You’re standing in front of your building project, architect plans in hand, completely overwhelmed by door choices. Should you go sliding? Swinging? Revolving? With construction delays costing $1.6 million per day on average projects and wrong door choices leading to accessibility violations, energy waste, and unhappy occupants, this decision keeps you awake at night.
Each type of door serves specific needs, and choosing the wrong one costs you big time in retrofitting, compliance issues, and operational headaches. Let’s solve your door selection crisis with professional automatic door systems that match your exact requirements.
Key Takeaways
- Sliding doors handle 80% of commercial applications, but fail in high-wind areas and narrow spaces.
- Automatic revolving doors save up to 75,000 kilowatt-hours annually, but create accessibility challenges.
- Automatic hospital doors require specialized hygienic features and emergency breakaway capabilities.
- Automatic commercial doors need durability testing for 2+ million cycles vs. residential requirements of 200,000 cycles.
Your Door Selection Headaches – And How To Solve Them
Problem #1: Energy Bills Are Killing Your Budget
Your HVAC costs are through the roof because your current doors let conditioned air escape constantly. Research shows revolving doors can save 75,000 kilowatt-hours of energy, eliminating 14.6 tons of carbon dioxide compared to traditional swing doors.
What is the best type of automatic door for commercial buildings? It depends on your traffic patterns:
High-Traffic Solutions
- Automatic revolving doors create airlocks that maintain building pressure
- Automatic sliding doors with vestibule systems for code compliance
- Energy-efficient doors with thermal breaks and weather sealing
Are revolving doors energy efficient? Absolutely. They’re the gold standard for energy conservation in commercial spaces with over 500 daily users.
Problem #2: Accessibility Compliance Nightmares
You’re facing ADA violations or struggling to accommodate wheelchair users, medical equipment, and elderly visitors. Which automatic doors are best for accessibility?
Accessibility Champions
- Automatic sliding doors provide wider openings (up to 10 feet)
- Automatic swinging doors work well for single-direction heavy traffic
- Low-energy swing doors meet ADA force requirements
Accessibility Killers
- Standard revolving doors (unless you provide alternative accessible entrances)
- Narrow folding doors that create bottlenecks
- High-threshold sliding systems
Problem #3: Your Industry Has Specific Requirements You Didn’t Know About
What types of doors are used in hospitals? Medical facilities require doors that help prevent germs, and specialized doors for disabled patients
Hospital-Specific Needs
- Automatic doors for hospitals must include hygienic touchless operation
- Emergency breakaway features for patient transport
- Silent operation for patient comfort
- Easy cleaning and disinfection capabilities
Types of Automatic Door Systems – Your Complete Options Guide
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Automatic Sliding Doors (The Workhorses)
Automatic Sliding Door Variations:
- Single-slide doors for narrow openings
- Bi-parting sliding doors for wide entrances
- Telescoping doors for maximum opening width in minimal space
Professional sliding framed and frameless systems offer customization for architectural requirements while maintaining performance standards.
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Automatic Swinging Doors (The Traditionalists)
Benefits:
- Familiar operation for all users
- Easy emergency egress
- Lower installation costs
- Works with existing door frames
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Revolving Automatic Doors (The Energy Savers)
Revolving Door Considerations:
- Three-wing vs. four-wing configurations
- Emergency breakout panels required
- Need an accessible alternative entrance
- Higher maintenance requirements
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Folding Automatic Doors (The Space Savers)
Folding Door Applications:
- Narrow storefronts
- Emergency exit combinations
- Temporary access points
- Seasonal opening variations
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Telescoping Automatic Doors (The Wide Openers)
When You Need Telescoping:
- Loading dock access
- Airport baggage areas
- Stadium and arena entrances
- Mixed pedestrian/vehicle traffic
Industry-Specific Solutions
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Commercial Automatic Doors – Built for Business
Commercial installations face unique challenges requiring robust automatic door operators rated for millions of cycles. Automatic commercial doors must handle:
- Peak hour traffic surges
- Weather exposure and thermal cycling
- Security integration requirements
- Emergency egress compliance
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Specialized Reflex Doors
Healthcare and Medical Facilities serve critical infection control needs. The versatility of automatic sliding doors makes them ideal for healthcare settings requiring emergency egress and accommodating heavy foot traffic.
Hospital and medical facility solutions address specialized requirements, including hygienic surfaces, silent operation, and emergency breakaway features.
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Accessibility and NDIS Compliance
Can automatic doors improve energy efficiency while meeting accessibility needs? Yes, when properly specified. NDIS-compliant installations ensure disabled access rights while maintaining building performance.
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Residential Applications
Homeowners increasingly choose automatic door systems for convenience and accessibility. Residential automatic doors focus on family safety, smart home integration, and aesthetic appeal rather than high-traffic durability.
Professional Installation and Industry Partnerships
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For Development Projects
Developers need automatic door systems that meet project timelines, budget constraints, and long-term performance requirements across mixed-use developments.
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Construction Industry Integration
Builders require reliable suppliers who coordinate delivery schedules, provide technical support, and ensure installations meet building codes and architectural specifications.
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Design Professional Support
Architects automatic door solutions that blend functionality with aesthetic vision while meeting accessibility codes and energy efficiency standards.
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Ongoing Maintenance Programs
Facilities management teams need automatic door operators with predictable maintenance schedules, readily available parts, and 24/7 service support to minimize downtime.
Conclusion
The selection of the appropriate forms of automatic door systems avoids expensive errors, achieves compliance, and provides long-term performance. Commercial use is dominated by automatic sliding doors, whereas the revolving door operates best in high-traffic buildings and where the use of energy is important. Hospital applications have hygienic specifications and are generally subject to the accessibility requirements, which influence the choice of doors in all sectors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What automatic door type handles the highest traffic volume?
A: Revolving automatic doors serve 2,000 people in an hour, so they suit well in airports, hospitals, and large commercial buildings, yet they need alternative access gates to comply with ADA regulations.
Q: What are the best automatic doors during extreme weather conditions?
A: Sliding doors that have a vestibule and revolving doors work best in harsh climates as they create airlocks, which stop weather intrusion and preserve building pressure differentials.
Q: Do the automatic doors have different operators?
A: Yes, all types of doors require particular types of automatic door operators. In sliding doors, there are belt/gear systems, in swing doors, there are arms, and in revolving doors, there are special rotational motors with safety controls.
Q: Is it possible to upgrade manual doors with automatic operators?
A: Most swing doors can be converted to auto door operators, but sliding conversions usually need a total replacement of the door system because of its track and structural requirements.
Q: What are some of the differences in maintenance between automatic doors?
A: Sliding doors must be cleaned and have belt adjustments, revolving doors must be lubricated on bearings and aligned on panels, and swing doors must have arm pivot repairs and calibration on closing force.