The Difference Between Commercial and Residential Doors

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If you’re looking to open a business and are sifting through countless design options or you recently moved into a home in need of a property face-lift, chances are you’ll be looking into adding some immediate personality through a front door that makes a statement. While there are numerous traditional options for both businesses and residences, keep in mind that not all of them are created equally, or should be used for every kind of building. Here’s some key information on commercial and residential doors.

The right door for the right situation

Right off the bat, one of the biggest differences between commercial and residential doors is the initial security factor. Commercial properties often house sensitive customer information, are the access point for hundreds of individuals on any given day, and are the primary safety barrier between the outside world and a business’s financial assets. Depending on your unique business, commercial metal doors might be a good investment, especially for a warehouse that stores large amounts of products and records.

This isn’t to say that residential doors are unsafe in any way. However, they’re typically made of wood and, depending on the manufacturer, they’re fairly lightweight. While choosing a heftier, thicker door for use in your home is always an option, remember that it means you may need more heavy duty hardware to keep your door upright. Flimsier hardware might work for a hollow door, but installing it on a more robust door is asking for it to fall off the hinges.

Style considerations are important

While front doors aren’t the only access points for both homes and commercial properties, entry doors are the first impression. Choosing the right door for your home or business is important to make a lasting statement on everyone who crosses your threshold. As mentioned, the vast majority of the doors used in residential properties are wood. Wooden doors are convenient, lighter, and more conventionally attractive than their commercial counterparts. For businesses, you can consider traditional glass push and pull doors, more robust wooden doors, and even metal options depending on the style of business you operate.

Commercial properties are also able to incorporate more styles of doors to expand business versatility. A popular, stylish trend many businesses are experimenting with are adaptable garage doors that protect a business’s interior during the colder months but transform the space into an open air floor plan when the weather is warmer. It’s a great way to keep spaces functional and exciting for customers. Family Christian Doors, a leading provider of garage door services, is at the forefront of adopting this exciting trend.

What are the costs?

Here’s where commercial and residential doors greatly differ: costs. It’s not uncommon for commercial doors to be far more expensive than their residential counterparts. This is factoring-in enhanced security features and unconventional materials. Metal doors, in particular, tend to be a great deal more expensive than wooden ones or the simple glass doors many businesses use. If you’re interested in a garage door for your commercial property as well, understand that whether or not it’s electric will have a great impact on the costs. If you’re considering a new garage door installation for your commercial property, it’s important to understand that whether it’s electric or not, it will significantly impact the costs.

As far as residential doors are concerned, common estimates place the total price between $500 and $700, but this quickly goes up when when you factor in brand names, glass paneling, materials, and installation companies. A residential door is a simple enough DIY project, but if you’re concerned about properly installing it, rely on professionals for assistance.

Differences in the details

Commercial and residential doors greatly vary in their designs and applications. From stylistic considerations to functionality, numerous factors come into play when selecting a door for either a residence or commercial property. Contacting a specialist to learn more about specific styles and brands is your best option to find a door that makes a true statement.

12 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks for explaining how commercial doors are usually more expensive than residential doors. My dad is considering if he wants to get commercial sliding doors or something more residential for the small store that he owns. Because I think commercial doors would be a good investment, I’ll recommend that he go with the automatic sliding doors even though they will be more expensive.

  2. My wife and I are going to a residential door dealer right now and we want to get a new door for our home. I have always wondered what the difference was in the kinds of door. It is good to know that the doors are pretty equally priced.

  3. Thank you for explaining the difference between garage and overhead doors. I didn’t even consider that you have to consider whether a commercial location has access or holds sensitive or private information. I imagine that it’s especially important under certain laws to ensure the safety and security of an access point to a place like a hospital or clinic.

  4. I never knew the difference between commercial and residential doors was that commercial doors are usually able to adapt with different styles of doors and can be experimented with. My husband owns a small retail business and they often have supplies being brought in and he needs to get the door repaired. We will keep these tips in mind and get a professional that can repair his door for him.

  5. I like how you mentioned that the security component is the main difference between residential and commercial doors. The manager of the store I work in is thinking of looking for an automatic door repair specialist because she noticed the other day that our customers were pushing the entranceway open manually instead of it opening on its own. I think it’s a good idea for my manager to consider all of her options when choosing a reputable professional to repair our door so that our customers can enter and exit as smoothly as possible.

  6. It makes sense that you should find a stylish door for your business’ entrance in order to make a good first impression. My wife and I are interested in opening a bakery and want to find a glass door that will allow customers to see what we have for sale. Maybe we can attract customers by getting a door that will suit our business’ needs.

  7. It was interesting to learn about how customer information is handled by commercial businesses and they need to make sure that they can be more secure with better doors and make sure that it doesn’t fall off the hinges. I can see how a business could really benefit from getting a glass door because it would look really nice and give a feeling of transparency. Getting the glass from a professional could allow it to be more durable and can protect their customers and employees.

  8. As you mentioned, the main difference between residential and commercial doors, are the security factor. My uncle recently purchased a building that he would like to use for a storefront, but the glass door has a big crack in it. I will have to see if he is making sure that the replacement is commercial grade.

  9. You made a lot of great points about the difference between commercial and residential doors. I agree that commercial metal doors could be a beneficial investment for a business. I think it would also be smart to find a metal door provider that has a good track record of reliable and safe doors.

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