Facilities in the public sector present real challenges in design, operations, and maintenance. These buildings must comply with rigid codes that often go above and beyond those in the private sector. They must provide for the safety and security of occupants and visitors. They must set the example in terms of energy performance, sustainability practices, and green building certifications. And, where appropriate, they must preserve their historical integrity.
In an era of tight O&M budgets, the proper upfront selection of building products, including interior and exterior doors, becomes essential.
CHOOSING YOUR ENTRANCE SYSTEM
In your world, an exterior door is seldom just a door. You need an entrance system that compliments the new design or seamlessly blends with your existing facility. Every entrance system built by Special-Lite is custom engineered to your criteria. This approach gives you access to choices in materials, finishes, hardware, and glazing. Choose transoms, side lites, single or pairs of doors, thresholds—whatever you need to establish the experience you desire for those entering your facility.
Of course, the door itself often sets the tone.
Choosing Doors
Entrances in private sector facilities often have a classic look provided by monumental-style doors and aluminum flush doors.
The aluminum construction of these doors and frames offers lightweight strength. Versatile glazing options and a variety of available, anodized or painted finishes make these doors an easy choice.
Did You Know?
For exterior and interior versatility, nothing beats our FRP/Aluminum hybrid doors.
Like our aluminum doors, they’re built for high-traffic and longevity.
Let’s examine the relevant characteristics of Special-Lite doors.
Safety & Security
We designed our first doors for the toughest of all public sector facilities: schools. Here, doors can be subjected to high levels of abuse. These tough doors should also provide you the peace of mind that they will contribute to your security measures. The safety of your building occupants is enhanced with Special-Lite doors.
Longevity
In addition to use and abuse, doors, especially exterior doors, are subject to the elements. Where corrosion and deterioration plague hollow metal doors and frames, Special-Lite aluminum and hybrid are rust and corrosion-resistant. In addition, our doors are heavy-duty but lightweight. As such, they put far less stress on frames and hardware. Maintenance and repair are simply not applicable to these set & forget products. So, you can use your O&M budget for other things!
Energy Efficiency
Virtually every door can offer an acceptable R factor value (insulation effect). But we go a step further with U factors (measuring heat gain or loss) that exceed the requirements set forth by ASHRAE for energy efficiency. In addition, we have aluminum framing components with thermally broken design to mitigate any temperature difference (inside vs outside) that could lead to condensation or energy loss. Thus, even with large sidelites and extensive glazing, your views will be clear and your thermal energy preserved.
Beauty
With so many styles and choices of finishes, we can build to meet your custom design, enhancing the visual appeal of your facility. Yes, even the doors can contribute to the visual appeal, and therefore, the friendly and productive environment you create within. And, again, with a custom approach to design, your entrance systems and interior doors can help preserve the historical look you want to maintain while adding a touch of modernity.
Find a Rep
We go to market through independent manufacturers representatives. Product distributors and contractors, if you wish to purchase our products, this is your starting point.
