Your home facility fixtures and crawl spaces require proper care and regular maintenance. Thus, access doors and panels are essential to have around your house, especially near your facilities, as it grants you secure concealment and easy access to the hard-to-reach areas of the building fixtures.
In this blog post, you will discover the factors you must consider for an access panel to purchase the right one for your place. Here are five important tips you should take note of:
Purpose of installation
When deciding which access panel to install in your house, it’s vital to determine first the primary purpose of your installation, whether for aesthetics, accessibility, safety, or security of your property. Recognizing the objective of installment can also help you narrow down your door product options until you end up with the one that matches your requirements and preferences. These are the three main types of access doors according to purpose:
- General-Purpose Access Door: When security nor fire-rated is your priority, the general-purpose access doors and panels fit you best, granting optimum accessibility and aesthetic results. It contains impressive features, such as concealed hinges, recessed panels frame, and elegant flush installation in walls and ceilings application or interior or exterior environments.
- Fire-rated Access Door: If high safety standards and fire resistance are your top priority, the fire-rated access doors and panels are ideal for purchasing. It’s a must-have, particularly on facilities that contain flammable materials, including wiring and electrical system, HVAC and exhaust ducts, gas lines, and so forth. Most fire-rated panel products consist of strong elements that can contain the spread of massive fire, like a smoke-proof gasket, thick galvanized steel, and mineral wool insulation. Remember that insulated panels allow wall and ceiling application, whereas uninsulated panels are only compatible with wall applications. You can also classify these fire-resistant doors by their ceiling and wall fire rating:
- 45 Minute rating
- 90 Minute rating
- 1 Hour rating
- 2 Hour rating
- 5 Hour rating
- 3 Hour rating
- Drywall Access Door: On the other hand, the drywall access door and the panel is perfect for hiding unsightly wires, cables, and water valves that are hiding behind your drywall walls or ceilings prettily. It provides five aesthetically-pleasing drywall door options:
- Behind Drywall Flange
- Exposed Flange
- Glass Fiber Reinforced Cement
- Glass Fiber Reinforced Gypsum
- Mud In Flange
Identifying the suitable material
After defining the purpose of access door installation, you must determine the panel material you’ll choose. Picking the right material to attach is crucial for the long-lasting of your facilities and your entire house. Here are the common access door materials you’ll see in the market:
- Steel: Steel-built access panels are popular companions in fighting extreme heat, mold, and mildew issues. What’s more amusing about this material is that it doesn’t rust or change color even when used for a long time.
- Plastic: The plastic-constructed access doors are your lightweight and budget-friendly panel options that present a neat finish that can go well with your paintings or furniture in your house.
- Drywall: The drywall-crafted access panels are another cheap door alternative, and you can customize them to meet your specific area needs.
- Aluminum: The aluminum-fabricated access doors are another metal panel option, but they’re thinner and more lightweight than steel. Nevertheless, they are strong and durable, especially against corrosion.
Weighing in your options
Since you now have enough information about your installation purpose and material desire. It’s now time to weigh your options. Consider your area’s demands first and, if applicable, your local department’s specific property requirements.
Cross out the panel products that aren’t meeting your needs and desires, and focus on further examining the ones that will help you achieve the necessary standards. Once have a panel in mind, you will also decide on the shape and size most fitting for the opening in your area.
Finding the right location
To finalize your access door purchase, take your time to look at the facility area you’re aiming to conceal and decide the perfect location to provide easy access for the specialists while discouraging forced or unwarranted entries from unauthorized individuals. If the location requires a huge door opening, you can opt for the large walkthrough access doors.
Keep in mind that it’s critical to get accurate measurements of the opening to identify the standard door frame size you’ll get. The standard dimension of access doors and panels can go from 4″ x 6″ to 48″ x 72″.
Looking for a reliable supplier
Once you have identified the essential panel factors, you must find a reputable and reliable supplier with the highest quality access door products. This way, you can guarantee the model’s functionality, durability, and aesthetic appearance.
Pick an access panel supplier that welcomes your queries, quickly responds, and works on your customizing demands happily. When deciding which supplier to trust, consider their location and if they offer flexible shipping options.
Analyze and pick panels carefully
Selecting the most suitable access door and panels for your home facility area is critical to ensure its long lifespan. Jot down all the factors shared in this article, so you can smartly examine every panel option. Take note of the appropriate shape and size for the space also, as it can make or break your structure.