Full mortise, surface or concealed
ANSI/BHMA A156.26 · UL 10C · NFPA 80
Maryland, DC & Northern Virginia
A continuous hinge, also called a piano hinge, runs the full height of the door. Instead of two or three butt hinges holding all the weight, it spreads the load along the entire door edge and frame. That stops door sag, loose screws and torn frames on busy, heavy doors. We install both aluminum geared and stainless steel pin-and-barrel models built to meet ANSI/BHMA A156.26. Grade 1 hinges pass 2.5 million test cycles, so they suit busy schools, hospitals, offices, hotels, apartments and government buildings.
Weight spreads along the full door edge, so doors stay square, latch and close without dragging.
A continuous hinge retrofit can rescue a worn door and frame and avoid a costly replacement.
Fire-rated, swing-clear and electrified models help your openings meet NFPA 80, ADA and access control needs.
King Locksmith And Doors Inc. is a commercial locksmith and door company serving Maryland, Washington DC and Northern Virginia. Our technicians install, retrofit and repair continuous hinges on hollow metal, wood and aluminum storefront doors. We work with property managers, healthcare facilities, schools, hotels and government agencies. We measure each opening, check the frame and fire label, then fit the right hinge. Most retrofits are done in one visit, with little downtime for your building.
Not every continuous hinge fits every door. Use this guide to match hinge type, mounting, material and features to your opening, traffic level and code needs before you buy a hinge or schedule an installation.
Geared continuous hinges use interlocking aluminum teeth under a cap that runs the full door height. They handle heavy traffic well, resist sag and often cost less than stainless steel models. They are a common choice for storefronts, schools and office entries.
Pin-and-barrel hinges use one long pin through many knuckles. Stainless steel versions resist harsh cleaners, moisture and rust. That makes them a strong fit for hospitals, kitchens, labs and busy exterior service doors.
Mounting style decides how the hinge attaches and how it looks. Full surface hinges mount on the face of the door and frame, making them ideal for retrofits on worn doors. Half surface models mount on one face and in one mortise.
Full mortise and concealed hinges sit between the door edge and frame for a cleaner look. Concealed models need a wider door gap, so they rarely suit fire doors. We check clearances first.
Fire doors need a hinge listed for at least the rating of the opening. Stainless pin-and-barrel hinges often carry a 3-hour rating as built. Many geared hinges are rated for 90 minutes, or 3 hours with fire pins or a special design.
Never cut a labeled wood door down to fit a hinge. The clearances NFPA 80 requires must remain after installation. Always ask for the UL listing before the hinge goes on the door.
Heavier doors and busier entries need a heavier-duty hinge. Check the door’s weight, width and daily traffic. Then add the load from closers, exit devices, kick plates and glass lites. A light-duty hinge on a heavy door wears out very quickly.
For main entrances, stairwells and service corridors, specify an ANSI/BHMA A156.26 Grade 1 hinge. Grade 1 models pass 2.5 million test cycles. Our team then picks a hinge rated well above your real load.
Continuous hinges can do much more than hold a door. Electrified models with a built-in power transfer carry wires to electric strikes, card readers and electrified exit devices. The wiring stays hidden inside the hinge, away from tampering.
Swing-clear hinges move the door fully out of the opening, giving wheelchairs and beds more room. Sloped-barrel hospital designs suit behavioral health spaces. Security models add fixed pins and tamper-resistant screws for busy public areas and lobbies.
Butt hinges work fine on light doors, but heavy, busy openings push them past their limits. Here is how continuous hinges compare with standard butt hinges on today’s commercial doors.
Consideration
Continuous Hinges
Butt Hinges
Spreads door weight along the full height
Concentrates weight on two or three points
Keeps doors square and latching properly
Worn knuckles let heavy doors sag and drag
Reinforces worn frames and stripped screw holes
Screws loosen and pull out under load
Full-length leaf resists prying at the hinge edge
Exposed pins need security studs or NRP pins
Fewer service calls over the door’s life
Repeat repairs and adjustments add up fast
Continuous hinges last a long time, but the wrong model, poor installation or hard use can still cause trouble. These are the problems our technicians see most across the DMV.
We replace worn butt hinges with full-length continuous hinges and cover old mortises with clean filler plates.
We fit the right hinge to new hollow metal, wood and aluminum doors, mounted exactly to spec.
We remove failed, bent or noisy continuous hinges and install a matched replacement rated for your door.
We install UL-listed continuous hinges on labeled fire doors and keep door clearances within NFPA 80 limits.
We install continuous hinges with power transfer, neatly wiring electric strikes, card readers and exit devices safely.
We reinforce weak frames, fix stripped screw holes and realign sagging doors before the hinge goes on.
Get a free on-site assessment and a clear quote for continuous hinge installation, retrofit or repair anywhere in the DMV.
