Can A Door Closer Be Used On An Exterior Door?

Selecting the right door closer for the type of door you have is the biggest consideration you will face when buying a door closer. There are lots of different factors to think about, such as the size of the door, the amount of traffic going through the door and the type of environment the door is located in. And location is a key factor. The location of a door is critical in the type of door closer you need and how it should be mounted and adjusted, but one common question people ask is can a door closer be used on an exterior door?

In short, the answer is yes. But there are a number of additional considerations you have to make when choosing and installing a door closer for an external door.

The characteristics of an exterior door

Of course we know that internal doors are used as an entrance to individual rooms and in a commercial building are used to link corridors and to provide a boundary for and an entrance to individual departments. Exterior doors are entrance and exit doors which lead to outside areas, which could be into a public road or space or into an interior compound within your commercial facility, and while you also have fire exits which are obviously exterior doors, not all exterior doors need to be fire-rated doors.

Perhaps the most important characteristic of an exterior door is that you need to be able to guarantee that they shut, and not only that, that they shut 100% of the time. Exterior doors are a critical security factor in a commercial building so you need to make sure you have a reliable system to completely shut them so that security features – such as automatic locks and access control systems – are engaged. This is where door closers come into the equation and hence why, yes, door closers can be used on an exterior door.

Considerations when choosing a door closer for an exterior door

When choosing a door closer for an exterior door, it is not simply a case of applying the same logic as you would for an internal door. There are different things to think about:

• Inward or outward opening – a lot of external doors open outwards, so this will influence what type of door closer you can install.
• Temperature control – because an exterior door is obviously your last defence against the outside elements, a backcheck feature is more likely to be important. This means you can adjust the speed of the door closing to maintain good temperature control inside the building.
• Wind – Is the door in particular windy area, will the closer have enough closing force to close the door. If the closer spring strength is too high, will a user be able to operate the door with ease?
• Security – again, an external door is an important final defence against intruders and unauthorised personnel. So a door closer can be set to close quickly and minimise any risk, even if you have an access control system in place.
• Mounting – where should the door closer be mounted? Can a door closer be mounted inside or outside the exterior door? The answer is you can do both, but again, there are things to think about.

Can a door closer be installed outside for an exterior door?

Yes, you can install a door closer outside, but it is not recommended, and where you can install it inside the building, ie. there is wall space, this would be advisable. Push-side mounting is advisable for outward-opening doors, so that the door closer is mounted inside the building. This is because of a number of factors:

• Weather – a door closer mounted outside is subject to extreme weather conditions. Snow and rain can damage the door closer and affect its long term performance. The rack and pinion design has a pivot arm in which bearings can seize up with rust, and valves may also be affected by extremes in weather.
• Vandalism – a door closer on an external door is exposed to vandalism. This could lead to damage which would hinder the performance, and in some cases this may not be detectable at first. So you could be using the door for a period of time and be in contravention of fire safety and general safety regulations, while your security could also be compromised which would invalidate insurance policies while obviously also putting people, materials and equipment at risk.

Many people prefer to install door closers outside on an external door for purely aesthetic reasons. This way the door closer box and arm are not visible inside and the view down a corridor or towards an entrance area, for example, looks more clean and uncluttered. However, the safety and security of people and the business must take priority, and therefore it is recommended that door closers for exterior doors are always mounted inside the building.