When it comes to high-traffic aluminium doors for commercial environments such as schools, offices, and other commercial buildings, Senior Architectural commercial doors are some of the best. These commercial door products, available thermally broken or non-thermal, have proven themselves as some of the best over many years. Reliable heavy-duty doors designed for the intensive use they are subjected to daily. Our guide to buying commercial doors explains everything you need to know.
Understanding the Senior Architectural commercial doors range
The two popular commercial door products we manufacture for the trade and construction sector are doors designed to work with a concealed or face fixed door closer and those used in high-traffic installations. It’s also possible to use residential quality doors, in medium-duty commercial projects, such as balcony doors in care homes, where there may be several different users but not always the daily high traffic
Senior SD Commercial Door
The non-thermal Senior commercial door product and the oldest in the range is the SD Commercial Door. This is a non-thermally broken system and, since its introduction some years ago, remains largely unchanged.
SD commercial doors use a pocket glazed system, using a main section with a clip-in flat or pocket plate. The system is mechanically joined, easy to install and comes as centre hung doors with a concealed closer and threshold pivot. A rebated frame version also uses a face-fixed overhead closer and door hinges.
The anti-finger trap model has the centre-hung design but a radiused stile on the hinge side, closing the gap between the pivot point of the door and the inside of the door frame – potentially a finger trap situation for children. Whilst there is no legal requirement to fit anti-finger trap doors, it is one of the most popular products and is seen as the responsible choice, especially in schools.
The door system itself comprises ten different door stiles, standard or deep door rails, several threshold options, single or double glazing beads and a host of associated profiles to customise the door as required.
Senior SPW 501 Commercial Doors
Introduced to address the need for a commercial door with a thermal break in the range of Senior Architectural commercial doors is the SPW 501 model. SPW501 retains the frame and pocket plate design of SD but also has one-piece profiles. All primary profiles have a polyamide thermal insert.
We manufacture Senior SPW 501 doors as centre hung and anti-finger trap single or double doors with associated fixed framing either as sidelights and toplights or standalone ground floor screens. It’s only available as a double-glazed system. For most property projects it is the SPW 501 that is the most popular. SD can be used where insulation is not required and can also be used as internal screens and partitions.
How to choose Senior Architectural commercial doors
The choice of which of the Senior Architectural commercial doors to specify in your project depends on:
- The choice of insulated or non-insulated
- The door function and location
- The glazing type required in the door
Commercial doors are designed for so many uses, that this is probably the deciding factor in whether to choose the SD model or SPW501. Doors to most buildings will benefit from the thermally insulated profiles. However, if your project requires doors to plant rooms, bike or bin stores, or internal partition doors such as a reception screen, the non-insulated is suitable.
If there is a requirement for single glazing, SD Commercial Doors are the only product still available with single glazed beads. Aluminium louvres in plant room doors are ventilated by nature, so the non-thermal design makes sense here.
Understanding the diversity of Senior commercial aluminium doors
From its original concept over four decades ago, commercial aluminium doors are designed for multiple uses in all manner of buildings. So, whilst the doors remain the same, the vast choice of hardware makes every door unique. If you have a requirement for the doors in your project to have a specific function, contact us for help and advice.
Entrance Doors
A popular use for these doors is entrance doors. When combined with a hook or bar bolt, the centre hung design, no rebate around the frame and flat threshold mean Senior Architectural commercial doors have the facility to open both in and out. As a result, they are perfect for shop doors, lobby doors and any application where traffic can go both ways. Of course, we also make these for single action, opening in or out.
Also available with commercial doors is a substantial choice of even higher security locking and access control. Commercial doors are ideal as the main entrance to flats and apartments, where entry and exit control are essential for security. Add magnetic locks to these doors, and the security becomes even better. Access control lets authorised users to enter and exit the building but prevents unauthorised entry.
Commercial doors, therefore, are compatible with buzz entry systems, key or swipe cards, keypad locks and all manner of hardware designed to keep the door closed at most times.
Fire exit and general exit doors
Another popular use for Senior Architectural commercial doors is secure yet safe fire exit doors or doors intended to provide an easy exit from a building. We manufacture our doors with a wide range of panic bars, push to exit handles and other suitable hardware.
Not to be confused with fire doors (providing fire protection), commercial fire-exit doors allow safe and easy exit from a building in the event of a fire. We can provide these doors to act only as exit doors. Or they can be provided with suitable hardware letting them function as regular access doors during the day.
For push bar or push pad exit, Senior Architectural commercial doors suit the industry-wide range of push to exit handles, buzz exit systems, lever exit handles and thumbturns. Therefore, they provide a convenient and safe exit to commercial and public buildings where the public has an obvious way to use the door.
Automatic sliding and hinged doors
Senior Architectural commercial doors also make ideal automatic doors, whether full time or manual opening, with the option of automatic override. The advantage of automatic commercial doors is their instant compliance with accessibility requirements or where you want to provide the convenience of a fully automatic door set.
The system comes with a purpose-designed deeper frame head extrusion for automatic sliding or hinged doors. This large profile is designed to accept the fixing of a power door closer or a fully automatic sliding door opening system with sensor control.
We prepare the doors to suit the intended operator if you require automatic doors. To make your doors correctly, we will need to know the brand and further information so the door can be prepared to suit it. Popular automatic door closers include Dorma, Besam, Geze, Stanley, Rekord, etc.
Commercial doors for specific uses
Finally, is the versatility of Senior Architectural commercial doors for specific uses. The simple yet effective construction of the door leaves and associated framing creates glazed, panelled, or aluminium louvre doors for specific uses. They are used for storeroom doors, laboratory doors, aluminium insulated panels with a glass vision area, and the earlier plant room doors. Other uses include cycle store doors with keypad access, substation doors, doors in gyms and sports halls and warehouse doors.
High quality Senior Architectural commercial doors – find out more today
At C&A Window Systems, we help installers, architects, and specifiers with the right commercial doors for their building projects. Contact us today with your requirements, and let us help you with the right door type and hardware. All our commercial doors come with our precision manufacturing and extensive colour choice, carefully delivered and ready for site installation.
