We are often asked if it’s possible to change the older style swing doors to the new auto sliding entrance type. Most of the time it is possible, even when you may not think it can be done.

SO WHY BOTHER TO CHANGE SWING DOORS TO SLIDING DOORS?

We know that sliding doors are great for very high pedestrian traffic sites, they allow easy entry and exit, they are especially good for customers carrying your products out, delivery issues can be made easier as well.

As business operators we want to have more customers and to make it easy for customers to come in, but we also want very low running costs. We don’t want to be spending money on fixing and maintaining doors.

Anytime we can stop or remove the customer from touching or handling the entrance doors, then we see a big reduction in running costs. Door trouble, aggravation and damage issues nearly always disappear as well, which adds to the running cost reduction.

WHAT ABOUT SPACE? I HAVEN’T GOT ROOM!

One of the ways we can achieve a sliding door for you is to add a small, internal side frame, or stub screen. This allows a sliding door a little extra space, to slide off to one side or the other.

And then we have a sliding door, they need to be super safe, so we prefer to encapsulate them in a safety screen, which is where the additional stub screen comes into play.

This then allows the sliding door to move back and forth but stops anyone from coming into contact with the door as it opens, obviously important with young children around.

The extra side screen, then provides a place to hinge a safety door from. The safety door then covers the inside of the moving door, again, keeping young humans and small hands away from the moving door.

So, you CAN have a sliding door, it IS often possible, they look good and are very functional.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS YOU MAT NOT KNOW ABOUT.

So, we know that sliding doors are

– The cheapest to run

– Easiest to use

– Offer control

– Provide the best customer experience

But they also add extra very useful operational benefits to your business. They can help greatly when you are trying to close up at night. Select the exit only mode and these doors will let people out as they approach from inside to leave but in this mode, the door system will not let people into your building. This can greatly help staff to finish up with last customers, while restricting new customers from coming in.

Our sliding door systems also come with a smart, narrow, frame mounted digital keypad. These are great if you have a whole bunch of staff that you want to be able to allow in, before the customers start arriving in the mornings. They simply have either one common code they all use, or they can have their own code. Of course, you can change these codes at any time which is handy if staff leave you. The auto sliding door system can then be connected to your fire alarm system. This gives a great peace of mind and of course provides easy, instant evacuation access in the event of a real fire. The last thing you want is a hoard of humans stuck up against the doors with thick black smoke at their rear as they try to push out of the building. Our sliding doors can be programmed to simply slide open in the event of a fire alarm activation. Simple and effective and of course very safe.

Just like your modern car, automatic sliding doors need to be maintained, serviced regularly and of course we advise some basic weekly customer checks. After all, you would check your oil and water in your car if you were taking the family on a long drive in your car. Auto doors, like cars have moving parts controlled by computers. So we advise very basic, visual, weekly checks just to make sure that your door system is safe, works well and any potential issues can be questioned and if need be dealt with before they turn into something awkward.

But don’t worry, our door systems will tell you in words, on the LCD display screen if there is a problem, or if the door system is due for a routine service, again, just like your modern car.

So if you would really like to have a sliding door, instead of your swing doors, then call or email to book a survey and we can give you a quote, show you how to do it and we can provide a brief drawing for you to show you how much space or room you may need.

Call today 08435231063 or email servicedesk@next-doors.com or use the buttons below.