What are some ways to properly maintain commercial doors?

Commercial doors are designed so they can take a lot of abuse and still not break down easily. However just like any other thing no matter how strong they are built if you do not take proper care of your door locks. Locksmiths receive thousands of calls per year regarding broken or damaged commercial doors. Issues such as broken levers, busted hinges, damaged locks, etc. Most of these issues could be prevented if proper maintenance is done on these commercial doors.

1. Try to be gentle while using the doors.

As mentioned above commercial doors are made to handle a lot of heavy use and abuse, but it does not mean that people should kick it open. The more force is used on the door the faster it will get worn out and you will end up having to change some parts or maybe the entire door. It is important to not be rough with these doors and if you see others kicking or slamming into the door you should tell them not to do it. School push bars are often time broken to the point of no repair due to the kids kicking the door open. If you are someone who has paid to install a push bar then you know how expensive it can get so it’s always better to prevent the door from breaking.

2. Do your best to keep the door, lock, and hinges dry.

You should use a waterproof primer when painting your doors in order to prevent water damage and rusting of the door. Since there is no way to prevent exteriors doors from never getting wet due to snow and rain then using a waterproof paint is a must. Also remember to dry your hinges and other metal parts of your door quickly to make sure there is no water left. This will take you less than a minute to do, but it will prolong the life of your commercial doors.

3. Check the hinges and tighten it as needed.

Commercial doors are very heavy so there is a constant pressure on them. Opening and closing these doors hundreds of times especially with extra force will make the hinge screws loosen up. If you tighten those screws on a regular basis then you will prevent the door from falling off or the screw holes from becoming so loose that it can no longer be screwed back in place.

4. Pay attention to batteries on all electronic commercial locks.

If you are getting an electronic lock installed it is very important to learn about that lock. All smart locks have a way to tell you when the batteries are low on it, but if you don’t know what a blinking light or a red light means on your smart locks then you will find out the battery is dead when the lock is no longer operational. Locksmiths get calls such as “my electronic lock is broken and it’s not working” and then when they get to the location they realize the lock simply needs new batteries. So the customer has to pay 40-65 dollars for a battery change that would have taken them less than a minute to do. Another common issue is that if you do not know how to open the locks battery slot then watch a quick video on YouTube on how to do it prior to attempting it yourself. This is because customers often time damage the whole lock trying to change the battery because they are not doing it the proper way.

5. Being proactive will always save you time and money.

Almost all door problems occur over long period of time so it’s very unlikely that your lock will stop working all of a sudden. For example you will start feeling that your keys start feeling like its getting stuck inside the lock cylinder. If you ignore this issue then you will end up either breaking your keys inside the lock or breaking the pins inside the lock cylinder. This also means that your cost at fixing the lock went from 20 dollars to 95 dollars or more. It will take you less than 5 minutes to inspect your doors once a month to make sure that the hinges are tight, there are no signs or rusting, and that your lock is working properly. Be proactive and take preventative steps in order to prolong the life of your commercial doors.

These are some simple tips that can save you time and money, and also give you a peace of mind about the security of your commercial doors. Locksmiths can do a lot to repair and maintain the door before it’s too late. Commercial doors are meant to last decades so be proactive and take the necessary steps to prolong the lifespan of your commercial doors.