Are you looking for unique door ideas for your home or office? Consider a pivot door, which has hinges offset from the door frame. These doors create a unique aesthetic that a regular door cannot duplicate. Here’s what you need to know about pivot doors before adding one to your space:
What is a pivot door, and how does it differ from a regular door?
Regular doors swing open on hinges connected to the door frame. The openings of traditional doors tend to range between 32 and 48 inches. Opening sizes above 48 inches are typically turned into double doors, which range in size from 30 to 72 inches per door.
On the other hand, pivot doors contain hinges along the top and bottom of the door that are offset from the sides of the door frame. The minimum recommended width for a pivot door is 48 inches. Since pass-throughs should be at least 36 inches, a 48-inch frame provides 12 inches of gap on the inactive side.
What are active and inactive sides on a pivot door?
Pivot doors have two areas called active and inactive. The active side is where people walk through the door. The inactive side is typically smaller and allows people to view beyond the door but not walk through on that side.
What are the benefits of pivot doors?
The primary benefit of installing pivot doors is their aesthetic. Visually, they make a statement when they're both open and closed. When they’re open, the door provides a peek-a-boo experience on the inactive side. The doors are also larger than standard doors, which can give a luxurious look and feel.
Installing a pivot door as your front door can give you a wider opening without needing a second door. If you have a bunch of bags in your hands or need to move furniture or appliances into or out of your home, you won’t have to worry about repeatedly banging the objects or your body against the frame.
Opening and closing the doors makes a distinct set of sounds slightly different from regular hinged doors, which adds to the user’s experience. Locking and unlocking the door with a series of bolts creates solid-sounding clicks.
What are the drawbacks of pivot doors?
Pivot doors make better interior doors than they do exterior doors. They are typically recommended for home offices and master bedroom doors or rooms within your home where you want to make a statement. This is because pivot doors tend to have a 2mm gap in the corners even when they’re weatherproofed. For this reason, pivot doors should be installed on exterior walls with an overhang or awning preventing rain from reaching the door.
However, Reynaers' MasterLine 8 XL Pivot Door has been tested to NAFS standards to withstand water infiltration, making it a perfect exterior pivot door.
What materials can pivot doors be made of?
Pivot doors can be made of various materials, but aluminum and glass offer a truly luxurious experience. In fact, for homeowners looking to bring the outdoors in and create closed spaces that still feel open, glass pivot doors with an aluminum frame are the answer. Pivot doors made with aluminum frames have a greater strength-to-weight ratio, meaning they're lighter than other metals while providing excellent durability and longevity.
Aluminum is also one of the most recycled materials available. Nearly 75% of the mined aluminum is still being used today, which means the vast majority of it is being recycled and not dumped into landfills.
The reason that aluminum is incredibly recyclable and durable is that it’s resistant to corrosion. It does not rust or deteriorate when exposed to the elements, which makes it a great choice when you want to use building materials that require little maintenance and last decades.
Reynaers Aluminum provides many door opening styles, including pivot doors, allowing you to fully express yourself with a door that shows off your design taste. Our MasterLine 8 pivot doors are designed with comfort and versatility in mind. These unique doors are also available with a passive housing certificate.
