Manual storefront doors are aluminum-framed glass swing doors operated by a customer pushing or pulling the handle — the default for most retail, restaurants, and small commercial facades. Automatic sliding storefront doors open under their own power when a sensor detects a person approaching — the standard for supermarkets, hospitals, hotels, and high-traffic main entrances. Automatic sliders are governed by ANSI/BHMA A156.10 and must be installed and inspected by an AAADM-certified technician. RCI Doors™ installs, services, and repairs both.

Automatic doors are one of the most reliable ways to achieve ADA compliance, but they are only compliant when the operator, hardware, activation method, and clear opening all meet code. The ADA requires a 32-inch minimum clear opening, one-handed activation, and closing force below 5 lbf on manual-override modes. RCI Doors™ audits every opening and installs ANSI/BHMA-compliant operators that satisfy both ADA and local building codes.

A properly maintained aluminum-framed storefront door system typically lasts 20–30 years, with hardware (closers, locks, hinges) requiring replacement every 7–12 years. Automatic sliding storefront operators typically last 10–15 years, with premium models on annual service agreements reaching 15–20 years. Safety sensors drift earlier and are usually replaced every 5–7 years. RCI Doors™ performs annual AAADM inspections, tunes operators that can be saved, and replaces operators that have reached end-of-life.

AAADM — the American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers — is the industry body that trains and certifies automatic door inspectors in the U.S. An AAADM certification means a technician has been trained on ANSI/BHMA A156.10 and A156.19 and is authorized to perform and sign off on annual safety inspections. Every RCI Doors™ technician who installs, services, or repairs an automatic storefront door is AAADM-certified.

Commercial automatic doors must be inspected at least once per year by an AAADM-certified technician, as required by ANSI/BHMA A156.10 and A156.19. Inspections should also occur after any impact, sensor replacement, or operator service. Annual inspection is also a condition of most automatic door manufacturer warranties. RCI Doors™ bundles annual AAADM inspections into our preventive maintenance agreements.

In most cases, yes. When the surrounding aluminum framing, glazing, and sidelites are sound, we replace just the door panel and rebuild the hardware — closer, hinges, lock, threshold, and weather stripping. That keeps the install fast, the cost in line with the actual damage, and the facade visually consistent. We replace the full system only when the framing itself is structurally compromised.

RCI Doors™ installs, services, and repairs door systems from leading storefront and operator manufacturers. We’re authorized for dormakaba, Oldcastle (OBE), US Aluminum, YKK AP, Republic, Mesker, Door Controls USA, Norton, LCN, SDC, and Detex. If you already have a storefront door from any of these brands, our techs are trained to service it.

Yes. RCI Doors™ provides 24-hour emergency service for commercial storefront doors across the Triad and greater Charlotte metro — stuck sliders, failed operators, vehicle-impact frame damage, lock failures, panic hardware emergencies. Call 336-626-5125 for the Asheboro area or 336-708-4141 for the Charlotte area. Special rates apply for after-hours dispatch.

Yes. RCI Doors™ installs, services, and repairs commercial storefront doors throughout the Piedmont Triad and greater Charlotte metro, including Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, Asheboro, Charlotte, Huntersville, Concord, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and surrounding communities in North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. We operate from our Asheboro and Huntersville locations and offer 24-hour emergency service for commercial doors.