If you are a business owner, operator, or even just a Landlord – then you are probably being put off updating your entry way systems because of the preconceived (and imagined) mammoth expense. It doesn’t have to be that way, and, actually, when you factor in all the costs and remember the new business it is likely to bring – it doesn’t add up to all that much after all.

When considering which doors are right for you; try to consider all of the purposes of the doorway in question. Is it for foot traffic? Does it need to be extra wide to accommodate for deliveries? Does it need to comply with health and safety standards and laws to allow disabled access… all of these things must be fully examined before your new doors can even be planned. At the moment, Sliding and Swing automatic doors are an increasingly popular choice among businesses that want to project a suave, sophisticated air; and are also an excellent choice in terms of security, since the control panel can be remotely accessed and cameras can be installed.

The Entrance is the beckoning bosom of your store, it is the inviting area into which you are folded away from real life and separated into something else. Stepping into your space should be memorable; customers should want to shop there and, in the best cases, will want to bring their friends there, simply to show them how good it is. This is the effect your new doorway should have. It should be welcoming and yet professional, career orientated and yet people centric…

Getting the balance right can be tricky, and that is why you really ought to consult with a professional company who will be able to examine your situation specifically and give you plenty of options to choose from. Your new doors don’t need to be sliding or swing – they just need to be clean, friendly and add character to your shop front wherever possible. Not a lot of business leaders consider this; but a uniquely designed entrance will leave an imprint on your customers minds that will make them return time and again. Make it interesting enough and they will talk about your shop – and we all know that leads to free publicity.

The Price of consulting your contractor will be the first cost you come across; but a lot of contractor’s will offer a free consultation with the aim of getting your business in the end. Don’t feel obliged to go with the person who gave you a free evaluation and shop around for the best price. Remember that, as with all trades, the cheapest price does not necessarily mean the best quality. Be wary of this when buying and try to read customer reviews on any company that you do hire.

In Ontario, the Installation price of a basic self-closing door works  out at roughly $56 per hour. This will factor into account your materials, new door, any modifications that need to be made to your doorway, parts, labour and sourcing. It is assumed that after your doorway has been installed you will need to spend extra on a yearly or biannually basis, simply to cover the cost of maintenance. According to Homewise.com, the average costs for having an automatic doorway closing system installed run close to $500 – which is about a quarter of the price of what you expected, right?

Automatic doors themselves are typically made from steel, galvanised metals, glass or wooden or steel framed glass. It is thought that the life expectancy of a retail trade door is directly related to how pretty it is… meaning that the more attractive your doorway the less likely it is to last for very long. Companies tend to recommend that you replace your doors something like every 5-10 years – but these are the same people who sell the doors and who supply the fittings – so be wary of listening too closely to their advice!

Doors are usually made of Safety Glass for obvious reasons, and will shatter into tiny pieces of non-sharp glass should they be broken. There are also several rules, permits and procedures that need to be followed or obeyed when it comes to installation – and this is another reason for you to choose a reputable installation company… A knowledgable project manager will know exactly what you need to have in place to install your doorway legally… all you have to do is ask.

And that brings us to the final cost in operating your new automatic doors – the price of maintenance! Ordinarily a control unit for a set of double automatic swing or sliding doors in a commercial setting will have a shelf life of around 5-10 years; more if they are not in constant operation. Again, prices will vary according to usage. Delivery doors might need replaced more often than foot traffic entrances purely because of the weight of items that pass through on a daily basis.

Once your control unit starts to experience problems you should return to your contractor and ensure that a replacement is fitted quickly… Doors are not the kind of thing that you can leave off overnight! Often with modern door systems, once the Control Unit itself has been replaced you might find there is nothing wrong with the door mechanism itself – although you should pay the extra service fee and have them checked once a year or so, just to be safe.

GreenSpec can also give you a good insight into cost v’s value when it comes to automatic doors. You can view the article here at your leisure. For an automatic swinging double-door set, they have the cost at $8,000 – but state that the improvement will add more than 25K to your properties value and therefore to your businesses worth – should you own the property. It seems that doorway remodelling might have more value attached to it than first thought!

To avoid costs for maintenance mounting up, there are few things that you can do yourself. Make sure you keep the sensor clean and have it placed in an area that it is unlikely to receive damage. Always close up every night and, wherever possible, use a shutter to ensure nobody tries to force their way inside. You can keep the glass on your doors clean by yourself, and that will save you some cost when it comes to cleaning fees… other than that, if something goes wrong call out your contractor immediately. Don’t take any chances when it comes to doorway health!

Some final thoughts then. Automatic doors will pay for themselves over time even if you consider the cost of maintenance, installation and fees – and then double it! If your competitors have automatic doors and you don’t then you are losing business to them – ad you might not even know it.

Automatic doors give a smooth, professional edge that saves energy and provides uniformity to your stores, allowing the route to success to be clearer to you and your business. Once you have been in receipt of them for longer than a year they will already have paid for themselves in terms of the visitors they will bring through your door, brand awareness and general profit you will save from having any complaints about how out-of-date, heavy and irritating your old door is!

Research what products you do and don’t want, and don’t let anyone talk you into something that you do not want or need. Like any negotiation, finding your perfect entry system will take time and consideration, and it is not something that you should rush into without at least a little idea of what you are facing. There is a huge plethora of available entry systems out there – so make sure you choose the one that works for you!