Commercial doors serve an important role in even low-traffic businesses. Whenever your operation needs to invest in installing or replacing doors, you should pay attention to these six issues.
Durability
Even at businesses that don't have lots of people coming and going, the doors are going to take a beating compared to what you might see at a residence. Heavy hinges are essential for swinging doors. Sliding doors need strong rails and rollers, too. Consequently, steel is a popular choice.
If you're unsure what sorts of commercial doors to use, look at locations that are similar to yours. Especially take note of which businesses have older doors that still seem to operate well. This will give you an idea of how your use case compares to theirs so you can decide which materials and systems are best.
Long-Term Costs
You are going to need to maintain and replace commercial doors at some point. It is wise to check the replacement and maintenance costs for any system before adding it to a building.
Compliance
Many local, state, and federal laws govern what types of doors are necessary at public accommodations. For example, wheelchair accessibility is a basic compliance issue for most retail businesses. Compliance with fire codes is also important. Talk with the compliance officers where you live. Ask them for good examples of doors that comply with regulations at all levels for your sector.
Insulation Value
Commercial doors are common places where businesses lose heating and cooling. The insulation value of a door in a commercial building is important, especially if it is on the outside of the structure or close to the exterior.
Clearance
The ability to move equipment, supplies, shipments, and materials in and out of a place of business is critical. Clearance can often be an issue, especially if you need doors that permit forklifts or trucks to pass. Measure the tallest thing you'll ever bring through the doors, and then make sure your location will have greater clearance than that. Assume people will do dumb things and thoughtlessly test each door's clearance at some point.
Security
Having a physically strong door is a good thing, but it's not enough to ensure security. Especially at access points, you want to know that the doors will keep unauthorized folks out of sensitive areas. Check how the doors will integrate with your security systems. Also, remember that it's easier to buy a door that already works with a system than it is to retrofit it.
To learn more about commercial doors, reach out to a service provider near you.
