Because of their durable construction, Tubelite aluminum entrance doors often outlast the usage conditions or code requirements for which they were originally installed. When that happens, they can be modified to meet the new needs and continue performing for decades longer. Pat Neyhart, vice president of Wooster Glass Co. in Ohio knows of several such doors.
Wooster Glass installed Tubelite entrances on Wayne Savings Community Bank when it opened in 1964. In 1969, Neyhart started working at Wooster Glass while he was still in high school. More than 50 years later, Neyhart continues to serve Wooster Glass’ customers and the bank’s doors remain in operation.
“Those are the original doors for the bank. It’s got the custom push-pulls. We’ve never taken it off or had to replace a tie rod or anything. I cannot remember having anybody go up there to service that door,” said Neyhart. “I’m guessing it has to open and close at least 75 times a day. That door is as original as you can get. They could even be the original hinges. Hinges get a lot of use, and sometimes you have to replace them, but it’s pretty easy on a Tubelite door.”
Another successful Wooster Glass installation can be seen at 116 East Liberty Street. This retail location has had many lives throughout the past 40 years, but like the bank, it only has had one set of doors. Tubelite Standard Narrow Stile Entrance doors with a clear anodized finish.
When the doors were installed in the 1970s, the location was Brenner’s Clothing Store. To this day, the mosaic floor of the entryway still says “Brenner Bros.” The current tenant, Blue Spruce Boutique, reported that the doors are still performing well.
Neyhart recalls when the Liberty Street location previously was a coffee shop, and the building code required a panic bar exit device on one door. He explained that it was a fairly simple modification: “You take the two tie rods off and replace the rails. You can disassemble the tie rods manually, without power tools, and do it right in the field.”
Through his decades of experience, Neyhart noted that easy modification and repair is an important feature of tie-rod assembled doors because they save the owner significant money. “If someone tries to break into a building, they’ll destroy the lock-stile,” he said. “You can take off that horizontal rail and replace it, and you’re back in business. Or if a car hits it, you can replace a couple of horizontal rails and some glass and repair the door. If it’s some other welded door, you’d have to order a completely new door. Tie rod definitely has its advantages.”
He continued, “We prefer to use Tubelite because of the adaptability. For repairs, or if something gets fabricated incorrectly, we can just replace that rail. If it was a welded door, it would be a whole different story—you’d have to replace the entire door. We like the adaptability of tie-rod doors so much better. The beauty is the adaptability and the ability to change.”