When it is time to choose an Automatic Door for your building, it can be difficult to decide which one is the best fit. There are a variety of types of automatic doors available, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. In this post, we will discuss the different types of automatic doors and help you decide which one is right for your needs. Stay tuned!
How to Choose the Best Automatic Door for Your Building
An automatic door is a type of door that opens and closes automatically. They are often found in public places like hospitals, office buildings, and stores.
1. The Different Types of Automatic Doors Available Today
There are many varieties of automatic doors on the market nowadays, including:
- Sliding Doors:These types of Automatic Doors are most common in high-traffic areas where people are constantly moving in and out such as hospitals or office lobbies. They open by either pushing a button or automatic sensors.
- Swinging Doors:Most often found in restaurants, these types of doors have two leaves that open in the center and are activated by either pushing a button or automatic sensors.
- Revolving Doors:A revolving door has three or four compartments that rotate around a central axis. They are most commonly found in hotels or department stores. They can be automatic or manual.
- ADA-Compliant Doors:These types of automatic doors are designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities. They are often found in public buildings such as hospitals, schools, and government offices.
2. Factors to Consider When Choosing An Automatic Door System
When deciding which type of automatic door is best for your building, you need to consider the following factors:
- The Type of Door
There are buildings that use entrance revolving doors, if they are built atop a hotel. However, there are ADA-Complaint doors that fulfill the needs of people with disabilities, which are commonly used in public buildings like government offices, schools, and hospitals. Others, that are not catering to disabled people but mostly have younger or middle-aged ones in it, might be able to do well with a swinging door. At the end of the day, this choice depends on the type of people occupying the building.
- The Size of the Door
Automatic doors come in three main sizes: single, double, and custom. Let’s look at these one by one:
- Single Door: A single door is the most common type of automatic door. They are typically used in residential applications such as garage doors or entry doors.
- Double Door: A double door is two single doors that are hinged together. They are often used in commercial applications such as store entrances or office lobbies.
- Custom Size: Custom size automatic doors are made to order and can be any size you need. They are often used in industrial applications such as warehouses or factories.
This means your choice of size will depend on the space the door is letting people in: the main entrance, garage, or back door. Sometimes people prefer getting a custom-made automatic door for their buildings.
- The Features it Has
An automatic door can have different types of features. This includes automatic sensors, remote control, keyless entry, and automatic door locking.
- Automatic Sensors:
There are three types of automatic sensors:
- Infrared Sensors:these detect the heat of a person’s body and open the door automatically.
- Magnetic Sensors:these are placed on the door frame and detect when the door is opened manually. They will then close the door automatically.
- Pressure Sensors:these are placed on the floor and detect when someone steps on them. The door will then open automatically.
- Remote Control
Some automatic doors can be opened and closed using a remote control. This is convenient if you have your hands full or if you are in a wheelchair.
- Keyless Entry
Certain automatic doors come with keyless entry which allows you to open the door without a key. This is convenient if you lose your keys or if you want to let someone in without having to be there yourself
- Automatic Locking
Some automatic doors come with automatic locking which makes it impossible to open the door from the outside. This is a security feature that can give you peace of mind knowing that your business is safe.
So, if you have an office building, an automatic door with pressure sensor might do for you. If your building has people on wheelchairs, you might want to install a remote controlled-automatic door to facilitate them. If security is an issue for you, you might want to get the automatic locking feature too.
3. Cost ofAutomatic Door System
An automatic door system may cost depending on the type of door you choose. An automatic glass sliding door may cost anywhere between $400 to $1,300. Commercial ones cost even $7000 if you add hands-free opening and motion detectors. But if you are getting just an automatic garage door opener, it may be within the $220-550 range, with installation charges included.
4. Maintenance and Safety Concerns
Automatic doors require very little maintenance. However, you should regularly check the following:
- The sensors: to make sure they are clean and free of obstructions, and also to ensure they don’t open unexpectedly
- The batteries: in the remote control, to
- The door tracks: to make sure they are clean and free of debris.
- The door hinges: to make sure they are lubricated.
- Test the door to make sure it opens and closes smoothly.
- Do not install automatic doors in areas where there is a lot of traffic. This could cause accidents.
- Make sure the door is properly balanced so that it does not swing open too quickly.
If you have any problems with your automatic door, you can contact a professional for help.
The Final Word
To sum it up, if you want to choose the best automatic door for your building, keep the type of door, it’s size, and features in mind. You will also have to choose within your budget. You can buy automatic doors from AutoDoor and Hardware. We offer a wide selection of doors to choose from and we can help you find the perfect one for your business. Give us a call today!