From extreme droughts out west, to unbearably frigid temperatures in the east, to soaking rains in the Midwest, the weather over the past year has been one for the history books.  Now that hurricane and derecho season is upon us, you can add high winds to that list as well.  Around this time of year, we get a lot of calls from people whose doors have been blown open and damaged.  They frequently ask:

“What door closers will keep doors from blowing open?”

Light-Grade Door Closers – The Problem

Do the arms on your exterior door closers look like these?  If so, you, my friend, are in trouble.  These are light-duty door closers that are not made to withstand the force of high winds.  If your facility is in a windy area and has light-duty closers installed on exit doors, you will likely experience at least one of the following problems:

• Broken closers
• Door and frame damage
• Misaligned hinges
• Warped doors
• Shattered glass
• Slamming doors

Heavy-Duty Door Closers – The Solution

What Door Closers Will Keep Doors From Blowing Open?

The adage “You get what you pay for” holds true for door closers.  If you want a door closer that will keep your doors from being blown open, you may have to chip in a few extra dollars up-front, but it will pay off in the long run.  So what door closers will keep doors from blowing open?  Heavy-duty door closers.  These closers are made to hold up under extreme conditions and high abuse.

Dead Stop

If you don’t want your door to get destroyed by high winds, invest in a heavy-duty door closer that, at a minimum, has a dead stop.

Dead stops are designed to keep your doors from opening past the full-open position.  See the black bumper in this picture?  That is a dead stop.  The closer arm hits the dead stop and keeps the door from opening any further.

Now, notice that I said you need a heavy-duty door closer with a door stop.  There are light-duty door closers with dead stops; however, the closer arms are light-duty, and under enough force they will still break.  Heavy-duty closer arms are often made of forged steel and are extremely durable.  You can tell the difference by looking at the pictures above.

Spring-Assisted Dead Stop

If you want an even better solution, get a heavy-duty closer with a spring-assisted dead stop.

As the door approaches the full-open position, the closer arm hits the spring.  The spring absorbs the impact and slows the door down before it reaches the full-open position.  While it performs the same function as a regular dead stop, it is much gentler to the overall components of the closer and the door itself.

If you need help selecting a door closer that will work for your organization, let us know.  We’d be happy to help!