Selecting the correct commercial door size are a necessary step in building construction. Selecting the correct commercial door size will prevent mistake that will result in financial loss or failed building inspections. If you select the incorrect size for a commercial building door, the inspection for that building will fail immediatly.
The chart provided will display standard size for commercial doors, the fire rating for those doors, the closer grades for those doors, and the rule regarding the occupancy of the buildings with those doors. This information will allow you to identify what size door will fit the construction of you building. Most construction buildings will use a few different types of commercial door.
How to Choose the Right Commercial Door
The hollow metal doors will be thirty-six by eighty-four inches in size and will be used for interior office and school buildings. Storefronts, however, will use aluminum door that are wider and taller to allow for more better entrances from retail stores. If the traffic volume and the number of individuals that must pass through a commercial building is high, double doors will be used.
The chart show the fire rating for each type of door and the closer grades for each type of door. Fire rating is one of the most critical factor to be considered in commercial construction. The fire rating of a three-hour fire wall will require a three-hour fire rating for its doors.
A ninety-minute fire rating will be used for stairwells and exit door for a building. A fire rating apply to the door slab, the door frame, the door hardware, and the glazing for a commercial building. If any of these component do not meet the fire rating that is required of the building, the entire commercial door will lose its fire rating.
For this reason, each type of door will have a fire rating that is establish for that particular type of door. ADA requirements will also be applied to commercial construction. A thirty-six-inch door will have thirty-two inches of clear width for passage.
This measurement must be provided for individuals to pass through the doorway, or else it will be a violation of ADA requirement. Lever handle will be used for the doors instead of round knob. Thresholds will not be higher than three-quarters of an inch in height.
Additionally, there must be sufficient maneuvering clearance to allow an individual to push or pull the door shut. These requirement are shown in the infographic alongside the size of the commercial doors. The size of the door closer must match the capacity and the demand of the commercial building’s door.
A light door closer will not be able to latch a heavy fire door. If the door closer for a commercial building is too heavy, the door will require more than five pound of force to open it. Any door that require more than five pounds of force to open is a violation of accessibility standards for ADA requirements.
The chart displays the different grade of door closers according to the weight and width of the commercial building’s doors. Additionally, exterior doors will have an extra grade in the chart to accommodate for the force of the wind on those doors. The number of individuals that will occupy a commercial building will determine the width of the exit in that building.
The infographic demonstrates the relationship between the square footage of a building per individual and the required width of the exits. An assembly space will have wider door than an office of the same square footage. Additionally, if a building has an occupant load of fifty or more individuals, panic hardware will be required for those exits.
Panic hardware is required for exits to allow individuals to leave a building in only one direction without having to use there keys. The frame in which the commercial door is installed is important to both the fire rating and the appearance of the building. Steel frame are used in commercial buildings to allow for fire ratings for fire doors.
Steel frames can either be welded or knock-down. Aluminum frames are used for commercial storefronts to allow for corrosion resistance. However, aluminum frames will not be used for commercial structure if the building requires high fire ratings.
Wood frames can only be used for commercial buildings with fire ratings and occupancy that are light. The infographic displays the types of frames for commercial buildings and the fire rating for each type of frame. Commercial building violations will occur if the component of the building doors do not match the requirements for that type of door.
For instance, a fire exit that is left propped open is a violation. Additionally, a door closer that is broken on an exit for a commercial building is a violation. Finally, using round knob on an exit that is required to use lever handles is a violation.
The infographic allows the builder to see the relationship of each component of a commercial building’s door and the requirements of each component. To select the correct commercial building door, the dimensions of the door opening must first be measured. Additionally, the fire rating of the walls of the building must be determined, as the doors must match those fire ratings.
Finally, the number of individuals that will occupy the building must also be determined to establish the width of the exits. Once the dimensions of the door, the fire ratings of the walls, and the number of individuals that will occupy the buildings has been determined, the correct type of door, the frame for the door, the closer for the door, and the hardware for that door can be match to the strictest requirement of the commercial building. The infographic makes this selection of commercial building door component faster and more reliable.
