Look at any typical commercial door or framing system and you’ll find they use a 100mm frame. These were designed from the outset to accommodate the standard concealed overhead closer, or transom closer as it’s otherwise known.
Commercial doors have largely remained unchanged since their introduction over thirty years ago. Originally designed as either nib and bead, double bead or pocket glazed sections there have not been many innovations in commercial doors.
In recent years systems companies introduced a polyamide thermal break, an anti-finger trap hinge stile as well as an anti-finger trap hinge stile to accept a panic bar.
New SOLEAL High Traffic Door from Technal.
Technal have completed one of the first installations of their new SOLEAL high performance commercial door. It has been installed in a very prestigious building at Clifford’s Inn in the City of London.
Clifford’s Inn has been refurbished into high specification offices and top quality apartments. The Technal door was manufactured by Everglade Windows and differs quite a lot from even the most up to date commercial door and framing systems.
Technal have designed the SOLEAL door to meet the demands of high traffic installations such as retail, education, healthcare and office buildings. Where many double glazing installers also incorrectly install domestic doors as an entrance to dwellings, the Technal door is also ideal for these too as is any commercial door.
A slimmer framed commercial aluminium door.
The first different feature found in this commercial door is that the front to back frame depth is nearly half that of a typical commercial door. At only 55mm, the door is super slim front to back.
The advantage of having a robust commercial door this thin is that it can be integrated into slimmer framing systems. This first installation saw the doors being installed into the Technal structural silicone curtain walling system.
Therefore if you’re looking for a commercial heavy duty door that can integrate with slimmer front to back framing or curtain walling products, this appears ideal.
To overcome the narrow frame depth of this door, a special door closer is required. Here there are products suitable such as the Dorma ITS 96 Door Closer which is designed for doors with a narrow frame.
Other features of the Technal SOLEAL commercial door.
The new SOLEAL commercial door can be made as a hinged door opening in or out as well as a centre hung or centre hung anti-finger trap door that can open in and out.
It features a crimped double polyamide thermal break. This achieves very low U Values as low as 1.4W/m2K.
We have always questioned the benefit of low U values or indeed thermal breaks on main entrance doors in high traffic buildings. Our reasoning for this is that any perceived benefit of insulation or energy efficiency is negated given how many times a commercial entrance door is opened and closed in a shop, office and school letting cold air in and warm air out.
We know of course that other commercial doors situated elsewhere may remain closed for longer periods such as doors with panic bars that are fire exits only and it is perfectly logical that these closed doors need to be energy efficient.
However aside from making frames thermally efficient, polyamide thermal break technology finally enabled commercial doors and frames to be powder coated different colours inside and out. This gave architects more design flexibility to doors that was always available with windows.
Security and performance on the Technal SOLEAL Door.
SOLEAL as a high security door meeting Class RC3 for burglar resistance to BS EN 1627–30. It has also successfully passed the stringent PAS24:2012 standard. However it’s important to bear in mind that whilst passing these tests are credible, only a single door with anti-finger trap bulb stile has been submitted for testing. The double door has not been tested to this standard.
In 2013 Metal Technology achieved an industry first by submitting for testing not only a PAS24 double door but one with panic bars as well.
Technal Soleil offers a more versatile anti-finger trap
One advantage of this particular door is that the anti-finger trap option is available not just on centre hung doors but also on rebated doors.
Technal don’t say whether they actually use a centre hung door with applied rebates on the lock stile and frame head. Nonetheless an anti-finger trap door whilst not a legal requirement forms the ‘standard product’ for many commercial door providers.
Specifications of the SOLEAL commercial door.
The threshold is a two part drained threshold and can be removed for repair, replacement or maintenance without having to take the door leaves apart. Rebated as well as double ramped options are available.
Concealed drainage does away with unsightly cover caps and is available on the thresholds, the midrails and bottom rails.
Glazing beads can accommodate from 6mm single glass up to 39mm units.
The door has been extensively cycle tested in accordance with BS EN 12400 (2002) at up to one million cycles.
With the Technal door you can also choose black or grey gaskets. We don’t know of any other commercial door that offers this option.
The Technal commercial door looks very well designed, aesthetically very attractive and offers all the features required of a reliable heavy duty commercial entrance door. If you would like more information on this products and where to buy it, please contact us.
