Doors are an essential feature of your business that plays a big part in how easy it is to move around. Because the doors have such a big impact on the accessibility of any space, they are subject to several important regulations. The most significant of these regulations are laid out in the Americans with Disabilities Act, a set of codes that specify how wide the doors have to be, how heavy, and what hardware can be used. We at Coastal Contract Hardware want to help you keep your business compliant with these codes and make your facilities accessible to everyone, which is why we are proud to offer ADA compliant hardware. In this article, we will go over the ADA regulations so that you can select the right hardware for your doors.
One of the regulations for ADA compliant hardware dictates the height at which a door can be placed above the floor: all operable parts of the door, including handles, latches, locks, etc., must be a minimum of 34” and a maximum of 48” inches above the floor. In addition, all these mechanisms must be operable with one hand and must not require tight gripping or twisting of the wrist. The ADA also stipulates that the door mechanism cannot require more than 5 pounds of force to operate. For door closers, the door must take at least 5 seconds to close from a position of 90 degrees to 12 degrees, and doors on spring hinges must take at least 1.5 seconds to close from a position of 70 degrees.
If you have questions about how to select ADA compliant hardware for your business’ doors, you can consult with out experts at Coastal Contract Hardware.