While door design has progressed significantly in the 30 plus years since Norman published his book, there are always ways to create more easily accessible spaces. Specifiers can continue to create more intuitive and accessible spaces by understanding how doors operate. This is particularly true for sliding doors as they have progressed from home use into more commercial spaces. To help explain some of the less visible aspects of interior sliding doors, Tysen Gannon, LEED AP, answers the following four questions about door operating systems.
What hardware options support easy sliding door operation?
The most essential part of sliding doors and ease of operation are the roller and closer mechanisms. High-quality rollers that minimize drag or friction and are durable for both heavy daily use and the life of the project are an important design consideration. For many commercial sliding door systems, rollers are integrated with a soft closing dampener system. These soft closers reduce the door’s closing force and speed, providing easier and safer use for occupants and decreased wear and tear for the maintenance team. The rollers are seated within a track and the quality of the track material is also essential, look for robust track systems that will not bend or deflect with variation in wall construction to ensure a smooth rolling door.
How do top-hung roller systems enhance building accessibility?
Top-hung roller systems eliminate bottom tracks, meaning there is not a trip hazard for people using assistive devices or an infection risk due to difficult to clean crevices. This design also improves ease of use from an operating force perspective by ensuring the door is not loading on to anything at its base. Concealed floor guides are typically associated with this type of system; they keep the door tracking in a straight line and prevent it from pulling away from the wall. When using a top-hung sliding door, it is important to verify that such a sill guide is included with the system and that it is both robust and replaceable.
What is a low energy sliding door?
Most interior sliding doors fit into two categories: high energy and low energy. High energy doors can be activated by an occupancy sensor or other unintentional acts on the part of the occupant. Low energy doors, on the other hand, require a knowing act (such as pushing a button or waving a hand in front of a sensor) to actuate. The settings, configuration requirements and product features can vary according to type as can the areas for their permitted use according to building code. For example, low energy doors are typically associated with lower occupancy areas or those not in the path of egress.
Low energy does not refer to their power consumption, but it is indeed a feature of AD Systems’ AutoMotion™ that the operators are very energy efficient, low noise and also available with battery backup in the event of a power failure. These doors also have adjustable opening and closing speeds (according to Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) requirements) between 0-9 seconds, so by no means does low energy imply sluggishness.
What should specifiers look for in self-closers to ensure durability and longevity?
Specifiers should look for soft closers that have cycle testing information. Can the manufacturer document the soft closers have been cycle tested? Were they tested to withstand abuse to ensure robustness? Knowing the answers to these questions as well as if the devices have been installed successfully in high traffic environments can help ensure specifiers have chosen the right system for their project.
Further, it is also important to think about future maintenance. Does the self-closer have readily available replacement parts? Can the supplier fulfill requests for an attic stock and a maintenance guide in project documents? Asking these questions can inform specifiers that the systems they’ve chosen won’t need to be completely overhauled in the event of a partial failure.
Working together to build better
Knowing the systems behind an architectural element, even one as intuitive as interior sliding doors, can help specifiers make the best decision for building occupants. This knowledge helps show both what’s possible and what questions to ask. And when the right questions are asked, suppliers like AD Systems can work with specifiers to push the limits on creating a more intuitive and easily accessible built environment.
