Door Hardware for Medical Office Buildings
Medical office buildings sit between offices and hospitals. Many are business occupancies, but they serve patients with walkers, wheelchairs and limited strength every day, and they often house imaging, procedure and lab spaces with special doors. Clinics where patients may be unable to evacuate on their own, such as some surgery or dialysis centers, can fall under stricter ambulatory health care requirements in NFPA 101. Confirm the occupancy for each tenant space with your AHJ.
- Building entrances and lobbies: high traffic, often exterior; pair a closer with a low-energy operator at the accessible entrance.
- Suite entry doors: the most-used doors in the building; fire rated where corridors are rated.
- Exam and consultation rooms: privacy and quiet closing.
- Imaging rooms: lead-lined doors are heavy; see door closers for heavy doors.
- Labs, pharmacies and records: doors that must close and latch for security.
- Stairs and service rooms: rated, self-closing assemblies.
Accessibility Is the Top Priority
Patients arrive with crutches, walkers and wheelchairs. Set opening force as low as the door allows and use delayed action on suite entries so the door does not start closing while a patient is still in the opening.
Under the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (section 404), interior hinged doors must open with no more than 5 lbf, and a closer must be adjusted so the door takes at least 5 seconds to swing from 90° to 12° from the latch. Fire doors are the exception on opening force: the authority having jurisdiction sets the minimum. Always check local code and your AHJ.
Multi-tenant buildings: landlords can simplify maintenance by setting one closer standard for all suites in the tenant design criteria, while each tenant adjusts power and speed for its own doors.
Infection Control and Cleanability
Clinic doors are touched and cleaned constantly. The DN-9500's non-porous powder-coated finish can be wiped down; verify compatibility with your disinfectants. Doors to procedure and clean rooms should close and latch reliably to support the air pressure relationships designed for them.
Specifying Closers for a Medical Office Project
- Confirm the occupancy of each tenant space (business or ambulatory health care).
- Identify rated corridors, suite entries and stairs.
- Record door weights, especially lead-lined and acoustic doors.
- Set ADA opening force and closing time after installation.
- Standardize on one Grade 1 model across tenants.
For full hospital guidance see our hospital door closer page and the healthcare door hardware guide.
DRIWON DN-9500 Specifications
| Model | DRIWON DN-9500 extra heavy duty commercial door closer |
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| Certification | ANSI/BHMA A156.4 Grade 1; UL listed |
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| Fire rating | 3-hour fire rated when installed on a rated door assembly |
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| Power size | Adjustable 1–6 |
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| Door weight | 44–440 lbs (20–200 kg) |
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| Door width | 23"–59" (58–150 cm) |
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| Body / arm | Extra heavy duty cast iron body, wrought steel arm, heat-treated piston |
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| Control | Hydraulic, with delayed action and secure positive latch |
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| Finish | Corrosion-resistant powder coat, silver or black |
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Need the lighter-duty option for interior doors? See the DRIWON DN-8220 Grade 1 door closer. Full details on the DN-9500 product page.
