The Best Commercial Door Closers To Keep Your Door Shut

Buying Guide: Commercial Door Closers

When outfitting your office or business, the right commercial door closer is more than a simple convenience — it’s a necessity for maintaining security and efficiency. This buying guide is designed to walk you through the essentials of selecting a door closer that aligns with your needs. From understanding the different types available to considering factors like door weight, traffic frequency, and environmental conditions, we’ll cover all the bases to ensure you make an informed decision. Let’s dive into the world of door closers and discover the right fit for your space!

Why Is a Door Closer Important for Offices?

Commercial door closers are often used in office buildings and other commercial establishments to ensure that doors are closed adequately after someone goes through them.

To put it simply, there are many benefits of using a door closer in an office setting. Here are a few:

Controls traffic flow

By ensuring that doors are properly closed, door closers can help prevent people from entering an office who should not be there. Beyond that, it can control the flow of traffic in and out of a specific room or building. This is especially important in offices where sensitive or confidential information is handled.

Reduces noise

When doors are constantly opened and closed, they can produce a lot of noise, which can be disruptive to employees trying to concentrate on their work. By using door closers, the noise level in an office can be reduced significantly.

Conserves energy

When doors are properly closed, they can help keep the inside of a building cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

Commercial vs. Domestic Door Closers

There are two main types of door closers: commercial and domestic. Commercial door closers are designed for heavy-duty use and can be found in office buildings, schools, hospitals, and other public places. Domestic door closers are less expensive and intended for private homes.

When choosing a door closer, selecting one that’s appropriate for the type of door and the amount of traffic it will see is important. For example, a domestic door closer would not be suitable for a heavy office door that experiences a lot of traffic.

Types of Commercial Door Closers

Traditional door closer

This design consists of a hydraulic cylinder mounted above the door and two arms attached to the door and the frame. The cylinder contains a piston responsible for opening and closing the door.

Modern door closer

This type of door closer is similar to the traditional door closer, but is more energy-efficient and has a pneumatic cylinder instead of a hydraulic one. The pneumatic cylinder is filled with air, which compresses when the door is opened and decompresses when the door is closed.

Concealed in frame

This type of door closer is hidden in the door frame so it’s not visible when the door is closed. It consists of a spring attached to the door and the frame, along with a mechanism that controls the tension of the spring. When the door is opened, the spring expands, and when the door closes, the spring contracts. This style is more aesthetically pleasing than the previous two, but is also more expensive.

Concealed in floor

This type of door closer is also hidden, but it’s hidden on the floor instead of the door frame. It consists of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder buried in the floor and a piston controlling the door’s movement. This type of door closer is more expensive than the other two types but is also more energy efficient.

What To Look For in a Commercial Door Closer

The door’s weight

For something responsible for closing your doors, it’s important to ensure that the commercial door closer can handle your door’s weight. A good rule of thumb is to select one with a maximum door weight capacity that is at least 20% greater than the actual weight of your door.

Closing force

You don’t want a closer so weak that it can’t keep your door shut, but you also don’t want it to slam your door shut so hard that it damages the door or hurts anyone nearby. It’s important to find a balance, and one way to do that is to select a commercial door closer with adjustable spring tension.

Features

• Back check valve

If you’re worried about people getting hurt by your doors, or simply want to extend the life of your doors, then look for a closer that has a back check valve. This valve will cause the door to stop and reverse its motion if it encounters any resistance, preventing it from slamming shut.

• Delayed action

If you want your doors to close slowly and steadily, choose a commercial door closer with delayed action. This feature will cause the door to close more slowly, giving people plenty of time to walk through before it shuts.

• Hold-open feature

This is a handy feature if you want your doors to stay open for extended periods, such as when you’re giving a presentation or welcoming people into your store. You should look for a closer that has an adjustable hold-open feature so that you can control how long the door stays open. 

Material

The most common materials are aluminum and cast iron. Aluminum is a lighter-weight option often used on doors that are not too heavy, such as glass doors. Cast iron is a heavy-duty option often used on heavier doors, such as metal ones.

Durability

Another key consideration is the durability of the door closer. You want to ensure that it is made from high-quality materials that can withstand heavy use. If you’re looking for a particularly durable option, you might want to consider a cast iron closer; however, often the materials don’t dictate the product’s durability, but the construction quality does. 

Traffic capacity

When choosing a closer, you also need to consider the traffic capacity. This is the maximum number of times that the door can be opened and closed in a given time.  For example, a door with a traffic capacity of 30,000 can be opened and closed 30,000 times in an hour. If you have a high-traffic business, such as a restaurant or retail store, you’ll need a door with a high traffic capacity.