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Signs Your Swinging Door Needs Service

Nearly every facility type has at least one swinging door, whether it is on the exterior or interior of the building. These are often categorized as entry doors despite their physical location in a building.

Swinging doors tend to get a lot of use which inevitably leads to wear and tear no matter how rough or careful users are with them. It’s important to monitor their condition and have them serviced by a professional door technician regularly to extend their life and avoid potential safety hazards. Here are six signs your entry door needs service.

 

  1. Swinging door slams shut – A door that slams shut rather than closing in a controlled motion is a sign that the closer or operator is not properly functioning. Not only can this be dangerous for anyone walking through the doorway, but it can also lead to greater damage to the frame and door itself. The closer or operator may need adjustment. In some cases, a replacement would be required.

 

  1. Swinging door is extremely difficult to open – If an entry door hesitates to move or feels unusually heavy for its size and material when opening it (push or pull), the door’s closer is most likely not properly calibrated. This can be frustrating for visitors and employees using the doors but, more importantly, it poses a safety hazard in the event of an emergency if people are having trouble getting the door open in a timely manner.

 

  1. Fluid is dripping from the area near the operator/top of door – A dark fluid dripping in this area indicates a leak of hydraulic fluid from the operator. Without an adequate amount of hydraulic fluid, the operator will cease functioning. As these operators are often there to provide an ADA-compliant door that opens and closes automatically, it is vital that these doors are in working order. When the fluid leaks, it can create a safety hazard by way of fluid puddling on the floor around the doorway and by not having an easy path to egress for disabled patrons in the building. The operator will need to be repaired or replaced promptly.

 

  1. Swinging door sticks, drags on ground and/or the lock on the door doesn’t line up with the lock on the frame – A door dragging on the ground often signifies a problem with the hinges. Another sign of this is if the lock on the door no longer lines up directly with the lock on the door frame. The hinges may be loose, worn out, or improperly sized for the door itself. If not addressed quickly, the door will continue to sag – often until it is no longer able to move over the ground. It will also prevent the door from being locked at all, creating a serious security risk to the building, guests, and assets. Another risk of severe danger or bodily harm arises when this issue is not corrected in a timely manner as it can also lead to the door fully detaching from the frame and it could occur while someone is walking by or through the doorway.

 

  1. Significant amounts of light can be seen between the door and frame – If sunlight is coming through around the edges of the door, the weatherstripping is not functioning as intended. This can lead to drafts, insects or vermin entering the building, and energy loss via tempered air getting out/outside air getting inside. The weatherstripping could be damaged, the wrong size, incorrectly installed, or even missing so it’s important to have it inspected and repaired or replaced soon after noticing the problem.

 

  1. Door handle or hardware shakes or wobbles – Any hardware that is not firmly attached to the door is a significant issue. The handle, or other hardware, shaking or otherwise unstable must be repaired or replaced immediately. These are symptoms of internal components of the locks and hardware wearing out or failing. Not only does it pose the risk of the door not being able to be locked or secured at all, but it could also fail with the door closed and potentially create a problem getting the door open during an emergency. In that event, the chance of great bodily harm increases exponentially.

 

Be sure to keep an eye out for these signs on your swinging doors and if you are experiencing these or other issues with any of your facility’s doors, contact us today.