Swing doors (single and double)
Hinged or centre-pivoted doors with closers, the standard entrance for offices, shops and public buildings. Double pairs give wide openings for traffic and deliveries.
Entrances for commercial buildings
Commercial Aluminium Doors
Commercial aluminium doors are heavy-duty entrance and internal doors built from extruded aluminium stiles and rails, glazed with safety glass and fitted with closers, locks and exit hardware rated for hundreds of thousands of cycles. They give shops, offices, hotels and public buildings a durable, slim-framed entrance that resists weather, corrosion and constant use. Metline supplies commercial door profiles, thermal-break sections and accessories to door fabricators worldwide.
- Profile alloy
- 6060-T66, 6063-T5/T6
- Door types
- Swing, sliding, automatic, folding
- Glazing
- Toughened or laminated, 6 – 40+ mm
- Hardware
- Closers, panic bars, multi-point locks
What makes a door "commercial"?
A front door on a house might open a few thousand times a year. The entrance to a busy shop, office lobby or hospital can open that many times in a day. Commercial aluminium doors are built for that duty: deeper and thicker stiles, reinforced corners, heavy hinges or pivots, door closers, and locks and exit devices tested to commercial durability grades.
Aluminium suits commercial entrances because it is stiff and strong in slim sections, so doors can carry large, heavy glass panels while keeping a clean, transparent look. It does not rust, warp or swell, so doors keep closing properly in wet and coastal climates, and architectural coatings keep their colour for decades with routine cleaning. The doors integrate directly with aluminium storefronts, curtain walls and partition systems, giving one consistent appearance across the ground floor of a building.
Types of commercial aluminium door
Storefront entrance doors
Narrow-, medium- or wide-stile glazed doors set into a storefront frame. Wider stiles accept heavier locks and panic hardware and resist racking better.
Automatic sliding doors
Power-operated sliding leaves with sensors, ideal for supermarkets, hospitals and airports where hands-free access and accessibility matter.
Manual sliding and folding doors
Large openings for restaurants, showrooms and terraces that open fully in good weather.
Full-view glass doors
Minimal frames around a single large glass pane for prestige entrances and display frontages.
Service and roller doors
Aluminium roller shutters and sectional doors for loading bays, kiosks, counters and secure frontages.
Profiles, glazing and finishes
| Element | Typical specification | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Stiles and rails | 6060-T66 or 6063-T5/T6 extrusions; heavier walls (often 2 mm or more) at hinge and lock zones | Stiffness, screw holding and resistance to racking |
| Thermal break | Polyamide strips on exterior doors to heated buildings | Reduces heat loss and condensation on the inner frame |
| Corner joints | Mechanical corner cleats, often bonded and pinned, or welded on heavy doors | Keeps the door square under constant use |
| Glazing | Toughened or laminated safety glass, single or insulated units | Safety in human-impact zones; insulation and acoustics |
| Seals | EPDM gaskets and brush or blade seals at the threshold | Draught, rain and dust resistance |
| Finish | Powder coat (typically 60 – 80 µm), PVDF or anodising | Wear and weather resistance, colour retention |
Glass in doors is always in a human-impact zone, so it must be safety glass: toughened (tempered) or laminated, classified to EN 12600 in Europe or to ANSI Z97.1 and CPSC 16 CFR 1201 in the United States. Laminated glass adds security, because it stays in the frame when broken, and improves sound reduction on busy streets.
Choosing stile width, operation and performance
| Choice | Lighter option | Heavier option | Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stile width | Narrow stile: maximum glass, slim look | Medium or wide stile: stronger, more hardware options | Use medium or wide stiles for main entrances with heavy traffic or panic hardware |
| Operation | Manual swing door with overhead closer | Automatic sliding or swing operator | Automatic doors suit hospitals, supermarkets and any entrance with constant traffic |
| Hanging | Butt hinges | Continuous hinge or centre / offset pivots | Pivots and continuous hinges carry heavy glass doors and resist sagging |
| Thermal | Non-thermally-broken frame | Thermally broken frame with insulated glass | Choose thermal breaks for exterior doors to conditioned spaces |
| Glazing | Single toughened glass | Laminated or insulated laminated units | Laminated glass for security, noise and overhead or low-level panes |
| Threshold | Flush or low threshold | Raised threshold with drainage | Balance accessibility against weather exposure; canopies help on exposed entrances |
Door size is limited by weight and by the hardware. Large glass leaves can easily weigh more than 100 kg, which calls for pivots or heavy-duty hinges, a closer rated for the door width and weight, and frames anchored firmly to the structure. Exterior doors on exposed elevations also need a wind-load check, since a door blown open or held shut by wind pressure is a safety issue.
