Summer Tune-Up to Optimize School Building Safety: Essential Maintenance & Inspections for Automatic Doors

May 16, 2024

Photo credit: Adobe Stock, generated with AI

Schools Gear Up for Summer Maintenance: Making the Most of Vacant Months

Summer serves as a crucial time for schools to carry out essential maintenance and improvements, ensuring a safe and conducive environment for students and staff throughout the academic year.

In the realm of school infrastructure, automatic doors serve as silent sentinels, facilitating the smooth flow of students, staff, and visitors while ensuring safety and accessibility. However, their functionality and reliability can degrade over time, so it is important to perform regular maintenance and inspections, especially when the building is closed. While schools are closed during the summer months is an ideal time to inspect, service and maintain all doors within the facility.

With fewer time constraints and less pressure from the day-to-day operations of the school, maintenance, repairs and inspections can be more thorough. Inspectors can take the necessary time to check all aspects of automatic doors, manual doors and fire doors, including hinges, seals, latches, and door closers.

With a team of AAADM certified technicians for automatic door systems, we stress the significance of these measures in preserving the integrity of school infrastructures and upholding the safety of its occupants.

Maintenance & Inspection of School Facility Doors

First and foremost, regular maintenance and inspections are paramount for ensuring compliance with safety regulations and industry standards. As per the guidelines set forth by the American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers (AAADM), automatic doors should undergo periodic inspections and adjustments to verify their proper operation. By adhering to these standards, facilities managers can mitigate the risk of accidents and liability claims arising from malfunctioning or poorly maintained doors.

Proactive maintenance enhances the longevity of automatic door systems, safeguarding your investment in school infrastructure. Neglected doors are susceptible to wear and tear, which can escalate into costly repairs or premature replacements.

By conducting routine inspections and addressing minor issues promptly, facility managers can prolong the lifespan of automatic doors and minimize the likelihood of disruptive breakdowns during the academic year.

Photo credit: Adobe Stock, generated with AI

Regular Maintenance Promotes Safety, Longevity & Efficiency

In addition to promoting safety and longevity, regular maintenance contributes to energy efficiency and operational optimization within school facilities.

Automatic doors play a crucial role in regulating indoor climate by preventing air leakage and minimizing heat loss or gain. However, malfunctioning components such as sensors or seals can compromise their efficiency, leading to increased energy consumption and operational costs. Through proactive maintenance, facilities managers can identify and address inefficiencies, thus helping create a more positive learning environment.

Fire Door Inspections for School Facilities

Summer months are also the ideal time for conducting annual fire door inspections in school facilities for several reasons:
  • Reduced Occupancy: This makes it easier to conduct thorough inspections without disrupting students, teachers, and staff.
  • Accessibility: With classrooms, hallways, and other areas more accessible, inspectors can perform their work more efficiently. There's less need to navigate around ongoing activities or move people out of the way.
  • Maintenance Scheduling: Fire door inspections can be coordinated with other access door preventative maintenance and repair activities, making it easier to address any issues within the same timeframe.
  • Compliance and Safety: Conducting inspections during the summer ensures that any necessary repairs or replacements can be completed before the start of the new school year. This helps ensure that the school complies with fire safety regulations and that the environment is safe for returning students and staff.
  • Preventive Measures: Identifying and addressing fire door issues during the summer can prevent potential safety hazards. Regular inspections help maintain the integrity of fire doors, ensuring they function correctly in the event of a fire.
Regardless of whether the facility is for education, healthcare, industrial, or a commercial building, it is crucial to make sure your fire doors and fire protection systems are up-to-date and properly working.

By scheduling fire door inspections during the summer, schools can ensure that they are prepared for the new academic year with all safety measures in place, minimizing risk and enhancing the overall safety of the facility.


Facilities Managers Can Prioritize Resources

Scheduled maintenance allows for strategic planning and budget allocation, empowering facilities managers to prioritize resources effectively.

By proactively scheduling inspections and servicing during periods of building closure, such as holidays or summer vacations, facilities managers can minimize disruptions to daily operations while maximizing the effectiveness of maintenance efforts. This proactive approach enables schools to allocate resources, mitigating the risk of unforeseen expenses associated with emergency repairs or replacements.


Long Term Commercial Door Solutions Provider


Establishing a relationship with a reliable door maintenance service provider can offer ongoing support and expertise in not just maintaining automatic doors but can also lead to installing new access points through your school building where automation is necessary. This partnership can lead to tailored solutions and responsive assistance whenever maintenance or repair needs arise, contributing to the overall operational efficiency of the school.

In conclusion, the importance of maintenance and fire door inspections for automatic doors in school buildings cannot be overstated. By adhering to industry standards, prioritizing safety, and adopting a proactive approach to maintenance, facilities managers can uphold the integrity of school infrastructure, ensure the safety of occupants, and optimize operational efficiency.

With a certified team of technicians in automatic door systems, we stand ready to assist, offering expertise and support to safeguard your school's environment for the academic years ahead!

 

Krista Rivers, Marketing Manager, Door Services Corporation
 

Reference: ChatGPT / chatgpt.com was used to help develop this content.

This is an article in the series Summer Maintenance for Automatic Doors in Schools.

In the next article you can read about Signs You Need To Replace An Automatic Door In Your School

 

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  – – – – – – – – – – – – – –


ABOUT DOOR SERVICES CORPORATION

Your expert partner for pedestrian door service and installation, our company was built on quality products and long-term customer partnerships. We are a member of the American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers. Our AAADM certified technicians have over 50 years of product knowledge. We service and repair all doors and windows models of all automatic door manufacturers.

24/7 emergency service is available to meet your after hour needs in our designated coverage areas:
  • Advanced Door Automation services North Carolina and east to the coastal regions
  • Advanced Door Service services Eastern Pennsylvania, Virginia, DC, Baltimore and Northern Georgia
  • Allegheny Door Enterprises services Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia
  • Automatic Door Enterprises services Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and surrounding areas
  • Del-Mar Door Service services Delaware
  • Door Controls services Louisiana
  • Eastern Door Service services greater New Jersey area
  • Texas Access Controls services Dallas, Houston, Austin and Corpus Christi, Texas areas
  • Horton Automatics of Ontario services Ottawa Valley and Southern Ontario, Canada