Whenever anything that seems like it shouldn’t be too different is advertised as two separate things, such as commercial and residential doors, it makes people wonder what the difference is. If there’s a difference between commercial and residential doors, can you not use one in one space and one in the other? Do they have different functions or designs? What happens when you try to use a residential door in a commercial space?
Here’s what you need to know about the difference between commercial and residential doors to help you understand why they are not interchangeable and what sets them apart from each other.
The Difference Between Commercial And Residential Doors
Your doors are one of the first things people notice about your home or your business, so it’s important that you have good quality doors that match the style and feel of your building and that function appropriately according to their expectations. If there’s a difference between commercial and residential doors, would people notice if you put one kind of door in the other place?
The likelihood is that yes, it is far more likely than not that people would notice if you put a commercial door in a house and a residential door in a commercial space, due to the key difference between commercial and residential doors. In order to understand the difference between commercial and residential doors, you’ll need to understand the differences in function, design, and efficiency they’re meant to provide to their respective spaces.
Commercial Doors
Off the top of your head, when asked about the difference between commercial and residential doors, most people will likely say that they think the difference is mainly how much security is provided, as well as the size of the door. This wouldn’t be an inaccurate assumption! Commercial doors do indeed need to provide more security than residential doors, given the fact that they’re used as an access point for hundreds of people on the daily and need to provide a security barrier between the outside world and the business’s assets, financial, material, and more.
Commercial doors have to be able to withstand a lot more damage and environmental factors than residential doors, given the fact that they’re used much, much more often. While a residential door will generally only be opened a few times a day, a commercial door can be opening and closing all day long, from the beginning of the business day until its end.
Commercial doors tend to be thicker and more insulated than residential doors, as well as far more expensive, due to their security features, materials, sizes, and more. Commercial doors can come in a wide variety of styles, depending on the business – you’ve likely seen anything from clear glass to thick metal to stately wood. Generally, the difference between commercial and residential doors comes down to how much security they need to provide, as well as how durable they need to be. Although, as previously mentioned, there are other factors such as price that factor into the difference between commercial and residential doors, too.
Residential Doors
Unlike commercial doors, residential doors are allowed to be more lightweight, given that they do not face the same security and usage concerns as commercial doors do. This is not to say that residential doors are not secure or that they are not durable, but rather that their needs differ from those of commercial doors. If you tried to put a residential door in a commercial space, you’d likely find that it wears down faster, because residential doors simply aren’t meant to withstand the amount of use that commercial doors see.
Since residential doors don’t need to be as heavily secured or durable as commercial doors, they’re cheaper. The same as commercial doors, though, residential doors come in a wide variety of sizes and styles and materials. Iron doors make quite the impression, as do stained glass doors, or moving glass walls, and more. Your doors can be customized in any number of ways to match the style and personality of your home.
We Offer Both Commercial And Residential Doors
As you see, the difference between commercial and residential doors can be quite substantial, given the differences in expectations they face. Moyes Glass offers both commercial and residential doors to fit your needs. Whether you want a stately iron door for your home or a metal door for your business, we have plenty of options for you to choose from. Contact us today to learn more about the doors we have available, and let us help you find the perfect one for your home or business.