Automatic Doors Can Save You Money on Energy Costs

Everyone likes to save money – both customers and businesses alike. Chances are, you have spent time researching various ways to save your business money in an effort to increase your overall profit. One place to look is your energy expenses, and then explore options to reduce the amount of energy used.

Energy for heating and cooling is lost every time a customer walks in through your front door to your business. Reduce the amount of lost energy by installing automatic doors. Automatic doors can have a variety of features to help save you money.

• Brushes that create a tighter seal when the door is closed


• Air curtains


• Building a vestibule around the automatic door


• Insulated glass and frames with thermo profiles

Other Benefits

Of course, energy efficiency is just one of the benefits of automatic doors. Automatic doors make it easier for customers to access your business and improve the flow of pedestrian traffic in and out of your business. They keep you within ADA compliance guidelines and are more cost effective than other methods. All-in-all, automatic doors offer convenience to all of your customers.

The installation of automatic doors at your place of business will help save you money and reduce the amount of energy loss. Automatic doors can help shield the inside of your business from the elements and reduces the chance of customers accidentally leaving your door open or not completely shutting it.

If you would like to find out more about automatic doors, or discuss some entrance options for your business, we are Central Ohio’s sales, service and distribution point for Horton Automatics, one of America’s leading manufacturers of automatic swing and sliding doors.

We can help you find the right door, and we’ll install and service it for you, too! Call The Door Company at (614) 338-1414.

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Revolving Doors: The Energy-Efficient Option For Business

Energy efficiency is a chief concern for businesses across the country, regardless of industry. Maintaining a high level of efficiency helps to lower the costs associated with maintaining the building while also allowing companies to help the environment. Many companies may not realize how much one element like a revolving door can make a difference in terms of a facility’s energy efficiency, even compared to automatic doors.

When the winter sets in, one of the largest expenses faced by any business is the heating bill. Keeping the building comfortable requires an enormous amount of energy. Even more energy is required if every few minutes a new burst of cold air from the street enters the building through an open door.



The opposite phenomenon occurs during the summer, with the building needing to block out the heat and humidity of the summer. Revolving doors offer the perfect solution because they maintain a constant seal around the entrance -- which helps to minimize the uncomfortable air that gets into the building, while keeping more comfortable from escaping. It is estimated that as much as eight times more air is able to get into a building off the street when a swinging door is used compared to revolving doors.

The original revolving doors were first made over 100 years ago, and people quickly noted the benefits they offered by helping to keep the building comfortable while also minimizing noise and disturbances from the street. The doors first gained their popularity in cool climates, as people were concerned about keeping heat indoors. As business owners and contractors have realized the importance of energy efficiency, however, the use of revolving doors has spread to warmer climates as well. One study conducted at MIT found that if everyone used revolving doors to get in and out of a major building, that building might save up to 75,000 kilowatt-hours of energy in a climate similar to Boston.

When businesses are looking for ways to improve their energy efficiency, they should remember the importance of revolving doors. A simple change can have a large and lasting impact on the environmental footprint and the energy costs associated with the building.

Whether working with a new build or even a renovation of an existing building, a revolving door may be just the energy-efficient solution you need. If you’d like to find out more about what revolving doors can do for your business, give The Door Company a call at (614) 338-1414. We are the statewide service, sales and distribution point in Ohio for Boon Edam, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of revolving doors. Visit our website at www.thedoorcompanyofohio.com.

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Should You Invest in Automatic Doors for Your Business?

If your business is considering a new build or perhaps even an extensive building renovation, this may be the perfect time to consider investing in installing automatic doors. Another consideration is the ability to improve the management of energy efficiency in your organization. There are many substantial benefits that lessen heating and cooling costs from both a pedestrian and industrial standpoint.

Advantages with Pedestrian Applications

Automatic doors provide numerous aesthetic and cost-effective benefits when used in pedestrian applications. The advantages start with the following:

• A measurable increase in convenience, consumer safety, and the prevention of injuries through the reduction of traffic congestion. To cite just two examples, traffic issues are common in situations involving grocery carts, and when people are dealing with young children and baby strollers.

  

  Photo courtesy: Horton Automatics

• “Hands-free” automatic doors are a tremendous help to the elderly, aging Baby Boomers, and the disabled.
• Industry research shows that automatic doors contribute to increased sales in retail environments through the creation of an enhanced and sophisticated upscale image. The doors also provide advantages when space is limited, especially in compact areas.
• During new construction or remodeling, there's a major advantage to providing barrier-free access through the use of automatic doors. It's easier and more cost-effective to install the doors at this point rather than attempting to comply with the government-mandated architectural requirements specified in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Advantages with Industrial Applications

• Enhanced corporate brand image. You've heard the saying “Perception is Reality,” which is very true with consumers. It's interesting to note that studies show consumers perceive companies with automatic doors as organizations with a commitment to a higher level of customer service than firms without automatic doors.

