A commercial entrance can be opened hundreds of times a day. When a storefront or lobby door stops closing or locking the way it should, the cause is almost always one of four parts: the closer, the latch and strike, the hinges or pivots, or the lock cylinder. Here is how to tell which one, and what the fix involves.
Match the symptom to the part
- The door slams or swings shut too hard. The closer's speed valves are out of adjustment, or the closer is failing. Oil on the closer body or on the floor under it means the seals have gone, and no adjustment will fix that; the closer needs replacing.
- The door stops short and does not latch. The latch speed is set too slow, the closer is too weak for the door, or the latch drags on the strike plate instead of dropping into it.
- The door rubs at the top or scrapes the threshold. Loose screws or worn hinges or pivots have let the door sag. Once a door sags, the latch and lock stop lining up too.
- The key turns hard, or the lock will not catch. Often the strike has shifted and the lock itself is fine. It can also be a worn cylinder or, on a narrow aluminum storefront door, a worn latch inside the edge of the door.
What to check before you call
- Look at the closer, and the floor below it, for oil.
- Check the top hinge. Loose screws there usually mean the door has started to sag.
- Close the door slowly and watch the latch meet the strike. Fresh scrape marks show where it catches.
- If the key is binding, stop forcing it. A key that snaps in the cylinder adds an extraction to the repair.
- Do not disconnect the arm to hold a fire-rated door open. Fire doors, such as stairwell doors, are required to close and latch on their own.
What the repair usually involves
Closers. Most surface-mounted closers have separate adjustments for the main swing, the last few inches of travel (latch speed), and the resistance when someone throws the door open (backcheck). Setting those correctly fixes many slamming and non-latching doors. A leaking unit is replaced with one sized for the door. Concealed closers in a storefront header or floor box take more work, because the unit has to come out. More on door closer installation and repair.
Latches and strikes. A strike that has moved is realigned or replaced, and a worn latch is replaced. On aluminum storefront doors the latch and deadlock sit inside the narrow stile, so the replacement has to match the backset and faceplate already there.
Hinges and pivots. Loose hinges are re-secured with longer screws that bite into solid material, and worn hinges or pivots are replaced. That alone often brings the lock back into line.
Lock cylinders. If keys have gone missing or staff have changed, the cylinder can be rekeyed so the old keys stop working, or replaced with a high-security cylinder for tighter control over copies. More on commercial rekeying.
Repair first, replace when it makes sense
Most problem doors need one part, not a new door or lockset. Replacement makes sense when a closer leaks, when parts for an old lock are no longer made, or when a break-in has bent the door or frame. It also pays to ask why the part failed: a closer that keeps leaking may be undersized for a heavy door, and a latch that keeps wearing out often points to a sagging hinge.
We work from our storefront at 130 7th Ave S in Greenwich Village and take service calls across all five boroughs, plus nearby Nassau County and Westchester. If a door at your business is not closing or locking properly, call (917) 495-1990 or send us a text; a photo of the closer and the lock helps. Recent commercial door jobs are on Our Work.