How to Choose a New Commercial Glass Door
Posted on: 18 May 2017
If you need a new glass door for your facility, you want to ensure you buy the right type for your particular needs. Not all commercial glass doors are alike; some types of glass may be safer than others, and some are especially convenient for your staff and customers or clients. Note a few features to consider when it comes to commercial glass doors, and then you can choose the best one for your facility.
Fire protective versus fire resistant
Glass doors may offer some protection from fire, but this amount of protection can vary; fire protective usually means that the glazing or glass panes can withstand an actual flame and not crack and allow the fire to spread, versus glass that is not fire protective, which may actually shatter when exposed to a flame. Fire resistant glass may offer more protection by not transferring heat through the glazing. This can be best for areas or rooms where you store anything flammable or that may be susceptible to heat, such as papers, welding gasses, and the like. Be sure you ask about these differences for your commercial glass door, if you need maximum protection against potential fires in your facility.
Swinging versus sliding
Swinging doors move with pivots, or a type of hinge, that are attached to the tops and bottom of the doors. You can have closers installed to these, and this will gently close the door once there is no more resistance on the pivot.
A sliding door can allow for more opening of the space, since the door moves out of the way entirely. For doors where you may get deliveries of large or cumbersome items, this can be the better choice. These are also the preferred choice for any retail store, where customers may be leaving with carts or arms full of bags, and cannot manage a door on their own.
However, sliding doors will require more mechanics, as you would need to have a pressure mat placed in front of the door and its wiring connected to the door, so the sensors under the mat will slide the door open automatically. The door will also need to be wired into your facility's alarm system; if there is an emergency in the building, such as a fire, the doors should open automatically. If a burglary alarm sounds, the doors may need to lock automatically. This added wiring and technology can mean more expense and more potential repairs down the road, so make your choice carefully, depending on the type of business you have and your overall needs.
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