You want to protect your property 24/7, even while you are away. A big part of keeping your business safe is to know what to look for and when things need improvement or maintenance. By making sure your doors are updated, you will reduce the risk of a break-in. This list of common commercial door problems can help you know what to look for and what makes you most vulnerable to burglars. If you find yourself asking the following questions about your doors – it’s time to learn how to fix your commercial door issues and prevent break-ins.
Why Is My Steel Door Feeling Flimsy?
This can happen when the door’s steel skin is separating from the material inside the door causing it to lose rigidity. Often this happens from excess moisture, or wear, and the door becomes weak. With a door that is weak, it is easy for burglars to break in, they can even kick in the door to gain access.
- Expert Tip: Fix your Delaminated Doors. In this case, replacing the door is the best solution. Our experts can help with replacing your door and looking at all options to make a door replacement fit your budget.
How Do I Prevent Break-Ins When My Latches Are Exposed To The Outside?
Any door that is exterior facing needs to be secure, and when the latch can be accessed from the outside, it can be easy for burglars to pry open the door. Also, double doors provide a wide entrance point; however, they can also be an even easier target for burglars to gain access to your building.
Expert Tips: Cover Exposed Door Latches with a Latch Guard or Astragal Device. A great replacement for an exposed latch would be to install a full-length interlocking latch guard to your commercial doors. Interlocking guards help add an extra layer of protection against thieves since one piece of the latch guard is connected to the door and the other piece to the door frame. This makes it more difficult to spread the door open for access to your business.
Another option is an astragal device. This door hardware seals the gap between both doors of your double doors so people cannot access the gap in between the doors. Astragal hardware is typically used on interior double doors for burglary prevention and is often more cost-effective compared to adding full-length latch guards.
How can I prevent a thief from destroying my cylinder?
Burglars know that they can use vice grips to twist the door cylinder to eventually break the lock. This gives the burglar easy access to your business since the door cylinder is an easy target.
Expert Tip: Add a Door Cylinder Security Collar to Your Lockset. These unique preventative guards go over your door cylinder so the actual cylinder itself cannot be twisted into breaking since the collar simply spins.
How Come My Panic Bar Won’t Lock?
Exit devices provide great security because they are not easily tampered with when they don’t have exterior door handles. Some even have vertical rods to secure the door to the top and bottom of the opening. Sometimes the door and/or door frame shifts causing the door not to lock making it easy for burglars to enter your property.
Expert Tip: Re-Align The Strike Plates On Commercial Exit Doors. By having these regularly re-aligned you will know your latch will be able to continue securing the door. When fixing a problem with your exit device, remember you must frequently maintain the door moving forward.
Why Won’t My Door Self Close?
Door closers are a great hands-free option that provides convenience to customers and employees. Sometimes these devices can malfunction causing your door to not close or latch. It is easier to catch when the door doesn’t close, but if it does not latch, it can be hard to recognize that until it’s too late.
- Expert Tip: Repair Automatic Door Closer Malfunctions. Adjustment of the door closer is usually the answer to help make sure your door automatically closes while protecting your valuables. However, if the door is slamming, or the device is dripping oil, our experts may recommend a replacement of your door closer.
Much like technology, everything and everybody is getting smarter – including burglars. There are many ways that they can break into your property, but if you have any of these commercial door issues, it makes it even easier for thieves to get in. By noticing these problems and trusting the experts at Assured Security to help you find the best commercial security solution to prevent break-ins, you can protect your commercial property 24/7. Give us a call to help with all of your commercial door services.
