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Bathroom closers

with in-swinging doors should be mounted room side. Installation of the closers is as important as choosing a closer and it should not be left to the installer to make an installation location choice.

Concealed floor closers are another option for controlling the door. There are two applications — center hung and offset. They are used with a top pivot and serve to hang the door as well as control it. Floor closers are a good application for entrances and high traffic exterior doors. They offer good durability and leave few exposed parts for vandals. Closers with separate adjustment valves for closing speeds are a better choice because they allow more control.

Closers are sized and handed. Opening force and closing speeds will depend on the size of a door. Fire doors are permitted to have the minimum opening force allowable by the authorities having jurisdiction. To meet accessibility requirements, the maximum opening force for interior hinged doors that are not fire doors is 5.0 pounds. There are no requirements for opening force for exterior doors. Closer bodies can be made of cast iron or aluminum material and slim design models are available if aesthetics are a factor. Covers can give the closer a more pleasing look and are available in metal or plastic. Because a closer is located in proximity to the other hardware and generally not next to it, non-plated finishes match the remaining hardware closely enough to be the most widely and economically prudent closer finish type used. Typically, a non-plated finish is used on commercial closer applications, but they are also available in plated finishes if aesthetics are a concern. If a plated finish is specified for closers, it is important that all exposed parts of the closer provided be plated, including the arms.

 

Click For Additional Required Reading To receive AIA/CES credit, you are required to read this additional text. For a faxed copy of the material, contact Marissa Wyss at Architectural Record, (212) 904-2838 or email marissa_wyss@mcgraw-hill.com. The following quiz questions include information from this material.

 

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