Commercial Door Repair is often Cheaper and Easier Than Replacement
It’s been a few years since your last storefront makeover and your door and window system just isn’t looking, or working, like it used to. It’s inevitable; over time even the best quality, most well-maintained, commercial door will show the effects of continual use and daily wear and tear. That’s why it’s important for any business to be able to rely on its door supplier for prompt, efficient repair work when the need arises.
Luckily, many common door repair jobs are relatively simple, and don’t require complete replacement of the door. Recognising and catching issues for repair early help keep your costs down. Remember that retail door repairs are generally cheaper than replacement. Here are a few of the more frequently encountered problems you’re likely to run into with your commercial doors:
Door Alignment Issues Will Cost More Down the Line
Buildings settle with age causing business’ doors and frames to warp and hinges sag under the relentless pull of gravity. Over time, due to these and other causes, doors become misaligned with their frames. The result is a door that’s hard to open and may not close. This not only annoying but can hinder your business and can even pose a security risk. Having to force a door open and close can also cause more damage. How complicated fixing the problem will be will depend on what’s causing it; in any case, it’s a good idea to have an expert take a look at it ASAP.
Your Storefront Door’s Hardware Deteriorates Over Time
Commercial door hardware – handles, springs, locks, hinges, and all the other mechanisms that allow your door to open, close and latch – can succumb to constant usage just as the door and frame themselves can. The problem can be resolved by pulling out and replacing the faulty piece of hardware. This is easier and less expensive than an entire door replacement or repair.
When repairing and replacing various parts and fittings on your business’ doors, consider switching out to automation hardware for commercial doors and gates. Automated openers can reduce how fast hardware wears out because it standardizes door use. They eliminate any torquing, slamming or other human error you deal with in manual business doors.
Faulty Sealing Unnecessarily Increases your Business’ Costs
A problem with the sealing around your commercial door is another common repair issue. It’s one that’s not as immediately obvious as an alignment or hardware problem. It’s important to get it dealt with, however, because it can cause thermal leakage, degrading your ability to control the temperature inside your business and costing you money.
If you’re finding it hard to maintain climate control or hearing a telltale whistling sound inside when it’s windy, failing door seals such as weather stripping may be to blame. This is usually an easy fix that’s worth doing as soon as you notice the problem. The way most commercial doors work – sliding, swinging, overhead – replacing weather stripping is a quick trip to the hardware store, measure, cut, slide the old one out, and slide the new one in. Simple as that.
Problems with Automatic and Roll-Up Doors
Mechanically-operated and overhead roll-up doors come with their own set of common maintenance and repair issues. These include problems with the power supply that keep the door from opening and closing; damage to or misalignment of the tracks along which the door slides, which hinders its opening and closing or makes it slow and/or noisy; broken springs or cables, which will not allow the door to open; and worn rollers, which will make an overhead door operate less efficiently.
Regular Door Maintenance Catches and Prevents Problems
Simple regular maintenance of your doors such as lubrication of moving parts will help avoid or at least postpone many of these common types of repair problems. But when the need for repair does arise, it usually makes sense to have a trustworthy professional deal with it immediately.