Not because they are made to be more sturdy than private or residential doors doesn’t mean commercial or industrial doors are indestructible. They too can be worn out with the frequency of use or as much as we hate to admit, the frequency of abuse. A good quality commercial door is not cheap and facility managers/ officers don’t always have the budget to replace such at hand. Most of the time, an approval and budget request needs to be made first and it can take from several days to a few weeks to be processed, can be a pain in the neck right? Unfortunately, not all wounds can be treated with just a band-aid, repairs aren’t always good enough. So how do we determine when to replace a damaged industrial door? We have put together a list of the most common types of damage that requires door replacement.

When To Replace a Damaged Industrial Door: Identifying The Damage

 

# 1 Compromised Core

It is already a given fact that commercial doors can’t be hollow-core as they wouldn’t be strong enough for its intended use. That being said, if a commercial door’s core was damaged in any way,  the integrity of your first line of protection is already compromised.  Any repair done to a door with the core already ruined is futile. A repair might extend the life of the door for a while but it will still eventually give in to busy traffic. The costs will just be doubled if you repair because it will not take long and you would need to do another repair.

 

 

 

# 2 Delamination

Delamination is when a composite material starts to fail and layers start to get separated.  This can be caused by cyclic stress and impact or long exposure to elements among other things. The thing is, any multi-layer binding when it is unbound, there is no way it can be placed back as it was. It is better to replace the door as opposed to frequent repairs.

 

 

# 3 Rusting

Contrary to popular belief, rusting generally starts inside a metal door. If you see a door starting to rust on the surface, there’s a good chance that more rusting can be found inside. Rusted metals can no longer be repaired. Painting it will only slow the process but it rust will continue to eat the metal.

Note: Prevention is better than cure. Use a galvanneal coated door from the get-go and you can have an assurance that your industrial door is more rust resistant as opposed to non-coated doors.

 

# 4 Vandalism/ Forced Entry

If a damage is due to forced entry, chances are the locks have been dismantled and possibly the area where it is installed is damaged as well. This can prove to be a bigger security threat since you can no longer install another lock securely on that damaged area. Even if you are able to, It will be more susceptible to vandalism attempts.

Note: If your security has been compromised by forced entry, consider using a different locking mechanism/ hardware when you replace your door since you already know that the last one you used has weak points that can be taken advantage of.

 

# 5 Type of Damage: Door Frame

If the door frame is already askew and no longer level, the tendency is a poorly fitting or not fitting at all door. Trying to or forcing a door to fit a deformed frame might just cause further damage to both the frame and the door. There is also the case of hinges no longer securely attached or misfitting door hardware and compromised locks.

 

Note:

If the deformity of the frame can still be straightened back up for the door to fit perfectly again, repair the frame.

If the damage is too much and couldn’t be corrected anymore, replace the frame.

The door only needs replacement if the frame damage has been existing for a while and it already propagated to the door.

 

The following types of damage can still be corrected and repaired:

 

• Minor hinges issues – Ensure that only the hinge itself is damaged and not the door stiles. Damaged stiles mean you can no longer re-attach a new hinge securely and will present a high-security risk.

 

• Shallow dents – First, ensure that the damage is just on the surface and it did not penetrate to the core. If that is the case, you can apply some steel putty to fill in the dent, let it dry. Once dry, sand until smooth and leveled with the door surface. Paint/ coat.

If you are in the industrial line of business like manufacturing or if you own a warehouse and/ or commercial building, there is a big possibility that you have a loading/ unloading dock or any type of large entrance. Although this is a necessary part of the structure and running your business, the fact still remains that a larger entrance also means a higher risk of security breach.  So how do you ensure that your facilities, merchandise, and employees are safe? Check out Spartan Doors’ tips on ways to improve building security for entrance and loading docks.

Ways To Improve Building Security Tip# 1: Closed Door Policy

 

Implement a closed-door policy on your loading docks and employee entrances. Since most loading docks have roll-up doors not for them to get in the way of large cargos going in and out, the tendency is they are left open during the whole working day with or without deliveries. Do not let this be a common practice in your facilities. Closing and opening roll-up or any type of wide doors for that matter may look like an extra work to do for your employees but the added security of a closed door cannot be underestimated.