  

  Photo courtesy: Horton Automatics

• A reduction of traffic and congestion along with increased safety for both employees and/or visitors, by eliminating the need to lift heavy overhead doors.
• “Time and motion” studies demonstrate cost and time savings along with an increase in worker productivity due to eliminating the need for employees to manually open and close overhead doors.
• Increased safety and comfort by minimizing wide-open doors for trucks and other vehicles to enter and exit the premises. With an automatic door the doors remain closed except when someone needs to enter or exit the building.

For more information on Automatic Doors, installation, repair or even inspection of your existing doors, contact The Door Company at (614) 338-1414.

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Automatic Doors Provide Convenience and Access for Medical Centers

Medical treatment begins and ends with entrance-exit design. From patient and guest entrances to surgical suites that require hermetic integrity, automatic doors provide many benefits for health care facilities and their clients. The most common benefits include convenience, safety, lower energy and operating costs, and efficiency.

Efficiency

Photo Courtesy: Horton Automatics

Delivering emergent care relies on shaving seconds off transport times. Struggling to open and close doors while navigating narrow hallways and openings with oversized gurneys and wheelchairs is inefficient and creates potential for patient discomfort, or worse. Touch-free access to treatment areas is instrumental for all medical care providers working with non-ambulatory individuals.

Architectural Elements

Sliders and telescopic automatic doors maximize available space and control traffic in compact passageways.

In addition to space-saving features, automatic doors work with every architectural genre. Curved glass styles accommodate extra wide, extra tall openings; tinted and frosted glass provide privacy while reducing energy costs and framed models are suited to high-traffic environments, including retrofit buildings and new construction.

Hygiene Considerations

For cleanrooms and other health care areas that require heightened sanitation measures, hermetic sliding doors provide hands-free entrance and exit. Available styles include pocket-installation and framed doorway models to fit building design -- reducing installation expenses and limiting disruption time during construction.

Hospitals have access to bi-fold and single-panel designs with manual and computer controls for precise management. Perimeter seal mechanisms ensure a tight, secure closure to protect the environment from unnecessary contamination in surgical suites, laboratories and testing facilities.

Photo Courtesy: Horton Automatics

Decorating with Doors

The primary function of automatic doors is to provide security and comfort while controlling access; however, a side benefit includes positive visual impact. Incorporating soothing colors on solid panels, semitransparent glass for added privacy and curves to create an elegant impression are only a few of the design options for medical care facilities.

Cost effective designs allow medical care facilities and ancillary service providers to control entrance and egress to individual rooms, hazard containment areas and reception rooms. Maintaining higher levels of security and efficiency with automatic door systems also improves patient comfort and satisfaction.

For more information on Automatic Doors, installation, repair or even inspection of your existing doors, contact The Door Company at (614) 338-1414.

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PRESS ROOM: The Door Company Announces Statewide Distribution Deal with Boon Edam

The Door Company of Ohio is pleased to announce a partnership with global industry leader Boon Edam, to become the manufacturer’s authorized factory distribution, sales and service center for the state of Ohio.

The deal makes The Door Company a statewide solution for sales, installation and service for Boon Edam’s line of manual and automated door systems and security access technologies. The move expands The Door Company’s reach beyond the Central Ohio market, offering round-the-clock, front-to-back service year round for manual and automatic entrance solutions.
Since developing its first revolving door over 100 years ago, Boon Edam has become the worldwide market leader in revolving door production. However, Boon Edam also offers an unmatched variety of turnstile entrances, including automatic optical turnstiles, high security doors and portals and other sophisticated security entrance solutions. Boon Edam has factories in the U.S., China and The Netherlands; subsidiaries in 17 countries and authorized distributors in 60 other countries.

Founded in 1993 in Columbus, Ohio, The Door Company offers sales, installation, service and code inspection of all commercial door options, including automatic, revolving, overhead and other commercial doors. In addition, the company provides custom hollow metal door fabrication on site, an online parts catalog and a walk-in parts counter, and is a Designated Labeled Shop for the production and labeling of commercial fire doors.

For more information, contact The Door Company at (614) 338-1414, or visit www.tdoorco.com.

