Benefits of Vestibules
Customer Comfort:
Vestibules provide a wind block to interrupt the surge of outside air that can give your customers a blast of frigid air especially if the door is constantly used and the winds have kicked up.
Energy Savings:
By providing an airlock, your HVAC system doesn’t have to heat or cool nearly as much outside air that just came into you building. Energy code may allow you to use a non-thermally broken door and frame instead of a much more expensive thermally broken door package for the exterior door.
Controlled Access:
By using electric strikes (or electric retraction), you can control access into your space without having your guests wait outside in the inclement weather.
Something as simple as a button at the reception desk can be used to let people in. These devices can be activated by being tied into a key card system as well.
Dirt Reduction:
Vestibules are the perfect place to install walk-off mats that help reduce the amount of water, dirt and salt that can harm your flooring and make for slippery conditions.
Configurations
Layouts:
Check with your architect for ADA and egress compliance. If your space is over 3,000 sq. ft., building code may require a vestibule.
To help slow down the wind from entering the building, the vestibule doors should be perpendicular to the exterior door.
For safe egress, vestibule doors should swing into the vestibule. There are times when one of two vestibule doors are allowed swing into the building (i.e. the “Enter” door).
Door Hardware:
Typically LCN 1250 closers are sufficient for vestibule doors.
Many times vestibule doors do not have locking hardware. If they do, they use the same type of locking hardware as the entrance door. Sometimes the vestibule door is keyed differently so that a deliveries (such as bread) can get dropped off when nobody is in the building.
Butt hinges are usually sufficient because the door leafs are glazed using single pane glass instead of insulated glass. There is very little chance of wind damage.
Floor or wall stops are sometimes used to prevent the door leafs from hitting the vestibule glass or drywall.
Thresholds can make for a good transition from tile to carpet. If the flooring on both sides of the vestibule is the same, thresholds are usually not used.
If both door leafs swing into the vestibule, restaurants will often delete the pull handles on the door that they want customers to exit thru.
Types of Material:
Typically 1 3/4″ x 4 1/2″ aluminum with the same finish as the storefront is used, although a standard finish such as Clear or Bronze anodized is often used when the storefront has a painted or custom anodized finish.
Vestibules are usually glazed using 1/4″ Clear tempered single pane glass. Sometimes 3/8″ single pane glass is used when there are oversized pieces.