Most people use roll-up doors in garages, but have you ever considered using roll-up doors inside? Using interior roll-up doors is a niche trend that has gained popularity in recent years.

Roll-up doors offer easy access to outdoor spaces, ample light, and wide openings for entertainment purposes.

Roll-up doors in interior and exterior spaces create an industrial chic style that blends well with a variety of room designs and house styles.

Uses of Roll-Up Doors

Garage Door – Many homeowners use a type of roll-up door for their garage as it is a way to open and close a large opening in a way that saves space by staying above the cars when opened.Interior Doors – While roll-up doors have been used in commercial settings for a long time, roll-up doors are becoming more popular in residential use as people like the style, entertainment potential, and flexibility that these doors bring.Garden Shed – Roll-up doors work in outdoor settings like yard barns, garden sheds, and other light-duty applications. Roll-up doors for sheds are efficient because you can make sure that your door is large enough for riding lawnmowers and other large tools.Safety Doors – A rolling steel door is a good way to add more security to your home or business. A commercial door is more heavy-duty than those for residential use.Closet Doors – Roll-up doors are used as closet doors in contemporary and industrial design.Warehouse – Service doors at warehouses are a popular use of rolling steel doors or heavy-duty doors as these are durable and low maintenance.

Roll Up Doors: Pros and Cons

Roll-up doors have wonderful benefits but, there are also issues with this option that make them problematic for some situations.

Pros:

Sunlight – If glass doors are chosen, these let in more natural light than other door options.Access to the outdoors – These doors are the perfect choice for indoor/outdoor entertaining as you can create a wall-sized opening between them.Style – These doors create a unique look that is contemporary and industrial. This style is desirable to many potential homebuyers.Price – If you compare the prices for these doors to other doors/windows of a similar size, roll up doors are less expensive.Space savings – These doors recess to the ceiling, so their opening and closing will not cause a limitation in space use.

Cons:

Insulation – These doors are more difficult to seal and because many are glass, the insulation is not as tight. Therefore, your utility bills may rise as a result of using these doors in interior spaces. Glass roll-up doors are difficult in this respect. Choose an insulated roll-up door if this is a concern.Safety – These doors are a potential safety hazard for small children. While manufacturers place safety settings in these doors, if they malfunction, the consequences could be severe.Window treatments – Curtain or drape window treatments are difficult on an overhead door as the ceiling track makes standard curtain rods impossible to install.Construction costs – Installation of these doors is not a DIY project for most people. Thus, you need to employ experts to install the doors in the right way.Maintenance – There are more moving parts to a roll-up door, so you should expect more maintenance issues than with a stationary door.

Roll Up Door Ideas and Inspiration

A roll-up door works well in some interior design styles. They look striking, and they are an economical alternative to other large door options.

We have rounded up some of the best looks for roll-up doors in interior and exterior design.

Contemporary Kitchen

Lux Garage Doors

This set of roll-up glass doors sets an industrial tone in this contemporary kitchen.

The kitchen features a pleasing mix of styles including some rustic elements like the exposed ceiling beams.

The black framing on the glass doors is a stark contrast to the white kitchen.

Traditional Dining Room

Brightwater Homes

You can enhance your dining and entertainment potential by opening up your interior rooms to the outdoors with large roll-up doors.

Rolling glass doors work well in this traditional dining room. These roll-up doors don’t inhibit the style or appearance of the traditional dining room, but it does help it to “live” larger.

Overhead Glass Door

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

An overhead glass door is a perfect addition to this floating house in Seattle.

The architects, Dan Nelson Design Architects, maximize all the light available with a glass roll-up door, glass windows, and a partial glass ceiling.

He echoes the industrial style using elements like a concrete floor and exposed rafters.

Colorful Roll-Up Garage Door

Klima Architecture

Klima Architecture designed this contemporary rustic home with an orange roll-up garage door. The orange door brings out the warm tones in the wood surroundings.

Interior Rolling Steel Door

Kristy Kropat Design GmbH

In this home remodel, Kristy Kropat Design GmbH, designed an area with a tucked-away office space. They used a rolling steel door to create a nook that you can expose or hide.

Expanded Living Area

Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects

The owners of a modern home in Los Angeles tasked Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chanay Architects with expanding the living space of their small home.

The architects used roll-up glass doors on the lower level which open to the existing central courtyard and front patio.

Guest House

Shakin Style

Glass overhead doors are a good way to create an open and airy guest house. The house has an industrial vibe, but the elegant furnishings keep it comfortable and chic.

Urban Farmhouse Living Room

Marcia Loves It

The owners constructed this home with an urban farmhouse style. They added elements like shiplap molding and concrete floors to create a home that is comfortable but with an attractive modern look. The owners used the roll-up door as a separator between rooms.

Urban Patio

Caputo Construction

The designers of this home have made the most of their outdoor patio. They used glass roll-up doors along one side of the house. This opens the public areas of the house like the kitchen, dining room, and living room to the outdoors.

Accessible Boathouse

Scott Allen Architecture

This boat house has roll-up doors on both sides of the structure. This makes the boathouse more accessible to the main house. In addition, the doors allow the owners to create an extra patio space for relaxing and enjoying the stunning view across the water.

Glass Roll-Up Garage Doors

Royalty Garage Doors & Gates

If you want to create a contemporary look for your outdoor space but still maintain privacy, consider an opaque glass roll up garage door.

This garage combines the best of both worlds as there are sleek glass garage doors for privacy with high windows to bring in the light.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ

What do you call doors that roll up?

There are different types of roll up doors. The technical use of the term roll up door is a door that coils around a spool and rolls as it goes up. There are also doors called overhead doors that also roll on tracks. These are the kind most used for interior design or garage doors.

How much headroom do you need for a roll up door?

Different types of doors require different amounts of clearance. For doors with tracks, these require around 10 inches of clearance. If you have a door that rolls, you will determine the amount of headroom based on the size of the coil. You may need anywhere from 10 – 31 inches of headroom.

How much is a roll up glass door?

The cost of a roll up glass door is based on the size, the quality of the glass, the kind of frame you choose, and glass thickness. On average, to purchase a rolling glass garage door is around $4,500.

Do glass garage doors break?

Glass garage doors do break more than garage doors of aluminum, steel, vinyl, or wood. However, if this is a concern, invest in tempered glass. Tempered glass is four times stronger than regular glass. In addition, if it breaks, it will break into small pieces rather than large shards that could cause serious injury.

Are insulated roll up doors worth it?

Insulated glass doors cost more than non-insulated doors, but they will save you money on your energy bill every month.

Conclusion

Roll-up doors are a wonderful way to add unique style to your interior and exterior spaces.

In addition, they allow in ample natural light, create areas for indoor/outdoor entertaining, and do all this for less money than other comparable windows and doors.

These doors will not work for every space and style, but they are an option that is worth exploring. You might just find that it is the perfect solution for your needs.