Office entrance doors are the first thing a client, a candidate or a supplier touches when they visit your business, and they set the tone before anyone says hello. Coetz™ makes aluminium and frameless office frontages and entrance doors to measure at our workshop in Laser Park, Johannesburg, and MC Automations, our parent company, measures and installs them, from a single pivot door in an office park unit to a full glass reception front with an automatic sliding door.
Outside Gauteng, MC Automations installs shopfronts in major cities and towns across South Africa, including Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein, East London, Polokwane, Nelspruit, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, George, Rustenburg, Kimberley, Witbank, Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom, Mthatha, Port Shepstone, Newcastle, Secunda, Tzaneen, Welkom, Upington, Mahikeng, Middelburg, Ermelo, Ladysmith, Kokstad, Queenstown, Oudtshoorn, Worcester, Hermanus, Mossel Bay, Musina, Bethlehem, Kroonstad, Harrismith, Vryheid, Graaff-Reinet, Paarl, Thohoyandou, Lephalale, Bela-Bela, Vryburg. In the Vaal Triangle, see aluminium shopfronts Vereeniging.
For all-glass doors and office glazing, see frameless glass doors and glass partition walls.
This page explains the door types, how to choose between them, what an office frontage costs and how a project runs. You can lay out and price a framed office shopfront yourself in the online estimator.
In this guide
What makes good office entrance doors
- A strong first impression: glass, clean lines and a door that opens smoothly say the business is confident and well run.
- Easy access: visitors with laptop bags, couriers with boxes and anyone in a wheelchair should be able to get in without a struggle.
- Security: the entrance must lock properly after hours, and the glass should hold together if struck.
- Comfort: a door that closes behind people keeps the reception cool in summer and warm in winter.
- Durability: an office door opens hundreds of times a day for years; the frame and hardware must take it.
Types of office entrance doors
Automatic sliding doors
For busy receptions, branches, call centres and shared office buildings, automatic sliding office entrance doors keep people moving and keep the climate inside. The MC-125 automatic sliding door system, R27 590 excluding VAT, includes sensors, remotes, battery backup and an electric lock, and suits openings 1 600 to 6 000 mm wide and 1 800 to 3 500 mm high. The electric lock secures the office at the end of the day, and the battery keeps the door working through load shedding.
Pivot doors
A pivot door is the classic choice for a head office or a professional practice. One wide leaf turns on pivots at the top and bottom, so it swings with a light push even when it is large, and it looks architectural rather than ordinary. Our aluminium pivot doors come in 1 200 and 1 500 mm widths and 2 100 and 2 400 mm heights, from R10 494 excluding VAT. Frameless glass pivot doors, with a full-height glass leaf and a long pull handle, are quoted per project.
Hinged doors
Single and double aluminium hinged doors are the economical choice for office park units, small practices and side entrances. Double doors open wide for furniture and deliveries, and both take a commercial lock. Hinged doors are included in the shopfront area in the estimator.
Automatic swing doors
Where a hinged door stays but needs to be hands-free, for example at a narrow entrance or a disabled-access door, the MCW-100 automatic swing door operator, from R15 900 excluding VAT, opens it on a sensor, a push button or an access card.
Frameless glass doors
Frameless sliding, pivot and hinged glass doors give the cleanest look of all and are popular for corporate receptions and boardrooms. They are set into a frameless shopfront or a framed one, and quoted per project.
How to choose office entrance doors
Start with three questions: how many people come through in a day, who they are, and what the entrance must say about the business.
- A few visitors an hour: a pivot or hinged door is enough, and a pivot door looks the part.
- A steady flow all day: an automatic sliding door saves time, keeps the reception cool and helps everyone in.
- Accessibility first: an automatic sliding or swing door is the simplest way to let a wheelchair user in unaided, in line with SANS 10400-S.
- A premium brand: a frameless glass pivot or sliding door with a large clear frontage.
- Tight budget: double hinged doors in a framed aluminium front, with an automatic swing operator added later if needed.
The office frontage around the door
Office entrance doors rarely stand alone. Around them sits the glazed frontage: fixed panes that bring light into the reception, a transom above the door for the company name, and sidelights either side. We make the whole office shopfront as one package in our 44 mm commercial aluminium frame, glazed with 6.38 mm clear laminated safety glass, up to 3 000 mm high per pane, in any powder-coat colour to match your brand, all at the same price. Tinted or solar glass cuts glare on reception screens and keeps a west-facing front cooler; obscure glass gives privacy to meeting rooms off the reception.
