Step by Step Guide to Selecting the Right Access Panel/Door

You may have heard of this frequently asked question regarding every construction project, "what is a panel door?" Access doors and panels have helped provide maintenance personnel quick access to essential systems in commercial buildings like HVACs, electrical systems, plumbing, and others for many years. It has also helped people safely reach ceilings, attics, roofs, and basements. With so many access doors available on the market today, choosing the perfect one for your commercial building or a specific project may be difficult.

But with this step-by-step guide, you can find the most suitable access panel for you in no time! Here's what you need to do:


Why do you need an access door?

Before choosing a suitable access door, this is the first thing you should answer. It is essential to acknowledge the purpose of the door itself to avoid installation problems. For example, if you want an access door for ceiling access, you will instantly know which section you will look at, narrowing down your choices. Many access doors are available in the market for different applications with specific functions, such as fire-rated access doors, external access doors, acoustic access doors, and others. You can ask your contractor for advice or research more on different manufacturing companies online.


Choosing the Right Material

It is vital to select the right access panel and material that meet your standards, just like identifying the purpose of your panel access doors and panels. You must consider the wall or floor material in line with the access door. For example, if you need to install an exterior access panel, do not choose. An expert will not recommend an external access panel manufactured from a non-water-resistant material because it can rust, mold or create mildew. There are non-corrosive materials such as aluminum that prevent corrosion and tolerate any possible exterior elements like heavy rain or snow.

In addition, the material of your access door will help you determine whether it is fire-resistant or soundproof, which can significantly benefit your commercial building.


Available Options

The available options will depend on the application and your budget for the product and installation. Here are some of the most popular access doors available:

• General Purpose Access Doors- This is a famous access door for installation in walls and ceilings in interior and exterior locations. General-purpose access doors have optional features such as recessed frames, concealed hinges, and flush installation. These features preserve the elegant designs on surfaces where you install them.
• Fire Rated Access Doors- This access door can help you meet high safety standards in buildings. The fire-rated access door is best for installations where fire safety is a relevant issue. Professionals use this door to safely conceal electrical wiring, HVAC elements, exhaust systems, gas lines, and other flammable materials.
• Security Access Doors- You can choose medium or high security for security doors. Professionals often use this access door in schools, government buildings, banks, prisons, and other secure facilities.
• Roof Hatch- A roof hatch provides convenient entry to commercial buildings' roofs when conducting structure maintenance and for rooftop repairs or installations. It can also be an exit point when removing large equipment in buildings.
• Floor Hatch- A floor hatch installation is ideal when requiring access to building utilities below ground or between floors.

Identifying the Location

You must assess the clearance or space location and purpose of the access panel you want to install. The information will allow you to pick the best that suits your needs.

Knowing the space and the hole size for the access panel in your wall or ceiling is essential to ensure the frame size will fit with enough leeway. You can seek assistance from an access panel specialist who will give you accurate and helpful information on every measurement if you are unsure about the whole process.


Choosing a Trusted Manufacturing Company

Many access door manufacturing companies are out in the market before you press that purchase button. You must ensure that your chosen manufacturing company is proven and tested to provide top-quality products at reasonable prices. You can ask your contractor for advice or search the web on some access doors manufacturing companies and read their customer reviews.

With these steps, you'll indeed make the decision in no time! But if you still don't, you can always ask the experts for assistance. You can find more quality access doors with Access Doors and Panels! You'll always find an access door for any application with various options. Stocks are always available! Contact us now at (800) 609-2917 for more details.