Over time, commercial doors can take quite a beating. Employees and customers can sometimes be careless when they walk into the building, kicking the bottom of the door in the process. Delivery workers often need to push open doors while their hands are full, especially if they're pulling products with a hand truck.

The bottom edges of commercial doors take a pounding from feet, hand trucks, dollies and more. The damage sustained at the bottom of the doors is typically much worse than it is on the rest of the door. Unfortunately, if a commercial door has significant dents or holes at the bottom, you may need to replace the entire door. 

Luckily, there's a way to prevent your doors from suffering this damage and extend their life in the meantime:  Installing kick plates. 

What are Kick Plates?

A kick plate is a strip of metal installed at the bottom of commercial doors to help protect the door from typical damage. The plate is generally made with stainless steel, although it can be aluminum instead. There are even kick plates made of vinyl or plastic that can blend in with the door's color.

The kick plate will cover the entire width of the door and stretch up about 10 to 16 inches from the bottom on average. This will help to prevent damage from feet, hand trucks, and other items that typically make contact with the bottom of the door.

A kick plate should always be installed on the "push side" of the door, as that is the side where people will literally kick the door to open it. On the "pull side," people aren't typically making contact with the bottom of the door. People often kick the "push" side bottom with their heel to hold the door open when pulling.

How Can Kick Plates Help?

Commercial doors have to absorb a lot of pressure day in and day out. Commercial doors can last for years if you take care of them properly. 

Of course, the challenge is that the way that people handle the door is entirely out of your control. Whether a small retail store or a large office building, people use commercial doors continuously throughout the day.

When people are going into your building, they aren't going to be concerned about the health of your doors, either. They are only going to be worried about entering in the easiest way possible.

Your employees may have many things in their hands and need to kick open the door to enter. Delivery drivers may have a stack of packages and need to push open the door with a hand truck. 

It's almost a guarantee that these people won't care much about the health of your door as you might. They're only going to be concerned about getting into the building without dropping everything they're carrying.

Kick plates will prevent the door from sustaining unnecessary damage. The stainless steel, aluminum, plastic, or vinyl material installed at the bottom of the door will absorb the contact.

The kick plate protects the door from dings, dents, and holes. If the kick plate on a commercial door becomes too damaged, simply replace it with a new one.

Installing a kick plate will extend the life of your commercial door. It serves as the armor for your door, absorbing all the contact and damage that are bound to happen. Kick plates keep doors looking good, functioning well, and significantly reduce costs. Rather than replacing the door often, replace the kick plate to maintain door functionality.

Customized Kick Plates for Your Business

CDF Distributors is the #1 online commercial door supplier. We offer diverse commercial doors and custom kick plates to enhance door durability and lifespan. Contact our team today!

February 15, 2021
Wayne Foreman