You need soft door closers for two main reasons: preventing the door from slamming and keeping them closed at all times. These devices are also a requirement for fire-rated doors and are designed essentially to curb and prevent the spread of fire.
More than just reducing the annoyance of banging a closing door, soft door closers are also a necessity.
What Are Soft Door Closers?
Soft door closers are devices with arms installed on the side of the door and frame. As the name implies, these devices initiate the door to close every time they are opened. It has a spring mechanism that reduces the closing speed rate, thereby minimizing the unpleasant noise as the door hits the frame.
In the past, the traditional soft door closers required a little nudge for them to shut. But, modern ones today can be programmed to automatically close after a designated time for better convenience.
The traditional door closers you probably have come to know are generally just self-close hinges. The self-closer hinge has the same mechanism as the soft close door but is not typically soft and silent.
Importance of Soft Door Closers
Soft close doors have been around in many homes for years, helping reduce the annoyance of banging doors. It’s also important to know that soft door closers are installed for other purposes as well.
Safety
The soft close mechanism is helpful in homes, especially those with small children around. It closes the door leaf gently into the frame to keep those little fingers safe from snagging. It is also an extra hand for tenants with disability and mobility problems, as they can close the door properly without much support.
Convenience
Hands-free door closers are handy every time you need to close the door with your hands full. These closers also ensure that the door is properly closed to prevent drafts from entering the room. Soft door closers are applicable for both exterior and interior doors.
Prevent Damages
The strong impact of a door slamming shut, intentionally or not, is often the main reason for door and hinge replacements. Installing a heavy-duty soft door closer reduces this headache for homeowners. With less force exerted upon contact, soft door closers minimize damage to the door, door hinge, frame, and surrounding walls.
Commercial Safety
In addition to physical safety, soft door closers are also important in ensuring safety in commercial buildings. It is a requisite in every fire door to be able to resist fire for some time.
Science has it that a closed door limits the oxygen supply in the room to slow down the growth of fire. This is possible with automatic locking devices such as a soft door closer.
Security
Commercial doors are reinforced with access control devices to manage unauthorized entry. However, these would be rendered insignificant if the door is not properly closed in the first place. It is the job of the soft door closer to seal the door shut for the latch and lock mechanisms to engage correctly.
Types of Soft Door Closers
Soft door closers are divided into different types according to how they are mounted. Generally, they are surface-mounted with the following mounting options:
Regular Arm Mount
These are the more typical soft door closers where the device is mounted on the pull side of the door. The articulated arm is mounted to the face of the frame by the head. It allows the door to travel up to 180ᵒ.
Top Jamb Mount
In top jamb mount soft door closers, the device is mounted on the header, and the closer is on the push side of the door. It is the best option when the overall aesthetic is preferred since the closer is mounted on the frame head instead of the face.
Parallel Arm Mount
A parallel arm mount also has the closer mounted on the push side of the door. The parallel arm is attached to the soffit at the head of the door frame. It is advisable for use in schools where the lack of protruding arms makes it less susceptible to damage and abuse by kids.
Track Arm Mount
These types of soft door closers have rollers that run along a metal track. The closer is installed in the face of the door, and the arm can be mounted either on the push or pull side. These are less popular since they are not as durable as regular arms.
Choosing the Right Door Closer
Soft door closers are selected based on the location of the opening, the dimension of the door, door thickness, door weight, and aesthetics. The amount of usage or traffic is also a determining factor. There are many soft door closers available in the market, ranging from medium to heavy duty.
FAAC 950N2 Electric Door Opener: A Good Option
One of the most highly sought-after and most reliable soft door closers available is an electric door opener from FAAC.
The FAAC 950N2 is a sleek and quiet door closer designed for swing doors. It can be installed either in an inward or outward opening door and has an obstacle detection for additional safety.
The device has an electromechanical automated system with a 24VDC motor. It can be operated manually during a power outage with a closing spring.
The FAAC door closer has a control unit that adjusts the speed setting more accurately. Both the opening and closing speeds of the soft close feature can be adjusted from 4 to 10s. Its opening angle starts from 100 to 125ᵒ and is a good option for doors that are frequently used.
The FAAC electric door closers have two variations: the articulated pushing arm and slide slide-pulling arm kit. Both units come with a stainless steel push-to-exit button for handicap use.
Additionally, the FAAC is also available for automatic swing door operators with an articulated pushing arm and sliding pulling arm.
Purchasing Your Soft Door Closers
An automatic door closer is not limited to large doors alone. They are also available as a soft closing mechanism in cabinets. Like with main doors, they also work in keeping the cabinet door in a closing position.
If you need additional information on soft door closers, door accessories, and their installation, visit All Security Equipment today. All Security Equipment has a variety of products designed to meet all your door and gate security needs for safety, security and convenience.
