Whether for the entrance to a retail establishment, to an office, or to a warehouse, storefront doors must make a statement.

There’s a story about a storeowner with a new business neighbor next door that put up a huge sign announcing, “BEST DEALS IN THE AREA.”  The next week, he had another new neighbor on the other side of his building.  This one put up banners that said, “LOWEST PRICES AVAILABLE.”  In a true case of making lemonade out of lemons, the storekeeper erected his own sign over his retail exterior doors:  “MAIN ENTRANCE.”

Signs are great for attracting attention, but when it comes to making a good first impression on potential customers, it is all about having the right commercial doors.

Overall Considerations of Choosing Retail Doors

There are a slew of choices available when it comes to retail doors.  Several manufacturers are recognized as leaders in the commercial door business, including Wayne-Dalton, TKO, Cookson and Porvene.

Deciding upon the right door requires weighing several factors:  location, the average number of customers per day, and safety considerations specific to the site.

For instance, some storefront doors are better for areas prone to extreme weather conditions.  Rolling steel doors are great as a way to close up shop or added protection against the elements.  Those doors, when paired with durable weather seals, provide great foul weather protection.

The Simplicity of Manual Doors

A lot goes into creating a high quality and durable door.  Hinged doors consist of several major components:

• The door panel outer layer
• The interior composition of the door panel, including insulation and reinforcement
• The hinge post
• The gaskets that run along the perimeter of the door
• The hinges
• Windows

So many parts of the door must function together, making quality very important.

Carefully consider the materials — fiberglass, steel, and wood—used to make the door. Additionally, do not forget to consider how much space the arc of the door swing requires, and whether or not wind and weather conditions make this a poor choice.  As with any type of door, manual doors that are made of energy efficient materials will save you money.  An older doorframe can cost a lot in term of heating and cooling costs due to looser fitting frames.  However, businesses and buildings of a certain style of architecture, a manual door is the best, and perhaps only, option.

A traditional door may pose mobility issues for certain patrons, and are sometimes difficult for anyone to handle.  There are also safety considerations to take into account if using a traditional door, including if it will allow quick evacuation of the building.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Bi-Parting Slide Doors

Sliding doors provide a beautiful entrance-way to any business.  A storefront glass doors provides a great deal of natural light.  Additionally, they can be adjusted to make the store entrance wider or narrower.  They come in many sizes, and are generally not difficult to install.

How a bi-parting door is made makes a huge difference in their security. Better-engineered doors include things such as door hangers built into the frame of the door and high quality construction materials.  These doors are terrific for warm weather areas where extreme weather events are less likely.  For places with a lot of rain, snow, and wind, they may not be an ideal choice.

Evaluating Automatic Doors

Reminiscent of all those sliding doors in Star Trek, automatic doors encourage shoppers to enter, easing their way if they are carrying other shopping bags or pushing a stroller. Automatic doors both swing and slide.  Each style, however, requires additional space to accommodate the door either as it retracts or swings.  They suit businesses with high traffic volumes.  Additionally, people are lazy, and prefer doors that require the least effort to open.  Most automatic doors now include safety features permitting push outs in emergencies.

The right door beckons to customers to enter a business.  Commercial doors make it easy for clients to enter a business, and easier for the business to make money.