You Can Do That? Explore How Split Finishes in Commercial Doors Can Benefit Your Project
Are you working on a project that requires a commercial door with different aesthetics or functional requirements for the spaces it separates? For example, the exterior side of an entrance may need to withstand ice and snow, which means salt and potential corrosion, while the interior side should be warm and inviting, like a beautiful (but durable) wood grain.
A split finish is ideal for various commercial settings, including healthcare, offices, retail, hospitality, and more. The good news is that with custom commercial door solutions from Special-Lite, you can mix and match to fit your architectural style and design.
Let’s explore the benefits, considerations, and applications of split finishes. The possibilities are nearly endless whether you’re considering exterior or interior spaces or a combination of the two.
The Benefits of Split Finishes
There are many reasons to choose a split finish for your interior or exterior commercial door projects. They include:
Visual Flexibility: Match different interior and exterior design schemes to create a cohesive design without compromising the aesthetics of an individual space.
Functional Benefits: Use durable materials on the exterior for weather resistance and on the inside, and select finishes suited for high-traffic interior areas. This same philosophy applies to your interior spaces depending on need and location.
Customization Options: Enhance your brand identity using corporate colors or textures and integrate with existing design elements (furniture, walls, etc.).
A Variety of Finish Types: Choose different wood grains, wood stains, and even painted finishes to match or contrast your exterior or interior. In addition to colors and stains, consider textures, custom patterns, and even graphics or branding.
Applications for Different Commercial Settings
Depending on the type of project you are working on—whether new construction or retrofit—here are a few other ways split finishes can help bring your vision to life.
Office interiors: Office aesthetics vs. public-facing areas—executive suites, conference rooms, entryways.
Retail Spaces: Align with your brand identity and tailor your interior finishes to enhance customer experience.
Restaurants/Hospitality: Choose enhanced durability for your Back of House or exterior entrances while maintaining a specific aesthetic to impress your guests in your dining room or Front of House interior. Another option would be easy-to-clean FRP on the inside of a bathroom door and a welcoming wood grain facing public areas.
Healthcare Facilities: Hygiene and maintenance considerations with resilient finishes on the one side and calming tones that enhance overall patient care experience on the other.
Other Considerations for Split Finishes
Split finishes offer an additional opportunity to ensure your space aligns with your practical and aesthetic needs while also considering maintenance needs, ensuring durability, and even weather resistance.
While most Special-Lite custom options are available with split finishes, a few products are not. These include our SLI Interior Aluminum Doors and Monumental Doors (SL-14 and SL-15)—though mid-panels are an exception. Frames and wood doors are also excluded. Some door models, such as painted fiberglass doors, may be available with a painted split finish only, whereas others offer texture and painted split finish options.
On the other hand, there are many options that might not be as well-known. Those include our Double-Acting Traffic Doors, Architectural Panels, Fire-Rated Doors, including our 20-min rating, hurricane or wind/impact-resistant doors, and Bathroom Partitions.
How to Get Started
Now that we’ve explored the many ways split finishes can benefit your project, the next step is to get in touch with a Special-Lite Representative. They can answer any questions you may have and explore how split finishes can be ordered to bring your architectural vision to life.
