Continuous Hinges

When Should You Specify a Continuous Hinge Instead of Standard Hinges? 

Standard door hinges concentrate door weight and cycle stress at three discrete points on the door and frame edge. In high-abuse environments, this concentration causes the hinge mortise to enlarge over time, the door to sag, and the latch to stop engaging the strike. Continuous geared hinges run the full height of the door and distribute load along the entire door height. That eliminates point-load failure. Specify continuous hinges for K-12 school doors in student-heavy corridors and gymnasiums, correctional facility doors subject to deliberate abuse, hospital corridor doors that see heavy cart traffic, and any exterior door in coastal or high-wind environments where lateral door forces exceed what standard hinges can sustain over a 20-year service life.