Many of the original manufacturers of industrial grade Hollow Metal Doors are no longer in business. There are millions of these doors in service, originally manufactured by companies that out of business, or they have simply discontinued making your particular size door. However, even though the OEM door is no longer available, exact replacement doors are available, specific to the size and hinge orientations of your installation. Replacing a legacy door is a niche business, but it's important to know this isn't a problem when the time comes, assuming you know who to call.
The majority of the hollow metal doors used are in buildings with concrete walls where the door jam is cemented into place. With such a permanent door jam, replacing the jam to use today's standard ergonomics is expensive, time consuming and potentially disruptive to nearby employees or customers. It's important to know that replacing the jam isn't necessary most of the time. In many cases the door jam is OK because there are virtually no moving parts. Finding an exact replacement door to fit the existing jam is the obvious answer, but this can be tricky to find a 100% perfect match. As tough as it can be to find an exact replacement, it needs to last another 20 years for the best ROI, so quality is important also.
For exact replacement doors the location of the hinges and door latch are often unique, not to mention the size of the hinge and the hinge backset. Here's where a qualified commercial door installer can save you hundreds of dollars. Knowing how to identify, source, and install a quality exact replacement hollow metal door, regardless of age, can be the difference in quick and easy replacement or a lengthy, expensive and workplace disruptive replacement job.