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PRESS ROOM: The Door Company Established As Central Ohio Distributor of Horton Automatic Doors

The Door Company has announced a partnership with Horton Automatics, Inc., that will make the Columbus, Ohio-based business a distributor for Horton automatic doors in central Ohio.

The agreement makes The Door Company a distributor and installer for Horton’s extensive line of doors. The agreement strengthens the company’s foothold in the commercial door industry as a leader in installation and service of all commercial doors offering Front-2-Back Service 24/7/365.

Founded in 1960, Horton Automatics pioneered a brand-new industry with the creation of the first commercial automatic sliding door in America. Since then, it has been an industry leader in producing automatic doors for commercial, industrial and institutional locations. Horton doors meet or exceed every major door code in America, and provide compliance for the Americans with Disabilities Act and Metro-Dade.

The Door Company was founded in 1993, and offers sales, installation, service and code inspection of all commercial door options, including automatic, revolving, overhead and other commercial doors. The company also provides custom hollow metal door fabrication on site, along with an online parts catalog and a walk-in parts counter.

For more information, contact The Door Company at (614) 338-1414, or visit www.tdoorco.com.

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New Strides in Bullet-Resistant Entryways For Building Safety

Courtesy: Ceco Door

There is never a bad time to think about security in our schools. Hundreds of people send their children to school every day for nine months out of the year, and they put their trust in a school’s ability to keep their kids safe.

There is a wide variety of different products out there that have bullet-resistant capabilities, which have an invaluable role to both school and building security in general. Among the most important products to look into are bullet-resistant doors, as these are potentially the primary access points for an intruder.

This is why we are proud to offer the ArmorShield Door and Frame System, which has a number of different bullet-resistant doors on the market. The Ceco Door ArmorShield System has 4 different levels of bullet-resistant protection. These are cost-efficient solutions to security for schools or other buildings who need added security. Each of these doors is available in standard door sizes and constructed with 12-gauge steel with stiffened, honeycomb or polystyrene cores. These frames have welded corners and the first three levels can withstand most bullets fired at them. Level four doors can resist high powered hunting and assault rifle bullets that are fired at them.

Courtesy: Ceco Door

Security slide units provide another security option in schools or buildings. These units consist of panels that fit over windows, and they can be opened and closed as easily as a door. If there are windows around a bullet-resistant door, these security slide units can be installed for added security, even if the windows are made from bullet-resistant glass. The panels can be swung closed and locked if someone is trying to get into the room and will be resistant to most bullets that could be fired at it from a handgun or hunting rifle. The slide system also provides a visual barrier, keeping a potential intruder from being able to see into the room.

These are just a few of the systems available for commercial buildings that require additional security. While relatively inexpensive, the reliability and peace of mind are priceless.

For more information on these and other offerings from ArmorShield Door and Frame System, give us a call at The Door Company, at (614) 338-1414.

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Preventative Maintenance Contracts: Why You Should Have Them for Your Automatic Doors

Problems can arise for anyone in the process of doing business. Something doesn’t work properly, you make a phone call or two, someone comes out – assesses the problem, makes a call or two for parts, and fixes the problem.

Photo credit: Besam

Now suppose that happens a couple hours before closing time. You’re thinking ahead to dinner or the evening’s plans, and the automatic door won’t close. Or it’s frozen partially open, and your customers have problems getting in… or out.

Even well-maintained automatic doors could have a problem at such an inopportune time. In most other cases, however, a maintenance contract could be the proverbial “ounce of prevention” that keeps your business running smoothly.

The Importance of Having a Maintenance Contract

This kind of contract gives you the peace of mind knowing that when the door malfunctions there is someone who can come and solve the problem. Here are a few other benefits of having a contract:

• You get a technician who is familiar with your door, and the specifics of its operation.
• You have a contract to service your door on a predetermined schedule. This can lessen emergency break-downs and help avoid more severe (and costly) repairs.
• Get phone support from your AAADM Certified inspector.
• These contracts include preventative maintenance on the doors to solve problems before they come up.
• The contract also is important because you receive 24/7 response, meaning the service professional will be in contact with you right away.

The Importance of Your Plan

Maintenance plans are customized to your needs. Your door system will be inspected for Code Compliance following every service call.

Photo credit: Besam

The Importance of Self-Checking the Doors

Checking the automatic doors for safety issues daily will keep your doors operating for a long time. Here are some benefits of performing routine checks:

• Keep repair costs down by identifying problems early.
• Your customers will be safe, as they use the doors on a daily basis.
• You will also learn how your door operates as you perform the daily checks.
• You will also be able to extend the life of your door by keeping it running properly.

