Floor Springs – For When You Need Closure

There are so many options available when it comes to choosing door closers that it can leave you feeling, well, completely floored! So, with all this choice, why would you decide to use floor springs instead of a standard door closer? They are after all, a little more expensive, and they require a little more expertise on installation.

They are, of course, also very worth it!

Benefits Of Floor Springs

Floor springs are the perfect choice for glass doors as they are virtually invisible unless you really take a close look. They blend seamlessly into the floor without disfiguring the look of its surface and provide a clean and attractive finish that doesn’t ruin the line of the door or detract from its design. Of course, they can also be used on wooden, stainless steel and aluminium doors too, and are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

Because of their extremely shallow installation height, floor springs are perfect for any kind of floor, and their cover plates can be made in a variety of styles to blend with existing door furniture. Choose from stainless steel, bronze, antique brass, or pick your own bespoke style in anything from modern to vintage.

Floor springs are also incredibly versatile and can be used on both single and double-action doors. They are pretty much the only choice when it comes to oversized doors, as conventional closers can’t cope with the sheer weight of floor-to-ceiling doors. Heavy doors can be dangerous in areas prone to high winds, so having floor springs in place controls the opening and closing of the door. This helps to prevent slamming and possible injury.

You can set floor springs to close at the speed and the force that you choose, but they can also be supplied with an electromagnetic hold-open function. This makes them particularly useful for high traffic areas. You can link the springs to your fire alarm, meaning they will automatically close the door in the event of a fire. This is just one of the reasons why they’re such popular choices for smoke protection and fire doors.

Choosing The Right Floor Springs

Because there is such a wide choice when it comes to floor springs, it’s important to take a few factors into consideration before buying a unit.

• Door width and height – as we’ve already mentioned, floor springs are ideal for glass doors but are the perfect choice for any heavy or oversized (floor to ceiling) doors.
• Door location – Floor springs are great for those internal doors, such as those found in hospitals and commercial kitchens, that need to swing both ways. Certain external doors need to close automatically or be held open, depending on the situation. So pick the right floor spring for this purpose. Emergency fire doors need to be kept closed in the event of a fire, so make sure you choose the correct non-hold open floor spring units.
• Traffic volume – In locations where traffic is medium or heavy, overhead door closers are typically used as they are extremely durable. They are available in options for exterior and interior doors and are actually amongst the most common door closers available today. Floor springs work nicely for very heavy traffic doors as they are much more durable than overhead closers.

The Technical Stuff – How Floor Springs Actually Work

Floor springs operate using what we call a CAM action mechanism. When the door is opened, regardless of in which direction, the bottom arm, which is fixed to the door, rotates the CAM spindle. This, in turn, rotates the CAM itself. The CAM is connected to the piston and, when it’s rotated, pulls the piston head. When this happens, the compression springs and oil become compressed. A compressed spring stores energy. In this condition, the oil flows to the other side of the piston head.

If the door is opened to an angle of 90°, the CAM engages the arrester pin, which then keeps the door open until it is disengaged by applying force to the door. If the door isn’t opened to a 90° angle, the compressed spring pushes the piston head which then closes the door.

Simple, right?!

If you’d like any help or advice choosing the right floor springs for your doors, chat to the experts. At GHI Architectural Solutions, we have a wide range of door hardware to meet all your requirements. We also have a team of knowledgeable consultants standing by to help and answer any questions you might have. Why not chat to us today?