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Doors, Automatic Doors and Access Control

Commercial door repair for stores, restaurants and offices

A commercial door has to secure the location at closing, open freely in an emergency and, where fire-rated, close and latch on its own. Facility First manages commercial door repair through vetted local providers, with every repair checked against those three jobs.

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What commercial door repair involves

Commercial door repair covers the doors, frames and hardware at a location’s entrances, exits, stockrooms and corridors. A typical site has several door types:

Aluminum storefront entrances with glass, pivots or continuous hinges, and concealed closers
Hollow metal doors and frames at rear exits and receiving
Wood doors in offices and back-of-house areas
Fire-rated door assemblies at stairwells, corridors and rated walls, identified by a label
Rolling and overhead doors at stockrooms, receiving and loading areas

Most calls come down to hardware: closers, hinges and pivots, locks and cylinders, exit devices (panic hardware), electric strikes and magnetic locks, and thresholds and sweeps. Repair means adjusting, replacing parts, realigning or rehanging the door. A bent frame or damaged door leaf can turn a hardware call into a replacement.

Fire-rated doors carry extra limits: field modifications that void the label are not allowed, so repairs use parts and methods that keep the assembly compliant. Power-operated entrances are covered on the automatic door repair page.

Codes, standards and requirements for commercial door repair

Codes are adopted locally, and the fire code official or building department for each location decides which edition applies.

Exit doors. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.36(d)(1), employees must be able to open an exit route door from the inside at all times without keys, tools or special knowledge. A device such as a panic bar that locks only from the outside is permitted on exit discharge doors. Under 1910.36(d)(2), exit route doors must be free of any device or alarm that could restrict emergency use if the device or alarm fails. A side-hinged door must connect any room to an exit route (1910.36(e)(1)), and that door must swing out in the direction of exit travel where the room is designed for more than 50 people or is a high hazard area (1910.36(e)(2)).
Exit routes during repairs. Exit routes must be free and unobstructed (1910.37(a)(3)) and maintained during construction, repairs or alterations (1910.37(d)).
Fire doors. NFPA 80 requires fire door assemblies to be inspected and tested not less than annually, with a signed written record kept for the authority having jurisdiction (Section 5.2.1 in the 2007 edition; later editions may renumber, so the edition adopted locally governs). For swinging doors, the inspection confirms that the closer works, the door latches when closed, no field modifications void the label and clearance under the door is no more than 3/4 inch. Defects that could interfere with operation are corrected without delay. Under Section 703.2.2 of the 2009 International Fire Code, a door whose hold-open device is out of service stays closed but operable.
Rolling doors. DASMA calls for rolling doors to be inspected and maintained at least annually, or per the manufacturer, by a trained technician. Rolling steel fire doors are drop-tested not less than annually and must close completely, at an average speed of 6 to 24 inches per second.
Accessibility. Under Section 206.4 of the 2010 ADA Standards, entrance doors must comply with Section 404, so closer adjustments and replacement hardware keep the door within it.

Preventive maintenance schedule for commercial doors

A failed door can injure someone, block an exit or leave a location unsecured at closing. Planned work catches worn closers, hinges and locks before they become after-hours calls, extends hardware life and keeps the records fire officials and insurers ask for.

Task	Recommended frequency	Basis
Inspect and test fire door assemblies, with a signed written record	At least annually	NFPA 80 (Section 5.2.1, 2007 edition)
Inspect and drop-test rolling steel fire doors	At least annually	NFPA 80; DASMA TDS-271
Inspect and maintain rolling doors by a trained technician	At least annually, or per the manufacturer	DASMA TDS-270
Evaluate the performance of electric rolling doors	Quarterly	DASMA TDS-270
Daily safety check of each automatic door	Daily	AAADM
Check that exit doors open from the inside without keys, tools or special knowledge, and that exit paths are clear	Monthly	OSHA 1910.36 and 1910.37 set the requirement; frequency is Facility First program default, adjusted per site
Adjust and lubricate closers, hinges, pivots and locks	Quarterly	Facility First program default, adjusted per site
Function test electric strikes, magnetic locks and request-to-exit devices	Quarterly	Facility First program default, adjusted per site
Inspect and replace weather stripping, sweeps and thresholds	Annually, before winter	Facility First program default, adjusted per site

The authority having jurisdiction, the manufacturer and the property’s insurer can require more frequent service, and each location’s schedule is set in its program and recorded on every visit. See the preventive maintenance checklist.

