Questions and answers
What information helps diagnose a closing problem?
Provide a wide photograph of the entrance, views of the hinge and latch sides and any visible hardware labels. Describe where the movement changes and whether the door can still be locked. Include previous adjustments or replacement parts if known. Photographs help prepare the conversation, but final diagnosis and measurements may require an on-site assessment.
Why does my commercial door scrape the frame?
Scraping describes the symptom, not the failed component. The position of the leaf can change when hinges or pivots wear, fixings move or the surrounding frame distorts. Tell us where contact occurs and whether it happens throughout the swing. Inspecting those relationships helps determine whether adjustment, hardware replacement or a wider repair is appropriate.
Can a door closer be repaired without replacing the door?
A closer and a door are separate components, so a closer problem does not automatically require a new door. The assessment should also check that the leaf moves freely and that its attachments are sound. Share any visible model information and describe slamming, drifting or stopping short rather than requesting a particular replacement in advance.
Why does the latch miss the strike?
The latch and its receiving plate need to meet correctly when the door reaches its closed position. Loose hinges, door movement or a displaced strike may change that relationship. A lock replacement alone may leave the underlying alignment issue unresolved. Explain whether the problem occurs every time and whether anyone has recently adjusted the hardware.
What should a hollow metal replacement quote include?
Ask for the leaf, frame treatment, hardware preparation, finish and installation responsibilities to be described. Any retained components, removal work and adjacent repairs should also be clear. Where existing specifications or labels apply, provide them before ordering. Comparing those details helps distinguish a complete replacement proposal from a price for the door leaf alone.
What should be checked after the repair?
Normal swing, clearances, closing and latching should be reviewed alongside the agreed work. Ask for any remaining frame, threshold or finish issue to be identified rather than assumed resolved. Record the entrance identifier and components changed. That information makes future maintenance enquiries more useful and helps the building contact understand what was actually completed.
Can a hollow metal door be repaired?
A repair may be appropriate when the leaf and frame remain sound and the problem comes from alignment or compatible hardware. Corrosion, impact damage and weakened attachment points can change that decision. Share photographs of the full opening and any visible labels. The assessment should establish which parts can be retained before a replacement is selected.
What if the exact cause is not yet clear?
Describe what you observe during normal use: where the door catches, whether it latches and what has changed. Separate those observations from possible causes suggested by others. TBC can discuss the appropriate assessment without requiring you to name a failed part. A clear description often provides more useful starting information than an unconfirmed diagnosis.
What should I ask for in the written scope?
Look for the identified opening, proposed work, new and retained components, assumptions and exclusions. Ask how associated damage or unexpected findings will be handled before additional work proceeds. For a replacement, confirm that measurements and specifications are finalized. Keeping those decisions in writing helps the property contact review the completed work against what was actually agreed.
What if a previous lock change only helped briefly?
Tell us when the improvement ended and whether the door still rubs. That history may help separate the locking symptom from movement in the surrounding opening; it does not establish the cause without assessment.