Durability is tested as cycles. EN 12400 classifies doors by the number of opening and closing cycles they survive (the highest class is one million cycles), and closers and exit devices carry their own cycle grades under EN and ANSI/BHMA standards. For a busy entrance, specify the highest grades available.
Hardware, durability and accessibility
- Hinges and pivots: heavy-duty butt hinges, continuous hinges or offset and centre pivots sized for the door weight and traffic
- Door closers: overhead or floor-concealed closers graded to EN 1154 or ANSI/BHMA A156.4
- Exit devices: panic bars to EN 1125 or ANSI/BHMA A156.3 where escape routes are required by fire codes; emergency exit hardware to EN 179
- Locks: deadlocks, multi-point locks and electric strikes compatible with access-control systems
- Automatic operators: to EN 16005 or ANSI/BHMA A156.10 / A156.19 for safe sensor and force settings
- Accessibility: low or level thresholds (13 mm or less in US accessibility rules), adequate clear opening width and limited opening force
- Protection: kick plates, push plates and pull handles in stainless steel for high-traffic doors
Where commercial aluminium doors are used
| Building | Typical door choice |
|---|---|
| Office buildings and towers | Thermally broken double swing doors or automatic sliding doors in a curtain wall or storefront frame |
| Shops and malls | Storefront entrance doors with panic hardware, full-view glass doors, roller shutters for security |
| Hotels and restaurants | Automatic sliding or revolving-style entrances, folding doors to terraces |
| Hospitals and clinics | Automatic sliding doors for hands-free access, wide double doors for beds |
| Schools and public buildings | Robust swing doors with exit devices and laminated glass |
| Kiosks, counters and service areas | Aluminium counter doors, hatches and roller shutters |
A typical retail unit uses a medium-stile double door within a full-height glazed storefront, with laminated glass, a floor closer, a panic bar and a flush threshold, all finished to match the shopfront frame.
How to specify and order
- Door scheduleSizes, door types, single or double, handing and quantities.
- PerformanceExterior or interior, thermal break, wind and weather classes, fire-escape requirements.
- Glazing and hardwareGlass build-up, closers, locks, exit devices, access control and automatic operators.
- FinishColour, coating type and standard, matched to the storefront or façade.
- DeliveryProfiles supplied in lengths or cut and machined, labelled and packed, on EXW, FOB, CIF or DAP terms with material certificates.
References and standards
- EN 14351-1 – Windows and doors: product standard, performance characteristics
- EN 1125 – Building hardware: panic exit devices operated by a horizontal bar
- EN 16005 – Power operated pedestrian doorsets: safety in use
- ANSI/BHMA A156 series – Builders hardware standards (BHMA)
- ANSI Z97.1 – Safety glazing materials used in buildings
Commercial aluminium (aluminum) doors: frequently asked questions
What is the difference between narrow, medium and wide stile doors?
The stile is the vertical frame member. Narrow stiles give the most glass and a light look but limit lock and hardware options. Medium and wide stiles are stronger, resist racking under heavy use and accept full-size locks and panic hardware.
Do commercial aluminium doors need thermal breaks?
Exterior doors to heated or air-conditioned buildings benefit from them, and energy codes often require them. Interior doors and entrances into unconditioned lobbies usually do not.
What glass is used in commercial doors?
Safety glass only: toughened or laminated, classified to EN 12600 or ANSI Z97.1. Laminated glass adds security and acoustic benefits; insulated units are used on thermally broken exterior doors.
Can the doors take panic hardware and access control?
Yes. Commercial door stiles are prepared for panic bars, electric strikes, magnetic locks and automatic operators, chosen to meet local fire and accessibility codes.
Do you supply door profiles to match an existing storefront?
Yes. Send the frame profile details and colour, and door and frame profiles can be supplied in matching finish and sightlines for your fabricator.
Need commercial aluminium doors?
Send your door schedule, glazing and hardware requirements. We will propose door profiles and quote delivered supply.
.jpg){kind=link}