Hinge Options For Commercial Application

72chevy4x4

I'm looking at swapping out some old solid birch doors w/ standard looking 4" hinges (three). was looking at options for a continuous hinge, but the price is out of the question (over $200). Has anyone installed 4 hinges as an option to increase the likelyhood it will hold up to abuse? The current casing is integral to a 20'high x 8'w panel of glass for a commercial entrance (13 of these to do). Any tricks I'm missing?

billy d

Four hinges is not the norm in the UK but on heavy doors three is norm.
Working on a hospital with heavy doors I think they came up with a good idea
in stead of fitting the 3rd hinge in the middle it was moved up till it was 10" below the top hinge.The idea being that this is where all the weight is any way, I never got the opportunity to go back and check them out but working on a super market fitting bullet proof doors.I spoke to the PM about the idea and he gave it the OK.These doors where heavy and I mean heavy,I went back a few years later and they where still looking good.
I could not see if any one had maintained them but they looked good to me.
If your still set on 4 hinges may be use this idea in there but the door could look a bit crowded with hinges.billy

WyattCM

Hiya 72chevy4x4
You haven't given us enough information about the assembly to answer your question.

What size doors?
Jamb material?
Single/ double?

My opinion is you need to contact a commercial door company or commercial hardware company in your area to discuss the options.
i.e. if 3068 single solid core door on steel jambs, 3 ea 4x4 HD ball-bearing hinges will support more load over a greater length of time than standard duty 4x4 plain hinges will.

4 hinges would carry more load too.
But depending on the above questions, may not be efficiently 'do-able'

RED HORSE 554

We do both the 4 hinge set and the continuous on the schools we care for. I have found that the hinge used matters not they both hold up if the ball bearing type is used on both the backing plates give up first as well as the joints and the fastners all is shaken lose causing sag in the doors and needed maintenance. We have found to go with a thicker guage in the door jamb has given us more than any other thing we have changed out.This thickens the backing plates and gives the door with the 4 hinge set a longer time in service before needed maintenance. I use 16guage jam and 18 guage doors with the four hinge set i think it hold up far longer than the continuous hinge. the continuous type work great if it is a alum. store front system but like i have said the constant shaking causes it to losen up and sag can happen. Use the blue lock tight to fast set the screws into the alum. this will give you a bit more reps in the doors before adjustments are needed. mesage me we will talk i have 2 million sq ft of school buildings i care for i have part numbers.

72chevy4x4

you're right, I didn't give a lot of info...3068 doors in a 4" wall, wood frame. The existing frame is solid, but the existing hinges have been screwed and rescrewed and some have broken portions of the jamb. My idea was to save the existing jamb (repair as necessary-19 units to go through) and reposition the hinges to have good wood to attach to AND to lessen the likelihood a tenant will drop kick their way through the door off the hinge-thinking the additional hinge will mean four additional screws holding the door in the jamb.

The continuous hinges I've located were more than $200 each. I would call this a severe duty housing complex...think HUD rated materials...

RED HORSE 554

4x4 all wood door and jambs sorry i thought we was talking store fronts steel and alum tighten up the jambs and doors using wood fillers carpenters glues construction bondo sand to finish and in the screw holes place a dowel glued in and let dry then a vic`s bit to center the new screws in the jamb and the door with the hinge in the placement insure both edges have the cutback it needs to stop hinge bind and strike drag use a door plane to get the door edge angle the 3 ball bering hinges as the other tec has stated is more than enough to carry the load of a soild wood staved door or a solid wood core door.You can see if the hinges are worn by the gap between the nonbering surfaces will open if pulled and can even click if badly worn if you see this replace the hinges.the pin as well is worn and allowing the door to fall to the strick side just a bit we have over 2000 door like this and they need worked on all the time the best i can get on a high use door like a school class room door is 10 years if it is used as it should be new screws new hinges bondo dowels and carpenter glues trick if a jamb is slit drill a small hole in places use a counter sink to allow the head to be below the surface add carpenters glue to the split and tighten untill tight not to tight it will split the jamb once dry sand and fill with bondo and the dowels in the old screw holes both doors and jamb glue let dry and cut to surface vic`s bit is a centering tool that proovides the needed hole to place the hinge screws with out splitting the jamb or the door.19 door les than a 100 bucks thier you go my friend

72chevy4x4

great tips RED-I appreciate them! I learned some time back to predrill my screw holes...to many splits. what are your thoughts on use of polyurethane glue versus carpenters glue (in terms of strength)?

HOOT

check out hagar or markar. They have a product that attaches to the top of the frame on the exposed hinge side. Then you attach the other part to the door and it has a pivot point that keeps the door from sagging!, now the key is you have to know the length of your hinge (not the height!what is the length of the hinge when its open?) cuz this products pivot point has to line up with the pivot points of the doors hinges. I just installed one on a 4070 metal door w/ vision lite. SERIOUSLY guys for commercial or industrial installation this thing is amazing, it runs about 50 bux or so but it is worth it !!!! anyways heres a link

AAAAWW they wont let me post a link, so goto hagar hinge dot com and goto products > architectural hinge > pivots, then its the ones at the top 251 to 254 depending on the length (not height)
Goodluck!!!

rservices

surface mounted pivot hinge Grainger around 20.00

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg...x=0&submit.y=0

RED HORSE 554

I like the carpenters glue for general maintenance. and i thought that most of our carpenters today was a type of acrylic or poly.Acryl 60 is good for mixing in paints stucco texcoatings moter used to spray on textures.but i am a big fan of the yellow carpenters glue for most things.