My hope is that this article will help a residential contractor become more familiar with the proper steps of installing a commercial steel door, and installing a continuous hinge for a steel door.Ĭontinues hinges aren’t very common because they’re expensive. This can make it a daunting task for those of us who are primarily familiar with wood. I could’ve used a TiC article before I did my first one! Unlike wood, there is no forgiveness when working with steel. This was my eighth steel-door installation. After all, there is a reason why steel doors and frames are used in commercial settings-they’re strong, durable, fire resistant, and heavy enough that when you attach a closer to them, you can gear them down so they don’t slam shut all the time. I knew this time we’d need to install a commercial steel door and frame. This is what the job looked like when I returned to it. Of course, more recently, I received a phone call from the Avis office, asking me to return to look at the residential door I installed years ago.

It shook the entire office, and caused a major disruption to the workday. And because the door was relatively light, and there was a closer attached to it by code, the door would slam shut when it was left to close automatically. The overall construction of a residential door is incapable of standing up to the demands of a commercial setting, and it affected the door’s usability and overall integrity. This decision to use a residential door in a commercial setting was a mistake from day one. I didn’t know I could get a raised panel commercial steel door with glass back then! At the time, I figured my only option was to install a metal residential door-a typical one you’d find in a home, made of galvanized light-gauge steel-and a wood frame. Avis wanted to give the office a softer, more residential look, so the glass was removed, a wall was framed, and double-hung windows and vinyl cedar shake siding were installed. Prior to the remodel, the office had a showroom of cars on display, complete with showroom-style glass so that the cars could be seen from the road. About six years ago, I remodeled an Avis car rental office.

Piano White Little instaling