For more about automatic door maintenance, or how you can connect with an AAADM Certified door inspector, call The Door Company at (614) 338-1414.

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Making Sure Your Automatic Doors Run Properly

It can happen to anyone… you’re getting ready to walk into a building, and maybe the door doesn’t open right away, and you have to stop short. Although the close call may bring a little nervous chuckle in the short term… a lapse in an automatic door’s function is no laughing matter.

Automatic doors are something that a lot of us take for granted. We simply trust that when we step under that sensor, that the door is going to slide right open and clear the path to where we're going. So we may not give a lot of thought to making certain that our automatic doors actually work. Nevertheless, it is important to have a contract in place  for regular maintenance on your doors to make certain that your doors work as intended.

Here are a few things to consider if you have automatic doors in your place of business:

The Potential for Injury

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to automatic doors should be obvious: a door that doesn't work properly may actually malfunction and cause real injury to you, your employees, or your customers. This could lead to you being found at fault due to negligence, which is an expensive thing to fight even if you win the case. Make sure that nobody has any reason to believe that you have been negligent in the maintenance of your place of business.

The Sheer Inconvenience

An automatic door is there for convenience. When you have to prop it open at the start of every day, it's not exactly a convenience anymore, and it makes your place of business look cheap and unprofessional. Make sure that you keep your door working as intended, if only to present a professional appearance.

AAADM Inspections

Sideload Header from an automatic door
(Courtesy: NABCO)

If you want to make sure that your automatic door is going to work as intended, you'll want to get an American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers (AAADM) certified inspector. This will ensure that your inspector knows what to look for, and what sort of information you need in order to keep your doors code compliant. Some businesses might even go a step farther, and enlist the help of an AAADM Certified door inspector as part of a preventative maintenance contract for their automatic doors to prevent problems from occurring in the first place.

Whether you're installing a new door or just conducting regular maintenance on the door that was already there when you moved in, it's important to make sure that your doors work as intended. It's a good idea to keep the AAADM on your phone and know your inspector by name to ensure that you can get the service you need when you need it.

Proper maintenance now means avoiding problems with doors that don't work -- whether the door doesn't open, or worse, doesn't close and presents a potential security risk.

For more information on automatic doors, their function and maintenance, contact The Door Company at (614) 338-1414.

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Ensuring Your Automatic Doors Are ADA Compliant

When installing automatic doors it is important to follow the guidelines set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA compliance is very important for any business. When the Americans with Disabilities Act was established in 1990, it was intended to give disabled people a fair chance to live their life the same as any non-disabled person. It started with a small list of general rules and regulations, and as time passed grew into a very strict and detailed set of rules and regulations that include even the smallest details, such as the regulations for automatic doors.

ADA highly recommends automatic doors, as they are one of the most accessible types of doorways. However, there are still certain rules and regulations that builders must follow when designing and installing automatic doors in order for them to be ADA compliant. There are different regulations based on whether the automatic doors are slow moving or fast moving:

• Fast moving must be compliant with all the same regulations as ANSI/BHMA A156.10-1985
• Doors should not close back on themselves faster than 3 seconds.
• All automatic doors should require no less than 15 pounds of force to close them.
• All fast moving, full automatic doors should operate by means of a sensor on the door frame, placed properly to detect entry from both the front and sides.
• Slow moving doors must follow the regulations in ANSI A156.19-1984.
• Slow moving doors can be operated manually using a push button mechanism.

Non-compliance with ADA standards is very serious. It can result in large fines, and will require the business to make changes to its policies and building standards in order to comply with the violated standards. The Department of Justice is able to fine businesses up to $55,000 for the first offense. In addition to these consequences, non-compliance often results in costly legal battles, media exposure which often results in embarrassment and loss of revenue from lost business. It is best to follow ADA regulations now and avoid the expensive consequences later.

For example, in 2009, there were at least 12 separate occasions where the violations resulted in some serious consequences. In New York, five different hotels in the Theater District were sued for violations due to significant barriers to accessibility. This lawsuit resulted in large fines and loss of business. The hotels also had to undergo major renovations and to rewrite their policies concerning service animals, and treatment of disabled patrons.

Rather than be subject to these serious consequences, it is better to be ADA compliant; not only when installing automatic doors, but also in making sure they are properly maintained over time. For more information on automatic door maintenance, or to speak with an American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers (AAADM) certified door inspector about options for a preventative maintenance contract for your automatic doors, give The Door Company a call at (614) 338-1414.

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