There are few commercial settings that require the gamut of commercial door options than colleges and universities. Diverse campus settings accommodate a wide variety of needs and services, from residential housing in dormitories to personnel and counter doors in various office and commercial settings as well as rolling and loading dock doors utilized by food services and storefronts selling school-related merchandise.
Due to heavy daily use, and increased need for improved campus security, top-quality fabrication and professional installation are essential to ensuring commercial grade doors for colleges and universities work easily, efficiently, and safely every day.
Getting The Most From Commercial Doors In University Settings
The following are tips for ensuring you’re getting the most from commercial doors installed in university settings.
Work with a licensed, experienced vendor for your commercial doors
First and foremost, you need to work with a licensed, experienced commercial door vendor and installer. The needs of a university far exceed those of the average commercial business. The building plans, safety, and evacuation policies, and legal building requirements must be adhered to for the efficacy and safety of the university’s students, faculty, personnel, and visitors – and to protect the institution’s bottom line.
This includes professional inspections and repairs. Without verifying a commercial door installer’s credentials, you risk being scammed. Worse, you risk the safety and security of buildings and their occupants in the event of an emergency.
Don’t forget about fire–rated doors and maintenance requirements
The majority of your college’s buildings require fire-rated doors, which must be inspected and maintained on a regular basis. Designed to automatically shut and lockdown, preventing key firebreaks, routine tampering from curious or mischievous students compromises the doors’ integrity.
As a result, fire–rated doors must be inspected and certified on a regular basis. Choosing the right door vendor and installer is essential as you’re forming a longstanding partnership, based on trust.
Stylish commercial doors for dorms and offices
Non-utilitarian doors – such as those used in public areas of the college, residential dormitories, and other professional settings have to look as good as they are designed to function.
Commercial pass door products and personnel doors from major brands (available in steel, stainless steel, fiberglass, FRP, composite), as well as specialty doors, can be selected to meet the safety and security requirements for the application. At the same time, you can benefit from doors that are stylish and complementary to your college or university’s architecture and interior design.
Time to replace outdated rolling and counter doors
Ready to trade-in those outdated, manual rolling, overhead, and counter doors? You should be. In addition to sprucing up the exterior faces of your building, automated options are notably more secure, efficient, and easy to use than their manual predecessors. You may find that attractive wood options far surpass the standard metal options of previous decades.
For delivery bays or warehouse and mechanical room use, ask your commercial door vendor about vinyl strip roll curtains that keep the weather and debris out, while allowing more efficient entrance and egress from workers, forklifts, delivery trucks and so on.
Never underestimate the importance of security and safety
Unfortunately, the recent rise in school shootings has made security and safety a top priority for college and university campuses across the nation. Innovative, high-quality commercial doors make it possible for your community to remain safer than ever.
A recent post in Fortune Magazine outlined how several schools around the nation utilize technology – including the use of updated security doors and locking mechanisms – to keep their communities more secure. Another article promoting smart investments for safer schools cited how after a recent school shooting, “Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) called for investing in more visible security measures including steel doors, bulletproof glass…” and other options. Steel doors, bulletproof glass, and high-tech locking mechanisms are a must when student and faculty security and safety are a priority.
Speak to your door representatives about:
- Bulletproof glass for common area use
- Lockdown potential
- Automated silent “shooter” alarms, lockdowns, and security options
- Remote, smart gadget access and operation controls that integrate the security and door systems and functions
In addition to protecting students in the event of a shooting or other violent act, implementing the highest-quality doors, equipped with high-tech locking and automatic shutdown features, also shows the community that you’re doing all you can to keep them safe.
Inspections and maintenance allow commercial doors in universities to do their job
The job doesn’t stop once the doors are installed. Your garage door company should offer routine inspection and maintenance services. Moving systematically through your university campus’s buildings – scheduled as per manufacturer’s, fire code, and campus safety code’s recommendations – these professional inspections ensure any potential door issues are addressed, repaired or replaced immediately. This is the only way to guarantee doors’ efficient, day-to-day function, and that they will provide the level of security you’ve invested in if an unfortunate emergency takes place.
We’ve Got You Covered
Are you looking for a local, Bay Area commercial door installer who can take care of your campus’s commercial door needs? Contact us here at R&S Erection in Vallejo to schedule a free, onsite consultation. We offer all R&S products directly from our manufacturing plants and distribution centers, allowing us to provide a higher level of customer service and competitive prices.