Aluminum Storefront Doors
Summary
Aluminum storefront doors are glazed doors framed in extruded aluminum stiles and rails, hung in aluminum storefront framing with pivots, butts, or continuous hinges. They are the default commercial entrance, and stile width, thermal break, and hardware must be chosen together early in design.
Cols
Terminology
- Narrow / medium / wide stile: stile width classes; drive traffic rating and hardware fit
- Sightline: visible face width of a stile, rail, or frame member
- Door depth: front-to-back dimension of the door extrusion; 1-3/4 in. standard
- Thermally broken (T): door or frame with a polyamide or poured-and-debridged thermal barrier
- Offset pivot / center pivot: top and bottom pivots set off the frame face or centered in the door depth
- Continuous hinge: full-height geared hinge; preferred for high-traffic doors
- Cylindrical or rim exit device / concealed vertical rod (CVR): panic hardware types for narrow stiles
- MS lock / deadlock: narrow-backset mortise lock common in narrow stile doors
- Bottom rail: taller rail at the bottom; 6-1/2 in. or 10 in. rails meet push-side smooth surface rules
- Infill: glass or panel held by snap-in glazing stops; 1/4 in. to 1 in. in standard series
- Vestibule: pair of door sets in series for air control at entrances
Standards
Sizes
- Typical leaf: 3'-0" by 7'-0"; heights to 8'-0" and taller with heavier stiles
- Door depth: 1-3/4 in. for standard series; 2-1/4 in. for many thermal series
- A 3'-0" leaf on offset pivots or butt hinges gives about 32 in. to 33 in. clear; confirm with the manufacturer's clear opening data.
Stile classes
| Class | Vertical stile | Typical bottom rail | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narrow | 2-1/8 in. (2-1/2 in. in some thermal series) | 3-7/8 in. | Offices, retail, moderate traffic |
| Medium | 3-1/2 in. | 6-1/2 in. | Schools, institutional, high traffic |
| Wide | 5 in. | 6-1/2 in. | Banks, libraries, heavy traffic |
Finishes
- AAMA 611 Class I anodize: 0.7 mil minimum; exterior grade
- AAMA 611 Class II anodize: 0.4 mil minimum; interior or light exterior
- AAMA 2605: high-performance fluoropolymer (PVDF) paint; best color and gloss retention
- AAMA 2604: mid-tier paint (powder coat or baked enamel)
- AAMA 2603: lowest tier; interior use
Test standards
- ASTM E283: air leakage
- ASTM E331: water penetration
- NFRC 100 / 200: U-factor and SHGC for door and frame assemblies
- ANSI/BHMA A156 series: hardware (closers A156.4, exit devices A156.3, continuous hinges A156.26)
- ASTM E1886 / E1996: impact resistance where windborne debris rules apply
Materials
- 6063-T5 or T6 aluminum extrusions: stiles, rails, and frames
- Glass: 1/4 in. tempered monolithic for interior; 1 in. insulating glass, tempered or laminated, for exterior
- Thermal barriers: polyamide strips or poured polyurethane in thermal series doors
- Weatherstripping: pile or bulb in stiles and frame; sweep or threshold seal at bottom rail
- Stainless steel or bronze cladding: high-end entrances
Uses
Specific uses
- Main entrances to retail, office, and institutional buildings
- Vestibules and lobbies paired with storefront framing
- Interior glazed corridor and tenant entrances
- Schools and healthcare entrances with medium or wide stiles and access control
- Pairs with removable mullions for equipment access
Pros and cons
Pros
- Lightweight, corrosion resistant, and widely available with short lead times
- Maximum glass and transparency at entrances
- Integrates with storefront framing, finishes, and glazing
- Factory-prepped for closers, exit devices, and electrified hardware
Cons
- Narrow stiles limit lock, exit device, and electric strike options
- Non-thermal doors are a major thermal bridge; thermal series needed in most cold climates
- Pivots and stile joints wear under heavy traffic without continuous hinges and medium or wide stiles
- Not fire-rated
- Glass infill vulnerable to forced entry without laminated or security glazing
Manufacturing and cost
Construction
- Stiles and rails joined with concealed reinforcing brackets, welds, or tie rods at the corners
- Glass set with snap-in stops and gaskets, inside or outside glazed
- Hardware preps and reinforcements made in the shop; electrified hardware needs power transfer through hinges or pivots
- Frames are storefront framing members anchored to adjacent structure; doors are hung and adjusted in the field
Main manufacturers and suppliers
Trade association: Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance.
Typical costs
- Door and frame, narrow stile, single, with standard hardware, material only: $2,500 to $5,500
- Installed single door with frame and standard hardware: $3,500 to $7,500
- Installed pair with thermal series, closers, and exit devices: $7,000 to $14,000
- Complete storefront framing with entrances: $60 to $150 per square foot installed
Sources
- Kawneer: architectural detail manual, standard entrances, https://www.kawneer.com/kawneer_files/shared files/97911-Arch_Manual/ADMA010EN.pdf
- Southern Aluminum Finishing: SAF designation system for aluminum finishing, https://www.saf.com/anodizing/saf-designation-system/
- STANLEY Access Technologies: standard commercial door heights, widths, and requirements, https://stanleyaccess.com/insights/standard-commercial-door-heights-widths-specs-and-requirements
- WBDG: VA 08 41 13 aluminum-framed entrances and storefronts specification, https://www.wbdg.org/FFC/VA/VANCAS/VANCA084113.pdf
- Corada: 2010 ADA Standards Section 404 doors, https://www.corada.com/documents/2010ADAStandards/404
- Sweets: 08 41 13 aluminum framed entrances and storefronts, https://sweets.construction.com/masterformat/openings-08-00-00/aluminum-framed-entrances-and-storefronts-08-41-13
- Wikimedia Commons: Foster Hotel storefront detail - Skidmore Old Town HD - Portland Oregon.jpg, by Ian Poellet (CC BY-SA 4.0), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Foster_Hotel_storefront_detail_-_Skidmore_Old_Town_HD_-_Portland_Oregon.jpg