rails are anodized to protect the aluminum from corrosion and are sloped to allow water and chemicals to run off the door as much as possible and not pool up on the door itself. The polycarbonate panels are lightweight and non-absorbent to prevent excess water buildup that can occur with a typical steel insulated garage door. The polycarbonate is shatterproof and can withstand 200 times the impact of a typical glass door. Furthermore, clear polycarbonate sections allow visibility into the carwash bay, not only providing light into the bay but allowing customers to see if a bay is occupied easily.
The real defining characteristics that make this style of door a carwash door are in the hardware. One of the most important features is using a Strapeze counterbalance system rather than torsion springs. The Strapeze counterbalance system utilizes a nylon strap and stackable weights to balance the door rather than torsion springs. Torsion springs will corrode over time and eventually break. Using the strap system, there are no components to corrode and break, and virtually zero maintenance is required.
Other key components that define a carwash door include corrosion-resistant hardware options such as stainless steel or plastic track, stainless steel or plastic hinges, stainless steel door cables, stainless steel shaft, stainless steel bearings and bearing plates, Stainless steel and plastic rollers, and all stainless steel fasteners. These are all components that are typically not options on standard overhead doors.
The other style of door used in a carwash is a vinyl roll-up door. Roll-up doors are used in various industries, but are typically constructed of steel. Carwash roll-up doors are constructed of vinyl to prevent corrosion and withstand the water and chemical spray. They are designed with durable components to open and close between every vehicle. Similar to the overhead door, it is the hardware and components that distinguish it as a carwash door. The track is constructed of a fibre material to prevent corrosion. The barrel that the door rolls up on is constructed of aluminum, and the shaft is stainless steel. All of the bearings and bearing plates, as well as all of the fasteners, are stainless steel.
Whatever style door you decide on, you will need an opener to complete the package. A good carwash door is only as good as the opener. Four different opener styles are designed and manufactured for the carwash market. Three are pneumatic, and one is electric.
Pneumatic openers can be a drawbar style or a jackshaft style. All versions are constructed of either hard-coat aluminum or stainless steel. All brackets, hardware, and fasteners are made of stainless steel. These openers are designed to operate in a wet, corrosive environment and operate at high cycles to open and close between every car. Pneumatic openers are used exclusively on overhead doors.
The E-Maxx electric opener is used on both overhead and roll-up doors. For years, electric openers were not recommended for carwash use, but the E-Maxx is designed specifically for this purpose. This opener excels in tough conditions using stainless steel bearings and coated internal windings.
The last part of the package to complete a true carwash door is the control box to operate the opener. The electrical components for these openers are housed in a fiberglass nema 4 rated waterproof enclosure that can be mounted inside of the carwash bay. All of the buttons on the boxes and the additional components such as safety eyes are all waterproof and designed for the carwash environment.
Just because a door is mounted in a carwash does not necessarily mean it is a true carwash door. Consult with manufacturers of the product to make sure you are choosing correctly when picking out your door package. Ask about the items I discussed and make sure you are getting products designed for the carwash. Remember, it is about the overall package and not just the door, but also the opener and control options as well.
Josh Hart has been with Airlift Doors, Inc. for 24 years. He has held positions in production, service and installation, and sales. He spent the majority of his career with Airlift in sales prior to taking over as company president in 2014.
