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When doors aren’t weather-tight, they let in wind and moisture. That leads to uncomfortable spaces and higher utility bills. Fortunately, there are some techniques you can use to better weatherproof the commercial doors on your business. Take a look at five of the most effective.
A sweep is a material installed at the bottom of a door. Its purpose is to close the gap between the door and threshold. That stops air and moisture from getting through that space and causing a draft. If your door didn’t come with a sweep, it’s easy to have one installed.
When you do have a sweep, turn off the lights and take a close look at the bottom of the door with a flashlight. If light gets through, air will as well. You may need to replace the sweep if it’s damaged or inadequate. Remember that in a pinch, you can place a rolled-up towel or blanket in front of the door.
Weather-stripping is an inexpensive way to seal gaps between your door and door frame to reduce drafts and maintain a constant room temperature. Most weatherstripping is simply peel-and-stick. You may even have to glue those products into place. Unfortunately, they don’t last very long. So yours may need replacing. Good news! That is an exceptionally simple repair.
If the hinges on your door have begun to loosen or weren’t quite set properly, your door may not be flush with the frame. That can let the weather in, leading to spaces that are too cold or too hot. It may be worthwhile to bring in a maintenance person to rehang the door to fix any spacing issues.
If it’s raining or snowing outside, you may find yourself dealing with a chilly office space when you open the door. Worse, that can create an unsafe condition with wet, slippery floors.
In this case, the door may not be your problem. Instead, think a bit higher up. If you install an overhead awning, snow and rain will be directed away from the doorway and won’t be blown in when people enter or leave. You might also consider installing a rain gutter.
Sometimes, the issue isn’t the cold. It’s the heat. The sun can shine through the glass and heat retail and office spaces through glass storefront doors. Sometimes, weather can warm spaces so much that they are quite uncomfortable.
Fortunately, there are a variety of permanent and temporary solutions to fix this problem. One option is to have window tinting professionally installed. You can also hang blinds or shades to block the worst of the light during the hottest parts of the day.
Your customers will spend more time in your store and are more likely to spend money if they feel comfortable. Employees will be better able to focus on their work and remain productive. Additionally, if you weatherproof your exterior doors, you may significantly reduce your utility bills and energy use.
You can take some additional steps to keep your business warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Here are a few things to try:
If you are in the process of building or designing a commercial building, take time to consider the placement of any exterior doors and how the weather might have an impact. For example, if you place glass doors and windows facing south without any source of shade, you will get quite a bit of bright, hot sun coming into that space. Likewise, the weather tends to come from the west to the east. That can impact how wind and other severe weather hits your building.
Give us a call at CDF Distributors to learn more about how to protect your store from the elements!