Office frontage prices
Framed office frontages are priced per square metre for the aluminium and glass in the estimator, with hinged doors included. Examples, excluding VAT:
| Shopfront | Area | Price, excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| 2 400 × 2 400 mm, single hinged door | 5.76 m² | R10 658 |
| 3 000 × 2 400 mm, single hinged door | 7.20 m² | R13 323 |
| 4 000 × 2 700 mm, double hinged doors | 10.80 m² | R19 984 |
| 4 000 × 2 400 mm, MC-125 automatic sliding door | 9.60 m² | R17 763 + R27 590 operator = R45 353 |
A pivot door from R10 494 or an MCW-100 swing operator from R15 900 can be added to any frontage. Installation is quoted by MC Automations after a site measure. Frameless doors and special glass are quoted per project. For the rest of the building, see aluminium windows for offices.
Security and after-hours
Laminated glass is our standard because the interlayer holds the pane together if it is struck, which slows down a break-in and keeps the weather out until the pane is replaced. The MC-125 locks its leaves electrically when the door is switched off for the night, pivot and hinged office entrance doors take commercial locks, and any door can be linked to an access-control system by your security provider. Where an office faces the street, plan where a security gate or alarm sensor will go before the frontage is made.
Glass and compliance
Safety glass is required at entrances and low level by SANS 10400-N, published by the SABS. Large clear panes need manifestation, the frosted bands or dots at eye level that stop people walking into the glass, and they are a good place for the company logo. See shopfront glazing requirements.
Office parks, receptions and branches
- Office parks: body corporates often set the frame colour and door style for every unit. Get the estimator drawing approved before ordering.
- Head office receptions: a tall glass front with a frameless pivot or automatic sliding door, and the logo on the glass.
- Branches and service centres: an automatic sliding door for constant traffic, with a night lock.
- Professional practices: a solid aluminium pivot door and obscure glass for privacy.
Office entrance doors and the reception layout
Plan office entrance doors together with the reception, not after it. The receptionist should see the door from the desk, and visitors should walk in to a clear space, not straight into a desk or a wall. A sliding door needs room for its leaves to park beside the opening; a pivot or hinged door needs a clear swing inside or outside. If a lobby has two sets of doors, a draught lobby, keep enough space between them for a wheelchair and a person to stand while the outer door closes.
Light matters too. A glazed office front fills the reception with daylight, so the lights can stay off for much of the day. Choose tinted or solar glass where the sun hits the frontage in the afternoon, and plan blinds or film for meeting rooms that face the street.
Looking after office entrance doors
Aluminium frames need only a wipe with mild soapy water every few months; avoid abrasive cleaners on the powder coat. Check the pivots, hinges and locks once a year and tighten any loose screws. Automatic office entrance doors should be serviced every six months, when MC Automations checks the drive, the sensors, the floor guide and the lock. MC Automations also stocks the spares, from sensors to control boards, and offers call-outs if a door fails between services. See automatic door maintenance.
How an office entrance project runs
- Brief: price the frontage in the estimator, or send drawings and photos.
- Site measure: MC Automations checks the opening, the floor, the structure and the power for an automatic door.
- Quote: one quote for the frontage, the doors, any operator and the installation.
- Manufacture: made to measure in Laser Park.
- Installation: fitted by MC Automations and planned around office hours where possible.
MC Automations installs across Gauteng, including Sandton, Midrand, Johannesburg and Pretoria; projects elsewhere are quoted per project. Automatic doors carry a 24-month warranty on the operator and should be serviced every six months. For other types of business, see commercial shopfronts, retail shopfronts and custom shopfronts.
Office entrance doors: frequently asked questions
What are the best office entrance doors?
For a busy reception, an automatic sliding door; for a head office or practice, a pivot door; for a small unit, double hinged doors. Frameless glass doors give the most premium look.
How much do office entrance doors cost?
Aluminium pivot doors start at R10 494, the MCW-100 swing operator at R15 900 and the MC-125 automatic sliding door system is R27 590, all excluding VAT. The frontage is priced per square metre in the online estimator.
Can you automate our existing office door?
Often, yes. A hinged door in good condition can take an MCW-100 swing operator; MC Automations checks it on site.
Do automatic office doors work during load shedding?
The MC-125 includes battery backup, so it keeps working through a power cut.
Who installs office entrance doors?
MC Automations, our parent company, measures and installs them with the frontage.
Can the door have our logo on it?
Yes. Logos and manifestation bands can be applied to the glass.
Coetz™, Unit 2, 84 Ridge Road, Laser Park, Johannesburg. Call 010 412 0062, WhatsApp 076 613 4418 or use our contact page.