How Far Open Does A Door Closer Work?

One of the most asked questions by contractors or building owners is how far open does a door closer work? Surface door closers are designed to swing open from 0 degrees up to 180 degrees. But it really depends on the location of the door. If the door is located next to a wall, then it may only be feasible to open the door up to 90 or 100 degrees. On the other hand if there are no walls or barriers around the door way, a standard door closer can swing open up to 180 degrees. In this article we explain in detail how far open each type of door closer can swing open and what factors limit the door closer from reaching its full open potential.

Standard Mount Door Closer

Standard mount door closers are the most popular type of door closers. The door closer body mounts to the pull side of the door and the arm shoe mounts to the door frame. As illustrated below, a standard mount door closer can swing open up to 180 degrees.

Top Jamb Mount Door Closer

Top jamb door closers can also swing open from 0 degrees up to 180 degrees. The door closer body mounts to the top of the door frame while the arm shoe mounts to the push side of the door.

Parallel Mount Door Closer

Parallel mount door closer installations can open from 0 degrees up to 180 degrees. The door closer body mounts to the push side of the door and the arm with bracket mounts to the underside of the door frame head.

Specialty Arms

The degree of opening is very dependent on the arm type used on the door closer. If the regular arm is used and mounted either standard, top jamb, o parallel, then the door closer can swing open up to 180 degrees. However, if a hold open arm or some other type of specialty arm is used the degree of opening can be reduced greatly. It is not uncommon that a hold open door closer degree of full open is limited to 120 degrees.

Hinge Type

The door hinges can greatly affect how far the door closer can swing open. For example, if the door's hinges only allow the door to open approximately 95 degrees, then the door closer will only be able to swing open to 95 degrees. Wide throw door hinges often allow the door to swing open to 180 degrees, while swing clear hinges can open the door up to 90-95 degrees.

Pivot Type

If the door uses a pivot system instead of a hinge system, then the swing open of the door closer will be limited to how far open the pivot door can swing. Storefront aluminum door pivots can swing open up to 180 degrees as well as most architectural 3/4" offset pivot sets.

Wall Locations

The door location in relation to the building's surrounding walls can limit the swing of the door closer. If a door is located 2" away from a wall that sits 90 degrees to the door, then the door closer will only be able to swing open a little past 90 degrees.

Other Obstructions

Some buildings have permanent structures that limit the door to only swing open to 90 degrees. Some of these permanent structures can include:

• Flower Beds
• Concrete Trash Cans
• Building Signs and Posts
• Bicycle Racks
• Mail Box

Conclusion

All surface mount door closers that use the regular arm have the ability to swing open from 0 to 180 degrees. However, factors like arm type, nearby wall location, and permanent structures can limit the door closer from swinging open to 180 degrees. If you are in need of a commercial door closer that can swing up to 180 degrees, we recommend Liberty Door Closers. All Liberty door closers are of the highest quality and grade 1. All Liberty door closers ship FAST and FREE!


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