Resources for Doors

Wood doors, metal doors, glass doors - your front doors speak volumes about your business and can make a lasting impression on customers and clients. However, commercial doors can do more than bring in business. Exterior doors and interior doors serve a variety of vital functions: They aid in deliveries, provide security, divide offices and provide climate-controlled environments.

Before installing commercial doors in your business:
1. Make sure your exterior doors and interior doors are in ADA (American Disabilities Act) compliance.
2. Figure out what types of commercial doors work best for the primary use of the doorway.
3. Study the traffic flow of each doorway to find the appropriate commercial doors for your business.

Interior doors and exterior doors

Exterior doors can play an important role in that all-important first impression. Whether you want a standard model or a custom creation that will set your business apart, you can find numerous options for exterior doors, including wood doors, metal doors and glass doors.

Automatic doors are user friendly

Automatic doors are a must in situations where customers are required to push a cart or carry items through the exterior doors of your business. They provide a hands-free motion sensor that automatically opens when someone nears the door. Exterior doors that are not automated can be retrofitted with openers for persons with disabilities.

Impact doors (aka traffic doors) provide easy access to high traffic areas

Restaurants cannot do without traffic doors, also known as impact doors. These traffic doors can swing in, out or both ways, allowing people to come and go easily through high traffic areas such as a kitchen and dividing private areas from public view.

Revolving doors allow high traffic while keeping the elements out

Using revolving doors for your exterior doors offer several benefits over traditional front entry doors. They provide an airlock to keep your lobby or business climate-controlled. Revolving doors can also provide extra security in that some are equipped with bulletproof glass for use in high security applications such as banks. Revolving doors also control traffic by limiting the number of people who can enter the building at one time, which is useful in areas where people have to go through security checkpoints before entering.

Overhead doors provide high security in large doorways

If you have a loading dock where you receive or send deliveries, you'll need to invest in overhead doors. Many retailers also use overhead doors and gates to provide extra security after hours.

Specialty commercial doors offer unique solutions

There are many other types of specialty commercial doors that your business may need, depending on your company's needs.

• Before installing any commercial doors, consult with your architect or local building-permitting department to make sure the doors are in compliance with the American Disabilities Act.
• If you do install any type of automatic doors, make sure you have signs that notify users "Caution Automatic Door."
• Traffic doors provide hands-free passage between kitchen, prep areas, dining rooms and stockrooms and are more sanitary than traditional doors because workers do not have to grab doorknobs to open them.
• Revolving doors may be more expensive than traditional exterior doors up front, but the amount of money they save each year in energy can pay for itself in just one year of use.