Signs a commercial door needs repair

The door slams, closes too slowly or does not latch on its own
The door drags on the floor or frame, or the gaps around it are uneven
A fire door is wedged open, does not close fully, or has more than 3/4 inch clearance at the bottom
A fire door label is painted over, missing or damaged
A panic bar sticks or takes extra force, or the door can be opened from outside when it should be locked
An electric strike or magnetic lock fails to release, or fails to secure at closing
A rolling door strains, runs unevenly in its guides or has worn or noisy bearings
Frames or hinges are bent after impact from carts or pallet jacks

Records to keep for each door

A door schedule for the location: door number, type, fire rating, hardware and manufacturer
Signed NFPA 80 annual inspection records, with deficiencies and the dates they were corrected
Rolling steel fire door drop test forms, with the technician’s training or certification date
Automatic door inspection reports and daily safety check logs
Repair records: date, provider, parts used and before and after photos
Key and credential records after any lock, cylinder or rekeying work

How Facility First runs commercial door repair across a portfolio

Facility First manages the work through vetted local door technicians, locksmiths and rolling door technicians that hold the required licenses and insurance. It does not perform the repair itself.

Request. The location reports the problem through PostControl or by phone, with photos. A door that will not lock at closing is flagged as a security priority.
Triage. Facility First checks the door’s fire rating, exit status, warranty and repair history, and confirms lease responsibility.
Dispatch. A local provider receives the work order and door history.
Temporary measures. An exit door cannot be secured in a way that stops it opening from the inside without keys, tools or special knowledge. Where a failure leaves a location unsecured, McCray can post an officer until the work is complete. See Security by McCray.
Repair and close-out. The provider closes out with photos and notes.
Verification. The door is checked to latch and lock, exits to open from the inside, and fire doors to close and latch on their own.
Invoice. Work is invoiced in one format. Client approval limits decide what proceeds automatically and what is quoted first. See NTE meaning.

What affects the cost of commercial door repair

Door type, material and size
Fire rating, and whether listed replacement parts are required
Hardware grade and finish, and any electrified hardware
Frame or door damage, compared with hardware-only repair
Rekeying scope and any master key system
Glass replacement in storefront doors
Rolling door size and spring or counterbalance work
Parts lead times and after-hours work

Commercial door repair for retail stores, restaurants and offices

Retail stores. Repairs are scheduled before opening or after closing, and a door that will not secure at closing is treated as urgent. In shopping centers, the lease sets who repairs the storefront and the rear door.

Restaurants. Rear doors take deliveries and waste many times a day, and exit routes must stay clear while work is underway.

Offices. Card-access doors and stairwell fire doors are shared with other tenants, and electrified hardware work is coordinated with the access control and fire alarm providers.

Frequently asked questions

How often should commercial doors be inspected?

NFPA 80 requires fire door assemblies to be inspected and tested at least annually. Rolling doors are inspected at least annually under DASMA guidance, and automatic doors get a daily safety check and an annual inspection by an AAADM-certified inspector. Facility First programs service other doors and hardware quarterly by default, adjusted per site.

Can an exit door be locked at night?

OSHA requires that an exit route door can be opened from the inside at all times without keys, tools or special knowledge. A panic bar that locks only from the outside is permitted on exit discharge doors, and local fire codes can add requirements.

Can a fire door be repaired, or does it have to be replaced?

Many fire doors can be repaired. NFPA 80 does not allow field modifications that void the label, so repairs use parts and methods that keep the assembly compliant, and the authority having jurisdiction has the final say.

Why does a commercial door slam or fail to latch?

The usual causes are a closer that needs adjustment or has failed, worn hinges or pivots, or a door or frame that has moved out of alignment. A provider checks all three before replacing parts.

Who should repair a rolling steel door?

A trained door technician. DASMA warns that the counterbalance assembly is under extreme spring tension at all times and that improper adjustment or repair can cause severe injury or death.

Sources

Put commercial door repair for every location on one program.