Tip# 2: Regular Inspection and Maintenance

Shattered windows, dented doors, partially unhinged doors, holes in the ceiling and other types of what seems to be a minor damage to your facilities may present an opportunity to those who have a devious motive. Make sure you conduct regular inspections and immediately have any minor damage repaired. Replace whatever needs replacing.  

Tip# 3: Take Advantage of the Available Technologies

 

Make use of CCTV and surveillance cameras and/ or advanced alarm systems apart from having security guards in your area.  This is handy for any unforeseen incident. Sometimes, even just the site of them (CCTV cameras) make threats be wary of what they are planning to do.

Tip# 4: Use The Right Security Doors

Identify the security threats based on your line of business and/ or the location of your structure and right door to keep it secured. Are you in an area that is a frequent path of tornadoes or storms? Then use a tried and tested cyclone rated door. Are you at risk of theft and burglary, possibly armed robbery? Then a bulletproof door might be more appropriate. Again, based on nature or your business, you will be able to identify which security door will be best suited.

Tip# 5: Hardware

To seal off the deal, make sure that you use the right hardware to go with your security door. Hinges, locks, and handles can be vulnerable parts of an entrance/ door installation. Even if you are using a very durable and well-engineered security door, if you have the flimsy hardware it just might defeat the purpose. Costs are usually considered more often than we’d like, just think about the savings in the long run by preventing unwanted intrusion in your business.

 

Make use of these basic and simple ways to improve building security and lower the risk of any type of intrusion. For more information on various types of specialized and security doors, contact Spartan Doors and let us know your requirements.

Peepholes, also known as door viewer, are designed as a safety measure so that those who are inside an enclosed room can see outside without having to open a door. It is usually fitted with a fisheye lens for a wider view of the outside. Now many people would want to know, (I being one of them), can you install peepholes to fire doors? Let’s read on to find out.

 

Since fire doors are an integral part of a passive fire protection system, they should be able to stop passage of fire and hazardous smoke in the event of a fire breakout. That being said, will a fire door still be able to effectively serves its purpose when a peephole is installed?

 

The answer is yes. There are now peepholes that are designed to keep a fire door still a fire door. Meaning this new gen of peepholes are made of durable high fire-resistant materials and can be installed in a way that will keep a fire door sealed from smoke passing through. The glass material used won’t break on really high temperature. They even come with a selection on how wide the outside view can be, up to a maximum of 200° angle. Another option is a high tech “peephole” with digital display. Just keep in mind that you would want to get a peephole that is also fire rated. There are already a lot of fire rated door hardware that is available, peepholes being one of them.

 

If you need a fire door with a fire rated peephole already fitted or maybe one that is pre-drilled, ready for a peephole installation, contact Spartan Doors. Let us know your all your fire door requirements and we can customize to any size, thickness, finish and hardware to fit your need. Take advantage of our friendly customer service available to chat with you to address your inquiries with professional advice and recommendations.

Nowadays, we can never guarantee our safety even in our own home, much more in a commercial establishment wherein there are a lot of valuables not just in cash but as well as in form of gadgets, machinery, documents, etc. In this article, let’s talk about what is a safe room door, why you have to have one and what you need to know about it.

 

What is a Safe Room?

 

A safe room is a place where you can find refuge in an event of an invasion or natural disasters such as hurricane or tornado.

 

It is made of reinforced concrete walls and foundations that are, as much as possible, cannot be penetrated by invaders. No windows but good ventilation is a must. If your safe room is also meant as a storm room, then it must be able to withstand wind coming at 250mph.

 

Ideally, it is located in an area that will be easily accessible to you and the place should have good reception so that you can call out for help. That being said, basic necessities, as well as a charged cellphone, should always be available in a safe room.

 

What is a Safe Room Door?

 

As mentioned above, your safe room needs to be constructed of reinforced concrete to make it almost impossible to break into. This being said, the door would be the weakest link to your safe room if you do not choose wisely. If your door isn’t as strong as your walls then it defeats the purpose.

 

Strong Room Doors By Spartan Doors

 

The strongest door by Spartan Door so far is our Bulwark 10000. This is quite ideal for a safe room door especially once accompanied by a reinforced door frame. After all, your door is only as good as the frame holding it. If you want to know more about our strong room doors, get in touch with us. You can chat live with our courteous customer support team or you can email us.