Everything You Should Know About Storefront Doors

In order to entice customers to visit your business, you need to put your best foot forward. One of the best ways to do this is by investing in quality storefront doors that will make your business look welcoming and display what you have to offer. To help you consider your options and ensure your doors remain in their best condition, here’s everything you should know about storefront doors.

There are several factors you’ll want to consider when planning your commercial door installation project, and the first is to determine what kind of material you want for your storefront. While there are a variety of options, we’ll be focusing on the three most popular materials, as they’re very popular for a good reason.

Aluminum is an increasingly popular and widely used material for storefront doors. Lighter and even more cost-efficient, aluminum is an equally strong and low-maintenance alternative to metal that has the added bonus of being very corrosion-resistant. This means that it’ll be harder for your storefront to rust and degrade, as it endures the weather and the test of time. Cleaning your storefront will be a simple and faster endeavor so that your storefront is always looking fresh.

Choosing aluminum will also be the most environmentally friendly choice without compromising the integrity or security of your business. Aluminum can be recycled again and again without ever weakening, and that recycling process requires far less energy and resources than if you were to create new aluminum from scratch. This benefit then passes to you in savings and ensuring the supply chain is always able to keep up with demand.

Herculite doors are another option that looks sleek and modern but provides the unique benefit of displaying the interior of your store.

Herculite doors are essentially glass doors. They’re usually frameless and can accept maglocks to lock the door. Typically, they’ll use pull handles on the interior and exterior, as well as concealed door closers.

This option is especially attractive for businesses like boutiques, jewelry stores, and other businesses that depend on the designs of their products to draw in customers. Herculite doors take window shopping to the next level by proudly displaying your business to customers passing outside.

Furthermore, just being able to see your business abuzz with activity within can be enticing to potential customers that want to find out what your business has to offer.

Other benefits of Herculite doors include allowing natural light to enter your business more easily. There’s no replacement for the sun’s natural rays, and part of attracting customers is making sure your store is well-lit and welcoming.

Glass doors are also more practical for areas that involve high amounts of mobility or traffic—especially if heavy packages are being carried in and out of the building. With the installation of an automatic door opener, automatic sliding glass doors make opening and closing doors hands-free and easy and allow customers and employees alike to see if someone is exiting or entering, helping to avoid collisions.

When choosing what kind of material, you want to use for your storefront doors, carefully consider what kind of aesthetic design you prefer as well as the day-to-day needs of your building. This will be key to making a confident purchase that will ensure your business thrives and looks its best.

Typically made from steel, metal storefront doors give your business a sleek and modern design. This helps keep your business looking new and fresh, standing out if you’re surrounded by older businesses using materials like wood. Metal materials provide a strong base for security and are the most durable of all your options. Steel is often preferred for loading areas, back doors, and secured entry or exit points; it's less stylish, but the tried-and-true strength of steel to withstand punishment makes it a reliable choice.

When considering the installation process of storefront doors, the most important factors are foundation, measurement, and fabrication. Every type of storefront provides different benefits and thus has different installation needs or costs associated with them. So, let’s first consider a few prerequisites you should know about storefront doors and your establishment before the installation can begin.

These prerequisites include the following considerations:

• How disruptive the installation of your storefront doors will be to your business operations. Considering this beforehand will allow you time to compensate or create alternative temporary entrances to ensure you can operate while the installation occurs.
• Whether the doorway is large enough to allow easy management of in-and-out foot traffic. Traffic jams at the doorway are not only detrimental to your business, but may also violate building codes as a safety hazard.
• The design implications for your overall space when the installation is complete.
• The accompanying equipment and sensors necessary for automatic door operators.

As you prepare to design and install new storefront doors, it’s important that you keep yourself up-to-date and aware of the various regulatory compliances expected of your establishment—such as ADA compliance, for example, to ensure customers with disabilities can access your store. Furthermore, during the storefront door installation, you should keep yourself current on its progress and inspect the installation yourself. This will allow you to tweak the doors to your exact specifications and decipher issues that may arise so that they can be addressed before the door installation is complete.

To keep your storefront doors looking their best and maximize their lifespan, you must be prepared to provide regular maintenance.

As we mentioned, metal storefront doors require less maintenance than other kinds, and will only require a soft cloth and a gentle cleanser—soap and water will usually do the trick. Avoid using materials like steel wool, as it will leave behind scratches on the metal or paint. You should also avoid pressure washers, as they’ll strip the surface of the metal.

Aluminum storefront doors with glass and full glass storefront doors can require a lot more supervision because of how easily they can be smeared and smudged. Typical window cleaners and a microfiber cloth or squeegee will do the job just fine, and it just requires an extra time investment to keep them clean and pristine.

Should your storefront doors ever become damaged, you can call our professionals at The Flying Locksmiths. We provide expert storefront door repair and replacements, along with commercial door installation for any size business. Get in contact with us today to learn more about how we can help you!