Why is my swinging traffic door sticking open or drifting?
A door that will not fully close is usually caused by one of five things:
- The top hinge needs lubrication.
- The top hinge is worn out.
- The door gaskets (if your door has them) drag too hard on the frame.
- The door panel has slipped down and is resting on the bottom hinge, which takes weight off the top hinge.
- The air pressure difference between the two rooms is more than the door was designed for. This is common on restaurant swinging doors between a kitchen with strong exhaust fans and a dining room.
Check them in that order, since lubricating the top hinge is the quickest fix. If air pressure is the cause, a heavier hinge with more closing force may be the answer.
When should you avoid sheet doors or wood core doors?
Avoid a single-panel sheet door on openings wider than 40 in., and avoid a wood core door anywhere with high moisture.
A sheet door has no internal structure, so past about 40 in. wide the panel starts to feel flimsy. Sheet doors also cannot take full perimeter seals, so they drift open more easily when air pressure pushes on them.
A wood core door can absorb water at its edges. In wet areas, such as a food processing room or anywhere that gets washed down, the wood can swell and the door can come apart. For those areas, choose retail swinging doors with a plastic or polyethylene core instead.