The Problem
Late on a Saturday night, the heavy frameless entrance door of a busy Queen West restaurant shattered as staff were closing. The door was 1/2-inch tempered glass on a floor pivot with a Dorma floor closer. Tempered glass breaks into cubes, so the whole leaf was gone, and the restaurant had a 3-foot hole in its frontage at midnight.
The owner called our 24/7 line. The crew arrived in about 60 minutes and had the opening boarded within 90 minutes of the call.
What Caused It
Before measuring, the crew checked the hardware. The bottom pivot had worn and the closer had lost its check, so the door had been slamming into its stop for weeks. Over time that stresses the glass at the patch fittings. A new panel on the same worn hardware would have been at risk of breaking again.
Materials
- New 1/2-inch clear tempered door panel, CSA A440, with patch fitting notches cut before tempering
- Patch fittings cleaned and reused
- Bottom pivot reset and Dorma floor closer re-adjusted for a safe closing speed
- AODA manifestation strips applied
Timeline
| Step | When |
|---|---|
| Call | Saturday, near midnight |
| Boarded | Within 90 minutes |
| Measured and ordered | Monday morning |
| New door hung | Tuesday afternoon |
The restaurant traded on Sunday and Monday through its side door, and the main entrance was back before Tuesday dinner service.
Final Cost
$3,100 CAD, including the night board-up, the new tempered door panel, pivot and closer work and installation. The work was booked after hours with no surcharge up to midnight, and it carries our written 2-year workmanship warranty.
Related service: glass door replacement.
