A recent customer from Waterson raised a common challenge with self-closing hinges for outward-opening doors. He mentioned the issue is his door does not fully latch against the frame. Despite adjusting the tension settings to meet the right force, the hinges cannot provide the final closing force to pull the door tightly shut.
Why Didn’t That Door Close Tightly?
Some self closing spring loaded hinges do not provide the final latching force needed to pull the door completely shut at 0 degrees. This is not a defect but a fundamental design feature driven by ADA compliance.
What is ADA Compliance
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a U.S. law enacted in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. It ensures equal access to public spaces, employment, transportation, and services. In the context of doors and hardware, ADA regulations set guidelines for door clearance, opening force, handle height, and self closing mechanisms to ensure accessibility for people with mobility impairments.
Go further with ADA Accessibility Standards here.
Why a Door Need ADA Compliance
ADA compliance hinges are required in commercial, public, and multi-family residential buildings for individuals with disabilities, allowing them to enter and exit buildings easily. According to ADA Protruding Objects Chapter 307.4 Vertical Clearance, “Headroom clearance of at least 80” high is required along all circulation paths (except at doors and doorways where a 78” minimum clearance is permitted to accommodate door stops and closers.” Therefore, the door can remove physical barriers that could prevent wheelchair users or individuals with mobility impairments from using doors independently.
Clearer Explanation on Why ADA Compliant Hinges Don’t Provide Tight Latching
ADA regulations ensure that doors are easy to open with minimal force, especially for individuals with disabilities, that is because:
- The hinge’s design prioritizes controlled closing over tight latching.
- The final latch force — typically provided by a separate mechanism like a magnetic catch or door latch — is not built into ADA-compliant hinges.
- Adjusting the hydraulic tension only affects closing speed and does not add additional pressure to pull the door tightly shut.
Solution for ADA Limitation
Due to the ADA regulations which limit closing force to ensure doors are easy to open, Waterson self-closing hinges do not provide strong latching power to pull a door tightly closed at 0 degrees. Even adjusting the hydraulic settings will not fix this issue since hydraulics control closing speed, not latch force.
Therefore, the best available solution is to install a separate latch or sealing mechanism (e.g., a magnetic catch or gasket) if a tight closure is required. If the door closes properly but does not stay tightly shut, this is a feature, not a flaw, due to ADA compliance.
ADA Doors with Waterson with Various Applications
Waterson ADA compliance door hinges meet all the requirements, featuring speed control for ADA recessed door clearance of more than 32″ and exceptional durability. As a result, the innovative spring door hinges provide exceptional functionality with aesthetics and achieve many ADA Compliance Standards. With an ADA-compliant 5 lbs opening force, adjustable speed control, a closing time of over 5 seconds, a sleek design, and various PVD finish options, this ADA operating hardware is a top choice for accessible doors.
Explore Waterson ADA Door Hinges Applications here:
- ADA Toilet Stall
- ADA Bathroom Stall Door
- Glass Toilet Partition
- ADA Fitting Room
- Heavy Duty Metal Gate
Waterson ADA Compliant Spring Door Hinges
Waterson Commercial Door Hinges combine an overhead closer and hinge into one attractive component with optional hold-open and door-stop features. These hinges are ideal for commercial openings, gates, and glass doors. The hinges are easily installed and adjusted to comply with ADA & ICC A117.1 requirements for opening force and to assure quiet, secure closing. Made with stainless steel, Waterson soft close door hinges meet NFPA 80 and are UL 3-hour fire-rated, as well as being suitable for both interior and all-weather exterior openings. See all our features.
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Please note that Waterson closer hinges start from a size of 4″x4″. If you’re in need of smaller self-closing hinges, we’d recommend checking out some other resources! Also, we only provide single acting closer hinges. Thank you.
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