Recording a Pair of Commercial Doors: What Exists Now Versus What Must Change

Before requesting work on a pair of commercial doors, keep two separate records. The condition record describes the pair as it is today: each leaf, the frame, the glass, the hardware, and how the two leaves meet in the middle. The scope record lists what the project must change, what must stay, and what the opening must do afterward. Mixing the two produces a vague request.

Why a pair of doors needs two separate records

A single door is one leaf in one frame. A pair is two leaves sharing a frame, often sharing hardware, and closing against each other at the meeting stiles, the vertical edges that come together in the center. A fault along that center line can belong to either leaf, to both, or to the frame holding them.

Requests go vague when they blend what you see with what you want. 'Replace the left door, the closer is shot and it drags' puts an observation, a guess, and a decision in one line. Keep observations in a condition record and decisions in a scope record, and whoever reads them can tell which is which.

The condition record: the pair as it stands today

Go through each leaf on its own, then look at the pair as a unit. Write what you observe and leave causes out. 'The right leaf scrapes the threshold near the end of its swing' is useful. 'The hinges are worn' is a guess unless you can see the wear.

• Which leaf is active (opens first, usually carries the lock or pull) and which is inactive (usually held shut by bolts at the top and bottom). Some pairs have two active leaves.
• Each leaf's swing direction and how it operates: by hand, by push bar, or by automatic operator.
• Alignment at the meeting stiles when closed: an even gap, one leaf sitting higher than the other, or a bent or loose strip covering the gap.
• Frame condition at the head (the top), both jambs (the sides), and the threshold: dents, gaps, corrosion, loose fasteners.
• Glass in each leaf and any panels around the pair: cracks, chips, fogging between panes, loose strips holding the glass in place.
• Visible hardware: hinges or pivots, closers, locks, exit devices, pulls. Note anything missing, loose, leaking, or not working.
• Dated photos from inside and outside, with the pair closed and each leaf open, plus close shots of the meeting stiles, threshold, and hardware.

Behavior counts as condition too. A leaf that slams, drifts open, needs a second push to latch, or will not close until the other leaf does tells a reader more than a still photo can.

The scope record: what the opening has to become

The scope record holds decisions, not observations. If a decision is still open, write that down rather than guessing. An open question about the frame or the operation can widen or narrow the whole request.

• Does the frame stay, or come out with the leaves?
• Are both leaves changing, or only one, and must a new leaf match the old one?
• Are hardware and glass included, reused, or changed?
• Should the opening stay manual or move to automatic or ADA entry operation?
• Must the opening stay usable during the work, or can it be closed and secured?
• Who controls access to the opening, and when is it available?

Record sizes as measurements of the real opening, not labels. A nominal size, the round figure a door is described by, says nothing about the actual width between the jambs or whether the frame is out of square.

Which findings push a request toward repair, partial replacement, or full replacement?

Read the two records side by side. The condition record shows where the trouble sits. The scope record shows how much the project wants to change regardless of that trouble.

Damage confined to one leaf or one component points to a narrower request. A cracked pane, a leaking closer, or a broken pull on an otherwise sound pair reads as a repair or a single-part replacement.

Partial replacement, where one leaf is changed while the frame and the other leaf stay, depends on the rest of the pair being sound. The undamaged leaf belongs in the condition record for that reason.

Wider scope follows different findings. A bent, corroded, or loose frame affects both leaves at once. Misalignment that shows on both sides of the meeting stiles usually traces back to the frame or to how the pair hangs, not to one leaf. And when the scope record changes what the opening must do, such as moving from manual to automatic operation, the question becomes whether the frame and leaves suit the new function, not only whether they are damaged.

Neither record settles scope on its own: condition notes without a scope record leave the goal unclear, and a scope record without condition notes leaves out what the work must deal with. Hand over both, with photos labeled by leaf. For a commercial pair in New York City, you can call Liberty Door Supply at (347) 928-7349 and walk through what you recorded.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to measure the doors myself before asking for a quote?

You do not need to measure a pair of commercial doors yourself to ask for a quote, but rough dimensions of the opening help. If you measure, record the actual width and height between the frame members and note where each figure was taken, since an out-of-square frame gives different readings at the top and bottom. Skip nominal size labels.

What if only one leaf of the pair is damaged?

When only one leaf of a pair of commercial doors is damaged, record the other leaf and the frame anyway. The sound leaf shows the finish, glass, and hardware a replacement leaf would need to match, and whether the meeting stiles still line up. If the second leaf and the frame are in good shape, the request can focus on the damaged leaf alone.

Should I record the door while it is open or closed?

Record a pair of commercial doors both ways. With the pair closed, photos show alignment at the meeting stiles and gaps at the head and threshold. With each leaf open, they show hinges or pivots, closer arms, and leaf edges. A short video of each leaf opening and closing catches dragging or slamming that still photos miss.

Who should be told that the doors will be out of service during the work?

Anyone who relies on the opening should know when a pair of commercial doors will be out of service: tenants, staff, security or front-desk teams, cleaners, and anyone receiving deliveries there. Add two details to the scope record: an on-site contact, and whether another entrance can be used. Both affect how the work is planned.