Choosing the right commercial doors can be more complicated than it sounds. For starters, a commercial business might even need multiple doors; and since the business is filling a substantial need with the door, there is a lot to consider. Owner’s should also keep customization, functionality, and usage options on their radar when choosing an appropriate commercial door.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed when picking out a door for your commercial space. But, let’s take this process one door at a time… review options for any door(s) with immediate needs first, and then pan out from there. Also, take note that the overall structural design of your building might be an ideal place to start. To help you, we have listed 5 things that you should consider while choosing the right commercial door for your business.
1. Understand the Different Types of Doors
You should understand that when it comes to choosing commercial doors there are many different types of doors.
Here are the leaders in the commercial door industry.
- Steel doors
- Fireproof doors
- Glass doors
- Automatic doors
- Aluminum doors
- Overhead doors
- Storefront doors
Each of these categories is unique in their own right. Of course, once you determine which type of door you need, you will go on to choose style, size, and more. Just be sure you understand the placement of your commercial door and which type of door you are after.
It’s perfectly ok to ask questions but it never hurts to have a little knowledge before you start making decisions.
2. How Will the Door Be Used?
This topic can closely relate back to understanding the different door types. You can essentially choose a glass, automatic, fireproof, or aluminum door for many different areas when it comes to commercial doors. But, as you narrow down a commercial door consider how it will be used. For instance, are you bringing a building up to code and need to install a fireproof door?
Be sure to consider things like lobby entrances or storefronts, and whether or not the door needs to be appealing to the people walking through it. Is the commercial door going to be a customer entry point or will it just be used somewhere to separate stair levels? All of these questions will weigh heavily in the decision-making process and could also make a difference in the door materials.
3. Door Materials
Aluminum is the most common door material available these days. It is excellent for exterior doors that are susceptible to the elements, and tends to be the most affordable and reliable option. You can have a stylish door with an aluminum setting, and you can find a myriad of designs and colors as well.
However, aluminum is not always the best solution. It is true that aluminum doors are much harder to bend, dent, or break when faced by a potential intruder… but, if you need a truly durable and strong door, consider steel. Steel is one of the toughest door materials on the market. It’s easy to work with and hard to compromise, yet it tends to be quite a bit more expensive.
Finally, there are fiberglass doors. The pro to fiberglass is that it won’t dent or bend as easily as aluminum, but the downside is poorer insulation and not as heavy as steel.
You’ll find that most door materials are located inside the door, and with the naked eye you might never really see the materials to know what the door is made of. These materials are considered filler materials and they are in a casing, like faux wood or vinyl, to give the door superior curb appeal. The door might also just be the base material, fancied up to look nicer.
4. Continued Maintenance
If there’s one thing that is true of all doors… they require routine maintenance to work and perform properly. This doesn’t have to be some challenging ritual, it can be minor things like cleaning, oiling, painting, etc.
Commercial doors tend to get a lot of heavy-duty use. Maintenance might be required to keep them sturdy and in good repair. The better the material, the simpler the maintenance will be. Maintenance is typically related to wear and tear, so keep this in mind as you look for a commercial door.
5. Budget
Your budget is perhaps one of the more important things to consider when choosing the right commercial door. Commercial doors can quickly become a costly endeavor, particularly if you require a specialty door, like glass doors, storefront doors, automatic doors, and fireproof doors. Remember that there are so many options out there and it’s easy to overspend if you don’t set a budget!
You will need to know your budget and need to be able to narrow down the door options to stay within your allowable budget. Determine your budget and use that range to disqualify obvious options that just won’t work, and then go from there.
Conclusion
Choosing a commercial door takes a lot of thought, and can be a complicated process since there are so many variables to consider. However, consider these tips to help you work through your needs and options. The process should be fun but in the end, we hope you find the perfect door for all your business needs!
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