Environmental  Sealing & Seal Selection

Weather sealing will only generally apply to external doors. The degree of sealing required will be determined by the door set's location and the extent to which it is exposed to external climatic conditions. Doorsets in protected external locations generally require a lower level of sealing than exposed external doors subjected to high wind pressures.

Similar considerations may apply to internal locations where there is a need to control room pressures—e.g. laboratories or hospitals. The requirement for effective sealing applies to all buildings, whether they are industrial, commercial, public or residential; indeed, any building where it is necessary to reduce the transfer of noise, air, smoke, odours and vermin that might otherwise find a route through the operating gaps around door leaves and windows.

The purpose of the door will influence the choice of seals. For example, sealing external doors for (say) plant rooms that are only used by able-bodied maintenance staff may be considered differently from doors in locations that are to be used by the general public, particularly disabled users. Pemko seals generally fall into the category of low operating force, but it may be necessary to use a combination of seals to meet performance requirements for some locations.

For exposed locations used by the general public, we recommend considering the construction of performance lobbies. This permits the use of low-force sealing arrangements that have little influence on the operation of the doors, with the added advantage that some level of sealing is maintained where one of the lobby doors is open while the other remains closed.