Maintenance expenses are one of those costs that sting a bit – we all know it’s necessary but it’s painful none the less to authorize an invoice – especially one that could have been avoided. In order to decrease the overall spend and number of service calls your facilities see for commercial door maintenance consider implementing the following checks to your typical spring-cleaning routine.

Commercial Door Maintenance

Door Closers

Check the bottom of the closer and the floor directly beneath it for any oily residue. This is a sign of leakage that should be addressed to prevent failure.

Alarmed Exit Devices

When was the last time you changed the batteries in your exit device? If you can’t remember, it’s probably time to change them. As a rule of thumb, always use name brand. I’m a lover of generic products when they perform equally to their brand name counterparts, but in this case, generic batteries have been proven to have a shorter lifespan.

Weather Stripping

Can you see light around your door? If so, the weather stripping needs to be replaced – you’ve likely noticed a significant draft during this intense winter and this will only worsen without replacement.

Lock Latching & Strike Alignment

Verify the latch and strike of your locking hardware fit closely together. This will seal the door tighter and also reduce drafts and energy costs.

Threshold

Verify your door and threshold are meeting properly. Light can sometimes be seen through the bottom of doors – this is not only a security weakness, but can also allow the outside elements and rodents an easy point of access to your facility.

Hinges

Well lubricated hinges will help with overall door operation and may increase the life cycle of the hinges themselves.

Latch Pockets on Concealed Vertical Rods

If concealed vertical rods are used, make sure debris is swept or vacuumed away from and out of the threshold latch pocket. This allows the bottom rod to extend fully and secure the door properly.

Door Stops

Have you noticed employees or delivery drivers propping open doors with brooms, carts, or anything other than a door stop? If so, they’re probably jamming a makeshift door holding device into the hinge. I’ll admit, it’s convenient, but over time this puts too much pressure on the hinge(s) and ultimately causes a host of alignment issues.

Now it’s your turn, what’s on your spring cleaning to do list this year? Will you implement any of these commercial door maintenance ideas during a walk-through of your facility?