Commercial Door Hardware

Commercial doors work hard. A busy entrance can cycle hundreds of times a day, and a back door takes weather, carts and the odd pallet. When the hardware wears, the door slams, sags, drags or stops latching, and that is when security, heating bills and fire separation suffer. Commercial door hardware is one of our specialities. We supply it from our Kitchener shop and install it across the Tri-City.

Door closers

A closer controls how a door shuts: how fast it swings, how hard it latches, and how far it opens. A good closer, properly adjusted, closes the door fully every time without slamming. We install and adjust surface-mounted closers from brands such as LCN and dormakaba. If yours is leaking oil, slamming, or leaving the door short of the latch, it may need adjusting or replacing; the arm and mounting can wear as much as the closer body.

Panic bars and exit devices

Exit devices let people leave with one push, which is why they are on so many exit doors in public and commercial buildings. They come as rim, surface vertical rod and concealed vertical rod devices, and with options like key or electric dogging to keep the latch retracted during business hours. Von Duprin, Sargent and Falcon are among the brands we install. On a fire-rated door, the device must be labelled fire exit hardware, which generally means no mechanical hold-open, because the door has to latch in a fire.

Hinges and continuous hinges

Most sagging commercial doors are a hinge problem. Worn butt hinges let the door drop until it rubs the frame or misses the strike. A continuous, full-length hinge spreads the door’s weight along the whole edge of the frame, which is why it is common on heavy, high-traffic and abused doors. We replace worn hinges and retrofit continuous hinges to give a tired door a second life.

Push plates, paddles, wraps and protectors

Smaller parts do a lot of the work: push plates and pulls, paddle handles, door wraps that repair or protect a damaged lock area, and latch protectors that cover the gap where someone might try to pry the latch. Don-Jo is one of the brands we use for wraps and protectors. For aluminum storefront doors, Adams Rite deadlatches and paddles are a long-standing standard.

Astragals, thresholds and weather strip

Gaps around a door let in weather, drafts and light. Astragals close the gap between a pair of doors, thresholds seal the bottom, and weather strip seals the frame. On exterior doors in a Waterloo Region winter, worn seals show up quickly on the heating bill.

Electric strikes and keyless entry

An electric strike replaces the standard strike in the frame and releases the latch when a reader, keypad or button tells it to. It is the most common way to add access control or an automatic door operator to an existing door. RCI is among the brands we carry for electric strikes.

Hardware for renovations and fit-ups

On a renovation or tenant fit-up, door hardware is easiest to get right on paper. A hardware schedule lists every opening with its door number, function, hardware set and keying, so nothing is missed and the locks arrive already keyed to the building’s system. We work from the drawings with contractors and owners, and we tie the keying into an existing master key system where there is one.

Hollow metal doors and fire-rated frames

When a door is beyond repair, we supply and install hollow metal doors and frames, with or without a fire rating, with insulated cores for exterior openings, and with lites (glass panels) where you need visibility. A fire-rated door is part of a tested assembly: the door, frame, hinges, closer and latching hardware together. Adding non-labelled hardware, or cutting the door in the field, can compromise that rating, so we keep replacements within what the assembly’s label allows. If you’re unsure what your fire inspector needs, ask them first and bring us the details.

We work with property managers, contractors and building owners, and with homeowners who need a commercial-grade closer or hinge. For pricing on one door or a building’s worth, call 519-894-7055 or request a quote. Our locksmith cost guide explains what tends to drive the price.