In this blog entry, our professional Chicago Locksmith service team will detail the best door maintenance tasks that you can perform in order to keep your Chicago commercial property safe and secure.
Essential Chicago Commercial Door Maintenance Tips
- Hinge and Lock Maintenance – With use over time, dust, dirt, and rust can quickly build on locks and hinges which makes doors hard to operate. Make sure to regularly lubricate and inspect doors. Check doors for loose screws, stiff operation, or rust. Regular maintenance will help your doors work properly for years to come.
- Testing and Upgrading Locks – Test to see if your locks are properly working if any locks are hard to turn, feel loose at all, or have a deadbolt that doesn’t fully extend, make sure to upgrade them. We recommend upgrading locks to Grade 1 deadbolts, smart locks, or keyless entry systems.
- Door Alignment and Door Gap Sealing – If you notice a gap around your commercial office door, it will let in drafts and increase your energy bills, as well as making your business easier to break into. The same goes for misaligned doors. Test for this by slowly opening and closing your door and seeing if the door scrapes or has gaps where it should be flush. This can be caused by loose hinges, shifting property foundations, or simple wear and tear. Tighten up hinges, add weather stripping to fill in gaps, and realign the door frame. This is especially important for emergency exit doors and egress doors.
- Checking Emergency Exits and Fire Doors – It’s absolutely essential to test all emergency exits and fire doors for compliance with all safety and fire safety regulations. Regularly test emergency exits and panic bars during all fire door inspections. Fire doors should easily open and close tight behind you. Look for any rust, broken latches, or worn down door closers. If fire doors stick or need force to open, make sure to contact a professional door repair service as soon as possible.
- Professional Door Maintenance – Have a professional inspect all of your doors for worn down locks, loose hinges, or misaligned doors. Leaving even minor issues intact over time can cause the need for more expensive door repairs over time. It’s always best to get ahead of the curve and ensure that your Chicago business’s locks are fully functional and safe.
