Retrofitting Elegance: Concealed Closers in Heritage and Listed Buildings
In this article:
Concealed door closer applications
Limitations of overhead door closers in heritage buildings
The Powermatic R100 and R108 concealed door closers from Samuel Heath
Design specifications for heritage retrofit projects must hold true to the character and aesthetic of the building’s original period. When a heritage or listed site is repurposed as a multi-occupant or public building, balancing that authenticity with the practical, daily needs of users can be challenging.
Architects and interior designers of buildings such as care homes, education facilities, hotels, commercial spaces or mental health facilities have a range of user needs to consider when specifying layouts, products and materials.
Automatic door closers are commonplace in large healthcare and multi-occupant residential buildings for fire safety and security. Concealed automatic door closers, located out of sight between the door and door frame, are increasingly preferred by specifiers to clunky overhead, surface-mounted door closers, for buildings of all ages. This is because they offer important benefits:
- Overhead door closers present a ligature risk, which is a particular concern in healthcare and mental health settings
- Overhead door closers are often deliberately damaged by occupants who don’t want their door to automatically close or who simply want to engage in vandalism. This usually results in the replacement of the entire door
- Concealed door closers are more hygienic than overhead door closers because they don’t have a platform that holds detritus and potentially harmful bacteria
- Overhead door closers are associated with institutional settings. To create a comfortable environment in multi-occupant buildings, which is known to enhance wellbeing, architects and designers strive to remove as many institutional elements as possible.
These benefits and, more particularly, the way in which concealed door closers preserve period aesthetics, influence the specifications of architects and designers for heritage and listed buildings.
Why concealed door closers are ideal for preserving period aesthetics in heritage and listed buildings
The design of heritage and listed building retrofits must be authentic to the aesthetics of the original period, with meticulously planned installation processes that protect the building.
However, heritage and listed buildings were not designed for the integration of modern fire and safety products and systems. Likewise, the unique layouts and design elements of historical sites are not always compatible with modern adaptations.
Overhead door closers compromise the aesthetic of a heritage building and need sufficient support and space for installation, while concealed door closers are unobtrusive and don’t rely on the building’s structure, beyond the doorframe, to be effective.
Limitations of overhead door closers in heritage buildings
Many heritage and listed buildings have floors and walls that aren’t level or straight, walls made of lime plaster and shaped doorways. Concealed door closers are more compatible with these features than overhead door closers because they are installed inside the door and door frame, so don’t rely on contemporary build design:
- Overhead door closers cannot be fitted to arched doorways which are found in many listed buildings
- Retrofitting floor springs, which are typically paired with overhead door closers to control the movement of the door, can require significant reworking to the floor which can cause damage and is not permitted on most heritage sites
The Powermatic R100 and R108 concealed door closers from Samuel Heath
Samuel Heath has been a leading name in concealed door closer technology for over fifty years.
The Powermatic R100 is Samuel Heath’s flagship product. Installed in countries across the world, the Powermatic R100 is a high performance concealed door closer that is the go-to choice for architects and designers when retrofitting heritage and listed buildings. It is the only jamb-mounted door closer that is Certifire approved, which means it has undergone rigorous, independent fire safety testing. A full specification can be downloaded here.
The Powermatic Axis R108 is for use with concealed hinges. It was designed by Samuel Heath to operate with the Simonswerk Tectus concealed hinge system’s central pivot axis. A Powermatic R108 brochure can be downloaded here.
For concealed door closers for your heritage or listed building retrofit project speak to Samuel Heath
Contact our team of experts in concealed door closers for heritage buildings by calling 0121 766 4200, or email us at doorclosers@samuel-heath.com.
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