What are the BEST hinges for Saloon Doors?
What are the best hinges for Saloon Doors?
Saloon Doors traditionally have double action hinges. There are two main types of double action hinges- Gravity Hinges and Spring Hinges. Both hinge styles offer the double action feature but they operate differently. Let's discuss the best hinges for your saloon doors.
The saloon door hinges we offer for custom doors are as follows: Standard Gravity Hardware, Premium Grade Gravity Hardware, Commercial Grade Spring Hinges, and Commercial Grade Gravity Hinges (Bommer). All of these hardware hinges are double action and will automatically return the door to the center. Custom doors purchased from Swinging Cafe Doors- come fully prepped for the hardware you chose.
Standard Gravity Hardware- Available in Brass, Satin Chrome, Oil Rubbed Bronze, and Matte Black finishes
Standard gravity hardware- This hinge is our “standard” hardware and comes in four finishes- brass, satin chrome, oil rubbed bronze, and matte black. This hinge requires the most clearance- spacing between the door jamb and doors. These hinges are referred to as gravity hinges which means they use gravity to bring the doors to a closed position. When the doors are opened they are pushed up a ramp, when released they ride back down the ramp. At the bottom of the ramp, the doors are in the center (closed) position. These hinges offer a “hold open” feature, however, they require rotation to 125 degrees to hold open. These hinges mount to the top and bottom of the doors. These hinges do require a gap between the top pivot bracket and top pivot assembly, this allows the doors to rise up the ramp on the bottom hinge assembly.
Premium Grade Gravity Hardware- Available in a Brass finish only
The premium grade hardware is available in a brass finish only. The premium grade gravity hardware can hold heavier doors. Again these hinges use gravity to bring the doors back to the center closed position. When the doors are opened they are pushed up a ramp, when released the doors ride back down the ramp. At the bottom of the ramp, the doors are in the center (closed) position. These hinges offer a “hold open” feature at 90 degrees. These hinges mount to the top and bottom of the doors. These hinges do require a gap between the top pivot bracket and top pivot assembly, this allows the doors to rise up the ramp on the bottom hinge assembly.
Commercial Grade Hardware
Our strongest hardware is our commercial grade hinges. These are great hinges for either commercial or residential settings. We always recommend commercial grade hinges for commercial settings to ensure durability.
Commercial Grade Spring Hardware- Available in Brass, Satin Chrome, Oil Rubbed Bronze, and Gloss Black
These spring hinges use a spring to pull the doors back to the center. You can adjust the tension on the spring for a faster or slower return on the doors. The spring hinges are Non-Hold Open. These hinges mount between the door and door frame and they will allow for the tallest doors. These hinges are noisier in their application because of the strong springs and metal contact. These hinges are perfect for restaurants that need to have the doors always closed to comply with local or state codes.
Commercial grade spring hinges require a minimum height clearance of ¼” of an inch to ensure a good fit. Again, spring hinges are Non-Hold open.
Commercial Grade Gravity Hardware- Available in Brass, Satin Chrome, Oil Rubbed Bronze, and Bright Black
Commercial grade gravity hinges are an American made Bommer pivot hinge. These hinges have a hold open feature at 90 degrees. The hinge uses gravity to pull the doors back to the center. The bottom pivot is enclosed so that neither dirt nor grime can interfere with the operation of the hinge. This hinge allows for wider doors due to the limited clearance required between the door and the door frame. These hinges mount to the top and bottom of the doors. This is a high-quality hinge built to last. These hinges do require a gap between the top pivot bracket and top pivot assembly, this allows the doors to rise up the ramp on the bottom hinge assembly when pushed open.
Commercial grade gravity hinges require 6” of clearance (3" top and 3" bottom) from the door height. We can recess the bottom for a small additional cost. If the hinge was recessed you would only need 3” of clearance at the top of the doors (for the top pivot hinge and rise of the door during operation). For example, if your doorway height is 80” tall, then your max door height is 74" with commercial grade gravity hinges or 77" with commercial grade gravity hinges including the bottom recess options. Recessing the bottom pivot assembly simply allows for taller doors.
Photo shows the doors notched with the Commercial Grade Gravity Hinges:
Commercial Grade Horizontal Spring Pivot Hinge- Available in Brass, Satin Chrome, Oil Rubbed Bronze and Bright Black
These hinges work best for full height saloon doors 70” or taller. The hardware allows for minimal gaps and a hold open feature in either direction.
These are Bommer 7800 series hardware- Commercial Grade Horizontal Spring Pivots for full length swinging doors. Commercial Grade Horizontal Spring Pivot hardware has the finish options of either Brass, Satin Chrome, Oil Rubbed Bronze, or Bright Black. The distance between each door and jamb is 1/4" for the floor-mounted bottom bracket and 3/8" for the jamb-mounted bottom bracket on all 7800 series hinges.
Based on your door opening size we will choose a Bommer 7811, 7812, or 7818. Feel free to call to talk about which option will work best for you.
The Bommer 7811 allows for the most minimal gaping. This hardware has a bottom hinge that sits on the floor and mounts to the floor with a bottom gap of 9/16" door to floor. The top hinge mounts to the header- flush is the preferred mounting option leaving a gap of 3/8".
The Bommer 7812 varies from the Bommer 7811 in that the bottom hinge sits on the floor BUT mounts to the jamb. This is the most POPULAR option. This makes the gap between the door and floor 11/16". The top hinge mounts to the header- flush is the preferred mounting option leaving a gap of 3/8".
The Bommer 7818 has a bottom hinge that has the option of mounting to the floor or jamb. The top hinge for the Bommer 7818 mounts to the jamb only.
With our swinging doors, we are introducing some new hardware options for our top modern line design.
Slab Doors
Slab doors are simple, we supply the door only. Slab doors can be installed in many different ways and allow you the freedom to decide the mounting method. When purchasing a slab door, we will contact you for the measurements you desire based on your overall opening size, but you may need to prep depending on the hardware you have chosen.
Butt Hinges
Butt hinges are standard door hinges that are typically on most interior doors. Butt hinges will be recessed into the doors. Butt hinges will allow for slightly wider doors, there will be three hinges per door on all full length doors. Butt hinges operate differently than double action hinges and are still a great option. Butt hinges will allow the doors to swing in one direction, in-swing or out-swing only. Butt hinges also require
s a door stop so the doors do not swing in the opposite direction potentially damaging doors.
If you are interested in a slab door or butt hinges please let us know and we can make sure that is available on the doors that you select.
Please Note: Not every hardware type is available on every door style or size. The website will determine what hardware is a fit for your chosen door design and sizing.