What Goes Wrong With Storefront Doors?
Storefront doors wear long before the framing around them. The leaf takes every push, slam and gust of wind. Pivots wear and the door sags until it drags on the threshold. Narrow stiles crack at the corners from years of exit device or deadlock use. Glass gets scratched, chipped or broken. Then a quick repair gets tried, it buys a few months, and the door is back to dragging.
Replacing the whole storefront to fix one door is expensive and disruptive. Replacing only the leaf, fabricated to the existing frame, is usually the smarter move.
What Is Included in Storefront Door Replacement?
A new full-lite aluminum door leaf, from a Toronto commercial door installation crew, made to fit your existing storefront frame, hung on new or existing pivots or hinges, with hardware transferred or upgraded and the threshold and sweep renewed where needed.
The written CAD spec lists:
- Leaf size, stile width and profile compatibility with the existing framing
- Hinging: offset pivots or butt hinge prep, new or reused
- Glass: tempered safety glass or laminated, to CAN/CGSB-12.1
- Hardware: Adams Rite deadlock, pulls, push bar or exit device, closer
- Threshold and door sweep
- Finish: clear or dark bronze anodized
Technician confirms specs and price at your free on-site measure.
Types of Storefront Door Swaps
Single leaf swaps
The most common job: one worn leaf replaced on a cafe, salon or retail frontage.
Pair swaps
Both leaves of a double entrance, usually with an astragal or removable mullion.
Upgrade swaps
Narrow stile to medium stile so a push bar or electric strike can be added properly.
How Much Does Storefront Door Replacement Cost?
| Scope | Typical range | Main cost drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Single narrow stile leaf, hardware transferred | $3,500-$5,000 | Size, glass, finish |
| Single medium stile leaf with new exit device | $4,500-$6,500 | Device, closer |
| Pair of leaves with new hardware | $6,500-$9,500 | Hardware set, astragal, glass |
When Should You Replace the Storefront Door?
- The leaf drags or sags even after pivot adjustment
- Stile corners are cracked or separated
- Hardware is failing because the stile is too narrow for it
- Glass is damaged or does not meet safety glazing rules
- You want a push bar, electric strike or operator the current leaf cannot take
Leaf Swap vs Full Storefront Replacement
If the framing is sound, a leaf swap costs a fraction of a new storefront and is done in a morning. If the framing leaks, has failed seals across several lites or is non-thermal on heated space, a new storefront system may be the better long-term spend.
Codes and Standards
New leaves use safety glazing to CAN/CGSB-12.1, keep OBC exit hardware where the door is an exit, and keep clear widths and opening force within AODA requirements on public entrances.